Classical Conversations AND Local Co-Op?

[ekorda]

Hi....I will be in my first year of homeschooling (just my daughter this year).  If she was going back to school, she would be entering the 4th grade.  She has both Dyslexia (recently dxed) and Inattentive ADD.  My focus this year is going to be on remediation of her dyslexia with Barton and keeping up with math - both facts and using Teaching Textbooks.  I am going to do a bit of history and perhaps some science.  I have joined a local co-op where there are 3 blocks of classes that are taught by the moms.  We should still be able to get a bit of Barton and Math in prior to co-op as it does not start until late morning.  I am also very much interested in getting her involved in CC...but I am afraid it might be putting too much on her plate.  The tutor told me that at this point, Essentials would be optional for her so she could just stay for the morning and do Foundations - I believe this year is Cycle 3.  So, this would mean 3 days of teaching at home and 2 days of co-ops.  Since I am not super focused on the history and science component this year, does anyone see this as being an option?  Or do you think that I should stick with just one?   Has anyone here been happy with doing TWO co-ops per week? 

 

Thank you!

[HomeAgain]

I would just stick with one.  It's your first year, you don't want to overload your plate, and co-op isn't just about "one day a week".  It seeps over into the other 4 days.  Preparing, doing an assignment at home, etc.  Add CC on top of that and you have even less of your week to call your own.  You end up giving up other important things - field trips, down days, art, music, science...because you now have two days of other teachers and the need to prepare for their classes.

 

What is most important to you this year?  Keep your eye on that.  Arrange low key play dates if necessary, but, as a former co-op director, I'd gently steer you away from joining both until you are getting your feet wet in your own home and are comfortable teaching and getting a groove going.

[craftyerin]

I'm on the leadership team for an enrichment mom-taught co-op. We also have 3 classes, one morning a week. Starting this semester, we have had a put in place a rule that people cannot join our co-op if they are also in another full morning thing (like CC) or in a university model school (HUGELY popular here as a part-time homeschool option). We have just had too many moms drop out because of overwhelm, or not drop out but also not be able to really fulfill their responsibilities to our co-op. They're coming late, they're not well prepared for their classes, they have too many absences, etc.  I have come to really believe that more that more than one weekday morning commitment is too many for homeschooling families. 

Edited August 5, 2016 by craftyerin

[ekorda]

Thank you both.  This is exactly what I thought the answer would be from those who are currently homeschooling.  Thank you for the reality check. :)

[school17777]

I did this one year for my youngest dd's 1st grade year. It worked okay for us because I made it clear when I signed up for CC that I was there for social reasons only and not for the academic part. If you really want your dd to learn the sentences, it takes time to memorize the sentences each week and going on the rabbit tails the sentences might lead you to (and that is the purpose of CC - to memorize the sentences). I would NOT recommend doing both unless your academics are based on CC. I would choose the 3 block co-op instead.

[Sahamamama]

I would only do one co-op, if any, and certainly never CC. But we have never done a co-op of any kind, and that's been just fine! :)

 

We have been happy with doing our work at home. For us, one of the best things about homeschooling is having those productive, diligent, focused, but still relaxed days at home. There is just something so good and wonderful about it. I find it liberating to know that we are not going out, no one is coming here, we have no outside obligations -- instead, we have the whole day for learning and accomplishing our school work. I don't feel like we have to be always watching the clock, or as though my attention is divided, or that I am saving energy to get through the later outside commitment. We can pour ourselves into our work at home. We do get out one late afternoon (for children's choir), one evening (church midweek), and every Sunday (church as a family), but we structure our school weeks to take place right here.

 

I suppose you have to determine for yourself how much "running around" you can tolerate, but for me, that would be too much time out of the house during the day time. If the goals we want to achieve are done best at home, then we've found it's best to be home. HTH.