Co-op offers alternative classes to home school students
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Created in January under the guidance of local home schooling parent Debra Jones, T.E.A.C.H. (Training Excellent Attitudes in Christian Hearts) Co-op is not a school itself, but rather serves to provide supplementary enrichment activities to those already home schooling.
Meeting for two-and-a-half hours every week during the school year at a local church, participating students of all ages are offered an array of different enrichment classes, with what’s offered being whatever the parents themselves wish to teach.
As the name suggests, the organization is cooperative, in which a parent of every participating student is required to teach at least one class sometime during the year.
“It’s just fair that way. The more people we have teaching, the more choices we can offer,” said Jones, who added parents don’t need a specialty degree or any formal training to teach such classes.
“All you need is just a love of some subject and a willingness to be there,” said Co-op member Lynn Foster. “And it doesn’t have to be a textbook subject either, it can be hands-on stuff like gardening or sewing, just whatever you like. If you love it, you’ll do well.”
Classes in the last school year, she noted, included art and drawing, Egyptian history, all things winter, creative writing and nature journaling.
In addition to the enrichment activities offered to local home school students, T.E.A.C.H. Co-op also helps to serve the children’s socialization needs. It also serves as a support and fellowship group for home school parents, said Jones.
While the Co-op itself has no membership fees, a $2 per child fee is collected every month to cover supplies and materials used during the classes.
All home schooling families interested in learning more about T.E.A.C.H. Co-op are invited to a planning meeting for the 2003-2004 school year to be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Magness Library. For more information call Jones at 934-9341 or Foster at 934-2037.