Bluegoat Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 I've recently had a sort of experience ,or revelation, or something like that, that maybe homeschooling isn't just a parent thing for me, or a personal stop gap for inadequate schools - and that maybe teaching in a certain kind of environment that has been lost is actually more like a vocation. This is not something I had really ever thought of for myself or wanted to do, so it's a bit new. There have been a few things over the years that have been leading in this direction. There was some talk of a little classical school at our church a number of years ago, which has stuck in my mind. But it's also come together with becoming much more involved in childcare, including teaching some kids other than my own along with my kids, and also becoming the Sunday School coordinator in my church. And also seeing what's happening with the students entering the university and my dd13's experiences in public school. I'm not sure what I'm really envisioning, except that the most immediate thing is that after Christmas, when I won't be teaching the other kids any more, we are going to continue to do some work together in something like a co-op. Though more limited and informal. IN the middle term, I will likely lose my main paying child in the next school year or possibly the one after that, depending on whether or not he goes to pre-K, and my youngest will be eligible to begin school in three years from now (though it would likely not be ps but home school.) I am thinking of just seeing where things go, but one thing I am wondering about are my actual qualifications to run something like a school or even a cottage school - a few students in a home or other small setting, maybe with some other teachers coming in. Private schools here have no requirements WRT qualifications of their teachers, but most, maybe all, do in fact require teaching degrees. I am not a big fan of the degree program here, but I find myself wondering if I need to get something, or even better what could be really worthwhile. The real problem with a teaching degree here is that it is a two -year university course at $10,000 a year, money which I really don't have, and I don't even have all the prerequisites - my classics degree is not what they want. I'd likely have to do another year of school before even applying to the degree program. And - it's a stupid program by pretty much all accounts. I am a bit at loss as to what my other options might be out there, but I am sure if anyone has any ideas, the Hive might! What would people like to see if they were considering something like this for a child? What kind of educational opportunities are out there? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 In some states you can get a teaching degree by taking some teaching training on top of your BA in any field. Usually six months to a year. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted October 30, 2018 Author Share Posted October 30, 2018 22 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said: In some states you can get a teaching degree by taking some teaching training on top of your BA in any field. Usually six months to a year. Unfortunately that is not an option here. In fact, people who get a one year degree in another province generally have to do extra course work here within a few years, and they won't get paid the normal amount until it is done. Even if they have board accreditation in the other province. Though - I guess that would not apply to private teaching, so some other sort of degree might work, even an American one. Hmm. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmseB Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 I'm slightly confused by what you mean in terms of "Private schools here have no requirements WRT qualifications of their teachers, but most, maybe all, do in fact require teaching degrees." Isn't a teaching degree a qualification? Or are you talking about qualifications on top of a teaching degree? I think I'm reading it wrong because everyone else in the thread understands what you mean. I have looked into starting a cottage school through an established model, and let me tell you, it is going to be an educational utopia when it happens. But since we're military I have to wait until we settle and hope that we settle somewhere that there is a market for what I want to do, and a partner to help me start it up, and all my kids are in a good spot for me to take on the massive amounts of work that are required to start a school and teach classes. What I've always hoped is that I would be able to start teaching some Latin and classical studies classes (Greek myths, Roman history, etc.) to elementary school kids as an informal co-op (which I have done before but then we had to move), and then it grows organically into a school (or maybe just a tutorial or cottage school) over a few years, maybe even a decade. I have decided for any kind of school to be successful I need a core group of dedicated families and either a partner or partners to work with me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonflower Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 a teaching degree just in terms of the value of the education itself is probably not going to be hugely pertinent - a significant part of it is classroom management and what I'd call administrative requirements - none of which you probably need training in. Another huge part is content knowledge and another part is learning all the different styles of teaching - some of that might be useful. But not $10k/yr for 2 years useful. