Co-ops? Yes or no?

[Sade]

I was just reading the 'what makes a great teacher' thread and see that a couple people are not big fans of co-ops, and it in all actuality, it was refreshing to hear that.

 

I have viewed a couple of co-ops and have been sent schedule of classes/rules from others, and all in all, I'm just not impressed. My son did not want to attend either one that we observed. In fact, he couldn't get out of those places fast enough.

 

Just wondering what other's opinions are of co-ops, good or bad. We may still try a co-op out in the future, but for now, no co-ops for us.

Edited January 22, 2012 by Sade
Schedule of Classes, not Schedule

[MrsMe]

I was just reading the 'what makes a great teacher' thread and see that a couple people are not big fans of co-ops, and it in all actuality, it was refreshing to hear that.

 

I have viewed a couple of co-ops and have been sent schedules/rules from others, and all in all, I'm just not impressed. My son did not want to attend either one that we observed. In fact, he couldn't get out of those places fast enough.

 

Just wondering what other's opinions are of co-ops, good or bad. We may still try a co-op out in the future, but for now, no co-ops for us.

 

I'm not a fan either. So many of the cliquey people in our co-op are just that...the same people and some of the parents are there to be the teacher that they never were and exert power. They've forgotten that it's not school, but enrichment. But that's our co-op. They're all different, either way, none of them is for us. DD hated it. And she's extremely social.

[regentrude]

The co-op we had an opportunity to participate in did not meet my children's academic needs; it was glorified socialization. I had hoped co-op to fill gaps in subjects I do not feel comfortable teaching.

We dropped coop after a year because it was not worth the time and effort.

 

I can imagine really good co-op opportunities, but that needs first and foremost a group of parents with similar educational goals. I have not found those in our town.

[Lily_Grace]

I like ours. More importantly, I like the people and what we're trying to do there. We grew too fast with newbies and it floundered a bit, but after scaling back to a half day and meaty classes it's rather nice. We have specialty teachers (like a vet teaching Apologia's Flying Creatures) and classes kids might not otherwise get at home. Even the classes they would get we try to bring a different dimension to it so that the group setting is worthwhile and not just implementing a homeschool curriculum in a classroom.

[Ellie]

I would have no interest in a co-op for children under high school age.

 

For high school-age, a source for my dc to learn higher maths or lab sciences would be great, although I'm not sure a "co-op" would be the answer. "Co-op" implies people teaching cooperatively--I'll teach history, you teach math, and we'll call it a day. Dropping off your dc and picking them up later, and paying tuition, is not a co-op, and that's what I'd be looking for.

 

A support group, yes. A good support group has some activities which provide social interaction for parents as well as children, and some educational activities such as field trips, but on a limited basis, such that parents can stay home and actually homeschool their dc. :D

[NotAVampireLvr]

The co-op we had an opportunity to participate in did not meet my children's academic needs; it was glorified socialization. I had hoped co-op to fill gaps in subjects I do not feel comfortable teaching.

We dropped coop after a year because it was not worth the time and effort.

 

I can imagine really good co-op opportunities, but that needs first and foremost a group of parents with similar educational goals. I have not found those in our town.

 

 

from what I understand the coops in my town for the lower levels are mostly for the socialization aspect. I rather spend my time at park days or doing the homeschool gym class at the Y. We have lots of friends in church and great neighbors so its unlikely we'll be doing them until we need them to do higher level science stuff.

[black_midori]

I really like our co-op - it meets for 1/2 a day each week & meets several needs for our family. The tail-end of the day is playing at the park, where the kids play & the adults chit-chat, which is a great weekly "release" for all of us! The co-op itself hits on enrichment activities we wouldn't do much (or any) of at home. It is a very small group of people who know each other well.

 

I don't think co-ops are "bad" or "good" - it all depends on what co-ops are available and what the needs of your family are. For younger kids, a co-op where you basically get to hang out and play might be great. For older kids, a co-op where you fill an educational NEED might be best. However, if you have older kids that don't get to hang out with their friends much... maybe for them, a mix is fair. There are as many co-op types & uses as there are members!! :)

[jelbe5]

I really enjoy ours. I am a founding member of ours so I have helped tailor the co-op which helps! :001_smile: We meet every other Friday from Sept. until before Thanksgiving then from Jan. -April. I could not handle every week. It is a theme/unit study co-op. This year we are learning how WWII impacted the home front. We will put on a USO show at the end. There is music instruction (choir), then a short PE time, then the unit study. It has been fun and we have great families!

