I participate in a homeschool co-op. There is a group of about 100 moms and dads who get together and teach each other's kids. Usually, there are 10-15 different classes the children can choose from, each of them taught by one or two of the parents. It's a great opportunity for the kids to learn about things their own parents may not be experts in, and to be with other kids their age.
I have to send in my registration form for the fall, but I need to indicate what I will be teaching, and I'm fresh out of ideas. I have to teach or assist two classes (the third period is a parents' meeting). I've done the assistant thing, and it bores me to tears. I'd much rather be teaching. In the past I've done Creative Writing, Image for Girls, Life & Times of Shakespeare, and Knights and Castles. I could do one of those again, I guess, but I'd rather do something new. I only have nine 45-minute classes to cover a topic. I like history and literature. Any suggestions?
Well, you could teach on one of the stories/books that kids would read in public school... Baewolf, Canterbury Tales, Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, etc. for older ones or Little House on the Prarie, Chronicles of Narnia, etc. for younger ones. Or, on history, you could teach about a historical time period (Middle Ages, etc.) or event (Holocaust, Crusades, etc) that you either know a lot about or WANT to learn a lot about.
ReplyDeleteWhat ages are you looking at teaching? I'm a huge history buff, so if you go that route let me know, I might be able to help. I've always thought it would be really fun to teach a social history class--maybe about the middle ages--and explain how people actually lived...
ReplyDeleteThanks for signing my map!
I was going to point you in my sister Jen's direction since she homeschools, does the co-op and is probably the most creative person I know--but I see she's in your blogroll. oops!
These are really good suggestions - thanks! The age divisions for classes are 4-5 years, 6-8 years, 9-11 years, and 12 and up. I like the Middle Ages idea, and the Little House - I could do history and literature with that one! Any more ideas?
ReplyDeleteOoh! I have an idea!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to do a biography course. You can choose a topic, say Civil Rights leaders, or Poets, or Explorers, etc. Then, each week, cover a different person. You can work in a craft or a map skill or something to take up part of the time if that applies to your person (ie, if you're doing Lewis and Clark you can print blank maps and have the kids trace their path, or if you're covering Dr. King you can work on memorizing part of speeches or something. You can customize this to suit your needs at the ages of the kids you're working with.)
Also, this gives you a chance to use my very most favorite educational took, the timeline! If you email me I can send you an article I wrote on timelines. hipmama1970 at yahoo.com You can make timeline books for students and they can add the relevant information from your co-op into them, plus they love adding stuff from their personal lives, too. And they can continue to add stuff they learn in their own homes...
There's also art history, that can be done it bite sized pieces and you can use part of the class to practice different techniques. You don't have to have a lot of talent to teach that, and it can really spark interest in kids and some of them may follow up at home.
I LOVE co-op, can you tell?