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co-op's and outsourced learning
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We are in our ninth year of homeschooling, with my oldest in eighth grade. We did two years in a homeschool co-op that is very well run, and it was a great experience in many ways, but I found the pace to be stressful and found that it left us little time for the things I love most about homeschooling (the more gentle pace, all of the books!, having to coordinate our schedule with a system…etc). Now we’ve been back on our own for these last two years and it’s been like a deep breath of fresh air.
But… my oldest son will enter ninth grade next year. He’s a very independent, self-motivated learner and I’m beginning to wonder if I can meet his insatiable desire for stimulating discussion and demanding work. He is asking for more accountability in that way, but I’m not sure where to turn to find that for him. The co-op we were members of a few years ago would be fine, except that it requires 40 hours of volunteer time from parents throughout the year and I simply just don’t have that to give (we would not want to enroll the younger kids, which also means I’d have to find care for them during those 40 hours as well).
My next son is a 6th grader and he’s almost the opposite (and more typical of a boy). He struggles with confidence in his ability to do work well (even though he is quite capable and successful in his work when he puts forth the smallest amt of effort) and, for the first time in his schooling, is asking all of those, “Why do I have to learn this stuff!” questions. An older mom suggested to me that it might be helpful for him and for our relationship for him to have someone else to answer to, even if only for a couple of areas of study.
I love our CM style and flow that we have going on here, but I also want to be realistic about the fact that my boys may begin to need more than I can reasonably give them. You seasoned, more experienced moms out there, what are your thoughts on outsourcing? What subjects tend to work best in that way and what are the various options? I know that the co-op we did before will not work, but I don’t really know where else to look.
I’ve written a long post and it’s trapped in the spam trap. Just letting you know that it’s coming. 🙂
Online classes don’t require as much time from Mom and can provide some of the same benefits you saw in the co-op.
Also, I would not fear that you will not be enough for your teen as a teacher, and that you have to employ outside means. God has been faithful in our homeschool, and has brought numerous opportunities for our children that were not necessarily planned or classes. Of course there is nothing wrong with outside classes, etc. I just wanted to point out that they are not necessary for all students.
In my opinion, the most difficult class to teach is foreign language. That said, we started out with a family sign language class via dvds and computer, and today my dd is fluent in ASL, and interprets at church. We now have an in house sign teacher for my younger children:)
Writing class is another popular subject for online classes.
Science is another. There are online science lab classes as well.
Hth,
Retrofam
Background – 4 kids here. Dd14 in 8th, ds11 in 5th, dd7 in 2nd, ds5 in prek. I lead a CM homeschool group, CM study group, teach a group of teens grammar and poetry apart from co-op, and utilize online classes for dd14.
I have found that there are many roads to Rome. I will simply share what is working for our CM family.
Our co-op is small compared to many classical or eclectic groups, but huge compared to most CM focused groups. We have ~ 25 families that participate in our co-op class day. We cover hymns, folk songs, artist study, poetry study, composer study, geography, misc. discovery classes (science, art, handcrafts and life skills), & currently nature study and Spanish. Next year we wdill drop spanish as not every family is inclined to practice and language requires practice. We will also move nature study to a different day at a local park and make it optional bc we have exhausted our options on campus and don’t want to have object lessons. We are adding Expressive Arts – public speaking, reciting, presenting skills. We are trying to do things that work well with our set up. Moms work 1-2 hours out of 3.5 on co-op day and of course spend a little time preparing to teach. What we enjoy is a like minded group in agreement over what to cover and with what methodology. This is a huge part of our success.
DD14 is in her 3rd year taking science online. It’s been a huge blessing. The classes have been very good, the accountability excellent, study and time management skills learned a bonus. Next year, we have a group of 5 teens in co-op that need biology, so we are hiring a local tutor to teach them. Dd14 will begin Latin, Logic, Lit. Discussion, & American History online next year. The lit and history are very CM in nature with whole, living books. She will narrate orally or in writing as before, but the history class will broaden and deepen her narration skills with specific prompts that will guide. The lit discussion is Socratic and more fun in a group. Latin, she’s interested and I know only roots and have no time or inclination to keep a step ahead. Logic, again, we will discuss at home, but I see benefit to group discussion, too. She likes the classes, 5the accountability, & I like that I am not shouldering a burden all on my own.
