I love to build a great team! Building working teams has been a big part of my life. As my Dad always says, “many hands make light work” and he was right. Building a great team makes the job so much more effective and often more fun.
Hebrews 10:23-25 says, “23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.”
There are many ways that we can connect with other home educators from annual conferences to daily team teaching. The joy of homeschooling is that we get to pick our level of involvement. Team teaching isn’t for everyone and neither are conferences; so let’s take a look at how you can connect with others and build your homeschooling team.
Get Connected in Faith: Many faith communities support home education. Being involved in your faith community is a great way to connect with other like-minded homeschoolers!
Get Connected to Information: Books, national websites, and organizations are helpful resources. If you are looking for legal information or support, this is a great place to start. National groups such as Homeschool Legal Defence Canada or The Canadian Homeschooler https://shop.thecanadianhomeschooler.com/?ref=48 (affiliate link) have a lot of information in one place. Their sites are a wealth of resources. They are often a first point of contact for those reaching out to look for information and connection to likeminded parents. If you are looking for province specific information or larger events such as conferences, provincial organizations often list the legal specifics for their province and link to local groups that are associated with their organization. This can help you to further hone your connections.
Get Connected Online: Looking for a “social” virtual connection to the homeschooling community? Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest to name a few are full of connections. I began a group titled Ontario Homeschoolers in May of 2007 to connect Ontario homeschoolers. https://www.facebook.com/groups/Ontariohomeschoolers/. Today, the group is close to 4,000 members! Connecting online is a great way to connect for early risers and night owls. Field Trip groups abound online and support can be found for those in unique situations.
Get Connected Locally: If you are looking for in-person support (with or without children) local is where it is at. Some groups are specific to methods of teaching or specific faith communities, but many are open to any and all home educators.
Get Connected Cooperatively: If you are looking to share your teaching skills and have your children learn from others a co-op is where it is at! Cooperative teaching groups offer the joys of getting together with other homeschoolers AND learning. Often, parents with specific areas of expertise share their knowledge in unique and powerful hands-on ways.
Get Connected at the Library: Public libraries LOVE homeschoolers! Many Ontario libraries have been trained in my “Homeschool Friendly” https://ednashomeschoolhelp.wordpress.com/for-public-libraries/ training on the basics of home education. In turn, they have created unique and exciting programs that are tailored to the needs of our community. Library programs and volunteering are a great way to meet others and get involved in our community!
Get connected and get active: More and more recreational facilities and businesses are realizing the hidden potential of offering daytime programming for our community. Ask around at your favourite sports facility about daytime programs—and if it doesn’t already exist, make it happen!
Get Connected at Conferences: Whether in-person or online, conferences are an immersive way to get connected to both people and information. The Canadian Homeschooler is hosting their third annual online homeschooling conference February 6-11, 2019. Please, feel free to follow my affiliate link to the conference: https://canadianhomeschoolconference.com/aff/26. You won’t be disappointed.
Get Connected with Friends: Use these resources above to make homeschooling friends for yourself and your children. It’s amazing what we can accomplish when we do not feel alone. Who knows? Maybe you and your friends will decide to team teach or try some other creative plan to keep you and your children connected.
Get Connected with a Coach: As Canada’s only Homeschool Consultant and Coach, I love to help homeschoolers build their team. I can source out resources for you, answer your questions, and narrow your searches for information specific to your needs. Whether it’s helping you to find the right plan of study for your child or getting you connected to local resources . . . It’s what I do! Come and visit my site for more information. https://bit.ly/2UkeY4n You can find me on Facebook as well at https://www.facebook.com/ednashomeschoolhelp/!
Who is on your team? The joy of home education is that we can tailor our experience so that it fits our families. If you are looking for a coach to support you in finding some online or local connections, please feel free to contact me at ednashomeschoolhelp@gmail.com . I LOVE connecting people and helping them build their dream team for homeschooling success.
Edna Latone is wife to John and Mama/Nana to her growing family….along with “bonus kids” who pop in from time to time. Edna is the owner and head coach at Edna's Homeschool Help where she helps families, public libraries and businesses to better understand the Homeschooling world. Her perfect day consists of a long walk with her family and a cozy corner to read in with the people she loves.