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 There are a few teacher programs here in the US that specifically focus on training teachers to teach classical Christian ed. I can’t remember all of them, but one is at Concordia University Chicago, which is in the suburb of River Forest. They might have a distance ed program—it would be worth a look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wathe Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 (edited) I think we are i the same province. I know a bit about Lakehead's Bachelor of Ed program: for Bachelor of Ed (consecutive) primary/junior level any degree is acceptable for as a prereq . Classics would be fine. Preference given for honours degrees. Grades 70% and above given preference. This is not a particularly selective program. Tuition just under 7k per year for 2 years. With this you would qualify for OCT membership. I also know teachers at private schools who don't have teaching degrees. Private schools are interested in good teachers and tend to be flexible with respect to qualifications. My local(ish) independent school's website re teacher qualifications: "At ******* we focus on getting the very best teachers guiding our classrooms, and while teacher certification is one criteria we consider, it is not the most important one. We seek great teachers, not great certificates". If your goal is to be employable in the public system, then you need the B Ed and OCT membership. If your goal is to be employable in the private/independent education sector, then the B Ed helps with employability but is not necessary. If your goal is to run your own cottage school? I wouldn't even consider an education degree. The parents attracted to that model will care that you are a good teacher, not about your credentials. Edited October 30, 2018 by wathe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto6inIN Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 6 hours ago, EmseB said: I'm slightly confused by what you mean in terms of "Private schools here have no requirements WRT qualifications of their teachers, but most, maybe all, do in fact require teaching degrees." Isn't a teaching degree a qualification? Or are you talking about qualifications on top of a teaching degree? I think I'm reading it wrong because everyone else in the thread understands what you mean. Not the OP, but in our state the law does not require teachers at private schools to be certified, however many private schools themselves require their teachers to be certified. OP, we have a small private school associated with our church and I was always skeptical of them because they didn't have certified teachers. This was way back before we ever even looked into homeschooling. Now, my perspective on this has changed so radically! Like 180 degrees. Since we started homeschooling my kids have attended the school for things like PE and field trips (they are much more accommodating than the public school) and I've seen first hand what a great education those kids are getting and if for any reason I couldn't continue to homeschool my kids would go there in a second. I've considered teaching there after my kids are done, too. I've enjoyed homeschooling so much, and (without tooting my own horn) I think I'm pretty good at it, and I'd love to be able to continue that. Although by the time this baby I'm currently carrying graduates I'll be 63 ... so who know what will happen between now and then LOL Any way, good luck to you! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted October 30, 2018 Author Share Posted October 30, 2018 (edited) 8 hours ago, EmseB said: I'm slightly confused by what you mean in terms of "Private schools here have no requirements WRT qualifications of their teachers, but most, maybe all, do in fact require teaching degrees." Isn't a teaching degree a qualification? Or are you talking about qualifications on top of a teaching degree? I think I'm reading it wrong because everyone else in the thread understands what you mean. I have looked into starting a cottage school through an established model, and let me tell you, it is going to be an educational utopia when it happens. But since we're military I have to wait until we settle and hope that we settle somewhere that there is a market for what I want to do, and a partner to help me start it up, and all my kids are in a good spot for me to take on the massive amounts of work that are required to start a school and teach classes. What I've always hoped is that I would be able to start teaching some Latin and classical studies classes (Greek myths, Roman history, etc.) to elementary school kids as an informal co-op (which I have done before but then we had to move), and then it grows organically into a school (or maybe just a tutorial or cottage school) over a few years, maybe even a decade. I have decided for any kind of school to be successful I need a core group of dedicated families and either a partner or partners to work with me. Sorry to be unclear - I mean there are no legal requirements, but in fact the private schools all actually want to hire only people with degrees. I a thinking similarly about a core group and about growing from something smaller. What I keep getting stopped up with is that a lot of the kids that I think would be my core demographic aren't in a position to be homeschooled, even part time, and their parents don't have any money either. I'm willing to have very little income, but there will be costs involved. Edited October 30, 2018 by Bluegoat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wathe Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 (edited) There are a few very small independent schools in my area that run in church basements. Mostly Montessori. All but one is are preschool, kindy and casa only. The other goes to grade 8, I think. All are expensive with tuition at about 9k per year. I think it would be difficult to run a school like this for less; even if you don't pay yourself much, costs for insurance, rent, businessy stuff (accounting/bookkeeping, lawyer, website,marketing and probably more I'm not thinking of) and teacher's salaries = not cheap. I would think that if you are thinking of running a small independent school a B Ed or M ED will serve a marketing purpose, but not really be of much practical value. Business knowledge might be more important Edited October 30, 2018 by wathe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted October 31, 2018 Author Share Posted October 31, 2018 Yes, I agree with all who said the practical value of most education qualifications isn't going to be that great. I guess what I've been unsure of is to what degree parents might really want such a thing. But I will look into some different kinds of online options. And at options for classical ed. I am really much ore of a CM person and that is the model of education I am interested in, but the possibilities I've looked at with that seem extremely expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scholastica Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 (edited) 23 hours ago, Bluegoat said: I've recently had a sort of experience ,or revelation, or something like