Could someone please explain co-ops to me?

[mazakaal]

I've always been a lone ranger homeschooler. Where we used to live I was the only non-un-schooler except for two friends who used ACE exclusively. So, though I've gotten along on a social level with other homeschoolers, I've never seen eye-to-eye academically with anyone here.

 

Now that I've moved to a new area, I've met a whole new group of home educators, a real mix of people at all points on the academic spectrum. There is one woman in particular who is very relaxed with her younger kids, but wants to be more academic with her oldest (11 or 12yo). She'd quite like to go in with other families and hire a tutor to teach core subjects maybe once a week and then have the kids do the rest of their work at home. I'm intrigued by the idea, but I don't really know how it would play out. It would, I think, be sort of similar to a co-op, but with a hired tutor instead of the moms teaching the classes.

 

So if you've been a part of a co-op, how does it work? How do you choose the subjects and the curriculum materials? What is a good class size to make it work? How does it work if ages are combined? I'd really be interested in any insights you can offer - pros, cons, things to consider, etc.

 

Thanks.

[Ellie]

I've always been a lone ranger homeschooler. Where we used to live I was the only non-un-schooler except for two friends who used ACE exclusively. So, though I've gotten along on a social level with other homeschoolers, I've never seen eye-to-eye academically with anyone here.

 

Now that I've moved to a new area, I've met a whole new group of home educators, a real mix of people at all points on the academic spectrum. There is one woman in particular who is very relaxed with her younger kids, but wants to be more academic with her oldest (11 or 12yo). She'd quite like to go in with other families and hire a tutor to teach core subjects maybe once a week and then have the kids do the rest of their work at home. I'm intrigued by the idea, but I don't really know how it would play out. It would, I think, be sort of similar to a co-op, but with a hired tutor instead of the moms teaching the classes.

 

So if you've been a part of a co-op, how does it work? How do you choose the subjects and the curriculum materials? What is a good class size to make it work? How does it work if ages are combined? I'd really be interested in any insights you can offer - pros, cons, things to consider, etc.

 

Thanks.

In its truest form, a co-op is some parents getting together and each taking turns teaching something. What you're describing wouldn't be a co-op at all, although some people use "co-op" that way.

 

For myself, leaving the house during the day on a regular basis to drop off my dc at some place else to be taught is not my idea of homeschooling. In fact, leaving the house during the day and teaching other people's children on a regular basis is not my idea of homeschooling, either. For older children who are taking more advanced maths or science or something which I cannot manage to teach at home, on a couple of afternoons a week, yes, I could do that, but not younger dc, not every week.

 

Some people love those groups, and you might, as well. For me, it would have been a bad thing.

 

If I want social interaction, I look for a support group, not a co-op or other teaching/classroom situation.

[Chrystal]

We have been part of a co-op for the last 2 years. Ours is a group of 42 families (it is a large co-op). We meet once a week for 12 out of 14 weeks each semester. The parents must contribute either in helping with a class or teaching a class to participate in co-op. I have taught Creative Writing for 1st and 2nd graders and a cooking class for high schoolers. I am teaching an introductory Spanish class next year.

We started co-op when my oldest was a junior (grade 11) and wanted to take Chemistry with a lab credit. We loved it and are going without her next year. She is starting college in the fall.

I truly enjoy the time with other homeschooling familes, the variety of classes offered, and the friends my daughter is making.

Each co-op is different. Some are only 2 families who get together and share teaching responsibilities for 1 or 2 classes once a month. Some are large like ours and offer a variety of classes. The thing that makes them all work is cooperation among the familes. As long as everyone does thier part and knows what is expected of them it works. If they don't it won't last.

Hope this helps.

[mazakaal]

In your co-op, does the teacher teach an hour lesson and then give assignments for what the student is supposed to do each day for the rest of the week? How much work does the parent then have to put into the lessons? Does the teacher choose the curriculum materials and then all the families have to buy that textbook? By the way, I'm thinking of ages 11-14yo. I'm not too concerned with the way that it works for younger kids because we wouldn't be including younger kids in this.

[LearningGrace]

We've been involved with a co-op for the past two years. There was not a 'local' co-op in our area so we have driven 40 minutes each way to participate. In our case, we were looking for some friendships more than the actual 'academics' offered. However, having our children learn from someone else twice a month was advantageous, I believe. Meeting other families who were dedicated to schooling at home was encouraging. It was also good for me personally to learn to deal more graciously with those whose method was/is much different than my own. There are also differences in approach and expectation to child behavior which is perhaps more difficult to deal with. Being in a situation where I had to choose either to confront, cover with grace, or just adapt was of personal benefit to me. One of our goals is to have well-rounded children who can be comfortable in a variety of situations; therefore, co-op has been of benefit to us.

 

In a nutshell: Our co-op met every other week for 3 hours. Each parent was required to teach/help in 2 out of the 3 hours/classes. Due to enrollment issues, each parent was needed all 3 hours this past year. The grade divisions were as follows: PK/K, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, and high school. I found that several parents were interested in the co-op to supplement specific classes which were not their strengths or are outside their abilities to teach. They were looking for classes for their children which they would not have to teach.

 

We have very little outside involvements so I would have to say that at this juncture, the types of classes being offered are not as high of a priority as the personal interaction. This may very well change as our children grow older and we make deeper family-to-family connections. It would definitely be my desire that there would be 'new' or deeper information on a particular subject than our children receive at home, but it is not a requirement for me/us at this point.

 

Hope that helps just a little :)

[Chrystal]

For high school credit the students have work to do at home and the teacher lectures during class time. Just like college.

We survey the parents before hand as to what they would like to see taught and what they are willing to teach. Having a teacher is the starting point for us. If no one is willing to teach a class then it is not able to be offered. The students are expected to show up to class and be prepared. If they are not they are sent to a study hall class that is offered for the students who are not in a regular class for that period.

