Are you looking for ways to build a close-knit community and get parents involved? A well-executed graduation ceremony can be a great way to draw people into your community, as well as helping to create a vision for the future for your younger families. Today we are going to talk all things graduation . . it's not too late to start planning for one even for this year! Especially if you have a small group. We are here to help you think through all the logistics and help you get organized. Next St...
Mar 06, 2025•30 min•Ep. 89
Are you frustrated trying to manage responsibilities of leadership along with the rest of your life? Do you feel like you're letting others down because of your lack of efficiency, which is causing you to waste time? Do you long for a day when you no longer feel like you are always missing something? What if I told you that you could actually lead from a place of peace, where the right systems and resources help you feel confident, save time, and get things done? In this episode, we are going to...
Feb 27, 2025•30 min•Ep. 88
Leaders, are you feeling like you are always fighting to get parents to participate? How do you get all members to contribute? Just getting people to show up seems hard, and then you want to ask them to pull their weight? What should you do?! We have definitely been in those shoes and it is a recipe for burnout because we as leaders tend to pick up the slack. That is just not sustainable! Stay tuned today to hear some tried and true principles to help your families get motivated to pitch in and ...
Feb 20, 2025•28 min•Ep. 87
It’s February—this time of year, which is notorious for the "blahs.". Are you feeling worn out? Ready to throw in the towel? Feeling alone? Wondering if what you are doing is even worth it? Maybe you’re feeling that life would be so much easier if you just gave up on this co-op/homeschool group idea and just started homeschooling on your own. We have all been there! In fact, if we are honest, we are feeling it too. We are here today to help you remember your “why” and give you a little boost to ...
Feb 13, 2025•33 min•Ep. 86
When you are a parent-led co-op and your parents make up close to 100% of your teachers, what are things to consider if you want to hire someone from the outside of your co-op to come in and teach a class? Sometimes, we as leaders feel desperate to find teachers to teach the things we want to include in our co-op and we don’t have the parents to do it. Is it wise to bring in outside help? When might it not be the best idea? In today’s episode, we are discussing many things that you should consid...
Feb 06, 2025•21 min•Ep. 85
What ages of kids should be in classes together? If you span all the ages, how many classes do you need, and how do you get all the parent volunteers? Are there different considerations for academic vs enrichment classes? What are the benefits or drawbacks of combining age groups? Today we are going to answer all these questions and more! Bible verse 1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Next Steps: Schedule a coaching cal...
Jan 30, 2025•29 min•Ep. 84
Have you felt isolated and lonely and wondered if there are other like-minded families out there . . . somewhere? Are you ready to build a close-knit community of believers because you have not found a co-op that fits the needs of your family? Are you ready to step out in faith, but you are wondering how you can find those families that fit your vision for a homeschool community? Today, we are going to give you some actionable steps to help you grow your community—whether you are just starting o...
Jan 22, 2025•39 min•Ep. 83
Are you in a parent-led co-op and finding it hard to get your registrations done? You need to plan for classes, but the parents want to know what the classes are, but you need to know who is enrolling in order to plan classes! What is a co-op leader to do? This is a common issue that homeschool co-ops have, but we think you can apply 2 important principles that will give you success this year! Listen in today for those principles, plus a sample class grid that you can use for your planning. Prov...
Jan 16, 2025•31 min•Ep. 82
With Christmas behind and the new year ahead, it’s a good time to do a mini audit and make sure that we are keeping Christ at the center of our co-op. If we want to grow together in our faith as a community, we must be intentional. In order to be intentional, we as leaders must go first. Next Steps: Schedule a coaching call: https://calendly.com/leadyourhomeschoolco-op/coaching-call?month=2024-03 Join our Facebook group- Lead Your Homeschool Co-op https://www.facebook.com/groups/72507320516066 B...
Jan 09, 2025•33 min•Ep. 80
Do you get to December and wish you had more time to really focus on meaningful activities related to Advent and Christmas? Are your kids instead studying for midterm exams and your family is missing the joy and peace that this season is all about? What if you could get out of the rat race and truly focus on celebrating the true reason for the season? Well you can, and we have done it! Listen in for our ideas on implementing a more peaceful December in your co-op NEXT YEAR! 1 John 4:9 This is ho...