[frugalmama]

I've yet to find one that works for us, but I'd really like to. Seems like in my city either they all have a faith statement I'm not comfortable signing, are at bad times, or way on the other side of town {we use city bus}.

 

DD would LOVE a co-op - she really needs more socialization on her terms for her ASD.

[Melora in NC]

I love our co-op! It is very small (currently 5 families) and academically focused. The kids enjoy getting together in a class setting once a week, and the things we do -- book and history discussions, poetry & Latin recitations, Shakespeare, craft projects, etc. -- seem more fun with a group. All the moms get to teach in areas where they feel most qualified, and for me, at least, it is pleasantly motivating to know I am preparing a lesson for a class rather than "just" my own students.

 

We've had several families try our group for a while and leave because we weren't a good "fit," and when we were new to this area we first joined another co-op which wasn't a good fit for us, so I know that finding the Right group can be hard! For our family the co-op has been a blessing, but I think we were very lucky to find a group that nearly exactly meets our needs.

[Dmmetler]

We do three co-ops. Two meet only once a month for a specific purpose-one is an American Girl group where each month the girls read a book and the moms lead discussions/narrations and the girls do crafts/cooking projects related to the book. The other monthly one is a country exploration, where each month we pick a country, make a map of the country, do a book search, play games, crafts, and so on. Both are about 8 kids, ranging in age from 5-12.

 

The other is a weekly co-op where each week a parent presents on a topic of interest to them and their children, and leads the kids in activities, followed by about an hour of kids playing and parents talking. This one is about 30 kids, in three age groups-DD's group is usually 10-12 kids. This group also does things like Valentine's exchanges, Easter Egg hunts, Halloween carnivals, and science fairs.

 

I don't consider it part of our academics, but I do think that it's a valuable part of our homeschooling.

[*lifeoftheparty*]

Bad ones are a waste of time.

 

Good ones are awesome.

 

The first co-op we did started out OK. But, it got worse as time went on. Most of the moms just weren't on the same "track" that I (and a few my friends) were on. They showed up late, like 45 minutes late, ALL THE TIME. Their kids would come in with shoes barely on and untied. We had this GREAT art class; it had a supply list a mile long (chalk pastels, oil pastels, colored pencils, tempura paint, watercolor paint, and so on) but we had ALL SUMMER to get the stuff and it wasn't THAT expensive. Come Fall, and 1/3 of the kids showed up with NO supplies.... every week. :glare: I would lend them some of my DS's stuff, and IF I got it back, it was usually broken. I scheduled field trips, half the people never even looked at the board. The other half would sign up, never show up, never let me know why they didn't show up or say sorry. I was in charge of the Holiday party and I made note cards (1 per family in co-op) that had a type of food written on it.... each family could choose one card, that way we have a wide variety of food. Yeah, come party day, we had 10 cheapo veggie trays from Wal-Mart and 20 boxes of frosted sugar cookies from Wal-Mart and like 5 liters of coke. 1 person made an 8 x 8 pan of mac-n-cheese! For 75 people!!! I spent $60 on a Ham. There may have been a few "bags" of salad. I was so done. Never went back. My friend kept going and it got sooooo much worse, she left too. It's not happening next year at all. Big surprise.

 

That's what happens when you get a co-op full of people who want to reap without sowing; all take/use, no give. I could NOT believe that all those people called themselves Christian!! SO selfish! Some of them had pastors for husbands!! And they were dropping their kids off and running errands during co-op when they were supposed to be helping!!! UGH.

 

Anyways, I joined Classical Conversations about the same time I quit the other co-op and the difference is like night and day!! I LOVE these women!! We all work together and everything runs smoothly. Everyone is on time, there, fed, dressed and ready to learn. Any bad behavior is dealt with swiftly and appropriately. There are no cliques, no gossip, no high school mentality. Not only do we talk about our kids and homeschooling, but we have interesting, intelligent conversations; politics, religion, government, philosophy, you name it, we talk about it. IT'S WONDERFUL!! We are a community, and I can't imagine not belonging to it.

