No leaving card, school volunteer

[beewaspfly]

I was a reading volunteer at a local school for five years, having answered a call out initially. The only reading volunteer they had. I did it because I had some time on my hands and love books - and my youngest had started primary (he is at a private school that already has tonnes of volunteers and was better resourced, so I thought elsewhere would be better).

They often asked if I could offer more time but I was only able to do a few hours a week - I say this to show that I knew they valued the help and I wasn’t imposing or anything!

I provided some of my own resources too and always bought little gifts for the class at Christmas etc.

teachers and TAs have always been lovely to me and I felt very happy there.

anyway - I had to leave just before half term as I’m going back into full time work. Everyone knew it was my last day when I came in on Friday as normal. I bought some new picture books for the class as a goodbye gift. At the end, I said goodbyes, the teachers wished me well …and, well, that was it. Not even a card or a bottle of wine! My friends say it’s rude and I’m inclined to agree. I didn’t do it for the appreciation but I suppose I do feel a bit miffed.

teachers, I’d love some perspective as to why they didn’t think to do anything. Maybe you could make me feel a bit better about it!

I'm a primary teacher, OP. There are so many possible reasons for this and not one of them will be because you weren't valued by the teachers or the children.

You will have made so much difference to those children. We have reading volunteers at my school and the children adore them and they are very much appreciated. Thank you ❤️

That’s rubbish.

It is maybe because it was ‘only a few hours a week’. 😞 Some people just aren’t thoughtful. Don’t let it take away from the enjoyment it brought you.

I think expecting teachers to use their money to buy you a "bottle of wine" is cheeky,

The lack of card? More likely an oversight, because it's not the job of someone specific, they are busy and it's not something that would come to mind. Even if the head or deputy head would normally organise it, anything might have happen to needed their attention a lot more urgently. If they were friendly and thank you and say goodbye, that's enough?

Don't get the wrong idea they are not grateful. If it's a standard school, that's 30+ kids in a class, no teacher has time to read with each child individually, and volunteer readers are an absolute necessity, you hours will have made a big difference! They know and they appreciate.

It is rude and thoughtless of them. Not a reflection on you.

THANK YOU
For your patience, time & effort

A handmade card from the children would have been lovely

I am sure that you made a difference to the children

This is not a reflection on you

Good luck with your new job

Op even a cake and a card.. not nice. Im sure you were appreciated. I was shocked my bil got nothing in job was over 20 yrs there. Very mean!

I've had similar. My predecessor in a volunteer role (who did it for the same length of time) was given a bunch of flowers when she stopped. I got nothing, maybe just a a verbal thank you in passing.

Meh, that’s schools for you, PTA roles are virtually full time term time and no one gets much thanks for those.

There are lots of reasons why it could have happened but that doesn’t take away how it has made you feel. It would have made me feel the same way. The school should have a procedure that involves thanking the volunteer, it could be quick and very low cost e.g. a signed letter of thanks from the HT. Personally I would email the HT and suggest they have an exit procedure for volunteers who are leaving.

I don’t think schools have the resources to be buying cards for volunteers. Frankly, taking time out of teaching to make one is also too much. It’s not why children are there and it’s I hope not why you decided to volunteer. Surely a thank you is enough!

That said, I left my long term FT employer because I had to give up working because I have cancer. No one got me a bloody card or a gift or said thank you or goodbye or hope you don’t die soon! 😂

I wouldn't say YABU, more that you are sadly being unrealistic. With volunteering you have to ensure that you are getting as much out of it as you are putting in. It is easy to tell yourself you are doing a good thing and making a difference but often charities and organisations don't necessarily see it that way. To them you are often filling a gap for free which otherwise they would have to pay minimum wage for.

I have done lots of different volunteering over the years with some great experiences and some less good. I've also been on the other side where my organisation has provided me with a volunteer which hasn't actually helped me. I have once received a card and gift for volunteering but usually it is a verbal thanks and sometimes nothing.

When I was volunteering for a low vision and blindness charity by reading to an elderly lady her daughter asked me quite snootily if I was at a loose end! I actually worked 4 days a week and volunteered on my day off.

Something should have been done but… leaving at a half term is hard. If you had managed to stay to end if year or July, then it probably would have been different. I work in schools and most staff changes happen end if summer term so there are always cards and collections going round and it’s kind of in the rhythm of the school year. In May they probably just weren’t thing about this and it probably slipped their mind.

it’s why I always have spare cards in my drawer so I can at least give a card out!

This happened to me at my work. I worked in my old role for 12 years, in that time I got married (with my colleagues invited to the wedding), I had two pregnancies and then after a couple of years after my second return to work I decided to move to a new role. Now, I appreciate it was an internal move, but it was a new role in an entirely different area of the business with no opportunity to see my old colleagues. I didn't even get an email to say goodbye on my last day, never mind a card.

In my new role the graduate intern who was there for 6 months in my new team had a leaving lunch arranged for her, plus she got a bunch of flowers and we all signed her card. This was when she ALSO moved internally to a different team. This made me realise how shit my old team had been.

I've also subsequently found out that a few others in my old team have had internal moves (and a couple of full external moves) and they got leaving cards and a goodbye acknowledgement. I got nothing!!! It did make me question myself, was I really that unimportant to them all? Even the ones who came to my wedding didn't even send me an email to acknowledge I was leaving.

Thankfully my new team is much nicer and my new boss thinks it's mad I didn't even get an email goodbye from them.