Homeschooling is becoming more and more popular across the entire globe. The pandemic has shown us how easy it is for schools to come under fire and close down. We’ve also seen just how much of a central hub your own home can become. As such, your own homeschooling efforts are going very well and the kids are benefiting from the experience tenfold!
And some other parents in your neighborhood might have started noticing that by now. Maybe you’ve even had a few requests for taking on someone else’s child here and there. Or maybe you’d like to join forces with other parents who are homeschooling and open up your home classroom to everyone who wants in? It’s a schooling setup that’s gaining real traction at the moment!
However, adding more students to your homeschool sessions could disrupt the dynamic you’ve worked hard to build. You might even be worried right now about how you’ll be able to manage more than a couple of kids day in and day out. So that’s what this post is here to discuss.
If you want to expand your homeschool and include children from outside of your home, namely pooling your resources with as many parents as possible, here are some tips to keep in mind.
‘Build’ a Classroom
If you want to start educating more than just your own children from the comfort of home, you may need a dedicated space. A classroom that can seat as many as possible in a comfortable way, with enough room for private working spaces for all. And because of these essential space needs, this can be quite hard to find in the average home!
Get a layout done for it early on. Figure out the biggest room in your home (probably the dining room or the garage), and arrange it so a bunch of small desks can be fitted in without a problem. If you need to use the space again when the bell has rung at the end of the day, you can invest in collapsible/folding tables that can be stacked up out of the way.
You should also try to limit distractions and put up plenty of educational material around the room. Posters and displays you’ve made yourself, etc. Make the space look fun, but keep it learning-oriented! And for a bit of fun, you can also throw a load of beanbags down and use them for those numerous discussions or read-aloud times.
Talk to Other Parents
Aside from getting your classroom set up, you’ll also want to collaborate with any other parents who are homeschooling their kids. You’ll probably be working together to provide an education for your children, and ensuring you’re all on the same page is essential.
You can also ask about the students to the people that really know them and get some in-depth perspective on what kind of learners they are and what materials they respond best to. Know this stuff as early on as possible to ensure you can include the stipulations and accommodations in your timetable. The more you share, the easier homeschooling is.
Get Outside
Going outside is one of the most fun things for kids. A wide open space means you can run around and play and have fun, and you just can’t manage that indoors! And there’s a lot of learning to be done when you’re out and about; field trips, day visits, walks through nature – these are all great teaching moments in a child’s life.
And when you’re homeschooling, you have more chances than most to take the kids out for interesting activities like this. You’ll have a small party, so you won’t have to get special permission to visit sites, and you can take plenty of your learning materials with you. Say you visit a historical location; sit down somewhere in front of it and get the kids to either draw or list what they see. An activity like this can help with soft and core skills alike.
Try to Explore Each Student’s Passion
Every child in a homeschool setting is going to have a passion of their own, just like they would have a favorite subject when going to a more traditional school. Lean in on this and pinpoint the topics they really love to study, whether it’s math, art, or history. Even when you’re not too much of an expert on it yourself, this could be a crucial teaching moment.
This is especially good to do when someone is struggling a little with the syllabus or is finding it hard to adjust to a homeschooling setup. You can offer specialized lessons here and there to pull their attention in, and even give them a chance to be teachers for a little while. If they get to be ‘in charge’ for a bit, they’re going to give it their all!
Provide Some Constructive Criticism for Yourself
Whether you’re a qualified teacher or not, going over your performance in the classroom is a good way to make yourself better at what you do. Sometimes known as Dogfooding, this is your chance to go over past materials and see what’s good about them, what might have gone wrong with them, and how they could be made even better.
You could also record yourself giving a lesson, either via video or through a simple dictaphone, and then watch it back. In doing so you can identify the areas of a lesson you might struggle with, even if it’s something as simple as not speaking clearly enough. Even if you can’t find something that might need a little improvement, you can still consider it a good bit of practice!
Make Certain Days Special
Special days happen all throughout a traditional school calendar. So, why not include them in your own homeschooling syllabus? It’s a good way to make the extra time spent at home feel more enriching, and who doesn’t just love a bit of silly fun?
Plus, if the kids have something to look forward to each week, they’re going to find it much easier to settle in. Even as an adult in the working world, ideas like dress-down Fridays or pizza parties make it a bit easier to come into the office in the morning! So sprinkle days like these throughout your timetable.
Maybe you can all come to class dressed in costume one day, and whoever has the best costume gets a small prize? Maybe you can have a fun lunch every now and then, such as a buffet, or going down to the park for a picnic? Anything out of the ordinary will help a student get into a homeschooling mindset – it’s clearly a good place to be!
Get Online
Online learning has really taken off over the past couple of years. It’s accessible, it helps the kids to stay focused (because who doesn’t love spending time on the computer?), and it’s something everyone involved will be familiar with. So even when homeschooling is a new concept, both for you with a big class and for the new students, this will help keep you on the straight and narrow.
Then we come to the software aspect. You can do pretty much anything with the right programs these days. Write and format, draw and paint, photograph and edit, and play while learning. There are plenty of good educational games out there that can be worked into lesson plans.
And if you don’t have a home that’s big enough to seat more than 3 children, using Zoom to host a virtual classroom is the way forward! It also makes it much easier for you and the other parents to take it in turns to be the teacher, as a flexible piece of software is the best solution to a strict schedule.
Set Aside Time for One on One
A bigger class means more students of varying ability levels. Because of this, it’s best to make time at least once a month to sit down with each one in turn and ask how they’re getting on. Consider it a review you go through together; this is your chance to find out how your student feels about homeschooling and whether they need a bit of support.
It’s also a chance to find out what they think of you, especially if you’re doubling up as both parent and teacher! Make sure these talks are just as constructive as when you go through your own teaching resources and be sure to evaluate in a similar way. And if it turns out one of your homeschooling students is struggling a little, you’ll catch it early enough to use these sessions to cover a little extra tuition.
Taking on homeschooling for those outside of your family is a big responsibility. Once you have worked out what the legalities are for your area, you can start making plans and working on the practical side of things. Make sure you’re ready for it by considering the tips and tricks above. Talk to other parents, talk to the kids, throw some fun into the mix, and make sure you make good use of all the tech available to you!