Chapter 2 Becoming a Teacher 43
Since job shadowing is only a short-term activity, you might try
to shadow a variety of people in careers that interest you. You could,
for example, spend time with teachers at different grade levels or per-
haps a special education teacher and/or a reading specialist. Besides
what you learn, each experience will bring you a new professional
contact. Sometimes teachers and counselors arrange for job shadow-
ing, but you can also make arrangements to do so yourself.
• Volunteering. Volunteering is an excellent way to actually interact
with children. Much of the important work in communities is done
by volunteers. Once you become aware of needs, you are likely to
fi nd many opportunities. You can learn more about children of dif-
ferent age levels. You might volunteer to help with an after-school
program at an elementary school. You could become a tutor in a
youth program. You could get involved in programs such as Cub
Scouts or Brownies. You could help coach a sport. Summer camps,
child care programs, Special Olympics, and community recreation
programs all benefi t from enthusiastic and committed volunteers.
Short-term projects are also an option. You might help with an ele-
mentary school fundraiser, set up a school’s art fair, or help a middle
school group with a car wash. Volunteering can give you valuable
leadership experience. In essence, teachers are those who lead others
in learning.
All volunteer experiences, even those that do not involve chil-
dren, can help you improve the skills you will need for success in
college and a career. You may assist with planning, carrying out, and
evaluating activities. Volunteer activities typically require creativity
and problem-solving skills. You will have opportunities to work
with people of different backgrounds and ages. Dedication to your
volunteer job, even if it is inconvenient, strengthens your sense of
commitment. Every experience will teach you much and help you
stretch and grow as a productive citizen.
Volunteer work can also be a valuable addition to your résumé. In
addition, some of the adults with whom you work may be willing to
act as references, attesting to your character, commitment, and work.
• Service-learning. A special type of volunteer effort, called
service-learning, links classroom learning with hands-on experience
in order to meet community needs, 2-2. Service-learning projects
require analyzing needs, learning related information, planning a way
to help, following through, and evaluating the experience. For exam-
ple, a child development class might look into the problem of injury
and death rates among young children involved in vehicle accidents.
Research might show that many child safety seats may be improperly
installed, while others may have been recalled. The class might
work with an agency such as the American Red Cross to organize a