Watch Dogs!

Have you heard of the Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students) program?  If you have this at your school you know how lucky you are.  If you don't have this program you should really check out their web site  http://www.fathers.com/watchdogs/http://www.fathers.com/watchdogs/ and learn all about it.  In a nutshell someone in your school (usually the counselor) oversees the program.  Dads, or other male role models, sign up to come to school for a day.  They then spend their time not only with their own student (our Watch Dogs come for siblings, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and so on) but also with other classes/grade levels.

In our schools the "Dogs" spend time in classes with their own student, but also work with other students, eat lunch, go to recess, patrol the perimeter of the school (read smoke break for the Dogs that need it) and get to learn all about the school day.  Since the Dogs have a schedule and do many different things during the day they really feel that they have "made a difference" with the time that they have taken to be at the school.  They also gain an insight to the school-day that many males never see.

Since I have every student in the school in my class, I have an unique opportunity to have many Watch Dogs in my classroom.  I can't even begin to tell you how much of a positive experience the program is not only for the "Dogs" but also for all of the kids that they come into contact with!

If you work with children you should really check this program out and see if you can bring it to your school!