Homeschooling in High School with Greenhouse
Our headmaster, Tom Spacek, sat down in his office in Wheaton, IL recently to answer a few questions from a parent who is considering the Rhetoric program. We thought his answers would be helpful for anyone considering homeschooling through high school.
What advantages are there to do the Rhetoric program at Greenhouse over doing high school at a public or private school?
Tom: Let me answer this from perspective of the values of co-schooling, with a few practical implications sprinkled in.
Your student will grow in self-learning. In rhetoric, Greenhouse cultivates the students’ ability to teach themselves. After all, most of our lives we learn on our own, not in formal classroom settings. At Greenhouse your high schooler will learn to work from a syllabus, and how to manage their time. They learn when they need help, and how to ask for it. For students going on to higher education, they will be well-prepared compared to their peers. For students pursuing options other than college, they have the tools for life-long learning to apply wherever they go.
Your child will learn in the midst of a cohort. Discussions, group projects, friendships, differences all shape the students’ experiences of a cohort. Students have opportunity to function in a small group, being known and bringing their respective strengths to bear… within the same community of learners. We have found that the cohort model tends to build camaraderie rather than competition. Naturally some level of competition occurs, but it is not the focus as is often the case in many school settings.
Your child will interact with older and younger students. Different than the artificial segmentation by age found in most school settings, the rhetoric program situates students in active relationship with those younger and older than they are. This helps offset some of the natural egocentricity of youth and better represents life beyond school.
Your student will explore big ideas. In contrast to many schools, the curriculum at Greenhouse is designed to allow students to explore – in a Christian context – many of the big ideas which shape us, and have shaped history. Rather than a utilitarian education, Greenhouse focuses on what it means to be human, and what it means to live well. Students examine differing worldviews and value systems, and begin to wrestle with ideas that will impact how they live out their lives.
Your child will be offered remarkable flexibility. Since most Greenhouse students are in-class only one day a week, they have tremendous flexibility with the remainder of their schedule. Because they are not in school all day every day, they can pursue activities, interests, or workplace experiences during hours when traditionally-schooled students cannot.
Your student will experience a thoroughly and broadly Christian community. While this may be true of other private Christian schools, there are few which embrace the breadth of expressions of the Christian faith that one finds at Greenhouse. Students are invited into the prayerfulness which characterizes the Greenhouse community. Moreover, Greenhouse teachers are very intentional about the integration of faith with the disciplines they teach, both in terms of content of and the approach to the subject.
Your student will be challenged to grow as a servant leader. Life at Greenhouse focuses on servant leadership and provides multiple contexts for high school students to live it out. Opportunities to grow are available to, and encouraged in, all of our students, not just those identified as “leaders” per se. This mission is mirrored in very few other schools.
How do we handle transcripts and grades for high school? Are there things the co-teachers do that help that process?
Tom: Through FACTS, our teachers will provide grades for all of the coursework associated with Greenhouse. Additionally, we provide course descriptions suitable for transcripts. Colleges now are now quite familiar with transcripts from homeschoolers. While it is a task which parents need to attend to, it is a manageable task, and a variety of online tools are available. Also, Greenhouse has offered parents occasional transcript workshops to help with the process.
We are two working parents. Can we realistically home school through high school at Greenhouse?
Tom: Actually, I believe that from a parent’s perspective, it is easier to home school during high school at Greenhouse than it is during the younger years. At the rhetoric level, parents really become coaches, with students carrying most of the responsibility for their studies. With my four children, my primary roles were:
Checking to be sure they were on-task, i.e. had a workable schedule that they were following. As you might imagine, such a role is more important and active in their freshman and sophomore years. As upperclassmen, they had it pretty well in-hand.
Monitoring their grades and timely submission of their work. By regularly checking the online portal (FACTS), I could see if they had missing work, or were struggling academically.
Reviewing and helping with editing or proofing major written assignments. This will vary depending on how much your child invites you into the process. In our home, Jennifer or I would at the very least proof their work before submission especially in the earlier years. Depending on the child, we might also ask questions, make suggestions or observations along the way. The time commitment varied by child, but was not burdensome, except when they failed to give some advance notice, which is then something we talked about.
Responding to or discussing ideas which surfaced in their studies. This is just a joy, when they invite you into their lives. Typically it happened around the dinner table or during unstructured time.
Working alongside coaching them with the mathematics related particularly in Chemistry. For one of my children, this was where I was most consistently involved. We met for about a ½-hour 2-3 mornings a week to help her through chemistry problems, and develop techniques and strategies.
Your student will need coursework (e.g. math, foreign language) beyond the 3-1/2 credits offered each year in our core program. We offer electives for some of what is needed. Your child can complete other coursework at home using curriculum you purchase, or online studies, under your direction (as coach). Alternately, you may utilize the services of local schools, co-ops or community colleges for specific courses you need. Depending on your work schedules, you may want to consider summer courses or evening courses when filling out the rest of your child’s curriculum. Don’t forget the flexibility which co-schooling offers your student.
Got more questions? We have more answers, just ask.
Continue exploring our Rhetoric program for high school students online.If you have specific questions, use the contact form and our Rhetoric Dean, Carolyn Palmer, will respond and help you discern if Greenhouse would be a good fit for your high school student.