that, that maybe homeschooling isn't just a parent thing for me, or a personal stop gap for inadequate schools - and that maybe teaching in a certain kind of environment that has been lost is actually more like a vocation. This is not something I had really ever thought of for myself or wanted to do, so it's a bit new. There have been a few things over the years that have been leading in this direction. There was some talk of a little classical school at our church a number of years ago, which has stuck in my mind. But it's also come together with becoming much more involved in childcare, including teaching some kids other than my own along with my kids, and also becoming the Sunday School coordinator in my church. And also seeing what's happening with the students entering the university and my dd13's experiences in public school. I'm not sure what I'm really envisioning, except that the most immediate thing is that after Christmas, when I won't be teaching the other kids any more, we are going to continue to do some work together in something like a co-op. Though more limited and informal. IN the middle term, I will likely lose my main paying child in the next school year or possibly the one after that, depending on whether or not he goes to pre-K, and my youngest will be eligible to begin school in three years from now (though it would likely not be ps but home school.) I am thinking of just seeing where things go, but one thing I am wondering about are my actual qualifications to run something like a school or even a cottage school - a few students in a home or other small setting, maybe with some other teachers coming in. Private schools here have no requirements WRT qualifications of their teachers, but most, maybe all, do in fact require teaching degrees. I am not a big fan of the degree program here, but I find myself wondering if I need to get something, or even better what could be really worthwhile. The real problem with a teaching degree here is that it is a two -year university course at $10,000 a year, money which I really don't have, and I don't even have all the prerequisites - my classics degree is not what they want. I'd likely have to do another year of school before even applying to the degree program. And - it's a stupid program by pretty much all accounts. I am a bit at loss as to what my other options might be out there, but I am sure if anyone has any ideas, the Hive might! What would people like to see if they were considering something like this for a child? What kind of educational opportunities are out there? Spend a lot of time in schools and cottage schools around you before you do this. The administration end of it can be horrible. Parents are no picnic and they don't want to pay what your time is worth. Run a co-op first and see how that goes. Edited October 31, 2018 by scholastica 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted October 31, 2018 Author Share Posted October 31, 2018 13 hours ago, Momto5inIN said: Not the OP, but in our state the law does not require teachers at private schools to be certified, however many private schools themselves require their teachers to be certified. OP, we have a small private school associated with our church and I was always skeptical of them because they didn't have certified teachers. This was way back before we ever even looked into homeschooling. Now, my perspective on this has changed so radically! Like 180 degrees. Since we started homeschooling my kids have attended the school for things like PE and field trips (they are much more accommodating than the public school) and I've seen first hand what a great education those kids are getting and if for any reason I couldn't continue to homeschool my kids would go there in a second. I've considered teaching there after my kids are done, too. I've enjoyed homeschooling so much, and (without tooting my own horn) I think I'm pretty good at it, and I'd love to be able to continue that. Although by the time this baby I'm currently carrying graduates I'll be 63 ... so who know what will happen between now and then LOL Any way, good luck to you! This sort of thing being attached to a parish church strikes me as the model that might work for what I am thinking of. One of the things that has really affected me since I've taken on the Sunday school coordinator job is seeing how utterly unprepared the kids are to learn the things we teach in Sunday school. Not their Christian education, though that is often lacking as well, but just basic knowledge about things like geography and history. Its not so noticeable with younger kids, but very much so with the tweens and teens - it's almost like you can't talk about the issues of faith or theology or how to think about what they think is true, or anything much at all, without first filling in the blanks in their education. It's made me very aware that the challenge for us as a Christian community is really larger and different than it used to be, and I'm not sure it's something that can be rectified in a weekly program. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted October 31, 2018 Author Share Posted October 31, 2018 2 minutes ago, scholastica said: Spend a lot of time in schools and cottage schools around you before you do this. The administration end of it can be horrible. Parents are no picnic and they don't want to pay what your time is worth. I would love to spend some time in a cottage school, but there doesn't seem to be anything like that around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 (edited) Somehow this is making me think that you'll be the new Cheryl Lowe and her founding of Highlands Latin School, and you'll found your own version of Highlands Latin School. (:D I had the tremendous privilege of hearing Cheryl Lowe, Martin Cothran, Susan Wise-Bauer, and a gentleman from Hillsdale College all speak at a classical education charter school in my state several years back. Cheryl shared about what their school did and their philosophy, and I can totally see your vision setting up something similar, Bluegoat! On a *completely* unrelated note -- I keep meaning to ask you: is the Bluegoat of your board name from the blue goat that was part of the background/world of Walter Miller's novel A Canticle for Leibowitz? Edited October 31, 2018 by Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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