First Outsourced Class

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Was the transition difficult for you? (DD will probably be fine, it's me I'm worried about.. ;) ) Feel free to share links to threads I've overlooked. I've seen lots of threads about where to take classes, but none about navigating through the emotions...

 

[quark]

We started when he was 7 so yes, I was rather nervous. I don't think I would be as nervous with an older child. Main things that got to me were navigating day to day executive function and computer issues e.g. his difficulty using mouse pad, bugs in software used for online class, and minor things like encouraging him to speak louder (microphone bug) etc.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

I'm so accustomed to trying to stay ahead (or at least not too far behind ;) ) in every subject that it seems so strange to just suddenly not try to keep up at all - to turn that responsibility over to someone else. Do you try to keep up with his classes? Or do you just pursue your own interests now? (I'm thinking if this works out, we'll outsource more next semester...)

[quark]

I'm so accustomed to trying to stay ahead (or at least not too far behind ;) ) in every subject that it seems so strange to just suddenly not try to keep up at all - to turn that responsibility over to someone else. Do you try to keep up with his classes? Or do you just pursue your own interests now? (I'm thinking if this works out, we'll outsource more next semester...)

 

I couldn't keep up with everything even if I tried. I did try with math and science but the instructor's pace was too fast for me (especially for the private one-to-one classes) so I was often left in the dust. I did keep up with the lit classes. I will soon be taking my own classes now that kiddo is able to manage his various class schedules and studies independently. :) Can't wait! :001_wub:

 

Yes, once I noticed how well outsourcing suited him we just kept going with it. He responds very well to outside assignments and deadlines, especially since I'm too much of a pushover to be rigid with most deadlines myself. And also because he really needs a lot of time in certain areas vs working much more quickly in others. We did a mix of regular outsourced classes as well as self-paced classes so we were able to match his pace as needed. He is actually pretty obedient and would have listened to me if I had been tough about imposing deadlines...unfortunately I am not an expert in subject matter where it matters most to him so outsourcing filled an increasingly burning need to go deeper and wider. It also introduced him to some very high quality mentors so when it came to requesting LoRs for some special classes that we needed, I didn't have to worry too much about whom to ask.

 

[RootAnn]

This is dd#1's first year with outsourced classes. She has two - both languages. However, she had a "DVD teacher" for math last year, so that helped me with the transition a bit. It is her personality to still ask me lots of questions, tell me about class, and to want me to sit with her for part of either her class, work, or tests/quizzes. Since her outsourced classes are languages, I am still involved with some aspect of the memorization of grammar or vocab. She brings her flashcards or book and I'm the person who helps her. I still feel pretty involved and I'm still somewhat able to keep up -- as long as I have the book in front of me!

 

I have learned which type of class(es) and interaction she likes better. Based on what she is getting out of the class and my level of interaction, I think I'm going to do Latin at home again next year. I just didn't think I could keep up -- and I can't. But, I think she'll get just as much out of the DVD as she is out of the class (which isn't much right now). I'll just have to add more formal time for flashcards, chants, & grammar recitation than what I'm doing (on the fly) this year.

 

It is really great to figure out some of these things now, before they 'count.'

[Woodland Mist Academy]

RootAnn,

 

Will you will continue to use the same online program for Spanish next year?

[RootAnn]

Most likely, yes. She really likes the interaction she is able to have with the other kids in the class. They have each other's email addresses and there are frequent questions and some sharing of Quizlet sets & such. With La Clase DIvertida, it really makes sense to be in it for the full three years if you start at the beginning because he only uses one text. You pay the first year for the text & the "supersite code." This is $$$, but much more reasonable spread over three years. If she didn't like it, we'd figure something else out and eat the cost. The class is reasonable for the amount of 'face time' you get and it isn't light on the homework. (Although he started out the Spanish I kids a little easy. He's definitely ramped up the pace within the last 30 days.)