 

DS and I are both extroverts, we need to be around people, a lot. Otherwise we get moody and depressed, so we have to have a co-op. I'm so glad we found such a great community. :D

[Tidbits of Learning]

We have done co-op off and on for 3 years. I decided this year that enough was enough. The cons outweigh the pros. I have children ranging fom middle school to preschool and it was just not worthwhile.

The ones here are neither purely social or purely academic. You really are at the mercy of the parent volunteer for the class.

We have lots of outside activities such as 4H, cub scouts, and sports. I find homeschool only groups and co-ops in our area to be stressful and we haven't gotten anything from them. I prefer to stick to our non-homeschool activities. BTW, we have met homeschoolers at all of our non-homeschool groups and forged great friendships.

[AnointedHsMom]

I have a love hate relationship with co-ops and even the tutorial I am currently teaching at! :001_huh: The heart of the lady that basically lead this tutorial is so in the right place. But the parents are a different story. We have 3 classes and I am reminded every week why I homeschool. It appears to me that most parents drop their kids off once a week to get a break. There's nothing wrong with that but I've been tasked with teaching their children and sometimes I wonder if they care if I teach anything....:glare:

 

Personally I hate losing the day each week. I would prefer to school M - Th and have a light math only Friday but I can't do that if we are doing a co-op or this tutorial. My older son is so social and he struggles with wanting to be around kids his age. When he doesn't get to see other kids more than once a week at Tutorial he starts getting depressed. I haven't found one group that fits my social guy and my needs. I doubt I'll be teaching at the tutorial next year and I'm going to put my energy into organizing a middle school group for him so that he can really connect and get to know other kids his age.

 

Hows that for an answer :tongue_smilie:

[SuperDad]

Bad ones are a waste of time.

 

Good ones are awesome.

 

:iagree:

[kristinannie]

Right now, I am not interested in a co-op. We like doing our own thing which is why we homeschool! :D If I was going to do some co-op with our homeschool, I would need to make sure that the group was exactly what I was looking for. We have plenty of socialization. It would have to be really a good fit for me to justify part of our school time. In our area, I have not seen anything that would interest me. I would love to form a co-op for high school science though. There was a doctor that homeschooled that would teach HS kids science at the local college (where they could do the labs) while his kids were still in high school. I would love something like that. Otherwise, I am content with my local support group. I did have to sign a paper that I was not completely comfortable with since I am Catholic, but I really need some support and the group is great otherwise.

[Tarreymere]

If you are lucky enough to be in an area with a co-op or even luckier to be in an area with more than one co-op, it wouldn't hurt to give it a try to see if it is a 'good fit' for your family. Just don't get your hopes up or set up a plan that depends heavily on a co-op for academics or social interaction because (hate to be a pessimist) more often than not it won't work out the way you hope.

 

I'd love to find a small group of three or four other families with similiar academic goals and kids with compatible ages. That isn't going to happen in my area and I know it. I can't even scrape up a half a dozen homeschool families in my entire county, let alone ones with a compatible academic philosophy.

[SkateLeft]

I've never bothered with co-ops, because I don't need yet another thing on my schedule. My kids are so spread out that it's never been possible to find a co-op that serves all of them.

 

Plus, I'm a control freak. I homeschool, because I know I can do the best job educating my kids. I have no desire or need to hand that off to another parent, most of which seem to be less qualified than I am, at least in the co-ops we've seen.

[Jasda]

Co-ops can be great, but everyone must be on the same page and everyone must do their part. If everyone isn't of the same mindset, then expectations will not be met. If everyone doesn't contribute, it unfairly leaves a lot of the work to only a few. Just some thoughts!

[tuzor]

I always thought I would seek out a co-op later when the kids were older. But my hubby thought the kids needed more social interaction. So we are into our second year with a co-op. I am not sure if we will continue and if we continue how we will attend. Perhaps one semester and sit out the next semester. The downside is now that my boys have been exposed to co-op they love it. (I am not sure how to tell them we will no longer participate)

 

I choose our current co-op because while visiting several co-ops in the area I was surprised at the lack of cultural diversity found within the organizations. This group was more diverse than some of the others. Anyway it is becoming clear that there is a structure in place and the powers that be seem to be happy with the Status Quo. Our co-op is set up where the younger grades all classes are enrichment and the older grades are all credit.

