How to Start a Homeschool Co-op Your Teens Will Enjoy- Special Replay

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: How to Start a Homeschool Co-op Your Teens Will Enjoy- Special Replay.

How to Start a Homeschool Co-op Your Teens Will Enjoy

We 7Sisters have always loved co-op! Co-ops do have their ups and downs, but all of our homeschool graduates still have best friend and fond memories of their adventures and misadventures there.

The homeschooling community is famous for co-ops! What are homeschool co-ops?

They are simply families homeschooling together in some format (co-operating on education).

Homeschool co-ops take lots of formats, for instance:

• Two families getting together to do fun learning activities
• Huge co-ops that have fifty families with structured studies
  • (sometimes these turn into umbrella schools– one of our co-ops did)
• One topic co-ops
  • (We had a chemistry lab co-op and a biology lab co-op at different times- where we moms set up lab stations and our teens cycled through them. It was SO much fun!)
• As we always say: There’s not ONE right way to homeschool co-op

What are the benefits of co-ops?

• Experiencing other teacher’s styles, grading
• Responsibility of a group setting
• Fun of some subjects that are delightful in a group
• Downloading teaching of subjects mom doesn’t like to moms who do like them

Here’s how to start a homeschool co-op you and your teens will enjoy:

First thing you and your team of homeschooling parents will need is time to plan your co-op.

• Start with prayer together

  • As Kym says: Prayer goes first, last and always!

• Clarify expectations and goals (believe us it will save LOTS of storm and stress later on).

  • Decide the goals co-operatively. Your goals might look like:
  • Some goals aimed at middle schoolers and high schoolers that are science experiences and labs
  • Other goals aimed at mostly reading and writing projects for high schoolers
  • Some goals might be aimed for multi-subjects and multi-ages
  • Special goals might be aimed at multi-ages as field trips to historic sites
  • And ENDLESS other goals

• Decide here you’ll meet

  • It matters! Is there parking, nice neighbors, etc?

• Decide when you will meet

  • How often
  • Length of school year
  • Breaks

• Choose class period lengths

• Will you have a hard start?

  • Do we wait for everyone to show up? Do we start right on time? This determines who teaches what.
  • Believe us, you will be glad you settled this up front.

• What has God given us to work with?

  • Moms’ interests, gifts and needs
  • Teens’ interests, gifts and needs

• Determine the costs per family or student

  • Facilities costs (even if you’re in someone’s home, there are expenses to the hosts)
  • Curriculum
  • Course resources and materials
  • What limitations are families experiencing?

• Clarify logistics

  • Set-up and clean-up chores should be assigned
    • Are moms only involved?
    • Do teens help?
  • Make sure your teachers have the teaching approach that all those in charge agree upon.
    • Here’s a post on how to teach at homeschool co-op
    • Here are some tips on teaching ELA in co-op
      • Plus how to teach Shakespeare in co-op (our teens loved Shakespeare- really!)
      • 10 Great Discussion Questions for Literature Class in Homeschool Co-op
      • Homeschool Co-op: How to Use the Research Writing Readiness Guide
      • Homeschool Co-op: Meaningful Activities for World Poetry- Reading and Writing
      • Homeschool Co-op: How to Teach American Poetry
      • Homeschool Co-op: How to Teach Cinema Studies for Literature Learning
      • Homeschool Co-op: How to Teach Literature Analysis Essays
      • Homeschool Co-op: Activities for Teaching MLA Research Paper Writing
      • How to Use the College Application Essay Writing Guide in Homeschool Co-op
      • How to Use Essay Writing Guides in Homeschool Co-op
    • Teaching social sciences like Human Development or Psychology in your co-op? Check out these posts.
    • If you are teaching Financial Literacy in co-op, here are some tips.

• Clarify whether there will be a lunch break

  • How will that be organized
  • Beware everyone using the microwave (there’s TOO long a line)

• Set group check-in times (evaluate yucks and yahoos of the co-op)

  • Also set your own checkins with your teens and yourself

• For way more detail, head over to 7SistersHomeschool and check out our post on Homeschool Co-ops that is part of our Authoritative Guide series.

Join Sabrina, Vicki and Kym for a helpful discussion about starting your co-op. Also, check out these episodes:

HSHSP Ep 93: How to Start a Homeschool Organization Interview with Carol Topp CPA

HSHSP Ep 85: Healthily Handling Homeschool Mean-Moms with Melanie Wilson

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The post How to Start a Homeschool Co-op Your Teens Will Enjoy- Special Replay appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.