Schools, consent forms and volunteering
 

When I was in elementary school one of my favorite experiences was being in a juggling class pretty much every day for four years straight (we had a program called "Explore" at the end of every day, where you selected two different things from a wide variety of classes/subjects/activities, that interested you... such as poetry, spanish, kickball, juggling, etc pretty much whatever the teachers can think of offering). This included being taught how to juggle bean bags, rings, clubs and on up to torches and machetes if the instructor thought you were ready for it. One of the things I don't remember though was ever having to bring a consent/waiver form home to my parents or anything in order to juggle some of those objects.

So I guess, what I'm wondering, is how much of a hassle in today's day in age would it be for someone to teach a juggling class in an elementary school and have 2nd-5th graders juggling torches. I know in my college geology class the TA commented that we didn't take any "field trips" to any geological locations "because the waiver forms and paper work is a total nightmare."

What I do know is the elementary school I attended no longer has this juggling program because the instructor changed schools, so, what I am thinking is if I am in MN next year after I graduate I would like to volunteer there and teach it, but, being able to get kids juggling torches and machetes is a MUST for me to make the experience worth my while.

Juggling torches in 2nd grade is one my sweetest and proudest memories, and I would like to bring that experience to other kids too. Plus, as I've realized at family get togethers and I see my little cousins, is I <3 little kids.


So yeah, is it going to be possible for me, an outsider without a teaching license, to be able to volunteer at my old elementary school 1hr a day to teach juggling AND most importantly be able to get them juggling torches? I know they do welcome volunteers for the Explore program because when I was in HS I did volunteer there about 2-3 times a month for the juggling class as an assistant (while they still had that teacher instructing it).

Re: Schools, consent forms and volunteering
 

I know nothing about this but here's what I'd guess

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So yeah, is it going to be possible for me, an outsider without a teaching license, to be able to volunteer at my old elementary school 1hr a day to teach juggling



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Probably yes, you'd just have to talk to the right people or find the right way to present it. I'd say try to give it an educational spin.

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AND most importantly be able to get them juggling torches?

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Probably helllllllz no.

Re: Schools, consent forms and volunteering
 

I think most schools would welcome something like this as long as its not too dangerous. My daughter's 3rd grade class has a jump rope team that is quite entertaining.

You should do this. Working with kids is one of the most rewarding things you can do in life.

Re: Schools, consent forms and volunteering
 

But I need the torches and machetes in it or else it's not the same. It's imperative. But I'm not at all familiar with whether our society has gotten so protective and restrictive that this is impossible to do or not.

But I agree, I'd probably enjoy it lots either way.

Re: Schools, consent forms and volunteering
 

I remember how badass it was to see the torches and machetes flying around...I never got past the rings and fumbling the clubs.

I think I'd just go talk to whoever the principal is at Pinewood now. Maybe they'll send you to ISD 196, but I know that there are very few standards for working at a school. My mom works at Glacier Hills in the Special Ed department and has worked with people that have basically no education background. It'd be worth at least a few minutes out of your day to talk to the powers that be.

Re: Schools, consent forms and volunteering
 

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But I need the torches and machetes in it or else it's not the same. It's imperative. But I'm not at all familiar with whether our society has gotten so protective and restrictive that this is impossible to do or not.

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I'd be really surprised if you could get away with this. I think the juggling program is a cool idea and you and the kids would probably both get a lot out of it, but I seriously doubt that torches or machetes would be allowed.

Re: Schools, consent forms and volunteering
 

Are you [censored] nuts? They are not going to let elementary school kids within 10 feet of a torch or machete.

Re: Schools, consent forms and volunteering
 

As a parent of a two Minnesota elementary school students I am not signing a release to allow a amature juggler to teach my kids how to juggle torches and machetes. Of course, my kids take after me and are quite clumsy. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Re: Schools, consent forms and volunteering
 

My highschool had a gun club about 20 years ago. Kids would bring in dad's 306's and go to the range 100 yards from school.