 

Personally I feel that we would benefit from more park days, lego clubs, homeschool PE etc, instead of losing a day for classess that are not adding much value to what we are doing at home.

[AnointedHsMom]

Personally I feel that we would benefit from more park days, lego clubs, homeschool PE etc, instead of losing a day for classess that are not adding much value to what we are doing at home.

 

What she said ;)

[G5052]

We've been in multiple groups including two different Classical Conversations campuses.

 

It is indeed tough to find one that is a close match. I don't regret our choices over the years, but indeed your needs and priorities may change. I don't think there's any one answer any particular year.

 

Next year will be our first without a regular local group that we're all involved in, and it is kind of sad for me. There just isn't anything that I'm aware of though that fulfills all that we need right now. It has gotten harder as mine got older because differences in academic goals become more pronounced, and so many we know put theirs into public or private high school. What was fine for 2nd grade often isn't for 10th grade.

[sassenach]

I love our co-op, but it's fine with me if others don't.

[lionfamily1999]

Bad for me, great for a lot of other people :p

 

We love the flexibility of hsing. Joining a co-op just puts us back on someone else's schedule.

[clarkacademy]

I was involved in 1. It was a nightmare. The director or whatever picked on everyones kid and hers acted like a monster. The "teachers" seemed to only care about getting paid. I thought a co-op was where everyone worked together and the goal was the kids.

 

It was all about who had more kids, who was married, how much was I getting paid and don't dare reprimand the directors kids no matter how bad they act and if your baby cries a little then she shouldn't be there. It was a worthless waste and I doubt I will ever join another.

[Laura in MI]

Bad ones are a waste of time.

 

Good ones are awesome.

 

:iagree:

[GailV]

Bad ones are a waste of time.

 

Good ones are awesome.

 

 

 

:iagree:

 

We were in 2 last year, although I'd actually call one of them a "learning center" since it was more about dropping off your kids to be taught by paid teachers rather than everyone pitching in together. And I disliked both of them, but for different reasons. I was totally in the co-ops-are-a-waste-of-time crowd.

 

But my kids, particularly older dd, really loved the social aspect of one of them, so we decided to try again.

 

This year we totally ditched the "learning center" and stuck with the one that was more co-operative. A lot of people dropped out of the latter, the Powers That Be organized some absolutely amazing classes for whoever was left, and we all love it. My kids are taking awesome science classes there, along with one other class a piece; I'm teaching 3rd-5th science as an enrichment class.

 

 

Who knows what next year will bring. Next year some of the high schoolers will be paying a guy to teach chemistry -- this won't be part of a co-op, but just a bunch of families getting together for that. But as far as the co-op, I haven't heard what classes they're thinking about offering, so haven't started thinking about how we'll fit into it.

[Lori D.]

Everyone else may have already covered this, but... Whether or not to join a co-op:

1. REALLY depends on what you are looking for.

2. REALLY depends on the specific co-op.

 

 

Factors that play into all of this:

 

What are the goals of the co-op? What are YOUR goals?

(academic? socialization? enrichment? focus on a specific subject (ex: high school Biology lab co-op)? support in doing a specific curriculum (ex: a small Tapestry of Grace co-op)? etc.)

 

- What is the structure of the co-op?

(parent involvement required / parents can drop-off students? overall co-op cost / per-class cost? actual, skilled instructors teach the classes / parent volunteers teach the classes?)

 

- What is the schedule of the co-op?

(half day? whole day? weekly? bi-weekly? monthly? is it "a-la-carte" or do you have to be there for the whole time?)

 

- What a co-op's advantages? Disadvantages? Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

(examples of advantages: provides specific opportunities (ex: public speaking) you can't do at home; is better at doing a particular subject (ex: science experiments/art/music) than you could or would do at home; opportunity for students to practice classroom skills; etc.)

(examples of disadvantages: doesn't really work to count it as a credit on the transcript; exposure to germs from other families; may require additional "homework" time during the week to prepare for the next co-op class; etc.)

 

- What are the time and "logistical" considerations of doing a co-op?

