As I started exploring the dynamic world of homeschool education, I never realized how many different methods there were to practice home learning. The possibilities for directing home learning for your family are limitless. It was almost overwhelming to learn to learn about co-ops, pods schools, University Model schools, un-schooling - not to mention to endless opportunities for curriculum.
However, one such method caught my attention almost immediately. It checked every box.
Hybrid Homeschools.
Hybrid homeschooling is the Venn diagram of homeschool education. It is balanced. It is structured, yet flexible. It is creative, yet traditional. And that was just right for me!
In one circle, there is formal class time for students with hired instructors. These instructors teach classes 2-3 days per week in a professional setting, usually outside the home. There are small class sizes. And there is generally a traditional school day - with lunch periods, recess, picture days, proms, graduations, elective classes, science fairs, and field trips.
Still, however, even within this "traditional" school atmosphere, students are learning in a homeschool program. This means the hybrid organization and its leadership dictate the school calendar, attendance policies, dress codes, curriculum, standardized testing and more. A hybrid model allows for creative scheduling and systems - opportunities to maximize classroom time and home learning.
In the other circle, parents lead education in their homes. Students are learning at home for the majority of the week, with the parents directing their home class time. Parents are usually provided a curriculum in a hybrid program, as this is the same curriculum that is used in the classroom. However, parents manage which curriculum they use at home, and parents are able to supplement with additional reading and practice materials as well.
In the middle is co-teaching. Herein lies the beauty of hybrid homeschool models. Instructors and parents work together to personalize each student's education. Parents have an outside resource for guidance, if needed. The instructors provide resources and support to parents, while parents get to stay in the driver's seat of their child's education.
In our modern world of hybrid and remote working, travel, and technology, a hybrid model perfectly fits as a useful and creative tool of education. Hybrid homeschools can challenge students, while allowing the time for exploration and creativity. They utilize technology and text books, the internet and socialization, and structure and flexibility - all in one school program.
The leadership at Huron Academic Endeavors has designed our homeschool initiative to be a hybrid homeschool program. We have taken a "best of both worlds" approach, and it is paying dividends for our own children and our community. Come join our hybrid approach and find out what a 21st Century homeschool education can be!
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