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How do you pick for outsourcing?


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Where I live, at least among the home schoolers I know, a lot of outsourced. Most people I know teach half or less subjects that are not outsourced. Even when they are not outsourced, they might have a video program or interactive computer thing like Teaching Textbooks. 

 

I know I have been getting in to that mindset as I find myself feeling like I have to do this or that. I could financially break myself. 

 

How do you decide what you will outsource?

 

Also, I think we want to stop outsourcing history and literature. I feel guilty about this as the person he goes to is wonderful and she has been working with my child for several years. We are also considering this science outsourced class. I actually enjoy doing science, but, my children are not enjoying me doing science with them. We thought if we put the money in to science instead, even if we only do it one year, it will serve as a spring board to them enjoying science.

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First, I look at if we have to outsource. If we don't, that solves that.

Second, I look at the subjects I want my kids to take or they want to take. If there are some that would be really tough for me to teach (like Spanish) or for them to learn on their own, then I look for a class, tutor, or resource.

Third, I look at what my kid and/or I struggle with. There are a lot of possibilities why we struggle with something, but if I have the money and there is something that will help our relationship AND their schooling by outsourcing, I'll look into it.

Fourth, if there is a local opportunity for a class, I weigh the pros and cons before deciding to do it. Sometimes we do & most times we don't.

 

The first year I outsourced, it was for Spanish & Latin. I learned that we could do okay with Latin in house, so we brought that back home. Spanish stays outsourced. Writing needs to be outsourced for eldest, but the first class & teacher we tried was not a good fit in so many ways. So, we brought that back home for the year, but are trying with a new teacher & new class this fall. It will probably continue to be outsourced - using whatever classes & resources we can. For many (personal, schooling, and family) reasons, we're outsourcing just about everything for eldest this coming year. We'll see how it goes.

 

There are pros and cons to any outsourcing. I much prefer to run my own ship, but sometimes the benefits outweigh the negatives. Sometimes, it doesn't work out well and we have to chalk the experience up to a lesson learned. 

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We outsouce foreign languages, speech & debate and math algebra 2 and above.  I may or may not outsource electives depending upon costs and my daughters interests.  My older daughter did 2 years of dual credit courses at our local community college.  In this area, the courses are free but I have to buy the texts.  My younger daughter is a year away from dual credit.  Japanese is through a local co-op.  We've also used Landry, the Potter's School and Virtual Homeschool group.  Landry's classes can be very reasonable if purchased as generic semesters in advance.  VHSG classes are free but hard to get into unless you volunteer to help or donate.  

 

ETA  VHSGs live classes are limited to a fixed number of students, but the "at your own pace" classes have open enrollment.

Edited by Eliz
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What I outsource depends on the child, the subject and the level I can teach.  I outsource Japanese because we are currently in Japan and a native speaker will teach it much more effectively than I ever could.  I also outsource anything computer related because I simply cannot teach it.  I outsource writing because I do not wish to comment on or grade  it and sometimes I outsource classes simply because my kids enjoy them (Lukeion or AOPS).

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So far, it's mostly based on opportunity, here. Dd is taking 2 sciences this year because our co-op (which usually rotates courses, so no guarantee of coming around again) is offering a rigorous lab skills class, and a food friend is offering Environmental Science since her Dd is doing it, and she's already the Envirothon coordinator. Both at very reasonable cost.

 

Oh, and a summer camp/college course opportunity came up, so actually 3 sciences.

 

I always like outsourcing arts, because I stink in that department.

 

Public Speaking for the group benefits.

 

Eventually, Japanese. I'm useless there!

 

We'll see what else develops.

 

*good friend, not food friend!

Edited by Carrie12345
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This person teaches science. I hear everyone loves her and loves her classes, so I feel like I need to send my children. But, I enjoy science. I have already read every science textbook I bring home and I have enough science books for 10+ years of grade school, and so on, LOL. I LOVE math, so I teach that at home and will never outsource that. Ok..after calculus I will outsource, but not until then. I feel okay doing Latin for some time, as so many of the programs are easy to implement at home. And get this..my old French teacher is still alive! And she was wonderful. For my child taking French, I am likely going to ask her to do some video lessons. History, I simply enjoy. I do not like doing writing. I taught them the mechanics, but I am not good with critiquing. 