(how close or far away is it -- driving time and gas cost to consider? how much time do you have to give up from schooling at home for a co-op? how much time is required outside of the co-op classes? how to juggle all the DC if not all attend the co-op?)

 

- How would you rate the integrity, quality, organization, and ability of the co-op organizers and instructors?

 

- Will your family get along with the personalities of the other participating families?

 

 

I find that answering these questions, and making it into a PRO and CON list helps me decide if a specific co-op meets our family's specific needs at a specific time in our homeschooling journey. :) As a result, we have had good experiences with co-ops.

 

Academic-based co-ops were not available here. So, we did not participate in co-ops after about 4th/5th grade. But, knowing that, I carefully considered what the co-ops COULD offer. For example: our first 3 years, we were in a small co-op of 6-8 families, with elementary-aged down to babies. We planned out the year in advance, with a monthly break-down of:

1st Friday = Park Day

2nd Friday = presentation day (show & tell, reports, etc.)

3rd Friday = field trip

4th Friday = rotating project (once each year, each family headed up a hands-on project of art, science, history, games, etc.) -- 1 of the extra 2 Fridays was the end-of-year swim party; the other was mid-year, and was a big event that we all would help plan and oversee one aspect (examples: Medieval Feast; Thanksgiving Feast; Japanese Culture Day...)

 

 

BEST of luck as you decide! Warmest regards, Lori

[chepyl]

I love our co-op. It offers a lot of different things. It is a support group with meetings, monthly field trips, weekly co-op, park days, MNOs, a teen group, a tween group, and a meal ministry for members in need. You pick and choose how you are involved. I go to some MNOs, and we do co-op. So far, we have not attended any field trips.

 

In the co-op we have PE, kung fu, knitting, candy making, jewelry making, careers, Shakespeare, science experiments, first aid, themed history, music, impoverished acting, and math tutors.

 

For the prekers, they do a music class, a Bible lesson, arts and crafts and playing. The young elementary kids do PE and a lit study. This week they read Ping, learned about China, and colored a map and flag.

 

It OS a mix of fluff, PE, and good content. Each mom works for one hour and spends the other two in the mom room, just hanging out.

 

We have a co-op near us that is strictly academic for older students.

 

You just have to find what works for you.

[Guest]

I love our co-op, enough that I am a board member. It is enrichment-based, though we have academic high school class offerings, too.

 

I would not want to do an academic co-op. It seems too much like an inadequate school to me. But I would not want to have homeschooled without the co-op we attend. It is the main place I and my children have made friends. I think I would feel quite isolated without it.

[foxbridgeacademy]

We really like our Co-op in fact we (myself and another Co-op mom) just started a science "spin-off" co-op for field trips. What's really nice about ours is that it is secular but inclusive. The classes are led by the parents but have huge amount of child participation. There's no curriculum and it is mostly activity based. In fact the kids pretty much tell their parents what classes they want then the parent "refines" it into something doable. This session I'm co-leading a Newspaper class (my daughters idea) and a Physics class (for my son and Daughter).

The problems I have with the Co-op is that the majority of the kids are younger and most of the families are unschoolers (which we aren't). Nobody is pushy though, they are great people and the kids get along wonderfully. Since the kids are young there is a lack of any kind of rigor in the classes... but that's ok I make up for it at home.

[Farrar]

There are obviously a lot of bad co-ops out there that aren't worth the time or effort - they either have dull class offerings, high fees, weird drama instead of community or all three. However, the idea that they're not worth it simply because they have a schedule you have to follow is something that doesn't resonate with me at all. I mean, seriously, many things in life have schedules. That's just... life. Sports teams, college classes, church, jobs - these things all have schedules. I feel like there's a self-centeredness to saying that because you have to be considerate of the need for a schedule you're not going to do it.

 

We're in two very small co-ops with just a few other families. They're both extremely important to us. They're more than just some class - they're our friends and community. The relationships my kids have made through them are really important. Both have been together for 2+ years and I anticipate they'll be together for many more, which is a really amazing thing for my kids to have. I don't have a lot of interest in doing a big co-op with fees and a building, though I can imagine that I might have some interest when we get to high school. I'll have to see.

[Sade]

By 'schedule' I meant, schedule of classes.

