This week we finally resumed our Home-school Cooperative; and there was much rejoicing.
During the school year (although the semesters seem to get shorter and shorter) we join with about 150 other home-schooled kids for a day of elective classes. The kids get a chance to learn some things their parents don’t know, and to build some good friendships, while the parents (mostly moms) enjoy considerable fellowship and camaraderie as well. Kathy particularly appreciates the chance to swing by the espresso stand, “since we’re on the way.”
And of course, everyone likes recess.
Our five kids look forward to Co-op with great excitement, and mourn the end of each semester deeply. Personally, I think they cherish an educational experience they can come home and tell stories about, something their mom and siblings don’t already know. Besides, who wouldn’t want to star in a Drama production, or explore a course mysteriously named, ‘For Boys Only’?
Personally, I’d take the class just for the mustache.
This year, I agreed to teach a Programming class, arranging permission with my boss to take some time off during the day. “How hard can it be?” I blithely asked Kathy. “I’ve been programming for more than 15 years, I oughta be able to teach this stuff in my sleep!” Kathy was strangely silent about how hard, exactly, it could be, having taught a few co-op classes herself. In any case, I have long wanted an opportunity to teach my kids a little about what I do … it doesn’t seem right to me, as a programmer, that none of my children know an ‘if’ from an ‘else’.
Those summer months passed like one of those vending-machine packages of Oreos (only six cookies), and I found myself less than a week away from the first day of class without a syllabus, course outline, or any substantive idea of what I’d be teaching. To make matters worse, I found that I was competing with ‘Backyard Ballistics’ during the same hour! I alternated between desperately hoping students would choose my class and, er, hoping that they wouldn’t sign up and I could get credit for having offered without actually having to teach.
One very popular class last year was Grandma Honey’s offering for Kindergarten through 3rd grades.
Twelve kids showed up for class, the youngest 10, the oldest 17. I had managed to throw together a syllabus and a course outline the night before, and so I launched into my first-day lecture. About 10 minutes into the period, Kathy came in and sat down at one of the empty tables … and brought with her a strong sense of being scrutinized and evaluated. I almost couldn’t continue, unable to articulate any coherent thought, as every idea took flight from my skull, except this one:
“Arrggh! Kathy’s listening to me, and she’s going to shake her head pityingly, saying, ‘Do you really think these kids are interested in any of that stuff?’”
We discovered early in our marriage that discussion of my work, especially anything to do with relational databases, is a sure-fire cure for insomnia. “Tell me about your work,” Kathy asks sleepily as she snuggles in. While I prattle on about the details of my job, she sighs contentedly and drifts off into sweet slumber, often right in the middle of a good anecdote about PL/SQL errors or a tale of associative arrays! Sometimes I go ahead and finish the story, finding myself, even as the story-teller, deeply engrossed in the suspenseful narrative.
The kids seemed attentive, though, and I made it through the first class period without being lynched. I am using (at least at first) a variant of the Logo language that involves giving commands to cute little turtles as they roam around on a canvas, drawing designs.
I don’t have much experience with a lecture-style presentation — nearly all of the teaching I do at work or at church is inductive, requiring a high degree of discussion and participation from those in attendance. I think next week I’ll try to have more questions or some other way to encourage participation — I find that I can’t keep spouting out ideas, but rather that I need time to think of what I’ll say next.
Rachel really wishes these friends were in co-op this year.
When we got home, my oldest son (who was press-ganged into the class, along with two of his siblings) immediately started working on the homework assignment I gave, and seems to be having a lot of fun with it. I asked him to come down and do the dishes last night, but he craftily played on my soft geek heart, pleading, “Dad, my turtles, they need me!”
What’s a programmer Dad to do? “Just ten minutes,” I growled. It’s nice to be needed, even by turtles.
This is cute, Tim. You can do it- keep at it!! The turtles are cute! Go, Joshua!!
Love you, Aunt Kate
You’re in good company, Tim, as far as that feeling of being scrutinized. I think we all feel/felt like that with another adult in the class. At least it was Kathy and she will be seeing you with those love tinted glasses…the best scrutiny to have!
You are great with kids and I know they’ll love your class!! It looks like you’re making it interesting…we looked up the Logo site and it must be lots of fun!
It’s GREAT that you’re able to teach a class at the co-op. We have one dad teaching a class at our co-op this year as well. The kids are going to enjoy it, for sure! Our co-op is set up entirely different in that kids don’t have to chose one class over another…. all of the groups (by age/grade level) move through 5 classes *TOGETHER* throughout the day. I had a very specific vision for our co-op which included kids having the commradare of a “class” so when graduation time comes they KNOW the kids they’re graduating with… our oldest dd didn’t have a SINGLE person to graduate with her and while she’s thrilled to be graduated, the process was a bit painful and lonely without a friend to enjoy the experience with her. So…. at our co-op all of the kids move together throughout the 5 classes. Now, there are some choices in which classes we pick for a year but those are made co-op wide. EVERYONE votes, we tally up the votes, and go with the flow. Last year we did Spanish this year it’s PE/Health with “Master Teacher” who teaches martial arts.. now he’ll teach more than that in our co-op, but anyway you get the point.. hmm… I’m thinking I should have made this a blog entry on my own blog (LOL)! All I started out to say is WAY TO GO! It’s great you’re able to be a dad presence in your co-op this year!
The turtles are cute and i named mine Fred. Fred is a difficult turtle but I will manage.
I really enjoyed the class Mr. Edgren! It was kinda hard to understand for me at first, but it did become easier! I am still working on the Homework because I keep getting distracted by how much fun it was PLAYING with them! I am excited for the next class! Thank You for teaching and I will try my best!
Logo is so much better than Basic for introducing children to programming. Great choice!
Honey and I are looking forward to a similar experience when Princess is a little older. As cute as those turtles are a 2 year old just a bit too young.
My Chase has that same black shirt wiith the Christmas tree that Sarah (I think it’s Sarah?) has on. Too funny!
Thank you, all, for your kind and thoughtful comments. I’m excited about this class, and very pleased with the enthusiastic response among the students. I can’t wait for the next class period!
I wish we were doing co-op too! We’re going to still try
and get together with everybody though. =)
Jennifer B