A Great Mission: Working with Dads

I am a father of one amazing little boy. When we adopted him from Ethiopia, the caregivers assured us that he was calm. That was a huge lie! It turns out we have a very strong willed and wild little boy. The truth is I love being a dad. It is a huge responsibility, but I love it.

When I survey my students in school, I can within a day or two get a good picture of what their dads are like. I can read it in their mannerisms and actions. It is revealed in their body language, tone, and inclinations. For some of my students, a dad is a missing entity, and for others a dad is a hero. Whatever the case, every year I have been trying to celebrate dads, and to get them into my class for at least one day.
I have labeled the special day, Project Day. The main goal is to get as many dads to come in and work with the kids to build some type of furniture. We usually try to recycle some kind of materials so that there is little cost involved. This year we are going to use pallets for all the projects.
One of the greatest plagues I see creating a huge paradigm shift in our country is in the role of the father. The father is no longer assuming the traditional roles that create stability that a family bank on. Getting dads to come in and work with the kids within a school setting is just something I can do as a teacher to facilitate one of those traditional roles. How do see the current role of the father effecting your students? How are you responding to these changes?

Great Resource: The Mentoring Project

Pallet Projects