 

I wish I could find something like you have. I haven't given up hope yet though :)

 

There are obviously a lot of bad co-ops out there that aren't worth the time or effort - they either have dull class offerings, high fees, weird drama instead of community or all three. However, the idea that they're not worth it simply because they have a schedule you have to follow is something that doesn't resonate with me at all. I mean, seriously, many things in life have schedules. That's just... life. Sports teams, college classes, church, jobs - these things all have schedules. I feel like there's a self-centeredness to saying that because you have to be considerate of the need for a schedule you're not going to do it.

 

We're in two very small co-ops with just a few other families. They're both extremely important to us. They're more than just some class - they're our friends and community. The relationships my kids have made through them are really important. Both have been together for 2+ years and I anticipate they'll be together for many more, which is a really amazing thing for my kids to have. I don't have a lot of interest in doing a big co-op with fees and a building, though I can imagine that I might have some interest when we get to high school. I'll have to see.

[gramlingk]

We have participated in a couple of different types of co-ops. One we did in our home with two other moms and their kids. I knew these families well and they share our values and academic goals. It gave the kids a great experience of having three creative moms coming up with fun activities each week to supplement our program we were all using at home the other days a week. We still had all the freedom throughout the week to teach as we felt best for our kids.

 

A second type of co-op we attended was centered around history and included music, art and drama, as well. My kids enjoyed going to this co-op, however I questioned how much learning was really going on because the classes were large and this severely interfered with the teachers' ability to give individual attention and be creative (like public school).

 

Another co-op which we still attend is just for band. This is an experience I simply can not provide for my children at home by myself. In addition, the kids have time to interact with other homeschooled children there and be challenged by the teachers and other students. We have decided to keep only this type of co-op in our homeschooling experience. I feel that I am confident to teach the other subjects to my children and will only seek outside classes when there is something I can't provide adequately at home.

[Sade]

And by 'schedule of classes' , I mean the variety, the topic, etc. To be fair though, there have been some classes that sounded good, but they are either full or for older students than my son's age.

[Farrar]

Ah! Sorry! I totally didn't get that.

 

I feel like there is an attitude among some people that's it's an intrusion on their time and I was reacting against that, I think.

 

The co-ops we're apart of are what I think of as "secret" co-ops - we don't advertise, we have added families and lost a family to a move, but it's invitation only. I think the potential for reward is greater, but the fit of having just 4-6 families also has to be more perfect.

[Tidbits of Learning]

l However, the idea that they're not worth it simply because they have a schedule you have to follow is something that doesn't resonate with me at all. I mean, seriously, many things in life have schedules. That's just... life. Sports teams, college classes, church, jobs - these things all have schedules. I feel like there's a self-centeredness to saying that because you have to be considerate of the need for a schedule you're not going to do it.

 

 

 

I think the thing about following someone else's schedule with co-ops is important. I found that homeschool groups and co-ops are always scheduling activities and such during normal school hours. So saying that following their schedule is not something that I could do means that I lose too much of my own homeschool schedule.

With 2 middle schoolers, I can't just take off 1/2 a day to go to the park for my preschooler to meet up with the preschoolers b/c their parents don't have children over 6 and can easily give up that afternoon.

I was the middle school social coordinator for a bit this year and I had people actually get upset with me b/c I scheduled the middle school socials at night outside of school hours. We already gave up a whole day of school a week with co-op with this group and we were expected to schedule a social a month. I could count the co-op as a school day legitimately, but a social to play putt putt is not a school day.

I totally get the schedule comments. What is great for one person (such as all activities outside of school hours) is horrible for another (who wants all activities to be during school hours)...any way that is my perspective on the scheduling dilemma with homeschool groups and co-ops. Church, sports, 4H, scouts....do not schedule their activities for Tuesday morning at 10 am to 1 pm b/c they include others besides homeschoolers and it is assumed that school age children are in school during those hours...whereas my experience with homeschoolers in our area is that they want everything to be during school hours and will count a park day as one of the 180 required days of school :confused:

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

I chose not to be a part of a co-op until a CC community started just two miles down the country road from our home. The director is *incredible*. She is so intelligent and is a natural teacher and leader. The tutors we've had so far have been excellent. The content is rich. The families are wonderful. In all, it has been a fabulous experience. The tutors I've talked with put extra effort into their work, knowing that parents are paying for their services and observing them in classes. Many of them have a real heart for teaching.