 

I love some of these people who do outsourcing so I feel like I need to do the outsourcing. But then I feel like I am losing out on doing stuff. So, on one hand, I feel guilty for not continuing to outsource, but on the other hand, I feel bad for outsourcing. One makes me feel guilty, the other makes me feel bad. 

Edited by Janeway
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I outsource math to AoPS and science to a homeschool lab class because my kids enjoy them and we could afford it.

For 2016/17, we are using the Labpaq kits for bio and chem and doing at home because we didn't find any lab class worth signing up for. If something good comes up later and we can afford it, we'll send our kids.

 

My hubby enjoy science and math but not the teaching which is why he rejected a job offer to be a lecturer more than a decade ago.

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I would not outsource just to outsource.

 

I do what is best for my kids.

 

I love some of my best friends to pieces and they can be really good in their fields of expertise. That doesn't mean I'm going to have my kids take a class from them. I will decide based on the kid & the class.

There is a really great male teacher at the local school. We had him as a homeschool PE teacher before he got his teaching degree & went to work at the local public school. I know how awesome he is.

That doesn't mean I send my kids to attend the local school the year they'd be in his classroom.

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I have chosen to outsource Science.  It makes my life easier.  it doesn't cost a fortune because my co-op is affordable.  I did enjoy doing science with them when they were younger.  And I am doing a science study this summer with them.  But for my odd, she has access to a great science class with a person trained in science, who is great at organizing the class and supplies.  It saves me from having to plan all of that.  Our co-op usually has a science class for the middle school students along the same subject that the high schoolers are studying, so I keep the mdd in the rotation that way and accountable to the co-op schedule.  This is very very affordable for me.   I wouldn't outsource it if it was expensive, but it is my least favorite thing and the high school stuff would be a stretch for me. I would learn it and do it.  But I am glad I haven't had to.

 

Other than that, I don't outsource anything.  We do extra curriculars and participate in co-op. But I plan what they will take there so that it works around what we are doing at home. 

 

I am thinking of paying for a Spanish dual enrollment class during high school.  Mainly because we have focused on latin, and I want her to get in at least a year on a modern class.  Since she does well in latin I think the DE of Spanish would be one that she could handle that would give her something good for her transcripts, not because I couldn't lead her through a Spanish class.

 

So far I haven't had anything come up besides extra curricular group academics (robotics team, debate team, stuff like that) that I had to outsource. But I may consider whatever I need to if I feel we need to in the future.

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I outsource where I do not have sufficient expertise to teach or where my student has a particular interest.

 

I outsourced to a four year university:

 

French past the 2nd year because I am not capable of teaching a foreign language I am not fluent in past beginner level.

 

Calc based physics even though this is my area of expertise, because it is not ethical for me to have my own child as an enrolled student. She also took the 3rd semester of the sequence for majors.

 

Several English courses because my area of expertise is not English (scientist, and not native speaker). I can easily wing high school level, but my kids are interested in literature and enjoyed college courses by literature professors who are experts in their fields.

 

I did not actually outsource any high school level courses, but used Great Courses audio lecture series for history and literature. That is bringing great instructors with subject expertise into my home.

 

I do not understand feeling guilty for outsourcing. The goal should be to give the student the best possible education; if another person can provide this better in a certain subject and the class is feasible (time, finances, commute), go for it. I don't homeschool to make myself feel good, but to educate my child.

Edited by regentrude
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I outsourced if

 

The other source would provide a better education in the subject than I. (Ex while I had college chem and calculus, it was long ago and the subjects aren't my specialty. It takes me a long time to see where my kid is erring. On the other hand my writing and lit discussion ability is excellent and I do t mi d creating a history course. )

 

If the mode of instruction suited my kid. We used live classes online, asynchronous online classes, coop, and community college. I weigh the pros and cons of class styles. Ex live classes can be hard to keep up with. On the other hand asynchronous classes are easy to blow of and get behind in. College classes require transportation. (Ds had a 90 min bus ride each way for his summer course in Chinese.) Coops may have uneven instruction or expectations.

 

If the timing worked. We are 6 hours behind the east coast. We have done 0530 classes with some outstanding instructors but I won't do that as a routine.

 

To have outside letters of recommendation. In particular I made a point of this for junior year in math, because I knew it would be required for a couple of the colleges and scholarships ds applied to.

 

Things that are not factors for us.

 

Socialization. My kids are active in many activities and don't need a coop just to be around other people.

 

Familiarity with online class formats. I don't think these are so hard to master and they have great variety anyway.

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