Next year, ds11 will take online science courses and possibly a literature discussion course.
For my family, we want to grow independent learners who enjoy learning in a variety of ways. I Like having other teachers who truly care pour into the lives of my kids. I Like having the opportunity for my kids to learn from someone passionate about their subject.
A co-op like you describe would not likely be a fit for us, but ours is. It’s aligned with our philosophy and methodology and shares the burden rather than adding to it. That is critical to me. Online classes all us to explore things we otherwise might not or to explore with an expert whose love for the subject is clear. These classes also support me in my efforts by lending structure and accountability to what could become too loosey-goosey at times. With a family to care for and multiple kids at differing levels, I am not currently in a place that I feel I can do all I want or need completely on my own. I feel blessed to have options and blessed I can afford to take advantage of them.
This is simply what works for us. I wish you the best in finding what’s best in your situation.
Christie
Thank you, Christie! Yes, I definitely want to find that kind of stimulating community for my kids that complements what we love. Our early co-op experience was not that at all. May I ask where your daughter and son are taking their online courses?
Just when I finally start to get my feet under me and find confidence in what we’re doing, the seasons have to go and change as kids get older and begin to need something I haven’t figured out how to give! 🙂 I want to be open to exploring the many options that are available for spreading a wide feast for my kids, but I also really want to protect the precious years we have left with them and not give anything away to unnecessary busy-ness. And yes, being able to give them a rich community experience that doesn’t add more weight for me to carry myself would be such a relief!
I don’t know of any CM style groups in my area, sadly. Is there, perhaps, a listing of groups anywhere that I might search? Thank you so very much for your help!
We have used Landry Academy for online science classes and Center for Lit for literature discussion. We’ve enjoyed both. Next year we will be trying Classical Academic Press and Classes By Beth, as well.
Visit Charlotte Mason In Community (Google it bc when I put links, I have issues.) to see some groups around the country and ideas on starting either a study group or a co-op.
We’ve homeschooled for 9 or 10 years, and have only been in a co-op for 2 years. It’s a mixed bag. Most of the families in the group are classical or Thomas Jefferson Ed (TJed) so our philosophies only sort of match. 3 of my 4 kids love it for purely social reasons; 1 hates it.
So far they have had classes like art, PE, history, logic (book discussion), science, civics.
The art and science classes seem to work the best in a group. My oldest boys (age 14) are doing the Apologia biology dissections as a group. It’s been a great experience for them to work with lab partners and have access to real dissection specimens and talk through it with a teacher and peers. I’m not great at art so having an actual art teacher has been helpful.
Honestly, all the rest I can do at home and do it better and faster. Except PE. For us, it’s been an expensive social activity. We most likely won’t be going back next year because it is expensive and the offerings for teens are rather slim.
Book discussion bombed. The kids never showed up having read the books. So the teacher tried, but what do you do when it’s a sea of blank faces? Same with history and civics…some kids came prepared, most didn’t. The majority of kids sat through class saying nothing while others chattered non-stop. It was interesting for my boys, but they didn’t learn much.
I am often resentful of the amount of homework given. I have other things I want to teach and we are having to stop just to they can get X work done in time for class. Other times NO work was given so the students don’t really have buy-in or the assignments are just busy work. It’s hard finding a balance. Plus with various medical/health and military challenges sometimes we just need a break and it’s harder to take those when I’m responsible for teaching a class and making sure the kids have all their work done. (I’m not one of those moms that lets them show up unprepared!)
We’re branching out into online classes next year for the soon-to-be 9th graders. Also through Landry. Foreign language and Photoshop for one, and a science class for the other. I’m also hoping to catch some Center for Lit classes over the summer for them.
I’ll need to look for additional social opportunities for the boys if we leave the co-op but those are fairly easy to come by. We might do some science experiments with similar aged kids a few times a year (like the Landry intensives). Board game nights. Park days. Maybe a book club where kids actually want to and will read the book!
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