To the OP, I think torches would be ok...machetes probably not. Getting a little burn <<< Slicing a finger. No loss in trying to get the program started anyway.

-SmileyEH

Re: Schools, consent forms and volunteering
 

If I was the school principle and you came to me with this proposal, I would think to myself "The only juggling this guy is gonna teach these kids is juggling his nuts in their mouth." And then I'd call the cops.

Re: Schools, consent forms and volunteering
 

the short , answer

In todays "were going to sue you for a paper cut" age , uh good luck.

Its really an insurance thing, like your school had to cover in case you sliced your arm off. Aftet that I don't think schools would care. THey just don't want to be sued.

As for the parents, there all nuts now anyway, while you are cool and migh tlet your son/daughter do it most parents now are outa there mind and start crying along with there kids when they get road rash.

Re: Schools, consent forms and volunteering
 

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I know in my college geology class the TA commented that we didn't take any "field trips" to any geological locations "because the waiver forms and paper work is a total nightmare."

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WTF? This is college. It's not like the students will need a note from their parents.

Re: Schools, consent forms and volunteering
 

we live in the age of litigation, so everyone is out ot make sure that their ass if fully covered. i'm sure most schools would be more thant happy to have a volunteer come in and work with kids. the school will never allow them to juggle anything dangerous though. too much liability for the district, or at least there is the APPEARANCE of liability. if a kid gets hurt, is it the district's fault? I don't know and most people (unless they are lawyers) don't know, but it sure looks bad so the gut reaction-response of anyone affiliated with the school is going to be "no" to anything dangerous/cool. however, once you get enough kids interested, you may be able to get something going independent of the school. you would definitely need to get parental consent though before any axes, torches, hand-grenades, etc. got juggled.

Re: Schools, consent forms and volunteering
 

I'm not sure the exact laws in MN, but when I was a teacher in MA:
1) Anyone spending time with the students (like a chaperone for a field trip) had to have CORY report, which was basically the police checking up on your background to ensure that the bodies buried in your backyard are over the age of consent

2) Forming a club required permission of the principal and a teacher as a sponsor. Going on a field trip required parental consent forms and filing paperwork at city hall.

3) What you're proposing has a chance of working if you start it as a juggling club, and then do a demonstration with lit torches or whatever for the kids. When specific kids are ready, you *might* be able to get them to do it after getting permission just from the specific children that have hte ability- the kids will be asking their parents for permission every 30 seconds.

4) basically, schools = paperwork nightmares

Re: Schools, consent forms and volunteering
 

I don't think these days you'll even be allowed to bring a machete onto school grounds, as it could be construed as a weapon.

Re: Schools, consent forms and volunteering
 

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I don't think these days you'll even be allowed to bring a machete onto school grounds, as it could be construed as a weapon.

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construed???

Re: Schools, consent forms and volunteering
 

I would guess you have a 0% chance of the children being allowed to juggle neither torches nor machettes. You'll probably be able to get some sort of juggling club set up, but there's no way in this day and age that anyhting even remotely dangerous to the kids will be allowed

Re: Schools, consent forms and volunteering
 

You juggled torches, in school, in Minnesota?

Bravo! I'm speachless. Somehow you must of avoided the State Where Nothing is Allowed Police.

Re: Schools, consent forms and volunteering
 

They can be a major hassle.

In Vancouver (note:not as close as sue happy as the U.S.) a highschool football player got his mom to sign the form saying he could play. He broke one of his vertebrae and was partially paralyzed. So, the father sued the school because he never signed it.

In a sports and rec. legalities class we also learned that it doesnt really matter if you get parental consent or not because a parent can not sign over the childs rights, and the child is not of age to make such a decision anyways.

The other interesting thing was that most consent forms are too long so they get thrown out based on nobody would ever read the whole thing before signing anyways.

rJ