When I approached Principal Don Smith with my idea of having home schoolers tutor my students one day a week, I was prepared for a negative response. I worried that there might be something in Reinhardt Elementary School policy that would prohibit children who didn't attend public school from participating as volunteers. He surprised me by saying to simply have them get TB tests and to sign in and out regularly at the office.
I immediately talked to the Perkinses, some friends from Chapel in the Woods Bible Church in Dallas, who believe that teaching their children at home is in their best interests. But they were open to the one-day-a-week tutoring project, at least for a trial period. Candi, age 14, needed to finish some work at home, but 17-year-old Joe could start coming on Thursdays.
Kids Helping Kids
Joe began tutoring students in reading and writing, as well as creating classroom posters for several novels we were reading. He worked with students in 6th grade language arts, 6th grade English-as-a-second-language, and 5th grade social studies. After about a month, Candi joined the project. Both Candi and Joe enjoyed the break from their home-schooling routine, and my students appreciated spending time with them.
Joe was particularly interested in art, and, with the principal's permission, started a drawing class for 6th graders on Thursday afternoons. After successfully sharing his drawing talents with other kids, Joe decided to pursue art the following year at Mountainview College, where he won several art competitions.
The next year, I enlisted home schooler Michael Clark as a classroom tutor. I knew Mike's mom as an active organizer of home-schooling parents in our area. Because Mike was only 13, I started him out grading papers and assisting with special projects. He helped two gifted students paint a 15-foot map of the United States on our school's blacktop. After some industrial arts students from the local high school pitched in and gave us a set of engraved state names, our school had a “Label the States” game.
Mike also designed and executed a community service project. With the help of the principal and special education teacher Mercy Colton, Mike and I agreed on a project to build a park bench that would “box” around a tree near the blacktop. After securing donated lumber from a local hardware store, Mike arranged for a dad in his troop to cut the lumber and help him partially assemble the fittings in the special education room. Mike, several kids from my class, his teacher, and I managed to move the partially assembled benches into position where Mike put them together. As a result, Mike earned his position as Eagle Scout, and teachers and students at Reinhardt Elementary enjoy a shady sitting area on the school campus.
A Win-Win Situation
- Older home schooled students can tutor public elementary schoolers.
- Older home schoolers can teach minicourses in art or other specialties.
- Home schoolers can attend music classes offered at the public schools and pay any fees necessary.
- Home-taught students can enroll in school but use the school's curriculum for home study.
- Schools can test home-taught students using nationally normed tests.
- Home-taught kids can be allowed to compete in science fairs and spelling bees along with public school students.
- Home-taught students can be invited to special school events and field trips.
Children must not lose out because no one is willing to meet the parents halfway. My two-year experience with home-taught volunteers convinces me that many other forms of cooperation are possible. We must leave the public school doors open wide for all kids.