Jan 02, 2025•30 min•Ep. 81
In our last episode we talked about burn-out and how to know whether it’s time to pass the torch and step down or to buckle down and step up. This week we want to share some strategies to help you fill your cup so you can thrive as a leader. Leadership is all about serving and oftentimes we forget that not only are we serving our co-op but we are serving our families, churches and communities as well. It’s super easy to neglect ourselves and end up in an energy deficit. Add any length of time to...
Dec 26, 2024•34 min•Ep. 79
Are you feeling mentally and physically drained from leading your homeschool group? Are a few bad apples spoiling the bunch for the entire community? Wish you knew whether or not it was time to throw in the towel and close the doors for good? Ask the right questions and figure out feasible solutions to get your co-op excited and energized once again! Psalm 34:4 I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears. Faith over fear is a decision we make before the struggles hit. It...
Dec 19, 2024•29 min•Ep. 78
Last week we discussed ways to set your co-op up for success when dealing with learning differences in the classroom. Today, we will be talking about what to do when those learning differences cause disruptions on co-op day and in the classroom. How can we create cultural practices and learn methods that help students succeed in the classroom? How do we get teachers and parents on the same page when it comes to scaling the work to the students’ needs? We hope today's episode will give you some p...
Dec 12, 2024•30 min•Ep. 77
Are you looking for wisdom on helping students with learning differences succeed in the classroom? Are you at a loss as to what policies you need or how to create a culture that supports students’ success? Do you wish you knew how to communicate all this to the parents and teachers? Join us for a two part discussion on how to plan for learning differences in the classroom, and how to see this challenge as an opportunity for growth and transformation in your community! Bible verse: Romans 12: 4-6...
Dec 05, 2024•29 min•Ep. 74
In many of our episodes, we tackle how to handle challenges that come up in our homeschool communities. In honor of Thanksgiving Day, we wanted to continue in the tradition of a “thankfulness” episode. This is our 2nd annual! Are you overwhelmed with the planning that it takes to run your co-op? Are you feeling burdened with the conflict that has surfaced or behaviors that are hard? Does it seem like a close-knit community might not be worth all the effort? Today, we would like to focus on a few...
Nov 28, 2024•32 min•Ep. 76
Are you a new listener that is looking for great information on leading your homeschool co-op? Are you motivated to build community, but need ideas, guidance, wisdom, and accountability? You don’t have to do it alone, you’ve come to the right place! We want to share what we have learned with you from our experiences of starting and running homeschool co-ops, and we are so glad that you are here with us on this journey! Today, we are kicking off Season 2 with reflecting on the past year and looki...
Nov 21, 2024•29 min•Ep. 75
Are you intimidated and overwhelmed with the planning that comes with starting a new co-op? Are you struggling with different visions within your leadership team? Are you looking for advice, support, and encouragement for building your board? We get lots of questions about roles on the board, how to make good decisions on the board, who should be doing what, etc. We know that as new leaders, you may have left a previous group due to poor leadership, disgruntled members, or conflict, so how can y...
Nov 14, 2024•40 min•Ep. 73
It seems we can never talk too much about how to handle conflict! In today’s episode, we wanted to review some of the nuggets that we heard from our friend Trisha Kroll last week as well as continue to glean from Trisha in the Q&A segment of our time with her. She talked to our listeners about a mindset shift that can help us approach conflict in a more healthy way. Learn more about Trisha! Visit her website: www.mindofachampiontraining.com Watch Amy Gallo's TedTalk: https://www.ted.com/talk...
Nov 07, 2024•36 min•Ep. 72
How do you approach conflict? Does just hearing the word “conflict” give you a sick feeling in your stomach? Does your heart race just thinking about it? Sweaty palms, anxiousness? Any of this sound familiar? These reactions come from messages in our brain. In this episode we have a special guest, Trisha Kroll, who will share with us about how God created our amazing minds and give us some new tools to deal with conflict. Trisha is a mental toughness coach with Mind of a Champion Training; she i...
Oct 31, 2024•32 min•Ep. 71
So you’re up and running and solidly into your school year. Now what? What ways can you be proactively caring for your community? There are things you can be doing now to prevent unforeseen problems down the road. Listen in to what Hannah and Pam shared during our live Q&A in September and get a head start on creating that community you’ve always wanted for you and your family. Next Steps: Schedule a coaching call: https://calendly.com/leadyourhomeschoolco-op/coaching-call?month=2024-03 Join...
