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s/o of a s/o What Have You Outsourced?


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In the s/o Sanity Savers, Avoiding Burnout and Realistic Expectations:http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/542149-so-sanity-savers-avoiding-burnout-realistic-expectations/

 

Outsourcing has come up.  I think that deserves its own thread. 

 

What have you outsourced?  It can be anything: academics, life skills, enrichment activities, household maintenance, etc.

Tell us about why and how you outsourced and if it worked well for your situation.

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In the elementary years:  PE, and she participated in various things like FIRST Lego League, Science Olympiad, tried French (didn't work)

 

In middle school:  writing (7th and 8th), art (drawing skills), Spanish (high school level), literature class in 8th, current events/psych/SAT prep classes with co-op (these were supplementary), and started using dvds with Saxon math in algebra 1/2.

 

In high school (9th so far): art techniques (painting, drawing), biology, English, Latin, college/career prep in 9th, and continue dvds with Saxon.

 

Plan to continue with outsourcing English, Latin, science, AP classes, we'll have to see what else, especially when she's eligible to participate in dual enrollment with the local community college.

 

We outsourced for various reasons:

art---I have no artistic skill and my daughter has some talent in that area as well as a lot of interest, so we wanted to foster it

math---I'm math/science and she's humanities--we just don't speak the same language about math and sometimes the language barrier needs a translator :)

foreign language---tried at home, but she responded better to an outside teacher

science--for the high school level, see above about needing a translator, and with only one child, I had little interest in setting up labs at home

AP--at least in the beginning, I'd like her to have feedback from someone who is familiar with the type of responses the AP test wants

writing---we were not making headway in middle school, lots of butting heads over any suggestions for changes, so an outside teacher was very helpful. Now she wants to be a writer and we've found a teacher with whom she really connects, and who will hopefully be a good resource for college recommendations.

extras---she enjoys the co-op we've joined so it's a good source for classroom interaction, social connections, and exploring topics that are interesting but not necessarily a full course

 

We would likely not have done as much outsourcing if I had more than one child, if she didn't enjoy it, and if I hadn't been able to find free or low-cost options for most of the classes.  Co-op is $35 a year and there's a new hybrid online class program for homeschoolers through a local public high school, most of her art classes have been through the parks and rec center, and several classes were free through either the Virtual Homeschool Group or Harari College Worldwide.

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We are outsourcing the subjects I do not wish to teach, English and foreign language.

 

This is the second year for English (and with the same teacher, Christine Proctor from Blue Tent Online). Discussing literature, teaching writing, and grading writing stressed me out so we decided to go with an outsourced class beginning in eighth grade, to make sure she was truly ready for high school writing. It worked very, very well :) The class is asynchronous which works well for our schedules this year and last, but there are optional scheduled chats with the teacher and very active discussion forums (required participation each week).

 

Dd wanted to study Arabic, a language I do not know (I could have muddled through the first two or three years of Germany with her, but that's it). Apparently the language is the right fit for her because she has a 99% average in her online class. The class meets twice a week for 1.5 hours each time, which gives her good live practice speaking and writing the Arabic script. Immediate corrections are always the best.

 

We will continue to outsource English and foreign language throughout high school. English will be all online (PA Homeschoolers, Blue Tent, and Lukeion are options) The Arabic will switch to in-person classes. This summer dd will spend four weeks studying Arabic in an immersion program (at Concordia Language Villages) which will give her another credit. In the fall she will begin Arabic at the university where she will continue until she runs out of classes :lol:

 

We will be outsourcing math to the university for following year. Originally we had planned on this next year but have switched in favor of Arabic there and calculus at home. I can handle the calculus. I think.

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Enrichment: outsourced to various teachers

 

Music lessons

Homeschool PE: http://www.sportskidzaz.org/home-school

Tae Kwon Do

Homeschool Art Class

American Girl Book Club: a true co-op where parents contributed equally

 

I taught a quilting class

 

Academics: outsourced to my husband

 

math and science starting in Jr. High

computer programming in elementary school years

 

All of it has worked well for us. We had to get over the idea of a regular school schedule when my husband teaches.  He works from home most of the time but when he's home he's working, not schooling anyone, so it's evening classes a couple of times a week and one on a Saturday morning.

 

OOPS! ADDED AFTER INITIAL POST:

 

Academics: community college high school level class

 

I'm not sure if community college as a minor taking all college level classes counts or not.  I would say no.  When our kids were done with high school level things (at 15 and 17) we sent them to the local cc. They tested into all college level classes except for English 101 for my then 15 year old. 

 

I think it counts as outsourcing at cc is the class being taken is a high school level class. My middle then 15 year old froze up on a nonsense essay question "Do you believe human potential is limited or unlimited?" and didn't write anything at all.   (Not a question to ask an engineer type personality.) She had the option of retesting 24 hours later in hopes of testing into a college level English class but I talked her out of it since English isn't her strongest subject and I wanted her to get more practice.  So she had to take the English 95 high school level class and pass it before she could take English 101.  She did and got an A easily.  I guess technically it is outsourcing since it's a K-12 class for a homeschooled kid. I wouldn't issue her high school diploma until she finished the English 95 class because I thought it would be dishonest to give a high school diploma to someone still in a high school class.

 

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So far, I've outsourced PE and music. Next year I'm considering outsourcing math and maybe Latin or writing. I did consider outsourcing everything (charter school) for next year, but DD cried at the mention of it. This from the kid who used to bug me daily about WANTING to go to school. 

 

PE would never get done if I didn't outsource it, and what she does requires a gym and trampolines and things anyway. Music, I could teach if it were piano, or if she stays behind me skill-wise in guitar, but I also get tired of teaching everything. Her music teacher was a professional player for decades and teaches others to play, so I'm happy with the way things are.

