Have you ever tried team teaching in your homeschool co-op? Most homeschool parents are pretty independent, or may have a Lone Ranger mindset and may never consider team teaching.
But you may be missing out on something good.
Elain from The Community Co-op shares how well team teaching worked for her.
Team Teaching Saves the Day!
When the founders of co-op got together and got serious about starting this not for profit organization, we asked ourselves, “How can parents lead quality, consistent classes?”
After all, it’s one thing to homeschool your own children, quite another to plan an entire semester, and lead a class of 12 or more children!
Some of us had prior teaching experience in some form or another, one teaching in a school, another teaching adults in continuing education — but most parents coming in as volunteers wouldn’t have that.
Lori had the idea of Team Teaching. The idea is that two parents are the Leads of the class and lead as, well, a team. The two leads plan the class together and teach together. If one person is having a hard time with a project, or an explanation, the other team member is there to step in and help out.
Another part of the team work is ongoing debriefing, checking in, how’s it going? How did I do today? Was that clear? Did the class flow well today? Do we have the right number of stations set up?
Initially, I was hesitant about this team teaching thing. Bit of a Lone Ranger type. In our first year of co-op, I didn’t have a co-lead, it just worked out that way, there didn’t happen to be someone available.
This year, I do, and it’s great! No more Lone Ranger for me. My co-leader and I got together to plan our class, Studio Art. She had a wonderful idea that I never would have had — why not have as our organizing theme, the history of art? You know, the entire history of art, starting with the cave paintings?
One semester in to the plan, it’s going great. The class this year is larger than last year, but since we have this teaching team in place, class actually feels easier.
After the Winter Break, we’ll start in on the Middle Ages!
Thanks, Elain, for sharing your story! Sounds as if team teaching is Co-operation at its best!
For more details and help on running your own homeschool co-op, you can see my books for leaders here.
Carol Topp, CPA
HomeschoolCPA.com
