I can recommend local activities to inspire and connect your family.
With the pandemic, many of you are wondering what this school year will look like. Everything has changed. There’s a lot to adjust to. There are unknowns. This is hard.
For those of you working with public or private schools, you might have some school-at-home days or are entirely doing school at home. You have to figure out who will stay with the kids, who will help with school work, whether you should hire a tutor, and how to balance all this while working. You’re thinking through where the kids should do school work, how to build a routine or schedule for the day, what are the rules if no adults are home, how to take turns with the computer or tablet, and how to motivate everyone.
If you have been homeschooling, you might have had your usual activities and extra-curriculars canceled or changed. Maybe you want to try some online classes but have never done them before. Maybe you just need some fresh curriculum ideas. Maybe there is a new work schedule to integrate.
I can suggest memorable hands-on science activities.
Perhaps you’re choosing to start homeschooling on your own. You are on a new journey, and there’s a lot to figure out. You’re wondering about state requirements, choosing curriculum, socialization, whether your kids will like homeschooling, and whether you can do this.
I have a degree in Middle Level Education, and I’ve worked in a variety of public, private, and homeschool environments. Plus I’ve been homeschooling my kids for the past 8 years. During this time I’ve been supporting and meeting with homeschool families. I’ve met with parents and families in-person to answer questions. In a homeschool group I founded, I’ve answered questions and offered solutions through our Facebook page and one-on-one messaging. I’ve also lead a parent book club where we discussed different aspects of homeschooling. I really enjoy sharing information and problem-solving with families, so new this school-year, I’d like to offer my personal attention to a handful of families with one-on-one services.
I can help you build routines such as weekly board game night.
With my teaching and homeschooling experience, I can assess your needs and steer you toward valuable resources and opportunities, saving you time, money, and frustration. I can help your family set and achieve your goals. I can give recommendations for curriculum and activities. We can brainstorm and research local enrichment opportunities. We can discuss solutions to getting your learning environment organized and inspiring. We can talk through possible daily routines and schedules. We can figure out how to best keep records and what your state and/or school district needs from you yearly.
Before we decide to working together, we can schedule a free 15-30 minute video chat consultation. We’ll get to know each other, discuss your goals and needs for the year, and talk about how I can help. We will put together a plan for the goals we aim to work through. Based on how often we’re meeting and communicating and how much research I’m doing for you, we can discuss a reasonable price for my services. We can set goals and costs by project, or we can work for a certain period of time and pay an hourly or monthly rate.
I can give personalized book recommendations.
General Details
I work with families schooling anywhere in the United States.
I work with families who are registered homeschoolers or who are working with a public, private, or charter school and doing some or all of their schooling from home.
We can do much of our communication through email. I typically use FaceTime or Zoom for video meetings. (If there’s a different platform you prefer, let me know.) We can also have a standard phone call.
I can meet with you 1-on-1 or with any additional family members. Let’s decide what makes sense based on what we’re discussing.
If you live in NE Ohio, we can meet for some of the meetings in-person within a half hour of my home east of Cleveland. Due to Covid-19, we can meet at places such as a park, an outdoor coffee shop, or your back yard.
My goal is to help your kids thrive in their schooling and to support the whole family as you do this. Let me know if you have any questions or would like to schedule a free consultation.
Colleen Penn
colleenpenn@curiosityshift.org