Spinoff of my other post about Great teacher, not so great co-op kids

[...................]

So, 

we found an ASL online class (Thanks Hive!)

 

Now, we are working on decided about Biology...there are lots of online options so we are looking at Apologia with Mrs Fowler since my son loved her, and Blue  OPEN Tent (since it would have the same breaks/holidays as ASL)

 

Now, I am worried about whether my dd should go and figure out how to deal with the Biology, am I sheltering her too much from having to deal with annoying unmotivated people? She so far has had to get through an entire year, twice, of situations like this and both times she did finish to the end...so I don't feel I'm teaching her to run away...but I just have this nagging feeling that I also don't want to spoil my kids into thinking every situation shoudl have 100% rosy people just like her.

 

My son who is in community college now, votes that she should take the online class.  His opinion is all college kids, even the less motivated ones, actually want to be there.  He sees absolutely zero point in her dealing with it.  My husband also agrees.

 

My dd's only decision is whether she wants to do the labs at home or deal with the people and do them at the co-op.  :)

Edited March 9, 2018 by Calming Tea

[OneStepAtATime]

:grouphug: I'm sorry you are so worried about this decision.

 

 

Break down as I understand it:

 

Pros of an on-line biology class:

1.  Your daughter has been very frustrated with the poor fit at co-op and has not been able to flourish as she might have.

2.  Your daughter would potentially only be surviving the co-op biology class this next year, not thriving and excelling, whereas she might really thrive with the on-line version.

2.  There are many great on-line options out there and you have already found one that pairs well schedule wise with another on-line class she will be taking.

3.  Your daughter has specifically expressed she would like an on-line biology class, right?  It is just the labs that are the issue?

4.  Your son, husband and the bulk of (if not ALL of the HIVE respondents) all think it is a good idea.  :)

 

Cons

1.  You don't seem hip on doing the labs at home and an on-line class means doing at least some of the labs at home.

2.  You are afraid that you are sheltering her too much by allowing her to remove herself from a co-op situation she has endured for 2 years, a situation that has limited her ability to thrive and caused quite a bit of frustration.  She would still see her friends and do other things with this co-op so it isn't isolation that is the issue.  It is strictly that you are worried that she needs more practice dealing with a subpar academic setting?

 

If I have some details wrong, I do apologize.  I also understand worrying that you might be sheltering her too much.  Absolutely.  That is a valid concern.

 

But you are homeschooling her.  Think about it.  Presumably one of the reasons for homeschooling is to make choices that better fit your particular child instead of being stuck doing only what those in a classroom are doing whether it is a good fit or not.  You say she finished to the end two years running in classes that ended up being a poor fit.  O.k.  So now she knows she can endure to the end of something that isn't working well.  The thing is, she doesn't HAVE to.  And what is she missing by NOT being allowed to try a different path, a path that might allow her to thrive instead of endure?  KWIM?

 

I'm not trying to be unsupportive.  These are valid questions you ask.  I'm just sharing what my reaction and conclusions have been based on your posts.  I hope you can make a decision that you are both happy with.

 

Good luck and best wishes.

Edited March 8, 2018 by OneStepAtATime

[...................]

:grouphug: I'm sorry you are so worried about this decision.

 

 

Break down as I understand it:

 

Pros of an on-line biology class:

1.  Your daughter has been very frustrated with the poor fit at co-op and has not been able to flourish as she might have.

2.  Your daughter would potentially only be surviving the co-op biology class this next year, not thriving and excelling, whereas she might really thrive with the on-line version.

2.  There are many great on-line options out there and you have already found one that pairs well schedule wise with another on-line class she will be taking.

3.  Your daughter has specifically expressed she would like an on-line biology class, right?  It is just the labs that are the issue?

4.  Your son, husband and the bulk of (if not ALL of the HIVE respondents) all think it is a good idea.  :)

 

Cons

1.  You don't seem hip on doing the labs at home and an on-line class means doing at least some of the labs at home.

2.  You are afraid that you are sheltering her too much by allowing her to remove herself from a co-op situation she has endured for 2 years, a situation that has limited her ability to thrive and caused quite a bit of frustration.  She would still see her friends and do other things with this co-op so it isn't isolation that is the issue.  It is strictly that you are worried that she needs more practice dealing with a subpar academic setting?