The parents are notified and if it continues the parents are asked to withdraw from that class.

Ultimatley, in our co-op, the parents give the final grade and tests. The teachers are there to learn from and for support. Each of the students receives a syllabus for each class and it outlines the entire course including assignments. The teacher chooses a text and if you participate in that class you are expected to obtain it. We try to keep it within reason. There is an overall fee of $60 per family a semester to cover rent for the facilities and our liability insurance which is required by the church we meet in. There is also usually a small fee for each class to cover copies or other supplies needed or a list is given of what is needed for us to buy.

It is has never been more than $15 per high school class for me, and that one did not require a textbook.

[Farrar]

When people say "co-op" in the homeschooling world, I never assume I know what they mean. It can mean everything from a full on part time school with official curriculum and hefty fees to a few families taking turns meeting in each others' homes.

 

We're in one of the latter sort. We keep it free. We don't choose a curriculum, we choose themes that we follow which are purposefully abstract (tools, water, heroes, etc.). We alternate homes and teaching. We share food, toys, teaching, books, and our lives in general. We are committed to being a tight group of friends - both the kids and the parents. It's an amazing group and I couldn't live without it. I could wax prolifically about my adoration for my group, but I'll spare you.

 

People on this board (and others too) often say really dismissive or sometimes even nasty things about co-ops in general. I can only assume their primary experience has been with the annoying politics that can arise in any group. For us, though, the co-op is an essential piece of our homeschooling because it gives us a very close community that we really need. It keeps us all sane and grounded. It encourages us and helps us all (me included!) grow through relationships.

[mazakaal]

Thanks for the responses, ladies. This helps me to understand it a bit better.

[happypamama]

Our co-op is part of our support group. Some people just come for the park days and field trips and mom support; others just do the co-op; others do it all. We have liked both the co-op and the other activities.

 

We mostly do the co-op for social reasons, so the kids can hang out with their friends in a slightly more structured group than just park days, but the bonus academics are nice sometimes too. Sometimes other parents do things I wouldn't have thought of, or that I just don't get to, or that aren't my strong suit. I don't feel that I *need* the co-op for academics, but it's a nice bonus.

 

This year, our co-op did a picture study time for all the kids (except the infants and toddlers); I have done picture study with my children, but it was nice that someone else did it, therefore taking it off of my plate in an otherwise challenging year. Then there were classes for each age group, four sessions in the fall and four in the spring, with a different topic each of the two semesters. I see the co-op as a pooling of resources -- maybe they can do more involved art projects or more complex science projects that would otherwise be hard to do at home with toddlers, or that would be too expensive, or whatever. DD's class this spring learned about the orchestra; they had people come in and play different instruments some too. I know nothing about music, so this was handy for me, one less thing to do. And my DS1, the non-squeaky wheel in our house, sandwiched between an active older sister, an active toddler, and an in-utero baby who zapped a lot of Mom's energy this year, got to hang out with a bunch of little boys his age, with a teacher who created little projects just for them; he got the joy of bringing me his projects so I could ooh and aah over them, and he (who is rather shy) got a chance to be away from me (but just across the hall; I was in the nursery), spreading his wings a little in a safe-for-him environment.

 

As for the older students, they are trying to pool resources to get a parent or other teacher to teach the heavy-duty science classes that intimidate a lot of parents next year. IDK if we'll take advantage of those when our kids are older or not, but I think the pooling of strengths and resources is a great option for a lot of occasions.

[kalanamak]

Thanks for the responses, ladies. This helps me to understand it a bit better.

 

Kiddo does co-op gym. He gets a chance to play a wide variety of team sports (unlike signing up for just soccer, say), work on running races, do the President's fitness whatever, and learn to swim with children who have clean mouths. Hubby gets to teach "late" beginning swimmers, some of whom are a bit anxious. He loves it. The moms tell me they love what he does. Win-win-win situation. :)

[Rosy]

We have been part of a co-op for the last 2 years. Ours is a group of 42 families (it is a large co-op). We meet once a week for 12 out of 14 weeks each semester. The parents must contribute either in helping with a class or teaching a class to participate in co-op. I have taught Creative Writing for 1st and 2nd graders and a cooking class for high schoolers. I am teaching an introductory Spanish class next year.

We started co-op when my oldest was a junior (grade 11) and wanted to take Chemistry with a lab credit. We loved it and are going without her next year. She is starting college in the fall.

I truly enjoy the time with other homeschooling familes, the variety of classes offered, and the friends my daughter is making.

Each co-op is different. Some are only 2 families who get together and share teaching responsibilities for 1 or 2 classes once a month. Some are large like ours and offer a variety of classes. The thing that makes them all work is cooperation among the familes. As long as everyone does thier part and knows what is expected of them it works. If they don't it won't last.

Hope this helps.

This is what mine is like, except we're a little bigger. For the 12+ year old students, there are a fair amount of academic classes, as well as enrichment classes--writing, science and foreign language are pretty consistently offered. For elementary-aged kids, there are a few core subjects taught in such a way that it could replace what you're doing at home, but more are unit-studies or enrichment classes that are still somewhat academic. My kids take science at co-op, which really helps.

 

I think if you were to hire a teacher/tutor, it could get expensive fast. Between facility fees, insurance and class fees, ours would cost upwards of $100 per kid per semester, but teachers collect honoraria, and since I teach that pays for me to be there. I have taught a wide variety of subjects from preschool to high school (but have finally found my niche, I think!). We also do parties, field trips, mom's nights out and other social events. Sometimes giving up a day each week, plus prep time, is a burden...but it's my kids' favorite thing we do, and all their closest friends are at co-op, so we'll make it work as long as we can. :)