LANSING, Mich. — There’s been a lot of talk about microschooling or teaching in pods.it’s when a few families hold school in their garages or basements for just a few kids at a time. Alicia Nieves looks at the keys to making microschooling successful.
"On March 13th our kids jumped off the school bus all together. There’s nine of them in our neighborhood.” “They were super excited, it sounded like a vacation to them, they had two weeks off but that turned into the rest of the school year.”
Jennifer Quadrozzi in North Andover Massachusetts, and her seven year old daughter have spent the end of the school year and all summer socially distancing with a group of parents and kids in their community.
“We call ourselves ‘the bubble’
”To keep her daughter still protected in their bubble. She has become one of many parents around the country considering microschooling.
“Right now there are three families that are considering it. That age range would be from first grade to third grade and we would follow the curriculum that was develop by our community, our schools.”
The micro schooling model has a few families join together to create a homeschooling pod.
Quadrozzi is planning on converting her daughters playroom to become the pod’s classroom. “We are gonna line desks along this area” and their pod is leaning toward paying an educational facilitator to teach the children during the week.
“That could be anyone from a retired teacher to a teacher’s aid to anyone who got laid off.”
“One of the concerns around homeschooling pods is that there are many parents who can’t afford to pay someone else to teach their kids, but there are some parents finding a way to make homeschooling pods more affordable.”
“I am a stay at home mom and I realize I am very fortunate to be able to do that, but the other parents in our pod are working parents.”
Gentelle Larochelle’s pod has each parent teaching their group of 5 kids, one day of the week.This is not only a more cost-effective model but helps parents who have to work most of the week.
“If this is something that parents want to do the options are there for them it just takes a little creativity"Pods can be formed organically with your friends and family or there arefacebook groups, now forming in almost every state around the country where parents are making connections.These Massachusetts moms have learned the key to creating a pod is
- Starting your search early. You’ll need time to talk with other parents that may be in your group about mostly
- Creating a set of rule or pact for your pod, especially around social distancing outside the classroom.
Because the main reason for micro-schooling is to give kids some socialization while reducing their risk. “my genuine hope is that this is a one year thing, and that by next fall thingsare much much different.”
And just a reminder, FOX 47 is airing a half hour special titles "Safely Back to School" next Tuesday, August 4, at 7PM
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