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General Event Volunteer Training

****General Event Volunteer Training (Video)

Introduction

Teachers and Volunteers are expecting volunteers to set a model behavioral example for their students.

Students will always question WHY? WHY IS THE ACTIVITY IMPORTANT? WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO FOLLOW THE RULES? We need to set the atmosphere that we will patiently listen, we will encourage curiosity, exploration, success, and failure, and we will reward respectful behavior and positive attitudes.

Student Maturity and Developmental Level

It is important to understand that students all have different developmental and academic levels. Therefore, we need to be careful with how we approach students as their mentors.

Volunteer Expectations

When we first begin leading a group of students, we need to set the expectations. The best way to do that is to have volunteers follow the following three main expectations:

  1. Safety
  2. Responsibility
  3. Integrity

It all comes down to these three things.

  • Safety: We don’t want anyone to get hurt.
  • Responsibility: We want to be able to trust the students to follow directions and use materials properly.
  • Integrity: And we want the students to respect each other in this learning experience.

UC Davis Rules when Working with Minors

Since the events are organized by a UC Davis student organization, we are required to abide by certain school policies. For instance:

  1. Minors will be treated with respect at all times: regardless of race, sex, age, or religion
  2. Staff and volunteers must avoid showing affection with minors, not use profanity or tell jokes with innuendos that contain racist or indecent commentary.
  3. You will not tell of your sexual encounters, not become romantically involved with minors, and not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol when in the presence of minors,
  4. You cannot have any secrets with minors, stare or comment on their bodies.
  5. Avoid being alone with minors at all times. Always be in the presence of another volunteer.
    1. If students need to go on bathroom breaks, contact your volunteer lead.
  6. You must prohibit minors from engaging in inappropriate behavior such as hazing, bullying,

Example of a Situation: Dodging hugs.

We expect volunteers to set an example for the students

Method of Control

The second thing we need to introduce is a method of control. This involves an action by the adult and a response by the students. This could be ringing a bell and then having students place their hands on their head. It could be calling out a quiet coyote and the students copy the sign. In the end, we want students to stop working and be quiet so we can give instruction for safety and efficiency. Often times, teachers already have this implemented so be sure to ask!

Discipline and Praise

The third thing we need to do is establish a fair discipline system. Most teachers have this already implemented in their class and all classrooms are different. Before an activity, ask the teacher how they discipline their students.

Remember, in order to have effective discipline, the three expectations must be clearly communicated first. Methods of discipline may involve different signals but they are all very similar and typically involves four steps:

  1. Reminding them of the expectations
  2. Acknowledging what the student has done
  3. Understanding why what the student did was wrong
  4. Learning why it is important not to repeat that behavior

The teacher is responsible for confronting the students. If a teacher is not present, the volunteers are responsible for correcting behavior.

Another aspect of discipline is praise! Make sure to set aside time to show off a student’s work and allow students to show off to both you and the class what they have done! Children cannot read micro expressions as well as adults do, so make sure your positive emotions are exaggerated! You might feel weird or embarrassed over exaggerating expressions; but a little goes a long way!

BitCart Specifics

The role of a volunteer is to help teachers and students conduct the activity. At events, there are a few important things to keep in mind.

  • Follow the volunteer lead if there is one! A volunteer lead is an experienced Bit Project Volunteer that makes sure the event goes well and is carried out on time.
  • Don’t get carried away… Focus on helping students learn and understand various difficult concepts. If you feel there is too much information help make sure key concepts are understood!
  • If you feel uncomfortable with any of the concepts, check out the Learn More page at the end of each designated activity. Feel free to ask other volunteers for help.

Make sure you watch two other videos if you haven’t done so already:

  1. Activity: This video explains the activity to be done at your event!
  2. “BitCart Logistics”

The “BitCart Logistics” will contain information on:

  • Logistics for general events
  • Location - transportation options
  • Timings of Event
  • Signing in/out of school office and getting a volunteer sticker
  • Getting set up (checking materials, collecting missing materials, cart to classroom)
  • What do you do if some materials are unavailable?
  • Cleaning up
  • Placing cart back
  • Signing out
  • Transportation back
  • Volunteer feedback