CLEP classes

[AmyontheFarm]

In our homeschool community, there is a pack of kids(36) all just starting to do CLEP exams or will be in the next two years.

 

I've been asked repeatedly if there was a CLEP study time that the teens could get together and study together for classes.  I've also been asked to teach these classes, but since I didn't have a kid in the game, I kept saying no.  Come this September, I will have a child who will be CLEPing some exams.

 

I was wondering if anyone on here has done this before.  These are the guidelines that my girlfriend and I have talked about so far.

 

1. We are in no way guaranteeing your kid will pass the exam.

2. Parents will mark all tests/quizzes.  Teachers will not be handing out a grade, but will be giving the parent an account of how many times their child wasn't prepared for class.

3. Teacher will direct families to different online learning resources. I would host an online group where the kids could ask questions during the week and the students could help each other, just to promote a "community of learners".

4. All students must have the same book(s) for class.  Teacher will decide which resources they will be using.

5. Students must be on time, door will be closed when classes start.  It will be considered rude to arrive late, be prepared to apologize to the whole class if you are late the first time, if there is a second occurrence of tardiness the door will not be opened.  You will be missing the class, same rule as the local college and university.

6. Any fee must be paid 1 week in advanced to give teacher time and funds to photocopy and prepare for the class.  Once fee is paid, it will not be re-reimbursed unless contract is broken.(teacher too sick to teach rest of classes or something like that)  Included in that fee will be the cost to rent the room/tables etc from the library.

 

Students will have to read the assignment over, complete definition sheets and any other paperwork before arriving to class.  Teacher will quickly look to see that work is complete, take up answers, answer any questions and give out next assignments.  The point of all this is more to keep students on task and give the students a chance to be accountable to someone else other than their "Mom".

 

We know we have to charge for this, the cost of the room is just a $10 fee at the library to "lock all our dates" in place.  The church might let us do it there for free, but I'd have to arrive 1 hour early to warm the place up and there is no bandwidth, at the library both of that is there already, so I'm leaning towards the library.

 

We are anticipating at the very least 10 kids per session, but most likely closer to a minimum of 16 kids.  So,  if we charged them $20 per student per class per session?  So, if my kid were to take both classes it would cost her $40.  Each class would be 1 hour with a 1/2 hour break between them.  So, my child and I be out of the house for a total of 3 hours per week for 15 weeks but I would only be teaching for 1 of those hours.

 

So, have you ever done this sort of thing before? 

 

We are thinking 15 classes per session - does that sound right?

 

Do I even want to do this???? 

 

[G5052]

I used to do local classes like this, but different subject and a younger crowd.

 

You've done a good job outlining the terms, but I'd break your fee into a deposit that can be refunded at or before the first class and require payment in full at or before the first class.  I found that if I didn't do a deposit, people might or might not actually be committed.  You need more than "maybe" to go forward with this.  I still had some that backed out before class started, but the deposit helped.  You can apply the deposit to the fee if you wish.

 

I never have done the kind of late policy you describe either at homeschool classes or at the community college where I teach.  I live in an area with horrible traffic, and it just isn't possible for me to demand that people be on time.  I put something at the beginning fun or interesting each time so that they're motivated to be there, and that usually works pretty well. If I'm teaching a homeschool class and the kid is consistently late, I call the parent to chat about what can be done to reduce the chance of that.  YMMV...

[workingmom]

Interested in hearing about those who've done this

[AmyontheFarm]

I encountered the late police at our local college and then others told me it's the same at the university.  If class starts at 6pm at 6:05 the door is shut, period.  You can get notes/assignments from your friends and you are docked marks for not being there.  My profs were pretty good at giving grace if the roads are terrible.  But, the expectation is that if you are old enough or have the mental ability to do college level work, then show up on time.