 

I have no other co-op experience to compare with, though. And I know that not all CC communities are as well-run and taught.

Edited January 22, 2012 by Heidi @ Mt Hope

[Momofeat]

We are participating in a TOG co-op, and it is working well for us--except that it's 45 minutes away! :tongue_smilie:

 

My dc are motivated to complete their work through the week so that they will be ready for the discussions and activities at co-op. My dd(12) also wants to earn tickets for writing class. ;)

[Sarah CB]

We have a fantastic co-op that has been academically and socially beneficial.

 

Part of our mandate as parents is to strive for memorable learning. We focus on teaching through projects, group activities, and experiences. Our co-op consists of writing, social studies (or TOG for those doing TOG), science and second language. All classes are taught by parents who are excited about teaching (those who don't want to teach have a wide array of other jobs to choose from) except for French - we've hired a teacher for French. Even French is un-classroomy - they learn through a mixture of immersion and gestures and at the end of each term they perform a play completely in French.

 

The kids are getting a rich educational experience - they're engaged in ways that wouldn't happen at home and they have a great network of peers. I don't think I can think of a downside - even the prep and marking time I have to spend to teach my grade 8 writing class is worth it.

 

If there isn't a co-op around you that meets your needs then go and start your own. I found a fantastic group of like-minded families and we've gone from there.

[Farrar]

I totally get the schedule comments. What is great for one person (such as all activities outside of school hours) is horrible for another (who wants all activities to be during school hours)...any way that is my perspective on the scheduling dilemma with homeschool groups and co-ops. Church, sports, 4H, scouts....do not schedule their activities for Tuesday morning at 10 am to 1 pm b/c they include others besides homeschoolers and it is assumed that school age children are in school during those hours...whereas my experience with homeschoolers in our area is that they want everything to be during school hours and will count a park day as one of the 180 required days of school :confused:

 

Obviously one has to pick and choose what's important. If we were doing co-op things all day, every day, that would be a big problem. But to me, that time is worth it, even if a chunk of it is social. I value that much more than devoting all of the traditional school days to staying at home working on academics. I don't count days. I don't have to legally, but I wouldn't bother even if I did. So the idea that somehow time spent on a park day is an intrusion is something I've never really gotten. I strive for a balance between instruction at home, instruction outin the world, and time for my kids to be kids, including with their friends.

[Samiam]

I have a love/hate with co-ops.

 

We did a co-op in another state for 3 years. My children were younger then. I only had one that was really of school-age to worry about getting schoolwork done. It was a large, but very well-organized group. Classes were for the most part, well done. It was also very active with activities outside of co-op, ie park days, field trips, social gatherings. I felt that served alot of purpose for us, because it gave my oldest child who was, and still is, very shy, a constant connection to those children to become friends.

 

I felt that "more free" groups, ie based on gathering at the park, or doing a field trip here or there, did not provide enough "repeat people" to form a friendship.

 

 

But even during that time, I started to hate going every single Friday. My children would often complain.

 

We moved twice in two years, and after finally settling down here joined a co-op to meet some people. Our second semester and I ask myself every week if it is worth it.

 

All three children are school age now. That's an entire day out of week that's hard to get back. There's often homework from co-op, especially for DS13, that then takes time away from the work I have planned for him. Often the homework is nonsenical, there's no syllabus from the teacher, no clear directions. Overall, OFTEN what I am expecting to get out of the class is NOT what we get out of the class. But hey, it's a co-op, the mom/teacher is doing the best they can, I didn't pay much, so I can't really complain that much.

 

The days are exhausting for me. Because we already lose one day a week, I hestitate to sign up for other activities that will make our other days shortened ie a 1:30 P.E. class because that means we have to leave by 1p, which means getting dressed and ready to go at 12:30 which means someone's school work was shortened/lessened by me to make that possible.

 

If we didn't already have that full day gone, perhaps we could do more activities, more park days, more other fun "things" in the afternoons and my mind would be at ease with it. Not to mention my budget...that money I could put towards other activities.

 

The other thing with this co-op is that it does not offer much social stuff besides the classes. No park days ever, hardly any field trips, etc. so those activities, if we go, are with a completely different group of homeschoolers and there again, is that "disconnect" from constant interaction.

