Life after homeschooling-is there a job for this?

[Dmmetler]

Like "mom for teen applying for college who's parents aren't able/willing to provide emotional and executive functioning support?" Kind of like being a guidance counselor, but working with the student, not through a school? Maybe focusing on teens with disabilities, especially executive functioning issues or LD issues, in finding them the next step and a path forward and positioning them for success?

 

I'm doing this unofficially now, and am working with one senior who is trying to launch, and one now college freshman who is working on a vocational certificate at the CC. Both are good kids, and really just need someone to tell them that, yes, they can do it, and to help them find the next steps that aren't entirely obvious and remind/nag/support/attend meetings with so that they have a second pair of ears to pick up what they miss, etc, making sure they actually know what is available at the college and, when frustration starts to build, helping them take advantage of the services offered, etc.

 

And I'm really, really finding it rewarding. I can't imagine these are the only kids who need such support out there. Is there any job role (or even volunteer agency) that would let me do this?

 

 

[displace]

You can probably start a business as an unofficial homeschool guidance counselor. I'd be careful with titles but you could probably advertise with coops. You may have accommodation procedures for ACt/ SAT, etc.

[displace]

Or take on the life coach approach.

[wintermom]

Sounds awesome!  You could also mentor other parents so they could learn to help launch their own children. I could use some support in this area...

[marbel]

Educational consultant?

 

I would have liked to have found someone like this for my LD kid.  I'm willing and somewhat capable of doing this sort of stuff, but I'd have been happy to pay someone who is more knowledgeable and who is seen by the kid as a professional. Plus, I'm tired.  I've worked with, taught, provided scaffolding, reminded, nagged, researched etc for all these years.  Don't get me wrong, I don't want to not help my own kid!  But I am exhausted and ready to hand it off.   

[katilac]

Your best bet might be working for an organization that provides these services, like Upward Bound, First Generation, and so on. 

 

Most parents in this scenario are also going to be unwilling/unable to pay for services, ime. The parents who do pay for college guidance services are generally looking for help with selective admissions, and they want former admissions counselors from that type of school. 

 

If you are willing to volunteer, you might be able to do informally as you are now, just by staying a bit keyed in to the h/s community and maybe offering the occasional talk. I don't know how volunteering via one of the agencies would work. 

 

 

[Crimson Wife]

Educational Therapist.

 

There is also being a Transition Specialist for the PS but you'd have to have that credential. Out here in CA, it would require first having a SPED degree and then doing an added authorization in Transition Services.

 

UCONN has an online certificate in Transition that looks really interesting and I am considering doing to (A) learn how to help my SN child as she gets older and ( B ) be able to offer transition assessments as part of being a speech & language pathologist.

[Kim in Appalachia]

Become an AVID tutor.  AVID is a program in the public school system.  It is aimed at kids who would be 1st generation college students and/or lack parental support.  It's a mutil-faceted approach.   It is a class at the school but it also has an after school component that has tutors. 

 

You could look into it and see if it's something you would enjoy.  

[Rosika]

I helped the friend of my son with this. His "retired army, no college" father passed away the student's sophomore year; his mother was a very Type-A "vice president of a Forbes 500" type who didn't connect at all with her son and didn't understand his style of grieving (to withdraw, versus her style which was to throw herself into more work.) So I helped him alongside my own son - we did major testing, college tours, applications, career planning, CLEP, and more. 

 

My son was homeschooled. His friend attended a small, classical Christian school nearby. In the three years since, I've been approached by four other families at this school to walk them through the same process. And I don't even know what I'm doing, really, I just ask people IRL and re-read old threads in the High School forum here. It's too much time and pressure for me to do for anyone who I'm not emotionally attached to. But I use these opportunities to promote myself as a tutor. The school is very WTM-ish, so it's a great fit. I charge $50/hour which is on the low side of normal for this area. I can't believe people even pay that, but they don't even blink and they keep referring me out. 

 

For someone who is truly confident in these skills, I do believe there is a market for this work! Even more, if you tap into the private school market then you've got families who are willing - and more important, USED TO - paying for this type of service. They may be irritated to be paying you above their tuition costs, but that's a problem for the school .. not for you. I think you can totally do this, and a key component will be to find that niche market. And also, maybe, a type a networking specialist like my son's friend's mom who will open more doors than you can handle!