Parents in the know will tell you that “homeschooling” is a misnomer, as it does not need to take place at home and rarely resembles school. They are always on the look out for new and exciting educational opportunities to pursue. If you enjoy the company and enthusiasm of children and can provide an educational opportunity, you might be able to start a side job- or an entire career- teaching homeschoolers.
Benefits of Teaching Homeschoolers:
– Homeschoolers will usually be more interested in your subject matter, presentation and rapport with children than if you have teaching experience or credentials
– You do not need any special degree or certification to teach homeschoolers in any subject area
– You will have the opportunity to work with a group of children who are often intrinsically motivated to learn and enjoy taking on new challenges and interests
– You can earn money sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm for activities you enjoy doing
What Can You Teach Homeschoolers?
If you’re concerned that you’re not proficient enough in traditional school subjects to teach anyone, don’t worry. Some families do look for help with subjects in which they are uncomfortable teaching themselves (for us, once the kids hit algebra, we find a math class), however most homeschooling families have the basic academics covered. What they really seek out in a class or activity is something that is unique- something that they can’t just teach from a text book. Rather than same old topics and curricula, they look for things that will:
– stimulate their child’s interests and intellect
– provide hands-on experiences
– offer guided, interactive group activities with other children
– provide a practical educational opportunity
When asking yourself what you can teach, ask yourself what you know and love. What are you good at? What unusual skills or knowledge do you possess? What hobby or pursuit do you love to share with others? Maybe you’re a great cook, or have been making quilts for 20 years, or have won chess tournaments, or worked as a bee keeper or computer graphics designer. Any such talents can make for a great class to share with children.
Make a list. Be creative in your thinking; things that you take for granted because they come easy to you, or things you think no one else would be interested in, are the very things that some people in your community might love to learn. I have known a man with a degree in engineering that teaches classes on basic engineering and robotics concepts using Legos, another who shares his hobbies of weaving and kite construction, and a single mother who has made a full-time career out of teaching dancing and taking kids on bicycle tours, both locally and cross-country. I myself have taught photography, world mythology, and jack-o-lantern carving skills to homeschoolers. You never know what idea might be a hit.
Once you have decided what to teach, begin planning your class. Jot down the supplies you would need for yourself and each student. Decide on the concepts you would like to go over, and break them down into weekly sessions so that you can give parents an overview of your course. There are many books in public libraries on how to plan lessons and curriculum that can help you design your course.
Decide what approximate age you are offering your class to. What abilities would the student need to have as a pre-requisite? Will they need to know how to read/write to take your course? Will they need to be old enough to handle a sharp or hot object without assistance? Will they need to know fractions or how to measure things? How developed do their motor skills need to be for crafts? Do they need to be computer literate? Homeschoolers tend to develop at their own pace rather adhering to any arbitrary age standards since they do not have to stick to the local school’s curricula, and so the ability level within a single group of any homeschoolers can vary greatly. While some seven year olds might be reading Shakespeare or converting fractions, others might not have learned to read and write at all yet. Having an idea of what skills or abilities a child will need to possess before taking your course will help parents determine if it is a fit for their child.
Next, find some homeschoolers. Check with the board of education or on the internet to see if there are any homeschooling co-ops in your area. Co-ops, or cooperatives, are groups that homeschoolers form where classes are presented. If there are co-ops in your area, contact them and ask how you can sign up as a teacher. Find out what courses they already offer to ensure you are not going to be competing with someone already teaching that subject. Ask if it is possible that you visit the co-op and sit in on some classes to observe so that you can get a feel for how the co-op works. Talk to the teachers and ask them for tips.
If there are no co-ops in your area, look for support groups. You can also advertise on free internet boards like craigslist, or in places like libraries and community centers. Get the word out that you have a class to offer.
One last thing to consider is where you will teach. While some co-ops are large enough to rent out facilities for their gatherings, others are smaller, less formal groups that meet at homes or in parks, libraries or community centers. If you can’t find a free location, you’ll want to take rental costs into consideration. You’ll also want to make sure it is large enough not only to encompass your class and their activities, but parents (and possibly a few younger siblings) that might hang around during your lesson.
Determining Fees
How much you charge will depend on a number of things. To begin with, will there be a cost for materials and/or space rental? When calculating materials, aside from the actual cost of the supplies, don’t forget to calculate costs for your demonstration supplies, or printing fees if you expect to have weekly hand-outs. Add up all the fees, divide by the number of students you have, and you may wish to charge this as a one-time set material/facility fee up front. Keeping this fee low, such as by holding classes in your yard for free or e-mailing hand-outs rather than printing them, you will likely attract more interest. You don’t want your wonderful course to be cost-prohibitive, however you do want teaching to be worth your while.
When determining your teaching fee, take into consideration how much preparation time per week it will take you, as well as the time you will spend actually teaching. Lets say you find twelve interested students and you charge them $5 per class- that’s $60 per week. That is great if it only takes you two hours to prepare and one hour to teach, because it breaks down to $20 per hour. If, however, it takes you 8 hours to prepare (planning lessons, preparing demonstrations, writing up instructional guides and hand outs, etc.) and 2 hours to teach, you’re only making $6 per hour, which might not make it worth your while.
Also take into account how exciting the course is that you are offering and what kind of competition you have and interest it would garner. Teaching a class in building a space shuttle is obviously exciting and hard to come by compared to teaching a class in building a birdhouse, especially if the local hardware store teaches Birdhouse Building 101 for free every Saturday morning. Finally, if you have any proven expertise in your subject matter, such has having worked 20 years in a related industry, or hold a degree or certification in the subject, you can probably get away with charging a bit more than if you are simply a hobbiest.
Once again, it is best to check with local homeschool groups, co-ops, even libraries, community centers, children’s museums and such, to see what classes in your area have a lot of competition, which are hard to find, and what excites locals the most. Once you’ve built up a reputation and a clientele, you may wish to offer more classes, or offer them in neighboring cities.
Use Common Sense
To avoid any potential problems, use common sense when it comes to safety. Be prompt and prepared for your classes and fulfill your contract. Don’t promise things you cannot deliver, and be up-front with parents about your experience and qualifications. Don’t put yourself in a compromising position in which you are alone with a stranger’s children- always have some parents or assistants with you. Take more safety precautions than you think you’ll need when it comes to children operating equipment, using sharp objects or engaging in physical activities. Treat children and parents with respect, watch your language and word choices, and use good business sense.
With a little creativity, planning and research, you’ll soon be enjoying the rewards of a teaching career without ever entering a school.
