Do Homeschoolers tend to be disorganized, or am I just retentive?

[JudoMom]

We're involved (for the first time) in a coop and it starts tomorrow. I'm sure it'll be great once it starts, but it seems so disorganized now. I'm just now getting some information on what we need to bring (yesterday and this morning), and some of these things needed to be purchased (which we went & purchased things yesterday, but I got another email this morning). Am I the only person on the planet who likes advance notice for things that will need to be bought? It's an ordeal for me to just "run to the store".

 

We did a homeschool PE class a year or so ago, and it seemed disorganized as well (sometimes we met at a park, sometimes we met at a church, but this was never communicated in advance, so you had to guess and get there early in case you guessed wrong and had to drive the 10 minutes to the other place).

 

Have you found, in general, that homeschoolers tend to be disorganized (or have I just had some bad luck with what we've joined)? What accounts for it (if that's the case)? Am I just retentive wanting to know things that affect me a bit more in advance (I think a 1 week notice would've been nice) :eek:?

[RoughCollie]

Disorganized organizations drive me nuts. If it proves to be a permanent problem, even after I've offered suggestions and help, I stop participating in it. The kids persuade me to, because it drives them crazy, too.

 

I don't think it has much to do with homeschooling. The hs co-op we belonged to was the most organized organization I've ever been involved with. The Boy Scouts were the least organized.

[Daisy]

I think this just may be your group. The group I'm part of is very well-organized. Otherwise, I wouldn't go. Most of the homeschoolers I know are more organized. They kinda have to be or school would never get done. They'd be heading to the store for one more thing they needed all day long.

 

I am a huge type A personality and see most folks as less organized then myself. Maybe that is you also??? My Dh says NO ONE is as organized as I am. LOL.

[Karen in CO]

I know lots of disorganized homeschoolers.

I also know many that are extremely organized and some that are organized chaos. It is just variety. The group I am in is a mix in every sense from the type of homeschooling to the religious preference to the amount of organization. Personally, I prefer to be around people that are different than I am. It helps me to relax and learn tolerance. If the lack of organization interferes with the purpose of the group, you may want to reconsider if it is worth what you are putting into it.

[Mrs. H.]

I don't think homeschoolers are any more or less organized than just regular people. (You do know we're not regular people, right? :p) We just pulled ds out of Boy Scouts to do Lone Scouts at home, because his Scout troop is so disorganized that dh says his sanity can't take it anymore. It was the same with his T-Ball team last spring. No organization, 'mass chaos' as Dh likes to call it. Some people are just disorganized. I'm more organized than lots of people, but no where near as organized as Dh.

[Harriet Vane]

I don't think homeschoolers are any more or less organized than any other group of people. I have known really organized, well-run co-op or club situations, and really disorganized one. It's totally a matter of who is running things.

[JudoMom]

blame the lack of organization on anything else but the fact that the leaders are people, too ;).

 

I do tend to be on the overly organized side of the spectrum, which can be a fault, too :o.

 

My boys are excited about going, and I'm sure it will be a wonderful experience :D.

[Mrs Mungo]

I'm going to answer the post without reading the responses because I want to give a really honest answer.

 

It's been my experience that people who are organized and like to be in charge struggle because they wind up getting saddled with everything. Every decision falls on their shoulders, they wind up having to double and triple check up on people and many times have to scramble at the last minute because someone fails in their task (sometimes for good reasons but it still becomes a burden). They get sick of it and take a break from volunteering. Then it's really disorganized for a while then someone organized gets tired of the craziness, takes over and the cycle starts over.

 

The other problem is that there are so many liability worries and such that volunteer organizations have a *lot* of paperwork to do. The people who are good at dealing with people, organizing trips, encouraging volunteers and such are not always the best with paperwork and vice versa.

 

I've been involved with (and in charge of) many different types of volunteer groups. It's not just homeschoolers, it's volunteer situations across the board. Very few people are willing to put a ton of effort into something that they don't get paid for and most people don't appreciate, anyway. Those *few* people who really appreciated the hard work I did and understood that it wasn't always easy and took the time to tell me thanks always made it worth it to me. But...I'm still on a break from volunteering right now.

[G5052]

We've been homeschooling for seven years now and have been in three different homeschool groups (including having served on the board of one) and involved in three different co-ops and various paid classes.

 

I used to think that the majority of homeschoolers were disorganized and frankly sloppy because of the type of thing you describe, but now we're in two different co-ops that are well run. In both cases the leaders are actively planning weeks ahead, and things are generally purchased and set up well ahead of time. That doesn't mean that someone doesn't have to run to Wal-Mart the night before at times, but it's rare that things aren't mostly settled a few days before.