Oct 24, 2024•25 min•Ep. 70
Do you want to offer a time for the kids in your community to have a recess and get their zoomies out? Are you worried that in doing so you will be opening Pandora's Box of bad behavior or conflict between kids and parents? Join us in this episode as we answer this question from our Facebook live Q and A. Next Steps: Schedule a coaching call: https://calendly.com/leadyourhomeschoolco-op/coaching-call?month=2024-03 Join our Facebook group- Lead Your Homeschool Co-op https://www.facebook.com/group...
Oct 17, 2024•23 min•Ep. 69
Do you have a unique question and don’t know where to go to find the answer? Maybe you have a question about laws, record keeping, online classes, or just need advice and want to know what others are doing, but no one seems to have a similar situation to give you sound advice. Look no further, the HSLDA (Homeschool Legal Defense Association) has free resources and advice for homeschool leaders! Tune in for part 2 of our interview with HSLDA’s homeschool leader advocate, Darren Jones. HSLDA Websi...
Oct 10, 2024•32 min•Ep. 68
Are you worried about legal issues with your co-op or with your families? Do you need advice on documents, legal entities or other issues? Today’s interview with HSLDA lawyer, Darren Jones will be so encouraging for you! Listen in to find out all the ways that HSLDA can support your co-op and support you as leader! I’m sure you will hear something that you didn’t know before. Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will n...
Oct 03, 2024•33 min•Ep. 66
On our last live Q&A in facebook Hannah led us in a conversation about insurance for your co-op. If it is feeling like an overwhelming mystery. Take a breath, relax. Help is on the way. Here is a recap along with some resources to get you started. theeventhelper.com (community day) https://www.eventsured.com (dance) https://ncginsurance.com/ NCG Insurance Next Steps: Schedule a coaching call: https://calendly.com/leadyourhomeschoolco-op/coaching-call?month=2024-03 Join our Facebook group- Le...
Sep 26, 2024•34 min•Ep. 67
Are you wondering what you should be prepared for when planning a field trip? Are there things you should think about in advance in order to make the whole process and trip a lot smoother? If you have never planned something on a larger scale, you may be feeling a little anxious about your first field trip. Today we hope to give you the confidence you need to plan and enjoy your first field trip with your community. Ecclesiastes 1:13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that i...
Sep 19, 2024•26 min•Ep. 65
Have you ever been in a situation where you need to have a crucial conversation, but opinions are strong, stakes are high and emotions are rolling like Niagara falls? We try to handle conflict God’s way using Matthew 18, but how many times does it seem like our approach fails miserably and we either can’t solve the problem? We make it worse by hurting others or by trying to keep ourselves from being hurt. In today’s episode, we are doing a review of the book Crucial Conversations - Tools for Tal...
Sep 12, 2024•44 min•Ep. 64
Do you lack committed board members on your leadership team? Is your board lacking unity? Are you wondering why your board is not functioning smoothly? In today’s episode, we want to focus on the characteristics that are necessary to develop as a leader. These biblical principles are characteristics that God calls all Christians to, but especially as leaders, we need to intentionally consider how these principles can help us serve those who are in our communities and also function as a board in ...
Sep 05, 2024•29 min•Ep. 63
Leaders - have you ever had the experience of hearing about problems in the classroom AFTER the school year is over? You might find out that your teachers are frustrated, your students are misbehaving, your parents are in the dark, and you were totally unaware until it was too late to do anything about it. That is a very frustrating moment. It really might be because you are missing this one crucial piece of the puzzle. What is it? Open lines of communication. If you can promote a culture of ope...
Aug 29, 2024•24 min•Ep. 60
It’s August, and it is time to close registration for your homeschool co-op, right? Or do you keep it open because you have families that are interested but have not yet made a decision? Do you allow more people to join at the last minute or even after classes have started? If you are not bursting at the seams, and you want to bolster your numbers, and be available to accept homeschoolers jumping on at the last moment, do you leave your registration open? Today we would like to discuss some of t...
Aug 22, 2024•30 min•Ep. 62
It's mid-August! Can you believe the summer is winding down and it's almost time for school to start and our co-ops to begin meeting again? That means it's time to be thinking about your first day of your community meeting together! The first couple weeks will set the tone for your community, so it is important to try to have a successful start. You will have new people joining you, so we thought it would be fun today to give you some ideas of great ice breakers you can do to kick off your first...
Aug 15, 2024•21 min•Ep. 59
