Tuesday's Tip

Stay State Connected Series

It pays to be informed through your state or province's homeschool association. Be knowledgeable and prepared for the changing times by keeping up with their news. What happens to one homeschool family or homeschool group in your area can happen to you or your members. You won't be surprised or caught off guard without a procedure when you stay connected.

Tip #1--laws & finding a group
Tip #2--conferences & tools

Guest Friday's Answer: Friendly Feedback

This week we wish to highlight the opportunity to make friends with other homeschool group leaders from around the country and to enjoy insightful discussions together through Facebook. Here is one example of one helpful discussion that began in June when this question was asked:

Our group has grown to over 100 families and it is often difficult to get feedback from our members. When we have surveys we only get 1/3 to 1/2 to respond. If you have any suggestions on how your group has made strides in this area, please let me know.

Here's a sample of other leaders' shared experiences, wisdom and encouragement in response:

"Have a drawing for a prize from among the respondents....you could even up the ante by. . . ." (continue)

". . . in general surveyors find that only 10-20% of . . ." (continue)

"We had a drawing for a prizes when doing a survey among. . . ." (continue)

Join in. Chime in. And make homeschool group leader friends on Facebook.

"I am a Homeschool Group Leader" Facebook Group

Chat later,
Denise & Kristen
www.homeschoolgroupleader.com
books & more

Tuesday's Tip

Stay State Connected Series

Your state or province's homeschool organization can support you with time-saving leadership tools. Often state groups provide helpful conferences, educational competitions and informative handbooks that are perfect to share with your members. Here's a list of this year's conferences: calendar. Scroll down on the calendar to see what's coming up the rest of the year.

Tip #1--laws & finding a group

Friday's Answer: Workload??

How much everyday work is there involved in running a homeschool Co-op?

Now this is a question for our co-op leaders with experience! Please respond with your experiences by clicking the "Comments" link at the bottom of this post and writing it in the box given. Your knowledge is valuable and helpful.

Thanks!

Denise & Kristen

www.homeschoolgroupleader.com

Books Available

Tuesday's Tip

Stay State Connected Series

Networking with your state or province's homeschool association can benefit your group greatly. For one, their experience and knowledge of the laws of your area can save you time and the pain of misunderstanding what is expected of homeschoolers and homeschool groups. Here's a list to find a group: state/foreign groups. Here's a summary of state laws and list to find an association: state laws & organizations.

Friday's Answer: Instant Breather

We here at Homeschool Group Leader get a lot of questions about how to live a balanced life when serving so many roles as a mom, wife, daughter, teacher, leader, volunteer, etc.

Elizabeth Prentiss once said something worth remembering and applying to our busy leader lives:

"If you could once make up your mind in the fear of God never to undertake more
work of any sort than you can carry on calmly, quietly, without hurry or flurry, and the instant you feel yourself growing nervous and like one out of breath, would stop and take breath--you would find this simple, common-sense rule doing for you what no prayers or tears could ever accomplish."

I remember sitting around the house a lot after my sixth child, Kathryn Elyse, was born. I had just had a baby and my van was in the shop--the perfect "excuses" for doing NOTHING and going NOWHERE. It was delightful. I lounged and I played with my newborn for two full weeks. My other kids were calmer and more well behaved. My house stayed decluttered--pretty much. I had time to piddle on projects that had been screaming at me for months.

I kept saying to myself, "Why can't it always be like this? Why do I think I have to live at warp speed?" Thoughts of rebellion against the rat race surged through my mind.

Then, I took the baby to church for the first time. Sigh. That's all she wrote. Before I knew it, all my concrete determinations to slow down came to a screeching halt. Soon, I was back in the rat race wishing for those bygone days of peace and quiet.

Leaders don't always have the luxury of sitting and lounging, but the instant we feel things getting too hectic, we can take notice and make some simple changes to slow things down a bit.

When you feel yourself getting out of breath, what's your favorite way to stop and take a breather?? Will you share some of your favorite ways that can inspire the rest of us? Do share!

Blessings for a breather or two,
Kristen
www.homeschoolgroupleader.com

Tuesday's Tip

Time Well Wasted

Today's tip is an incredible article written to ministers (leaders in their own right) about how to waste time well. I pray it blesses you as much as it did us in understanding the value of solitude.

Time Well Wasted

Friday's Answer: Debt of the Mouth

How do I balance my new role as support group leader with my already busy roles of wife, mother, homeschool-teacher, etc?

As a new school year begins, the idea of balancing current responsibilities with new responsibilities can weigh heavy on a new leader's mind. We want you to remember a catchy phrase that will save you tons of stress and time:

Underpromise, overdeliver.

That's it. Simple isn't it. Or is it?

When you say yes to everything under the sun, you can quickly go into debt--debt of the mouth. And what if you can't "pay up?" What if your child ends up puking through the night or your husband is called away out of town with his job and he needs you to mow the lawn, get the car inspected and pay the taxes all while he's gone or you just realize that math hasn't been graded in, like, three months. . . ? We often make commitments, fully expecting to be able to follow through, and then. . .life happens and suddenly, we can't pay up.

It's like personal finances and debt. We make commitments to borrow money, fully expecting to be able to repay the debt in the allotted time, then life happens and suddenly we can't. It is better never to go into that debt in the first place!

So. . . spend your yes-es wisely. When you invest of yourself and your time, make it count for the most.

When you underpromise and overdeliver, you will be free to enjoy your time as a servant leader, investing in the hearts of homeschoolers, owing no one anything but a debt of love!

We promise!
Kristen & Denise
www.homeschoolgroupleader.com

Tuesday's Tip

Nametag Fun

With a new school year comes new families to your homeschool group. A fun twist on nametags is to ask each person to add a descriptive adjective to their first name. For example, nametags bearing "Joyous Jessica" or "Harley Davidson Hank" tell you a lot about each person's character or what they like.