*There are some affiliate links, all opinions are my own. Hopefully the links are homeschool related, some may be essential oils that I actually use.*
There are many different types of co-ops offered to the homeschool community, especially in higher populated areas. This is our 3rd year homeschooling, and we have never belonged to an official co-op until this year. We are attending a gym co-op, it is wonderful and overwhelming all at the same time. The past two years we joined the YMCA, they happen to have a homeschool gym class that we participated in and it was wonderful. Unfortunately we just weren't using our membership that often. Our membership fees were $67 per month. The gym class was $20 for swim (1 kid), $25 for gym (2 kids), plus you get a 10% discount for siblings. Our total for the 7-week gym class at the YMCA was $65.50. We were spending about $105 per month for 7 months out of the year, for something we were only using about once-per-week. Trying to be frugal, since I am no longer working, we cut our Y membership, which also meant if we wanted to do the homeschool gym it would be almost double the price since we are no longer members. I heard about a gym co-op that was a lot more affordable, but we were on a waiting list. We got in this year! It cost us $20 for the entire family for one year, plus we opted for special shirts which were each $9. Total cost for the year only $56! There is a kicker, no standing around visiting during instruction time (you help), you had to sign up to co-teach 4 classes. It has been an adventure, tomorrow is my first co-teaching moment. We are teaching soccer to the K-3 group, and it is a large one. I know nothing about soccer. I played volleyball through 9th grade, and then I cheered for football, basketball, wrestling and hockey. I have been looking up soccer drills for kids. I found a great website with super fun drills and detailed instruction at Kids-Soccer Drills.com, I printed out 3 of them. I also pinned it under my co-op board on Pinterest.
There are many different types of co-ops offered to the homeschool community, especially in higher populated areas. This is our 3rd year homeschooling, and we have never belonged to an official co-op until this year. We are attending a gym co-op, it is wonderful and overwhelming all at the same time. The past two years we joined the YMCA, they happen to have a homeschool gym class that we participated in and it was wonderful. Unfortunately we just weren't using our membership that often. Our membership fees were $67 per month. The gym class was $20 for swim (1 kid), $25 for gym (2 kids), plus you get a 10% discount for siblings. Our total for the 7-week gym class at the YMCA was $65.50. We were spending about $105 per month for 7 months out of the year, for something we were only using about once-per-week. Trying to be frugal, since I am no longer working, we cut our Y membership, which also meant if we wanted to do the homeschool gym it would be almost double the price since we are no longer members. I heard about a gym co-op that was a lot more affordable, but we were on a waiting list. We got in this year! It cost us $20 for the entire family for one year, plus we opted for special shirts which were each $9. Total cost for the year only $56! There is a kicker, no standing around visiting during instruction time (you help), you had to sign up to co-teach 4 classes. It has been an adventure, tomorrow is my first co-teaching moment. We are teaching soccer to the K-3 group, and it is a large one. I know nothing about soccer. I played volleyball through 9th grade, and then I cheered for football, basketball, wrestling and hockey. I have been looking up soccer drills for kids. I found a great website with super fun drills and detailed instruction at Kids-Soccer Drills.com, I printed out 3 of them. I also pinned it under my co-op board on Pinterest.
An interesting year it is going to be. It is amazing how hard it is too keep the K-3 age group's attention span, and try to hold it for an hour. When I think about teachers in the over crowded classrooms of a school, especially Kindergarten and 1st graders. It is amazing to me that 1/2 the class passes, especially with today's overly rigorous academics push, and the loss of the Art's, P.E. classes, and reduced recess. How do they keep the children's attention for hours on end? My middle son did not do well having to sit still for so long in school, he does better when he can fidgit. My youngest son, definitely likes to move around during the day. In school he would be in trouble for being disruptive, at home he is using his imagination and keeping busy while I work with my other two. At 6, he still has an amazingly huge imagination and he is grasping concepts amazingly fast, and he isn't stuck behind a desk all day. He loves to learn, where as my middle son started Kindergarten hating school. He ended up with a bad teacher, I had a terrible Kindergarten teacher as well. The sad thing is, I don't remember any of my other elementary school teachers, the only one I remember is my mean Kindergarten teacher. Most teachers are wonderful and patient, my daughter had amazing teachers. I didn't decide to homeschool because of the teachers, I decided to homeschool because of the system and the decaying culture in our schools.
Now that I went off on a ramble. This co-op has given me a greater appreciation for what the great teachers do, especially with a large, easily distractible class of 5, 6, and 7-yr-olds. Teaching my own kids isn't always a walk in the park. I can discipline them without fear of reprisal, I may say some things in the heat of the moment, that I will regret. Not often. I am pretty patient, but I think as moms or dads we have all been there. Homeschooling isn't for everyone, I am just glad I have been given this amazing opportunity. I can thank God and my amazing husband for the opportunity to really get to know my kids.
Now that I went off on a ramble. This co-op has given me a greater appreciation for what the great teachers do, especially with a large, easily distractible class of 5, 6, and 7-yr-olds. Teaching my own kids isn't always a walk in the park. I can discipline them without fear of reprisal, I may say some things in the heat of the moment, that I will regret. Not often. I am pretty patient, but I think as moms or dads we have all been there. Homeschooling isn't for everyone, I am just glad I have been given this amazing opportunity. I can thank God and my amazing husband for the opportunity to really get to know my kids.
Our trampoline doubles as our own homeschool gym the rest of the week. I even get on it! I read somewhere that 10 minuntes on the trampoline is the equivalent of a 30 minute jog. Trampolines are also supposed to help with cellulite, depression, anger and stress. I read somewhere that it is impossible to feel angry or sad while jumping. I don't know how true this is, but it sure does make you feel like a kid again. We have also used it to learn how to tell time, we turned it into a giant clock. The kids had a blast with that, you can read about that under my 4th grade blog post Giant Superman Trampoline Clock .