A Homeschool Co-op Helped Me Accomplish Much More Than I Could Have Alone

What is a homeschool co-op? It’s a group of families that come together to educate their children. Many are Christian and Bible-based. Ours met once a week. My children got to meet other students and learn from parents who taught classes. The parents were usually experts in their field. For example, a physician taught the biology class, complete with hands-on projects—even dissecting a pig!

Let me back up. I dreamed of homeschooling my children when I first heard about it. But back then there were few options. No one in my little town had even heard of homeschooling! My husband and I prayed and forged ahead, trusting God to direct our path and determined to train up our children in the way they should go. Then a miracle happened. The Lord opened the door for my husband to work in another city. And it had a thriving homeschool co-op just six blocks from our new house! I didn’t know what a homeschool co-op was, but I was excited to find out.

Soon after we unpacked the moving truck, we signed up for classes. Options were available for every age. We chose world literature, Irish dance, Medieval history, chemistry, math, and more. We were ready to start our new journey.

After orientation, several moms showed us the ropes. The students learned their schedules and moved from class to class like pros. I could sit in on my children’s classes. And if a child wasn’t in a class, that child could sit with me, play in the gym, or read books in the library.

The best part of belonging to a homeschool co-op was the community.

The best part of belonging to a homeschool co-op was the community. They helped me meet my homeschool goals. How? Since the teachers set the assignment standards and due dates, my children were HIGHLY motivated to get their work done on time. They were competitive, so they worked extra hard to turn in papers and projects that got top marks. They wanted to please their teachers and outshine their peers! It was a winning strategy. My children were ultimately accountable to my husband and me, but they were motivated to go above and beyond to please their teachers.

Another benefit of belonging to the co-op was that my children befriended students their own age. A positive form of peer pressure helped them mature and develop confidence in their relationships with other students who came from like-minded Christian families.

I’m thankful to all the godly homeschool co-op teachers who motivated and influenced my children one day a week. They made it possible for us to enjoy the journey of homeschooling more because we weren’t doing it alone.