I have been nannying for an amazing family for a few months now. I love my job and the parents go above and beyond to tell me that I am appreciated. I have never had a job that I feel so respected, appreciated and a part of the family. They have made it known that they want long term 5+ years from me and I am happy to stay.
We travel a lot for their business and on our last trip MB told me since they travel so much and would miss school it's not practical to keep them in school and they would need to be home-schooled. The kids are 1 and almost 4 (very smart) and I was wondering: 1 - what are the steps to homeschooling tips, what I need to know, ect. 2 - should I expect a raise? 3 - how do I keep the 1 year old occupied when I start preschool/kindergarten in the fall? Any advice is appreciated.
16 comments:
1. you should check your state to make sure you meet the requirements to home school those children (some only require a high school diploma). It's not as simple as most think though. There are guidelines/rules you must meet and the kids have to be tested (I forget how often) to make sure they're being taught properly.
2. absolutely you should ask for a raise! Home schooling is serious business.
3. there are home school communities and forums on-line that can advise you on how to juggle children of different ages/grades, etc. Google is your friend!
Good luck!
I read this on DCUM. I agree with everything the pp above said and would also suggest you take a college course in curriculum for early childhood and elementary if you haven't already. I took those courses before I changed my major and they taught me a lot. College courses in teaching the fundamentals of math, science and reading are great courses that most community colleges offer. It highlights the specific ways children learn those concepts and teaches you how to teach them.
You can get a lot of teaching material at discount school supplies.com and there is this great line of products for early readers that has creative supplies to keep young children engaged. I need to look through my files to find the name.
Make sure you join a support group and have meet ups with other homeschooled children so that the children get the right amount of socialization. Try to make almost every lesson hands on and use the local resources like museums as much as possible.
Homeschooling is no joke and is a serious commitment, you need to plan every lesson, gather all the supplies and make sure you have a time slot available everyday to focus on academics. You should def be recieving a huge raise because it will be taking time outside of work to plan everything. I personally would never accept a position like that because if I wanted to teach I would be working in a school system like my roommate who is a kindergarten teacher. Not to mention you are taking on basically a second job by doing this so in addition to the basic care a nanny provides, your going to have to track the child's progress, make lesson plans and as they get older grade their work.
Bostonnanny,
Thank you for covering a few other things that needed mentioning. I guess in a way I'm a bit shocked by this parent who'd want her nanny to home school. In my opinion, the mom should have looked for a nanny /caretaker that specialized in teaching. And they don't come cheap.
Are they hoping they will save money doing this? For OP to even ask if she should get a raise leads me to believe the parents never even mentioned it!
Erica,
I was immediately put off by that too. Homeschooling is serious business not just anyone should do it. If you could afford a nanny to homeschool wouldnt you want someone with a degree in education? I mean your paying someone to teach your child, it can't be an issue about money because you would either do it yourself or send to public school. A nanny cost the same as a private school so why not hire someone with a background? This is not to insult OP because I'm sure she is educated but if she is asking how to do this then she doesn't have a background in education. Sounds like the family is looking for a cheap deal that is convenient for them. I would make sure I was paid at least $5 more for all that work involved and have access to a credit card to buy all the supplies I need when I need them.
I completely agree with the PP and I think you were given helpful advice on DCUM as well. Just keep in mind that this will be hard and is a huge commitment. I also agree you should get AT LEAST a $5 raise.
I was home schooled until 9th grade. It was a lot of work and we gave our mother hell. By "we" I mean all 5 of us.
One thing I would say to do is join a home school circle. Other moms with College degrees in certain subject matter are usually more than happy to teach group lessons. It allows for a more professional setting and children tend to listen better to someone else in a small group with other children. It's also great because it generally turns into a play date after the lesson-home school kiddies do need friends!
When the children are a little older, have your MB look into the PACES program. It's simple to get the hang of and each pack comes with a teachers manual. It's very easy to use when you're on the go a lot. Abeka is probably the best curriculum for younger children. It's very friendly and bright, but also VERY expensive. They are great for math and science. Talk with MB. It's great to mix and match curriculum, just make sure you feel totally comfortable doing this. It's a huge commitment and it can get very stressful,very quickly.
*In a hurry so my post is probably
laden with typos!
Real quick! An awesome website is www.iamhomeschooling.com. Make sure your MB is registered to an umbrella/cover school. It is very important. I lived in Florida so I was registered to Alderman Academy.
Look into a cover school for whichever state you live, I cannot stress to you enough of their importance!
And don't freak out! Teachers manuals are very step by step- you will need to plan the night before to have an effective lesson plan,but kindergarten it not rocket science. I've been looking all over for a homeschooling family to work for, so you're lucky! It will be a very memorable experience.
And yes ask for a raise! I cannot believe my mother did it for free! She was insane in the membrane :)
Op here
I have almost completed my degree in early childhood Ed.
Mb literally brought it up in the car when we were just talking no contract signing, no serious talk.
Op, early childhood education or development? AA or BS, I ask because there is a big difference in the courses you take. With a BS in EC Ed you have done some practicums working in the school system that would really help you get a feel for how to set up a classroom and give you a chance to work children in a classroom setting. This is a great chance to speak with the teachers about the best approach.
Anyways, since this wasn't said in a formal setting I wouldn't worry about the homeschooling until they make you an offer and new contract. I don't think mom even fully knows what she's going to do or how it works.
You and the mother need to be explicitly clear on which homeschooling method she wants to use. For example, does she want to use a curriculum or does she want to unschool? What are her thoughts about homeschooling?
I do some research about homeschooling, then, when contract negotiations roll around, I would set aside an hour to hammer all this out.
OP
I saw your post on DCUM and your answers varied a bit. Here you say: "I have almost completed my degree in early childhood Ed.
Mb literally brought it up in the car when we were just talking no contract signing, no serious talk."
There you say: "Op here,
I have taken 3 semesters in college studying early childhood and the kids will be homeschooled until grade 12."
Which is it?
The link wouldn't post:
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/242626.page
She could be almost done with her degree if she is an in an accelerated program.
I don't see any issue with the plans to start in pre-k and go until grade 12.
I am a certified teacher that homeschooled children that were the around the same ages. Since they are not in elementary yet you will be able to homeschool them. In my state you would not be able to do so once the oldest one enters elementary. Many states like the one I am in, require a parent to homeschool. If the parent is not a certified teacher they will then work with a supervising teacher provided by the district. If the parent works and is not able to do the homeschooling themselves, only a certified teacher (with the correct endorsements. Meaning a lic. elementary teacher can only teach them when they are in grades K-6) provided by the family can homeschool them. Since you are looking into a long term future, I would look into the laws of the state you are in.
When I started homeschooling a just turning 3 year old he was already an advanced reader(he was far better then the 3rd-4th graders I taught this past year). You need to make sure it is challenging enough for the level that child is at. When teaching I always had the 9 month old with me. I did a lot of reading activies, so it was easy to keep her engaged that way. I had a whole basement to work with, so it was easy to set up word walls and other stations. The 9 month old at the time was walking. She was able to put up word wall words with help. When her brother had a book, she needed one too. She would then mimic everything he did. When he was doing writing act., she would cry to do the same. I would do hand over hand writing act. with her. It was great to see the older child always wanting her included.
I dont think anyone here needs to know or cares what's posted on the dc site. This is a completely different place. Would you mind not bringing it up?
Thank you for sharing info about homeschooling requirements. The given above tips will help all the children to get online education. Online classes provide quality education with comfort and safety right at your home.
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