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| Model of the Globe Theatre |
Life is good. The water has gone down. He came home. I have a passport! On top of all that, I know more about soybeans than I thought possible, Norman Rockwell used cutting edge technology, Shakespeare was brilliant in his use of high and low comedy, Haydn’s Farewell Symphony is beautiful yet manipulative, Paul Laurence Dunbar knew the Wright Brothers, my children sew better than I do and boys and girls singing “The Keys to Canterbury” back and forth is too sweet.
Our Mason-style co-op, Truth, Beauty, Goodness just met and the above paragraph is just a sampling of all we enjoyed in our 4+ hours together. Previously, I wrote about the questions that are posed to new participants in our group. You can read that post here. Now I’d like to explain our schedule for you.
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| Helianthus annuus |
We meet a total of 8 times per semester:
- 1 planning meeting
- 6 co-op meetings (every other Friday)
- 1 Family Night
This does not include any extra trips for shows/performances/etc.
The Planning Meeting
With planners, calendars and a computer spread over the table, the planning meeting is where the moms gather together and choose the dates we will meet, the homes we will meet in and our specific plans for our subject. We talk about how we might do things differently and where we might improve. I usually send a question our beforehand that we also discuss – something like “How is what I do here for the children’s sake?” or “How will I establish more relationships in our group?” or even “What is something that Mason said about my subject that I will try to implement?”
Next, we go over the schedule carefully. We use short lessons and vary the types of lessons. It might not look like it, but this is pretty intense as complete attention is expected and generally, the kids have learned to attend very well.
The Co-op Meetings
Below is the schedule for our meetings.
Shakespeare 8:30-9:05 35 min.
Folksong 9:05-9:15 10 min.
Picture Study 9:15-9:35 20 min.
Handicrafts 9:35-10:15 40 min.
Snack 10:15-10:35 20 min.
Hymn 10:35-10:45 10 min.
Composer 10:45-11:05 20 min.
Poetry 11:05-11:25 20 min.
Nature Study 11:25-12:25 60 min.
(see more schedules on the TBG Community page for 2013-2014 and 2014-2015)
There are a few issues with the schedule. Also, the handicrafts section is new this semester for us and it seems to be working out well-it just pushes lunch back pretty late for some families. We try to keep nature study last, as each child takes a different amount of time to work in their notebooks.
I hope that you find this explanation of our co-op schedule helpful! It is an event our family anticipates and enjoys preparing for between meetings.
Hi Nancy! You have such a beautiful group. Have you ever met weekly, and if so, did you find it to be too much? What made you choose every other week?
Thank you!
Hi, Stephanie!
First, no, we have never scheduled it for every week. We chose every other week because we thought that’s how much time would be needed to finish the work begun at each session and because we all had large families with other subjects and activities going on. In the long run, I think it was the best decision for our group as it has allowed us to grow and change and stay at it for 13 years (so far!). Each family just has so many other factors that if we met weekly, I suspect much wouldn’t get done. This way, everyone has plenty of time to finish the work, even if a sickness or unplanned event happens.
Warmly,
Nancy
Hello Nancy! I was just reading about the TBG co-op for the first time here. I love this! Is there a link somewhere for info on starting a group where I live, or info as to if there is already a group where I live? Thank you! Perhaps I just do not see it. We live in Pittsburgh, Pa. God bless, Tracy Born
Dear Tracy,
We are so blessed to be in our 12th year. Our TBG Community has been such an awesome part of our homeschool experience. For our model, I have listed all the pertinent documents on our TBG page here – https://sageparnassus.com/tbg-community/
Ours is based on a small, in-home model. CMIC has lots of other helpful links. http://www.charlottemasonincommunity.com/ (See “Start a Community”)
We occasionally hold teacher-training Awakening sessions. Let me know if you have any more questions! Blessings on your school year!
Warmly,
Nancy
Thank you for sharing this schedule! Based on how often you meet and what you cover, do you still regularly hit the specific subjects that happen weekly on the off-weeks at home? For example, handicraft and an art study might still be executed on the off-weeks to bring beauty on a weekly rhythm.
Hello, Deborah!
Yes! So handicrafts are continued and enjoyed at home during the off weeks. For picture study, the picture is displayed and admired on the off weeks. Shakespeare is read and the Act would be finished. Folksong and hymn would be sung daily. For composer, there would be the listening assignment. Poetry would be read daily. And there would be a Nature notebook entry or two between meetings.
Warmly,
Nancy
Sounds like a great group, and I'm so glad you got your passport in time.
This sounds like great fun. I ran a Keepers of the Faith class for just over a year, but found I was doing all the work and other moms kept cancelling out if something else came along :o( Great to see your group so successful.
Blessings
Shirley
It looks as if you and your group have hit on a successful schedule. I totally envy your organization and dedication and wish we could be a part of it. We still have not found our niche in the co-op world. I hope things continue to going along swimmingly for you all.