By Brenda B. Covert
The Christian Online Magazine -
bbocovert@juno.com
When I first began homeschooling in 1997, there was only one co-op in the area, and they had a waiting list. Since then, the cooperative learning movement has exploded. In last years homeschool yearbook I counted a total of six co-ops, and this year more have sprung up. It seems like the big trend in homeschooling is the co-op, where homeschooling families get together once a week to "do school." I have mixed emotions about co-ops.
First of all, how can it be called "home" schooling when the kids are in classrooms? I stopped by a co-op one day to pick up school photos, and I saw kids arranged by age forming lines and following their teachers to their respective classes. It looked like the traditional form of school to me, with the main difference being that its just once a week rather than five days. As a sold-out-on-homeschooling individual, I prefer the one-to-one attention and educational opportunities I can offer my children. A classroom setting isnt necessary for my childrens success. I homeschool because I truly believe it is in the best interest of my children and my family. I wonder whether the co-op crowd chose homeschooling based upon their inability to pay the Christian schools tuition, and not because they fully embrace the idea of homeschooling. They do seem anxious for their children to experience a classroom education; perhaps some of them arent quite confident in their abilities to teach their own children as well.
Ive watched the co-op movement drain a lot of fine homeschoolers out of the community and into their own little co-op cliques. They no longer participate in activities that occur outside the confines of their chosen co-op. They dont attend monthly homeschool support meetings, organize field trips, participate in national geography or spelling bees, or attend science fairs and other similar homeschool functions open to the community. They say theyre worn out from the work involved with the co-op. You see, although some co-ops only require you to pay tuition and drop off your kids, many more require babysitting duties, teaching, and more, as the parents split up the work of educating a class full of children. More preparation is required for a classroom than for a small family. Somehow, I dont think homeschooling was meant to be so exhausting.
Now, to be fair I must admit that co-ops do have their place in the homeschool community. Because I only have two children, I can easily teach them the basics myself. I can usually afford music lessons, sports, or any other extracurricular activity my children might want to pursue. However, there are homeschool moms wholike the old woman who lived in a shoehave so many children, they dont know what to do. For them, a co-op is an affordable and stress-reducing way to give their children an education that is beyond their capabilities. For instance, a co-op that handles history and science will relieve the burden of two extra classes. A co-op that teaches the arts will give the children a well-rounded education that the multitasking mother just couldnt fit into her already hectic and overwhelmed schedule.
Then there are the homeschooling moms who need to help support their family financially and must work around homeschooling. A co-op might work to reassure them that their children are keeping up with other homeschooled children, while reducing their homeschool workload.
Co-ops also attract new homeschoolers who arent sure how to do it, especially if theyve pulled an older child out of school. Since my first year of homeschooling began with kindergarten, I felt confident that I could handle it. I dont know if Id have felt the same way with a 5th grader. A co-op can give a newbie time and ideas for teaching at home. Be careful; the co-op should be used as a tool and not a crutch. I would expect the new homeschooler to develop confidence in his or her ability to teach at home, and not rely so much on others to do it. Teachers manuals explain what to do for each lesson. I think its crazy to buy the student books without the accompanying teachers manual. I know some people think its a great way to save money, but they dont know what tips, suggestions, and review ideas that they are missing by foregoing those manuals.
In conclusion, before you jump onto the co-op bandwagon, consider carefully why you are getting involved. Dont do it just because everyone else is doing it. Think about the time requirement. Consider how involvement in a co-op will affect your daily schedule and whether it will prevent you from participating in other activities. Talk to homeschoolers who have at least one year of experience with a co-op, and ask them to list the pros and cons as they see them. Ideally, talk to someone with the same number of children in the same age range as you have. You may decide that youre better off staying home with your children. Or, you may decide that a co-op is the answer to all your problems. Finally, dont neglect your friends who opt out of the co-op movement. It makes them cranky. They might even go so far as to write a whiney article about the downside of co-ops!
Copyright 2003 by Brenda B. Covert