 

Our biggest hurdles together have been me figuring out when to not nag or ask about homework or studying. I have/had to decide how much to let her sink/swim on her own. The pace of the classes are faster than what she'd let me push her and she's having to learn to plan out her study time (flashcards, long-term assignments, short term assignments, studying for tests) a lot more. While one of the reasons I homeschool is so we can go at the pace we need to, I do want her to start getting used to meeting deadlines. I wouldn't want to outsource everything, but if I had unlimited $$, I'd outsource writing next year, too. She likes the other kid interactions (common strife) and she's willing to do more for an outside teacher than she is for me.

 

We're almost done with my cobbled together one semester Study Skills class and she can see its usefulness a lot more with these outsourced class than with most of the other things I have her do.

 

Back to your original question, I suspect I'll have more of an emotional reaction when she does dual enrollment classes as I won't be able to have access to the class recordings or be able to sit with her to occasionally check how things are going. I am constantly amazed at how my confident, assertive, hardly-ever-shuts-up daughter (at home) becomes a quiet, cautious, unsure-of-herself mouse in class.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Your post hit close to home! I imagine I'll have the same concerns - how much to nag etc.  I hope scheduling a class this semester works out so we can have a trial run before ninth!

 

 

[regentrude]

No, it was not too difficult. DD started  her first college class for credit at age 14 (she had previously taken two college courses, but not for credit, and I was the instructor). She made it very clear from the outset that she was going to be in charge of everything and that I was to refrain from checking and micromanaging.

It worked out very well. I managed to stay out of it and let her do her stuff ;-)

[quark]

Back to your original question, I suspect I'll have more of an emotional reaction when she does dual enrollment classes as I won't be able to have access to the class recordings or be able to sit with her to occasionally check how things are going. I am constantly amazed at how my confident, assertive, hardly-ever-shuts-up daughter (at home) becomes a quiet, cautious, unsure-of-herself mouse in class.

 

Now the bolded definitely made me nervous this year. Not knowing how he was doing in an IRL class in a venue he was totally new to, not being able to access records etc (because they only deal with students and even counselors won't talk to parents unless it's a special case), freaking out when he wasn't waiting at the usual place to meet me after a class one time and was late for about 20 minutes (he had followed the instructor to his office after class to hash out some equations and proofs and had forgotten to text me about it).

 

In general though, he had so much independence navigating outside classes and external requirements prior to CC that the learning curve when he started CC wasn't very steep and it was just those few things that *I* was freaking out about. Definitely glad about cheap cellphone plans. :)

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Now the bolded definitely made me nervous this year. Not knowing how he was doing in an IRL class in a venue he was totally new to, not being able to access records etc (because they only deal with students and even counselors won't talk to parents unless it's a special case), freaking out when he wasn't waiting at the usual place to meet me after a class one time and was late for about 20 minutes (he had followed the instructor to his office after class to hash out some equations and proofs and had forgotten to text me about it).

 

In general though, he had so much independence navigating outside classes and external requirements prior to CC that the learning curve when he started CC wasn't very steep and it was just those few things that *I* was freaking out about. Definitely glad about cheap cellphone plans. :)

 

We've had a few of those "I forgot to text" moments when she was with mentors and going between the field and lab, etc. Not fun! ;) 

 

[Dmmetler]

DD's first outsourced class was at age 7. For the most part, she took it and ran with it. it was an NME prep course, so the consequences for not preparing weren't exactly dire. It ended up being good prep-she got invited to audit a DL college course the following semester. This semester, she had two online middle/early high school classes, an online college class, and participated in a college lab and worked through Campbell's bio with a mentor.

 

For the most part, I'm fairly hands off except that I do make sure work is done before the class-which means that I do check and if things aren't done, prompt. I also do require that she ask questions of me or DH before she e-mails her mentor or the college professor that is letting her audit, simply because they're both busy people giving her something that goes far beyond their job description. For her online classes with kids closer to her age, there are message boards to post/discuss.

