So, would this be rude? (Co-op question)

[Jenny in Florida]

We've never really participated in a co-op. I tried a couple of times to get things started when the kids were younger, but it never worked out over any significant amount of time.

 

Last fall, my son did Lego robotics with a local co-op/homeschool group that has been around for many years. It wasn't very formal or terribly structured, but he enjoyed seeing people every week and doing the group activity.

 

He'd like to go back this fall to the same group and take a few classes. They meet three days a week, with four or five classes on each day and a lunch break in the middle. Since we're a good 40-minute drive from the park where they meet and because I'm already planning a full school schedule at home, I don't want to commit to more than one day a week with the group.

 

The day that is best for us over all, for a variety of reasons, has art and critical thinking classes in the morning, followed by lunch, followed by American history and then chemistry and, finally, a "flex class" that will have a variety of subjects and activities throughout the year.

 

Here's the challenge: I'm already planning both American history and chemistry for him at home. And, while they are starting at the beginning with history, we're picking up with Reconstruction and going forward. I've put a lot of thought and effort into planning these subjects, and I'm really happy with what I've already got. I'm not willing to toss our plans in favor of following the group. However, I think he'd enjoy partipating in the classes with other

students studying the same things.

 

There are a few classes on the other days that might be of interest to him, but there is no other single day that offers classes both before and after lunch that will work for us. And, since one motivation here is to give him consistent social time with a group, I really want him to have a full day including lunch and free time.

 

Each class will be mixed ages/grades, with homework assignments given at three levels. The co-op leader is teaching this. Her eldest is just high school age this year. Her goal as she explains it to me is to make this class worthy of high school credit for students who do all of the homework, which will include additional reading and writing assignments. So, it sounds like not everyone will be on the same page or doing exactly the same work, anyway.

 

I'd like to ask if it would be disruptive for my son to sign up for those two classes, understanding up front that he will be studying the same subjects at home on a somewhat different schedule.

 

As I said, though, we've never really done a co-op thing. So, I don't know if what I'm asking is unreasonable or rude.

 

Thoughts?

Edited July 8, 2012 by Jenny in Florida

[black_midori]

Um - I can't imagine that they would care, as long as he is co-operative and does the work assigned, and doesn't sit in there griping about how he already knows the stuff. How can it be wrong to get different perspectives?

 

I just re-read & I'm not sure I understood the question - sorry! Could you clarify? What do you think would be unreasonable and rude? Simply attending the classes, know that he is already doing a lot of that? Or that you would only be doing 1 day of 3 instead of all?

[Jenny in Florida]

Um - I can't imagine that they would care, as long as he is co-operative and does the work assigned, and doesn't sit in there griping about how he already knows the stuff. How can it be wrong to get different perspectives?

 

I just re-read & I'm not sure I understood the question - sorry! Could you clarify? What do you think would be unreasonable and rude? Simply attending the classes, know that he is already doing a lot of that? Or that you would only be doing 1 day of 3 instead of all?

 

Sorry! I realize I wasn't especially clear. I was thinking it out as I typed.

 

The classes are offered on an a la carte plan. People sign up for one or all of them, attending for all three days or just an hour a week. I knew that wouldn't be a problem.

 

What I meant was that I wondered whether it would be rude to sign him up for classes, but saying up front that it was likely he would not do all of the outside of class homework. In other words, he'd attend the class and make sure he was prepared to participate for that hour per week, but we'd mostly be working on the same general subject with different materials the rest of the time.

 

However, in the meantime, I went ahead and e-mailed the co-op leader explaining our situation and asking if she thought it would be disruptive. She has already responded saying it's fine. While she does assign homework, it is always optional and never trumps what a parent is doing at home.

 

And, in fact, since she hadn't yet chosen a curriculum for her high schooler for chemistry, she's going to take a look at the possibility of adopting the text I am planning to use. So, that may work out better than I anticipated!

[black_midori]

Great!! I'm glad she was so supportive. That is pretty typical of all of the co-op groups that I've been around - the leaders are homeschoolers & are generally very understanding of things like that. :)

[Harriet Vane]

Sorry! I realize I wasn't especially clear. I was thinking it out as I typed.

 

The classes are offered on an a la carte plan. People sign up for one or all of them, attending for all three days or just an hour a week. I knew that wouldn't be a problem.