 

I'm to the point in life that frankly I wouldn't be involved in a poorly organized co-op. It's just more stress than I need!

[Sharon H in IL]

If I had to guess, I'd say more homeschoolers are on the un-organized side of the spectrum, but maybe that's just the folks I hang with. :D

 

We're evaluating whether to continue with Cub Scouts for my 8yo son, the lack of communication is staggering. Meetings canceled with no notice, e-mail notice sent the day of a meeting that the location has changed. I don't check my e-mail every day, but from now on, I can see it's going to be imperative when DS has an activity.

 

I agree with Mrs. Mungo's assessment of the cycle of organization.

[Mamagistra]

It's an ordeal for me to just "run to the store".

 

Sing it, 'lops! ;) It took me most of the day today to run two short errands and feed the crew pizza. :eek:

[Mrs Mungo]

We're evaluating whether to continue with Cub Scouts for my 8yo son, the lack of communication is staggering. Meetings canceled with no notice, e-mail notice sent the day of a meeting that the location has changed. I don't check my e-mail every day, but from now on, I can see it's going to be imperative when DS has an activity.

 

 

One thing I *will* say is that when I was a scouting leader we met at a church and the church would *frequently* set up another meeting in the room we usually met in, close the church for the evening for maintenance reasons, the church would be closed for a holiday, etc with absolutely *no* notice to the leaders. This was a BIG church with plenty of staff and all of the scout groups met on the same night. It was unbelievable.

[Sharon H in IL]

One thing I *will* say is that when I was a scouting leader we met at a church and the church would *frequently* set up another meeting in the room we usually met in, close the church for the evening for maintenance reasons, the church would be closed for a holiday, etc with absolutely *no* notice to the leaders. This was a BIG church with plenty of staff and all of the scout groups met on the same night. It was unbelievable.

 

Yougottabekiddinme!! No, I know you're not. Bleah.

[Janna]

Home schoolers or not, anything can be disorganized. It's all about the leadership.

 

I think that it's more likely to have disorganization in organizations (how many times can I use that word?) that are volunteer run, or started up because in their mind it "was a good idea". But then they discover they aren't true leaders, kwim? When it gets going, they realize that they don't have what it takes to efficiently run something. They get in over their heads and start asking for all this help, but it ends up being the blind leading the blind. That's what I notice anyway - regardless of whether it has to do with home schooling or not.

 

It's similar to using boxed curriculum vs. not (is there a term for "I'm using whatever I want"?). Those that have the boxed curriculum tend to stay on course because it's all written out for them what to do and maybe even what to say. Kind of like business franchises. Those who choose to pick and choose their curriculum need to be more disciplined and organized to really make it work effectively. Or so I think anyway. I liken co-ops to businesses. They aren't franchises with scripts of what to do, or outlines of good practices. But they are still a business in a sense and they need a business mind, and even a business plan before starting up. I don't think a lot of home schooled co-ops look at it this way, let alone do it this way. Those are just my thoughts on the matter. I really do hope it works out for you and the boys. I have yet to find a co-op that I am comfortable with. Therefore we have become hermits. :(

 

Oh, and for the record, you also are retentive.

[gardenschooler]

Not all are. I avoid these types of unorganized groups - I'd be kicked out immediately, anyway! ;)

I go to the organized group. Huge, with rules, and structure, and people with clear job descriptions. Everything is done in a systematic manner, and deadlines can't be broken. Some people don't like it, and they leave. There are plenty of 'spontaneous homeschoolers', I just can't hang with them!

 

FWIW, dh says homeschoolers are always late. He's been shocked at how late some people are to field trips, zoo classes, etc. They end up missing half the class! At our co-op (really a tutorial), if your child is more than 10 minutes late for class, they have to go to study hall, rather than enter late and disrupt the teacher. This place is a good match for me, which might explain why I am always so enthused with it, and many say groups and co-ops they've tried are a waste of time.

 

What you're describing sounds downright inconsiderate, not to mention not even feasible. No one wants to make a last-minute dash to the store, and not every one has the time. Even when I met with just a few other homeschoolers in a weekly co-op, that sort of thing didn't happen. But we did habitually start late!

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Our co-op seems to be very organized. It has about 50 families.

[Ellie]

I've known plenty of non-homeschoolers who are just as disorganized. I think it's a human nature thing, not a homeschooler thing.

[3lilreds in NC]

my co-op is very well organized. I don't know if I could manage a co-op that wasn't well organized - I think the combination of me and them would make me nuts. How's that for a double standard? :D

[Karen in CO]

Did the co-op turn out well even after the bad start? Does it show promise or is it going to be too disorganized?