Co-op teaching high schoolers- any advice

[TravelingChris]

I have signed up to teach a combined govt and econ class this year to high schoolers. I have a separate post asking for resource advice but I would also like to ask for any advice on teaching high schoolers in a co-op. My initial idea is to teach the class and not worry about whether students are working up to par. I have heard many complaints about students not being prepared. SInce the class meets only for 30 hours a year, that doesn't even count as half a credit without outside work. I won't worry about that and simply focus on giving parents and students enough information, readings, and projects so they can accumulate a half credit in each subject, if they choose to do so. The co-op has been inexistence longer than I have been homeschooling (18 years versus my 14 +).

[MyThreeSons]

My initial idea is to teach the class and not worry about whether students are working up to par.

 

I'd suggest checking with the powers that be to be sure this is in line with what they expect from you. In general, I'd say it's very important to establish up front exactly what will be expected of both the students and the parents, and what you will be providing.

 

I teach Geometry and Physics at our co-op. We have problems with students not being prepared, and have had to crack down. The co-op has specific policies for dealing with late or missing assignments. We do collect and grade homework, papers, projects, and tests -- depending on the particular class, of course.

[Faithr]

I would say put the burden on the parents to make sure their kids participate fully to earn their credits. If the student doesn't do their work, they should get booted out! One kid or two kids with a bad attitude can spoil the whole class. This is from my own personal experience teaching teens. So I'd be really upfront with both kids and parents. Are you being paid for this? Because when I'm volunteering, I'll put up with a lot less than I would if I get paid.

[5KidzRUs]

As hard as it sounds - I would tell the parents and students that they can not come to class if they did not do the home work assignment - unless of course the parents contacted you ahead of time and made other arrangements or gave you heads up.

The co-op I am in has that policy and I think 4 absences and they discuss if the student needs to drop.

In our co-op last year we made it very clear that the facilitators that taught the class were not the "teachers" - the parents are the teachers. We did this because the parents wanted their kids in my class but did not want any responsibility for the student coming to class prepared. Then at the end of the year they wanted a certificate signed saying that their child completed the course.

Keep the class interesting and even fun, but make sure they appreciate your hard work - they can show appreciation by coming to class prepared each week.

 

I am a meanie hm?

[FloridaLisa]

I have heard many complaints about students not being prepared.

 

I won't worry about that and simply focus on giving parents and students enough information, readings, and projects so they can accumulate a half credit in each subject, if they choose to do so.

 

Is preparation a problem in this particular co-op? Truthfully, I'd be hesitant to invest my time and energy into a class if many of the kids were not going to invest back. We don't have a problem with this in our co-op, but I have seen this dynamic in a debate class many years ago. Great teacher. She invested tons of time into the class, grading, extras. But many of the students came to class unprepared and it worsened as the year went on. By the last month, there was no life left to the class!

 

You can't have great discussions if the students haven't done the reading. It will bog down even those who do the work. And I would have a lot of trouble as a teacher pouring into students who don't care enough to complete work at home.

 

Lisa

[Lori D.]

I have signed up to teach a combined govt and econ class this year to high schoolers. I have a separate post asking for resource advice but I would also like to ask for any advice on teaching high schoolers in a co-op. My initial idea is to teach the class and not worry about whether students are working up to par. I have heard many complaints about students not being prepared. SInce the class meets only for 30 hours a year, that doesn't even count as half a credit without outside work. I won't worry about that and simply focus on giving parents and students enough information, readings, and projects so they can accumulate a half credit in each subject, if they choose to do so. The co-op has been inexistence longer than I have been homeschooling (18 years versus my 14 +).

 

 

 

First, what an awesome thing to volunteer to teach a co-op class! May your experience be a tremendous blessing to both your students AND to you! :001_smile: As for advice... Not sure how much of what I learned in teaching a public speaking class last year to grade 6-12 students will apply to you, but I've listed ideas below. What a great opportunity you're giving these students! BEST of luck! Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

 

- Lay Out Expectations Up Front

I had the parents stay for 5 minutes at the start of the first class so *everyone* (students and parents) would know exactly what to expect, how the class would be run, etc. I also passed out a syllabus to every student AND parent which also included all the expectations, so no one could later come back and say the class wasn't what they'd expected.

 

- In Class Parent Assistant

I required 1-2 parents to stay each class for as parent assistant. I did this so I would have help as needed, but even more so that the parents would see what was happening in class and would really encourage their students at home to behave, to participate, to put in extra work, etc.

 

In class, the parents only had 2 jobs: to pass out/collect papers, etc.; and to put a hand on the shoulder of any student starting to get "chatty" or boisterous -- I think that only happened once or twice throughout the 10 classes.

 

I had a sign-up sheet for the parents to voluntarily put their name down for whichever 1 class they wanted to be the assistant in. Then I rather shamelessly and aggressively hunted down the other parents who had not signed up by email and phone and got them to sign up to volunteer for one class. If they had younger children, I told them to get together with another parent who also had younger children and trade watching each other's children so they could volunteer to be a class assistant for 90 minutes. I also tried to entice them to sign up on a day their child had signed up to give a presentation so they would have the bonus of getting to see their student's presentation. ;) If I was still having trouble nailing down a parent helper, I sent a group email to ALL the parents, listing those who had volunteered -- and those who had NOT signed up yet -- a little peer pressure worked every time! :tongue_smilie:

 

- Student Participation

The more I could get the kids involved during the "lecture" portion of the class, the better it went. Getting them up out of their seats and doing some sort of activity that enacted what we were learning helped a lot. Or having 2 students to read dialogue examples. Or calling one student up to demonstrate something with me. You get the idea. I'd also ask a LOT of questions -- and often call on someone who was in the midst of whispering to a neighbor. (The shocked expression of being "caught" in mid whisper and not knowing what the question was is absolutely priceless -- bwah-ha-ha-ha! [insert evil laugh here])

 

- Student Sign Up

I squarely put the burden of presentations on the students' shoulders. I told them that the more they presented the more they would benefit. But I left it to THEM to sign up. I always had a sign up sheet in class, and I made myself available through phone and email so they could talk to me. And most of them took that seriously and really went above and beyond as a result of me giving them high expectations to live up to!

 

Now, that worked for my public speaking class, but it would have to be adapted to your Govt/Econ class -- how about in advance of the co-op, make a list of 2 concepts that will be covered in each class, and have the students sign up for a concept that they will read/research/explain in a paragraph or two (or acting it out, or through a little video they made), in front of the class on the day you will be covering that concept. Make sure the students and parents know in advance that is part of the class requirements -- but choose concepts/terms that wouldn't take the student more than half an hour at home to pull together. Students always put in more work when they have to present in front of their peers! And if the student is absent on that day, then just go ahead and define the term/concept yourself as part of your normal class. I'd suggest requiring each student to do a concept for two different classes -- perhaps one in each semester.

 

- Certificate with Hours Attended

At the end of our class, I presented each student with a certificate with their name, my signature, and the class hours they attended so their parents can decide how to include those hours on a transcript and also to honor the students for their hard work.

 

I kept track of the hours for our public speaking class, but if I were to do this again, next time I'd require the students to sign a roll sheet on their way into class each class period -- again, to make the STUDENTS be responsible and value their time, realizing they get credit (or not!) for the time they are in class and following instructions.