We met with Tyler's "Virtual Teacher" today. She is a real person who oversees a "virtual classroom" via the Internet. Tyler is enrolled in the California Virtual Academy this year. We have a real classroom set up on the main floor of our home. He has a desk, white board, computer and printer. CAVA supplies all needed items for learning (books, computer, printer, online support, teacher, social events...)
There are many responsibilities on the part of parents and students to complete all the study materials as well as 20 minutes each day devoted to Physical Education. We actually have to log which activities Tyler engages in during the 20 min.
Tyler told his teacher up front he will miss his friends. It will be up to us to engage him in social activities. He has Youth Group, friends, family etc. but he will miss that lunch time camaraderie.
Any ideas from all of you who home school? Tyler is turning 13 this year so friends and "socialization" are big ticket items for him. Please don't send me articles on how home school provides everything a child needs. We are home school veterans. I just want to know from your heart how you deal with your children really needing those social interactions that complete them. Let's face it~~some of our children were created to be social beings with Social roles. Social workers, bank tellers, teachers, pastors, grocery clerks...
Stuff to think on.
3 comments:
I just ended up getting a job. The youth group only did so much for me. Can he play a sport? I think this would be the best for him.
You only get out what you put into it.
Youth group, sports, Boy Scouts, field trips, poetry recitals...
We also do an informal co-op with just a couple of families. You could do it on a certain subject (ours is Science), or on something like cartooning (if you could find someone to teach cartooning...or just give them some instructional books and encourage them to create their own comic strips). A lego club is an idea too, or k-nex...give them an assignment, make it a bit of a competition, have them design something themselves.
If you can, figure out what his passion is, and then try to find a couple of boys his age that he could get together with...even if it's skateboarding. Do you have an e-mail loop of homeschoolers? Maybe even putting an ad in a local newspaper or a putting up a flier at the library. And of course pray, God can open all kinds of doors...
Post a Comment