Posts tagged ‘co-op’s’

To co-op or not to co-op: that is the question! Many homeschooling families find co-ops or support groups very beneficial. In fact, I am in a very good homeschooling co-op. I have talked to other parents, however, who have had less-than-great experiences with them. Here are some things to consider when looking for a co-op:

• What kind of beliefs or philosophies does the group have? Do the members practice traditional homeschooling, Charlotte Mason studies, secular studies, unschooling, or Christian studies? Is it just open ended? You might find it difficult to find common ground with the group if your teaching methods and ideas are completely different.

• When and where does the group meet? Co-ops meet at different people’s houses, parks or community buildings. The frequency of meetings is a personal preference. A family that desires something with a low time commitment would probably not do well in a group that meets multiple times each week.

• Does the group have a good balance of whatever you are looking for? It all depends on what you want the group to be for your family. Some groups teach lessons while others just get together so that their kids can have social time. Some co-ops have sports teams, field trips, debate teams and/or newspapers, among other things. When you find a group you’re interested in, ask about its activities.

• What is the parent’s role in the group? Some groups are led by parents who share the weekly/monthly tasks of bringing snacks, finding places to meet, and teaching activities or lessons. Others are consistently taught by veteran homeschoolers who have children who are already grown or don’t really have any set plans. Does the group focus only on the children, or do the members also do things together as parents? Again, these things are probably personal preferences and will vary by family.

So where can you find these groups? Searching the internet for “homeschooling co-ops” or “homeschooling groups” in your particular area is a good start. That’s how I found mine–its members had a Yahoo! group that I was able to join and get more information. Facebook and other social networking sites are good places to find groups as well. You can also check out some of these links:

Homeschool.com (Comprehensive listing of groups in the US, Australia and the UK)

Local Homeschool (Website dedicated to listing homeschooling groups)

Homeschool World (One of the oldest, largest, and most detailed databases of homeschool organizations and support groups, arranged by state and country)

Homeschool Central (A resource site with state and military support group listings)

The Homeschool Mom (Local homeschool support listings by state, also online groups)

If you absolutely can’t find anything in your area, maybe you should consider starting your own group. Start small. Don’t go overboard, or you’ll get burnt out fast! Your local church or civic organization might be willing to let you borrow a room once a month or so to start, or try a local park. Put up some fliers on local bulletin boards in town and post online about your meeting. You never know what might come out of it! Also, don’t forget that there are lots of neat groups online to help you on your homeschooling journey (this one, The Homeschool Lounge, Virtual Homeschool Group and the sites I listed above). Feel free to share your co-op or support group experiences in the comment section following this post!

Shay lives in the cornfields of Indiana where she is a writer and happily married stay-at-home momma of two. She is relatively new to homeschooling and writes a blog called Wonderfully Chaotic.

You might be interested in: Homeschool Co-ops: How to Start Them, Run Them and Not Burn Out

Homeschool co-ops can be formed for a number of reasons. With younger children, they often consist of more organized playgroups for which parents take turns coming up with good activity ideas each week. Sometimes co-ops are formed for academic purposes, focusing on a particular subject. Children may be close in age, or the subject may be one in which siblings of various ages are invited to participate.

Whatever your reasons for forming a co-op, here are some tips for starting and operating one successfully:

• ASSESS the Need for a Co-op
  One of the best ways to start a co-op is to be part of a larger homeschooling support group that meets on a periodic basis. Parents can then form sub-groups based on interests or ages, and co-ops may form out of those groups. It is important to see whether there is real interest in your co-op idea. Sometimes parents spend time and money trying to organize a co-op, but the interest isn’t there in the larger community or the schedule isn’t convenient. Make sure your idea generates some interest either by email or phone or even through a Yahoo! group. After people sign up initially, I make sure I contact them again individually–as the start date gets closer–to make sure they are really interested.

• Organization
  Even though a co-op is generally a group effort among parents, someone still needs to do the initial organizing, or the co-op may not be successful. Once initial interest has been established, the organizer should get parents to volunteer to participate in the co-op. The organizer should communicate well and be specific about times and dates, so parents know how much time and effort their participation will involve. This can actually be the hardest part since some new homeschoolers may over-promise their involvement and have to withdraw when they realize they are involved in too many activities. Also, the organizer has to make sure the parents have some willingness to work together with each other in a cooperative way. Some parents have very different educational goals and philosophies, so it’s better to know up front if you are all on the same philosophical page about the co-op and how it’s presented. I feel better about a group co-op when I really understand parental expectations. This may take more time, but it is worth it to make sure everyone has a willingness to do the work and follow through.

• Establish Ground Rules
  Without basic ground rules, hurt feelings are likely. One biggie is always money. Is there going to be a charge for supplies, and how are the co-op expenses to be paid? Do the co-op leaders give a general outline of what they are going to present before the class, or do the parents just trust each other to take over with their children? What kind of discipline is going to be used if children (or parents) get out of hand and are disruptive? It helps if these ground rules are clear at the beginning, so misunderstandings and feelings of too much responsibility on one parent’s shoulders do not arise. The biggest upsets I have encountered in co-ops have been over whether to pay an individual parent who has professional expertise in the area he or she is teaching. In general, I think it is simpler for parents to donate their time but get reimbursed for supplies.

• Maintain Balance
  Make sure you and the children have a good balance of time in the co-op. One of the things children don’t like is having absolutely no time to play if it’s an academic co-op. There should be some relaxing, social time for both parents and children, ensuring that everyone has fun. I think snacks are an important part of co-op success, but make sure everyone is on the same dietary wavelength here too. Parents can take turns bringing snacks as long as food allergies and dietary restrictions don’t leave some children out of snack time or cause them to eat food that’s not good for them. Diet is another one of those biggies, but if the fare is simple, basically healthy and agreed upon beforehand, everyone should enjoy the balance of learning, relaxing and snacking that marks a successful co-op. I find that children 10 and under really need playtime and are always ready to eat, so my co-ops have at least 20 minutes of unstructured playtime during which they can snack freely on what’s put out for them.

• Keep Communicating and Be Flexible
  Sometimes the goal of a co-op may change based on feedback from the parents and children. Be flexible enough to listen to feedback and make changes that will work for the group as a whole. And, if something really isn’t working for a family, make sure there is a way the family can make a graceful exit. I have personal experience in this area. I was the primary teacher in a co-op and a parent just didn’t realize the amount of work that was involved in my class. She was a new homeschooler and hadn’t really integrated my guidelines for parental involvement in the homework I established. As a result, her son was less prepared than he should have been. We ended up having a good talk about what would work best for her son, and she decided it wasn’t my co-op. She withdrew her child with no hard feelings and a refund of the supply costs.

Co-ops are a wonderful way for children to enjoy learning new skills and information from other parents or even guest speakers. If your co-op is organized well, families are respectful of the ground rules and communication lines are kept open, you are likely to have a successful co-op year.

This post was written by Lilian F., homeschool mom and Lesson Pathways contributor.