 

I think I'll talk with my friend about splitting the fee into a deposit to hold your place and the rest due at the beginning of 1st class.  I just didn't want to pay for a bunch of stuff and then be left holding the bag.  As a teacher, I tend to prep everything like photocopying before the 1st day of class and my girl friend would prep photocopying 5 minutes before she walked into class, just different personalities.

 

 

[SJ.]

I would also emphasize that not all schools will accept CLEP tests and grant college credit.  Some will accept them to fulfill electives and others don't accept them at all. 

[wapiti]

FWIW, I think there have been a number of CLEP discussions on the high school board.  I'd cross-post this over there.

[regentrude]

I have never encountered such a late policy. At our university, the worst thing that happens is that there is a quiz and if you're late, you miss it.

Since these are teenagers, they may not all be in charge of their own transportation; if you have parents driving; so you may be punishing a student for his parent's tardiness.

[AmyontheFarm]

I'm hearing the concern you ladies have.  There is a reason we think we need to install that rule.

 

What do I do with a known family that will routinely show up 40 minutes late because they "lost track of time" and then Mom will expect the teacher to make up that time during the 1/2 break and re-teach what they already taught.  Since,the teacher isn't busy.

 

When they arrive they don't settle in quietly, they ask to borrow things, talk to their neighbors, Mom breezes in 5 minutes after the kids and just has to tell me the saga of why they are late this week.

 

This has happened in the past to others and myself and I will not be bullied by the Mom into re-teaching what I have already taught.  Just because she was watching Jeopardy.  Yes, she actually said this!  Come on, DVR the show!  I know she has a DVR.

 

Now, just so you don't think that I'm without compassion.  When a child was sick, I offered to Skype the child into the lesson, or go over when the child is better to help the child catch up when I taught an elementary Medieval class.  I work hard to maintain a workable environment with the parents and students I teach.  My husband will say I bend over backwards to help anyone.

 

But when someone is constantly late, or chooses to not show up because they were tired, or starts talking about how expensive a class/co-op is weeks before it starts and asks for a discount but then takes their family out to dinner and brags about it the next week.  Well, it just doesn't set right.

 

We know of two families that will need financial help.  We will be quietly offering them help without telling the rest.  But, those Moms will offer to come help clean up each week, their kids will offer to carry my stuff to the car, etc.  They will end up blessing me more than the money I saved them.  But the first Mom, if I gave her a discount, it would never occur to her that it would even be nice!  If they would arrive with all their stuff, slid in quietly and not disturb the class, I could even be compassionate towards the kids and have a set of supplies for them all their desk.  But I know they would take the supplies home, and forget to bring them back and still disturb the class.

 

So, please give me your suggestions on how to handle that.  Short of just telling the Mom that due to personality issues, I won't allow her and her children into my classroom.  Which of course would start a war, I don't want to fight.

[regentrude]

So, please give me your suggestions on how to handle that.  Short of just telling the Mom that due to personality issues, I won't allow her and her children into my classroom.  Which of course would start a war, I don't want to fight.

 

You could:

1. Give a quiz over the previous lesson's material at the beginning of each class (allow five minutes grace period)

2. Have a policy that attendance and completing of in-class assignments is mandatory and that students with x missed assignments (such as the beginning-of-class-quiz) will be dropped from the course

3. Have a statement that disruptive behavior (such as, and here you list your pet peeves) will not be tolerated and will cause students to be dropped from the course.

 

Any mom who would come in an start talking while I am teaching would be told in no uncertain terms that she is disrupting class and should leave without saying another word.

[Annie G]

You could institute a policy that enables you to kick out a family after a certain amount of tardies. You would have discretion to excuse tardies that you feel were legit...but that way you could give the family a chance but not let them ruin the class if they choose not to be there on time.

 

But you also have to take control of the class. You have to stop the mom from even coming into the room and you have to make sure the kids who do come in late settle in quietly. Stopping the class to tell them that in a firm but clearly annoyed way will get that message across. If up until now you have let it slide, they have no reason to change. 

 

 

I would hate for you to lose good students because your tardy policy is too strict.