 

If I have some details wrong, I do apologize.  I also understand worrying that you might be sheltering her too much.  Absolutely.  That is a valid concern.

 

But you are homeschooling her.  Think about it.  Presumably one of the reasons for homeschooling is to make choices that better fit your particular child instead of being stuck doing only what those in a classroom are doing whether it is a good fit or not.  You say she finished to the end two years running in classes that ended up being a poor fit.  O.k.  So now she knows she can endure to the end of something that isn't working well.  The thing is, she doesn't HAVE to.  And what is she missing by NOT being allowed to try a different path, a path that might allow her to thrive instead of endure?  KWIM?

 

I'm not trying to be unsupportive.  These are valid questions you ask.  I'm just sharing what my reaction and conclusions have been based on your posts.  I hope you can make a decision that you are both happy with.

 

Good luck and best wishes.

OneStep, you have a way with words...

 

:) This made me chuckle a little because when put so clearly, I realize it's rather strange because, yes, we are totally homeschooling our kids partly because of the swing from totally non-motivated environments to over the top Tiger Mom/School/Parent environments and we find both are toxic and completely frustrating to a healthy, enthusiastic learner.

 

Thanks for these clarifying thoughts.  I think I will let dd make the final decision but encourage her to do online.   

 

And, yes, she will still see her friends and experience her Worldview course, which, since it includes reading Dante, Shakespeare and Homer, those kids don' bother signing up for :) 

[OneStepAtATime]

:thumbup1:

[...................]

OK yeah we received the syllabus from the Director, and it looks great!  Lots of accountability, a research project, a little fun mixed in...and some experiments are done at home, some watching the teacher.  So hopefully the ones done at home are the less expensive and difficult ones. 

 

I am really excited about this class! I've also seen the Holt Biology book and it's very well done.  Not so wordy.  :) 

[historymatters]

Perhaps there's a Lab Intensive near you. My son is going to take that route because labs don't get done properly at home.

 

Two sources:

 

College Prep Science

 

And the other I posted on the forum recently.

[OneStepAtATime]

OK yeah we received the syllabus from the Director, and it looks great!  Lots of accountability, a research project, a little fun mixed in...and some experiments are done at home, some watching the teacher.  So hopefully the ones done at home are the less expensive and difficult ones. 

 

I am really excited about this class! I've also seen the Holt Biology book and it's very well done.  Not so wordy.  :)

Which one?  Blue Tent?  The Co-op?  Something else?  Sorry if I'm being dense.  I'm just really curious.  LOL

[Arcadia]

My younger boy used Labpaq biology kit for biology labs at home. It wasn’t hard except we did the labs out of sequence due to weather constraints. Dissection’s formaldehyde smell was the one that made him puke. However the lab kit was do at home friendly, anything not in the kit was easy to buy from the dollar store. What I meant to say is biology labs at home isn’t too hard to get done.

 

Since I found this equine science link http://www.shsu.edu/academics/agricultural-sciences-and-engineering-technology/equine-curriculum/index.html

Edited March 8, 2018 by Arcadia

[...................]

Which one? Blue Tent? The Co-op? Something else? Sorry if I'm being dense. I'm just really curious. LOL

Open Tent :)

[daijobu]

 

Now, I am worried about whether my dd should go and figure out how to deal with the Biology, am I sheltering her too much from having to deal with annoying unmotivated people? She so far has had to get through an entire year, twice, of situations like this and both times she did finish to the end...so I don't feel I'm teaching her to run away...but I just have this nagging feeling that I also don't want to spoil my kids into thinking every situation shoudl have 100% rosy people just like her.

 

My son who is in community college now, votes that she should take the online class.  His opinion is all college kids, even the less motivated ones, actually want to be there.  He sees absolutely zero point in her dealing with it.  My husband also agrees.

 

 

 

How would you like it if I were deciding whether you had to spend the next year with annoying people?  If you were deciding between 2 jobs, would you pick the one with the annoying coworkers?  Or would that be "running away?"  

 

Life is too short.  

 

I agree with your son.  The students at CC want to be there, or else they would not have made the effort to register and pay tuition and show up for class.