Now that we are heading into high school, electives are on our radar. Of course, I had a few questions so I headed online and searched a few websites to find the information I needed. Surprising it really isn't that difficult to come up with electives. Here is what we have discovered!
1. Ask your teen what they want to learn about
Does your teen want to learn more about a different culture, a different country, the Chesapeake Bay, the Everglades, Guns, the Wonders of the World, etc? This list is essentially limitless. Almost any subject they want to dig deeper in can be a course.
2. Focus on courses they want to major in when they head off to college
Has your teen decided on a field they want to study in college? Michael right now plans on studying Biology in college, so we have planned on him taking more science based electives. Ornithology, Marine biology, wildlife management, etc. We may even look into classes at the local community college during his junior year of high school.
3. Don't forget Physical Education
Tennis anyone? Don't forget to count the sports your kids play. Therese is currently a member of a local swim team. She practices 4 days a week and competes on Saturday. Michael competes on a competitive shooting team. Travel soccer and baseball teams can be joined. Our local parks and rec offers a homeschool P.E. class for kids offering them an opportunity to play team games...dodge ball, soccer, flag football.
3. Use outside sources when they are available
Besides sports, there a ton of outside opportunities for teens. Theater, dance, art classes, pottery class, and computer classes are just a few that come to mind. Don't forget to utilize local co-ops. Some of our co-ops teach art, foreign languages, photography, Latin, geography courses, and so on. Really any class that you are not covering at home can become an elective. One our co-ops actually puts out a yearbook for the group. Students work on everything to make it come together!
4. Plan your own course
O.K. this might not be easy, but your teen will appreciate it. Michael wanted to learn more about guns since he's part of a shooting team. His interest in guns grew, so he asked to study the history of firearms for an elective this year. I went online searching for something but found nothing. What was going to do? I used my skills from when the kids were little and I created a course just for him. I found a few books to use online, ordered them, read them, and wrote up a course outline. He's thrilled!
5. Don't forget jobs and internships
Our local vet has already mentioned to the kids that they are welcome to come work there and intern. They can see what a vet does during their day and learn more about the animals that come in. Michael would love to work at the wildlife rescue center near us. He'd love to learn about animal rehabilitation. Babysitting could easily be turned into a child development course. The possibilities are endless!
Thanks for joining during the Back to School Blog Hop! Don't forget to stop by and read what the other ladies had to share.
Jennifer @ Dear Homeschooler
Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory
Kelly @ Hope in the Chaos
Kellyann @ Walking Home ...
Kimberley @ Vintage Blue Suitcase
Kristen @ A Mom's Quest to Teach
Kym @ Homeschool Coffee Break
Laura @ Four Little Penguins
Linda @ Apron Strings & other things
Till Next Time,
Monique
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