 

It's been an interesting transition, and I admit one reason why I'm not outsourcing math is that I want to actually get to teach something. In some ways, it doesn't feel much like homeschooling, but I know of no other way to provide content ranging from a 4th grade handwriting book to college, all at the same time.

[Dmmetler]

Now the bolded definitely made me nervous this year. Not knowing how he was doing in an IRL class in a venue he was totally new to, not being able to access records etc (because they only deal with students and even counselors won't talk to parents unless it's a special case), freaking out when he wasn't waiting at the usual place to meet me after a class one time and was late for about 20 minutes (he had followed the instructor to his office after class to hash out some equations and proofs and had forgotten to text me about it).

 

In general though, he had so much independence navigating outside classes and external requirements prior to CC that the learning curve when he started CC wasn't very steep and it was just those few things that *I* was freaking out about. Definitely glad about cheap cellphone plans. :)

We haven't hit that yet because I'm still required to be physically with her because of her age. I expect that will change when she starts actually doing college classes for credit.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

I wonder if it's different for someone who has done all subjects at home until the high school transition? Dd has done plenty with mentors and extra-curriculars, but not for official studies. This will be a huge change - the beginning of the end of an era. And, of course, a (hopefully) bright beginning of a new one. I imagine it would be different if we were never fully homeschooling at home or only did so for a year or two...

[Woodland Mist Academy]

We haven't hit that yet because I'm still required to be physically with her because of her age. I expect that will change when she starts actually doing college classes for credit.

 

It was an exciting transition! Although admittedly not one without some anxious moments...for me!  ;)

 

(She's not done classes yet, but has made the transition of doing field work and traveling without me.)

[Penguin]

We have two outsourced classes this year: Latin and Programming. One is live and one is asynchronous.

 

The only thing I can think to add is that I have at times had to make "my" classes bend to let the hard deadlines of the outsourced classes take priority. From what I have read on the forums, this is a common situation. But, yes, this has been a transition for ME.

[Sunshine State Sue]

Do you try to keep up with his classes? Or do you just pursue your own interests now?

A little bit of both. 

 

Ds took a history class through History at our House in 8th and 9th grade.  The teacher was fabulous.  I wanted to continue my own history education (I learned more from the first year of SoTW than in my entire K-12).  So, I listened to every lecture, read all the class notes, but didn't really do any of the quizzes or tests or papers.  To be honest, part of my involvement was to make sure that my bright, but unmotivated student kept up.

 

Ds took Java through The Potter's School in 9th grade.  I work as a programmer (my skills are very out-of-date) and I was able to get my employer to fund my taking the class as well.

 

Other outsourced classes, I only cracked the whip to make sure the work got done.

 

When ds started at CC in 10th grade, I started pursuing more of my own interests since I had a bit more time.

 

Good luck!

 

[G5052]

It was a process for us.

 

We've used assignment sheets for a long time because I work and we had heavy eldercare and medical issues going on for many years.  I wanted them to be able to keep up with their schoolwork if I had to spend a lot of time on the phone on a particular day, or if there was a medical procedure where friends had to take care of them or if they had to stay in the waiting room.

 

When we began outsourcing, I turned the responsibility for the assignment sheet gradually over to them.  This happened in middle school.

 

Now in high school they do their own assignment sheets, and I ask them near the beginning of the week about any major deadlines or such because of family logistics, and then spot check here and there.  They each have three outsourced classes and three with me, and they pretty manage their own schooling.  I am not one who wants to outsource everything.  I like still being involved, but I pick materials that can be handled without me, and that work for a weekly meeting where I go over their work.  I teach them math, science, and writing, and outsource the rest.

 

Emotionally I guess that I never struggled.  Outsourcing was very much driven by an understanding of my limitations.  My time for mom-taught material has dropped more and more every year, and it was either outsource or send them to the classroom if we were going to meet my academic goals.  And I'll add that we were very, very careful about outsourcing in high school.  We had some bad experiences with middle school classes (poor academics and behavior).