LEAD YOUR HOMESCHOOL CO-OP | Community Building, Servant Leadership, Conflict Resolution, Policies and Procedures

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 you start your co-op out on the right foot from the get-go? Would you believe us if I told you that there are four basic principles in an easy-to-follow plan that can equip you to build your dream-team board. Stay tuned for an introduction to our leadership course! 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 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community. INSIDER

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/talks/amy_e_gallo_the_gift_of_conflict?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High https://a.co/d/0PhwDME   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 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community. https://homeschoolcommunitybuilders.com/signup

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 is a mentor and a good friend of Pam and Molly for going on 15 years now. To learn more about Trisha, visit her website: https://www.mindofachampiontraining.com/. You don't want to miss this mind-blowing episode!   Here is the Ted Talk that Trisha recommended https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_e_gallo_the_gift_of_conflict?subtitle=en   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 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community.  www.homeschoolcommunitybuilders.com

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 our Facebook group- Lead Your Homeschool Co-op https://www.facebook.com/groups/72507320516066 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community.  www.homeschoolcommunitybuilders.com

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/groups/72507320516066 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community.  www.homeschoolcommunitybuilders.com

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 Website: https://hslda.org/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwu-63BhC9ARIsAMMTLXRi3zrqYcK04NZKUxOZyrenuvu0_lLVvScD5njOwAjOPztS8KyaLgYaAv39EALw_wcB   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 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community.  www.homeschoolcommunitybuilders.com

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 not be shaken. – Psalm 62:5-6 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 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community.  www.homeschoolcommunitybuilders.com HSLDA email: groupservices@hslda.org

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- Lead Your Homeschool Co-op https://www.facebook.com/groups/72507320516066 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community.  www.homeschoolcommunitybuilders.com

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 is done under the heavens.  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 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community.  www.homeschoolcommunitybuilders.com

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 Talking When Stakes are High. by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler.  Listen now to find out why you should add this tool to your leadership repertoire!   James 1:19-20  Be quick to listen, but slow to speak. And be slow to become angry Find it here on Amazon - https://a.co/d/7iy42lo   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 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community.   https://www.homeschoolcommunitybuilders.com/

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 a manner that is worthy to be emulated.   Integrity - Titus 2:7 ESV Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity Courage - Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Respect - Philippians 2:2-4then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,  not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.  Humility - Ephesians 4:2   Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  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 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community.  www.homeschoolcommunitybuilders.com

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 open communication between parents and teachers, your co-op will reap great rewards.  Stay with us to hear about how you can set up your co-op to promote communication! Proverbs 19:20: Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. 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 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community.  homeschoolcommunitybuilders.com

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 the things you might want to think about when deciding how to manage your registrations and those wishy-washy families that can’t seem to make a decision! Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart,     but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. 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 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community.  www.homeschoolcommunitybuilders.com

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 day of class.  If you, as a listener, have more ideas, please post them in our facebook group.   Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! – Psalm 32:11   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 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community.  www.homeschoolcommunitybuilders.com

Are you waking up in the middle of the night in a panic with all the things you need to add to your to-do list to get ready for the first day of your co-op? Are you panicking because you don’t even have a list and you know you should, but you don’t even know where to start or what should be the priority? The clock is ticking and you want to be ready. Take a deep breath and relax. Here are 5 simple questions to get you organized and help you think through this process. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming or perfect right out of the gate. Give yourself grace to make changes over time and adjust your expectations, knowing that this is an ongoing process.  You are building a community to grow together in faith and it takes time. 1 Corinthians 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order. Proverbs 30:25 The ants are not a strong people, but they prepare their food in the summer 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 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community.  www.homeschoolcommunitybuilders.com

Are your teachers overwhelmed and lacking confidence in their ability to teach at your co-op? Is your community struggling with inconsistencies among your teachers? Are your teachers burnt out due to spending massive amounts of time planning for their class(es)? In today’s episode, we are talking about teacher training- why it’s so important and how it serves your community to do it.   Educate, Equip, Encourage, Expect Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” 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 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community.  https://www.homeschoolcommunitybuilders.com/

Are you struggling to motivate parents to stay involved?  Do you wonder how you will ever find and train your replacements as leaders?  Do you have student behavior problems that you are having a hard time handling?  All these problems can be mitigated by being a parent-led co-op. Today we are excited to talk about all the benefits that you can experience as a co-op by having parents present and engaged on campus.  Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. 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 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community.  https://www.homeschoolcommunitybuilders.com/

Wish you and your teachers had more insight on how to teach to different learning styles? What if you had the key to unlock your own child's best way to learn? Today, we have a special guest, Dawn Jackson who is an expert on learning styles and personality dispositions to give us some tools to help all the kids in our co-ops thrive. Want to connect with Dawn? Email her: dawn@solimaracademy.com or visit her website: solimaracademy.com Next Steps:  Schedule a coaching call with Molly, Pam and Hannah:  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 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community.  https://www.homeschoolcommunitybuilders.com/

Investment! As leaders, we all want and need the families in our co-op to step up, to volunteer, to stay invested.  But how do we achieve this?  How do we motivate parents to stay involved and to step up and willingly volunteer their time and effort to our co-op?  Two weeks ago we talked about the absolute must of intentionally creating a culture of LISTENING to your families.  Today we are going to talk about another way you can walk that out - by encouraging your families to teach unique classes.  If you haven’t listened to Episode 51 yet, make sure you go back and listen to the why and how to make sure you are hearing from your families.  And stick with us today - we hope this discussion will spur some great ideas for you for your own co-op!  Bible verse Ecclesiastes 8:15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.  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 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community.  https://www.homeschoolcommunitybuilders.com/

Are you ready to get started building a community where you can grow together in faith?  Are you feeling overwhelmed and not sure where to start? Creating a mission statement that will serve your community over the long haul is worth the time and effort you put in up front.  Your mission statement is the cornerstone for the foundation of your co-op and one of the most valuable tools you will utilize time and time again. In this episode we will take two samples of real co-ops and audit them, so that you can have practical ideas to get you started right now! 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 Become a Lead Your Homeschool Co-op Insider and get first dibs on valuable resources to help you lead, organize, and connect your community.  https://www.homeschoolcommunitybuilders.com/ Additional Podcasts - Episode 8: Mission Statement Part 1: Determining Who You Are https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-8-mission-statement-part-1-determining-who-you-are/id1689867945?i=1000632661686   Episode 10: Mission Statement Part 2: Determining What  You Do https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-10-mission-statement-part-2-determining-what-you-do/id1689867945?i=1000633437962