 

Next fall, I will have to seriously reconsider if we will join a co-op. Today, as I type this, I say no.

[8filltheheart]

I haven't read the thread, but I am probably the one that posted in the other thread that I don't like co-ops. They are not a fit for us at all. I have never seen classes offered that meet my academic criteria. (Honestly, most homeschoolers I meet IRL don't match my philosophical POV on education anyway, so that isn't really surprising.) But more important is the fact that I homeschool precisely b/c I want my kids to have classes that fit their individual needs, not a groups. If I wanted group classes with teacher/co-op determined educational criteria, I would sent them to a school.

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

Anyways, I joined Classical Conversations about the same time I quit the other co-op and the difference is like night and day!! I LOVE these women!! We all work together and everything runs smoothly. Everyone is on time, there, fed, dressed and ready to learn. Any bad behavior is dealt with swiftly and appropriately. There are no cliques, no gossip, no high school mentality. Not only do we talk about our kids and homeschooling, but we have interesting, intelligent conversations; politics, religion, government, philosophy, you name it, we talk about it. IT'S WONDERFUL!! We are a community, and I can't imagine not belonging to it.

 

 

 

:iagree: This is exactly how I feel about our CC group!

[NASDAQ]

I'm not interested in them. I can't home school if I'm out, I already have too much to do, and my children's social group isn't other home schoolers. And I would be utterly shocked if there were like-minded home schoolers around me. This is an unschooling area.

[tomandlorih]

http://www.firstclasshomeschool.org/Welcome.html

 

If you don't mind Christian-based.. We love our co-op! It's only 8 weeks in the fall and 10 weeks in the spring. My dd is able to take three different classes that change each session and which may or may not be academic. We tend to choose the more academic ones. The littles go to the same "class" all three hours. It's large (about 70 families-200 kids of all ages) and VERY well run.

 

I have discussed with another group of homeschooling friends doing a year long academic, e"everyone get together on Wednesdays to do Latin, History or Science but so far it hasn't worked out.

[Tidbits of Learning]

I'm not interested in them. I can't home school if I'm out, I already have too much to do, and my children's social group isn't other home schoolers. And I would be utterly shocked if there were like-minded home schoolers around me.

 

I agree completely! :D

[laughing lioness]

Like others have said I think it depends on if you can find a co-op that fits with what you are trying to accomplish.

We went for many years homeschooling without co-ops or class days (over a decade) and it worked out well for us. We also lived in an area where our kids were invovled in horseback riding, soccer, piano and Awans.

We aren't invovled in very many extra-curriculars now. We do participate in a co-op and academic class day each week. We love these days. The kids are being taught by enthusiastic, knowledgable teachers, have homework with deadlines and are getting a taste of what it means to have a teacher other than mom.

We cover way more than we would otherwise- academic and "extra"- and the kids are learning some subjects from teachers far more knowledgable than me.

[lailasmum]

We don't really have co-op type groups here. We have home education groups. Some of them do activities and some are purely social but there aren't many that teach classes. In general I haven't found a group I really like. I ran a group for a while but we didn't have the numbers to keep the group running. Ours was social with a few science/art activities.

 

My kids like the running around but I don't think I will continue to commit to going to anything every week. Most of them are too far away too.

 

The best one we went to stopped early last year was a purely social one. It had a good little hall and was next to a park and just long enough the kids got to play without getting over tired.

 

There is another we go to frequently but they aren't very good at doing stuff to suit the whole group and can get a bit narky if you don't go, even if it is because the activity isn't suitable or too far away.

[PollyOR]

I feel like an idiot. ;) I never wanted to be in a co-op and somehow find myself in one.

 

Someone at church invited my older girls to participate in a Shakespeare class. I thought it was an independent class. We signed them up only to find out later that the class is part of a new co-op/"community." It's possible some of the other co-op members are upset with me because I'm not there. My girls(13yo and 16yo) ride public transportation and I pick them up at the end of class. I do intend to help with the play they are going to present, but I doubt we'll participate next year. I hate losing an entire day of school. We have plenty of outside activities (church youth group, children's choir, gymnastics lessons, etc.) to keep us busy.