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German - 4th year of german Saturday school. Mainly for socialization and because German is our 3rd language so it's easier if someone else teach

 

Music - kids do better for outside teachers eventhough we could teach. Older thrives on peer pressure and does not like individual classes.

 

Ceramics/Pottery - don't have a kiln and I am pathetic at Art.

 

Golf - can't play and kids like golf. My city has an affordable junior golf program. Golf course is also walkable from my home.

 

Math & Science homeschool classes - socialization and they get to do science labs every week. Save me from having to buy and keep chemicals.

 

Writing/Drama - kids like those classes for winter or summer camp

 

All the outsource classes has worked out well for my kids who are fence straddlers on the introvert/extrovert scale like me. They like B&M classes.

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PE (dance, tumbling, and cheer team)

Piano (could teach it, hut have a friend who does a great job andDD. Loves-we do a kid-swap)

Lab science (supplement to what we do at home)

History and literature to online classes (DD likes having people to discuss with)-again. More of a supplement/extension.

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About a year ago I got Astro a tutor.  Then, it was for reading.  I can't 100% say that the tutor helped him - I changed up other things at the same time (and there's also a lot to be said for things finally 'clicking' in kids sometimes) - but I don't think it hurt.  

His reading at the end of the year was *supposedly* above average - but that was on his standardized test.  So take that with a grain of salt lol... in any case, at least he can read.

 

This year we outsource art.  I didn't really have any interest in that sort of thing at this point, unless it was just something extracurricular - an art/music/pe class every other week or something.  And I had NO interest in it if it wasn't something we could just as easily do at home (we did Atelier before that, which is excellent - if what we would be getting wasn't with a real art teacher doing real art projects, I wasn't interested).  So a couple friends and I sat down, found an art teacher, and planned out an art class.  I'm not sure what we'll do next year.

 

As the kids get older, I would outsource some things.  Right now, there is no real necessity.  If I could get the Y to do homeschool PE that would be great, but our Y sucks.

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So far, foreign language and computer programming.  I outsource for the same reasons as Luckymama.  These are the courses that I can't or don't want to teach,

 

8th grade:

 

 

Latin - online, live class 2x per week.  

 

Danish - private tutor 2 hours per week + the three of us (the tutor, the student and me) come up with other stuff to do.  

 

Programming - asynchronous class  

 

 

I think that we will outsource the same courses for 9th.  After that, who knows?

 

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Piano for both kids, and guitar this year for DS.

 

We use a DVD-based program for writing (IEW) and for DS's Latin (Visual Latin), so the work is completed at home but technically I'm not doing any teaching.

 

Next fall for 8th grade I will outsource Algebra I and Physical Science for DS at a co-op which employs certified teachers.

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I outsourced senior English (DE - community college) because I wanted my guys to have an English class taught by an English lover.  That's not me.  ;)

 

And if you count videos, we used Teaching Textbooks for math through Pre-Calc and Chalkdust/Thinkwell (preferred Thinkwell) for Calc.  This certainly wasn't because I couldn't teach math - that's one of the things I DO teach to other people's kids.   :D   It was because I wanted my kids to LEARN on their own, but videos are helpful for math rather than just textbooks.  They learned via TT, etc, and I supplemented a little bit plus answered questions as needed and we discussed some of the history/background occasionally.

 

Then middle son also did Microbio and Public Speaking DE at the community college.  Neither of those subjects are ones we could have done as effectively at home.

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This year I am outsourcing math (Derek Owens), science (Well Trained Mind Academy), English (Blue Tent), Japanese (Japanese school), music (a local teacher), and history is a series of Crash Course videos... For my high schoolers.

 

For my ten year old, only a creative writing course (Druidawn) and swimming lessons/waterpolo.

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We started outsourcing foreign language in 10th grade, when we did not make adequate progress at home. DD began taking French classes at the university.

She added physics in 11th and English in 12th grade, because she thrives in a classroom atmosphere, craves the interaction with students and live teachers, and needed this level of work needed.

 

DS is not interested in any outside classes - other than his martial arts.

 

 

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I outsource piano lessons because I'm not a pianist and Japanese classes because I don't speak the language and wanted my son to learn from a native speaker. 

My kids also take enrichment classes- a nature/survival class, another homeschool class with lots of seasonal crafts, songs, performing plays, art, etc. Both of those classes are very important to my children for social reasons. 

The kids have taken art classes in the past, in particular, pottery. I don't have a studio, a kiln, all the supplies, the skills- so taking a class was really necessary. At some point when we have more time and money they would both like to take more art classes. 

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I outsourced meals for a while.  We did Schwan's because we could order online and have it delivered.  We had more money than time then and it was not as expensive as eating out a lot. Our delivery guy would even load them into the freezer in my garage for me.  I kinda miss him sometimes.

 

For those of you unfamiliar with Schwan's:http://www.schwans.com/

 

 

I also do a lot of prepackaged meals from Costco in December along with some of the cook-double-freeze-half meals I keep stored in there to get us through our very busy holidays.

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I have outsourced music to an amazing teacher with extremely affordable classes. Music is very important to me, but I have zero formal training myself. I would like to outsource PE, but my local options either conflict with music class or are scheduled two days a week 10am-1pm, but don't include lunch.

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I have outsourced English for two years (someone else to motivate and grade ds' papers) and this year a logic and apologetics course that 's a requirement for the Potter's school classical track.  Then, it will be all literature, history, and composition.  I will do science, math, and Latin at home with my 14 year old ds.  I have no trouble outsourcing classes for high school.  If we had more money and my ds had more motivation, I would do all of them.  It's cheaper than private school.  We are moving to a location with more homeschooling options so I hope there's something like an art/PE class all in one chunk of time.  

 

 

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