Families looking for a home school support group might consider forming their own. Here are some ideas about how to do this.
Home schooling is an adventure that families will find is so much more than just teaching their children at home. Home schooling is a change in lifestyle that is all-encompassing. Parents find that the teaching doesn’t end when the children put their books away for the day and that there are more opportunities for teaching in life experiences than they ever realized. While home schooling is a popular and effective way of teaching one’s children, it can also be exhausting and isolating.
Most home schooling families find that they benefit from
the company of other home schoolers: the moms can swap ideas
about curriculum, family dynamics and teaching ideas while the
children can make new friends, see old ones, or enjoy field
trips and group lessons. These are often found in a home
school support group. If you are a home schooling family in
need of a support group but are unable to find one in your
area, you might consider starting your own home school support
group.
There are a few things to consider when starting a home
school group, including how large the group should be, what
its purpose or mission will be, and who, if anyone, is in
charge. First, think about numbers. Many home school families
mistakenly start out forming a support group without a
specific plan in mind. With the popularity and growth of the
home schooling movement, they may find that they are suddenly
inundated with group members and the group can quickly spin
out of control. While it might be fun to have a large group
with many people to enjoy, dynamics soon become a problem. If
the group consists of more than a handful of families,
considerations will include where to meet, how often to meet,
and how to contact everyone in the group.
Phone trees must be implemented and often gyms or church
basements must be rented to house everyone. While large groups
provide more interaction and opportunities, smaller groups are
easier to maintain. When starting a home school support group,
a family must consider these issues. Second, think about the
purpose of the group. Will this simply be a social outlet for
Mom and the children? Will this group be a way to rally home
schoolers together for field trips or other outings? Will the
group be a type of co-op where families meet regularly for
group teaching and projects? Most families enter into home
school groups with varying desires and expectations. If you
are starting a group, decide what type you want it to be and
go from there.
Third, establish leadership and accountability. Usually it
is safe to assume that the family forming the home school
support group will serve in the leadership role; but often the
mother or father who has initiated the group has no leadership
capabilities. If this is the case, the person needs to be
honest with him or herself and invite another home school mom
or dad to be the leader. The leader must be dedicated to the
purpose of the group and able to handle difficulties as they
arise; plus, the leader must be someone who leads with a
servant’s heart rather than a controlling attitude. Home
school support groups will give families the encouragement
they need to keep the proper perspective and a positive
attitude while home schooling.