Homeschool World Forum

[Classical Guy]

Hello ~

I am a European living in the USA, dissatisfied with the business world, where I’ve been working as a corporate trainer and writer for over 10 years. I am thinking of giving back to my community by opening a small homeschooling academy (grades 6 through 12) with a concentration on classical education, which is my forte. I’ve tutored on and off for several years, and I think I could do this (God willing) although I have still a few perplexities.

The model I have in mind is very close to the one I grew up with (in Italy), only with a smaller class size and more personalized attention. Half day format, 5 days a week, with 6 students max per class; one set of students in the morning, one in the afternoon. Subjects would be English (lit and composition), history, philosophy, logic and rhetoric, Latin, arts, sciences, geography, music and fencing.

I have already researched which curriculum I’d be teaching, and which textbooks I’d be using. There are, however, quite a few things that still puzzle me, which is where I’d really appreciate some help:

1 - Should I try to find students that are all the same age for each class period, for example, all 9th graders in the morning and all 7th graders in the afternoon? Or is there a way to get around teaching kids of different ages in the same sessions?

2 - I am thinking of teaching out of my home, since I have a spacious room with a bathroom just down the corridor that would lend itself perfectly to this. Are there any legal/liability considerations I should be aware of? Would I be better off teaching out of a library?

3 - I wouldn’t be able to offer science lab, although trips to the local natural-history museums (I am in the DC area) would be more than feasible, and although my concentration is on the humanities. Still, do you think this may handicap my school and the kids?

4 - Besides researching curriculum, looking ahead to standardized test preparation, ensuring I have the prerequisites to administer exams in my state, and, of course, ensuring that I truly want to do this, is there anything obvious I’m missing?

Thank you so much in advance for any help. This would be my dream come true, and a wonderful way to be actively engaged within my community.

[elliemaejune]

It sounds interesting, but the thing you are missing is that it would not be a "homeschooling" academy. Children who are in another setting than their own homes, 5 days a week, being taught by someone who is not a parent, are not homeschooled.

Also, I doubt that you would be able to use a public library for your school.
_________________
Married to Mr. Ellie for over 30 years
Mother to 2 dds and 2 dsil
Grandmother to 1 sweet boy
Caretaker of 2 dear kitties, 1 French bulldog, 1 dachsund, and 3 budgies