MORE OUTREACH IDEAS!
Some of the IDEAS I've used to reach out to my students over the years were directly lifted from my work in youth ministry where one-on-one and home visits are also the "secret sauce."
The "Ice Cream Visit"
I love the ice cream photo above. Reminds me of the approach I took with Confirmation kids -- inviting them two at a time for ice cream at one of their homes. I asked them in advance what their favorite Ben and Jerry's flavor was, and picked up pints for us to share at the appointed place and time. The kids called it their "ice cream visit." What kid wouldn't love that? (I also came with some questions about their life and our church.)
Tip: Bring an extra pint for parents and siblings!
School Plays and Musicals
When I heard that one of my students was in a play, I made an effort to show up. It was harder during the day, but many schools have moved their "older kid" plays to the evening which is easier (and my wife would often go with me). I let the parents know I was coming ahead of time but not to tell their kid. On more than one occasion, I made a few phonecalls to other kids from Sunday School. Many of them thought it was cool to "meet up and sit together." I'll never forget the look on Cara's face when our entire row gave her a "Standing O" when she stepped forward for her bow.
Tip: Don't show up unannounced or unaccompanied. That's creepy. Instead, enlist parents to feed you date and time, and always bring one of your own family members or a fellow teacher with you.
Kyle, that One Kid
Everybody has that one hard-to-reach kid or that one with the discipline problem. "Kyle" was mine. I'm sure his disruptive behavior was in-part due to dealing with other kids being mean to him. He had childhood alopecia (hair loss). I was at a high school basketball game one night when Kyle came up to say hi. His cousin was playing (who also belonged to our church), and that's how I got invited to join Kyle and his cousin's family at Portillo's HotDogs after the game. What a difference it made in the classroom, and what a difference it made with Kyle's mom in terms of their attendance! Such a simple thing.
Craig:
Craig was a foot-taller and 25 lbs heavier than everyone else in his class. Sweet kid, great student, but also quite a handful. I was at a Lacrosse game watching my youngest daughter play when Craig and his little brother spotted me in the stands. I was surprised to learn that Craig played Lacrosse and that his game was next. And boy was he surprised when he saw me sitting next to his dad during his game! Not only was Craig happy about that, I got his Dad to come help me with some of Craig's classes. Two birds, one stone. It was after that serendipitous meeting that I started asking parents for "something coming up that I can attend."
"Ellen"
Ellen was the oldest girl in a very broadly graded class. She had also matured faster than her peers. When I discovered Ellen like video games, Ellen discovered I made video games (once upon a time), so I invited her and her mom to stop by after church to see how we made them. In advance, I asked my oldest daughter Robin to "poke her head in" to our conversation, upon which I introduced my daughter as "the real girl" we had modeled Robin the explorer on in the Exodus game. Ellen thought that was the coolest thing. (I later used Ellen as one of the voices in another program!)
Best part: I asked my daughter to "keep an eye out for Ellen at church," which she did, and I would occasionally see Ellen making a beeline for Robin at church, often bringing a friend with her. This got me thinking about reaching out to my students THROUGH my family members and some of the older kids in our youth group.