 

What I meant was that I wondered whether it would be rude to sign him up for classes, but saying up front that it was likely he would not do all of the outside of class homework. In other words, he'd attend the class and make sure he was prepared to participate for that hour per week, but we'd mostly be working on the same general subject with different materials the rest of the time.

 

However, in the meantime, I went ahead and e-mailed the co-op leader explaining our situation and asking if she thought it would be disruptive. She has already responded saying it's fine. While she does assign homework, it is always optional and never trumps what a parent is doing at home.

 

And, in fact, since she hadn't yet chosen a curriculum for her high schooler for chemistry, she's going to take a look at the possibility of adopting the text I am planning to use. So, that may work out better than I anticipated!

 

I was in a co-op that had the policy that homework is encouraged but not required. They had this policy only because some parents insisted on it. I was good friends with several of the teachers over the years, and without exception each and every teacher HATED/HATES this policy. The homework is designed to teach the student, and when they come to class without having done it, they are behind. It is very difficult for a teacher to teach when some students have learned/practiced the concepts, and others have not.

 

I have taught many a group class myself, and I have always made the homework very strictly required. I do not ever give busy work, and I have goals for the students. They will not meet those goals unless they do their homework.

 

Just a perspective to consider.

[Jenny in Florida]

I was in a co-op that had the policy that homework is encouraged but not required. They had this policy only because some parents insisted on it. I was good friends with several of the teachers over the years, and without exception each and every teacher HATED/HATES this policy. The homework is designed to teach the student, and when they come to class without having done it, they are behind. It is very difficult for a teacher to teach when some students have learned/practiced the concepts, and others have not.

 

I have taught many a group class myself, and I have always made the homework very strictly required. I do not ever give busy work, and I have goals for the students. They will not meet those goals unless they do their homework.

 

Just a perspective to consider.

 

And that was exactly why I wondered about even asking if the approach we want to take would be okay. I didn't want to offend by making it sound like I don't think the teacher's work or plans are important.

 

I know, if it were me and I assumed that the students in my class were going to be serious about it and then they weren't, I'd be ticked. I've taught Sunday school for many years, on and off, and I know how frustrating it is to make even minimal assignments and then find out the following week that no one even attempted to do them.

 

My hunch in this case, though, based on our previous experience with this group, was that it might not be that big a deal, as long as the expectations were clear up front. And I thought I also said that I would make sure my son was prepared to participate in the class. It would be the "extra" assignments designed to beef up a mixed-age class to qualify for high school credit that we would likely skip, since he's already doing full courses on the same subjects at home.

 

The co-op leader is also the teacher for both of these classes, by the way. And it seems I was right and that she is comfortable with our proposition. She knows from having him in the robotics group last year that he's one of the few kids who actually did the homework for that and came to class prepared. So, I assume she trusts us to make it work with minimal disruption to her plans.

[Ellie]

I don't know why you would think there's anything "rude" about asking the question. :confused:

 

It couldn't hurt to ask.

[Harriet Vane]

And that was exactly why I wondered about even asking if the approach we want to take would be okay. I didn't want to offend by making it sound like I don't think the teacher's work or plans are important.

 

I know, if it were me and I assumed that the students in my class were going to be serious about it and then they weren't, I'd be ticked. I've taught Sunday school for many years, on and off, and I know how frustrating it is to make even minimal assignments and then find out the following week that no one even attempted to do them.

 

My hunch in this case, though, based on our previous experience with this group, was that it might not be that big a deal, as long as the expectations were clear up front. And I thought I also said that I would make sure my son was prepared to participate in the class. It would be the "extra" assignments designed to beef up a mixed-age class to qualify for high school credit that we would likely skip, since he's already doing full courses on the same subjects at home.

 

The co-op leader is also the teacher for both of these classes, by the way. And it seems I was right and that she is comfortable with our proposition. She knows from having him in the robotics group last year that he's one of the few kids who actually did the homework for that and came to class prepared. So, I assume she trusts us to make it work with minimal disruption to her plans.

Well it sounds as though you have carefully considered, and the coop teacher certainly could have chosen to tell you if she had a problem with it but she said otherwise. I'm glad this will work for you.

[Julie of KY]

I think it would be perfectly appropriate to ask the co-op or the teachers directly about the homework expectations. Tell them your viewpoint and ask if they would expect homework to be done or if it is fine to skip. I think it depends very much on the teacher and goals of the class. If homework is expected, then I wouldn't sign up for it unless you also intend to do the homework.