POD School- the education experiment 

It has been a school year for the books! 


This year, we said goodbye to public school in lieu of a completely alternative, private pod school set up! This decision was definitely related to Covid-19, but it wasn't actually the virus that compelled us to try something new. 


Before the school year even started, there was so much uncertainty. There were no straight answers. Would classes be smaller? Would they only attend part time? In cohorts? Would they need to stay home and learn online? 


Our kids had just finished a rather poor year already after having numerous school closures due to teacher strikes (which I do support, but that's a conversation for another time) and then the sudden shut down in the spring of 2020, when teachers were not prepared to teach virtually. 


Our first priority has always been our kids, and next to their health, education is number one! Far ahead of extracurricular activities and popularity lists. We couldn't imagine another year of jeopardized education. Not to mention, we are a family with two working parents, so how would we facilitate distance learning? 


When we started this pod School journey, we had far more questions than answers. We were leaning towards sending our kids back to in person learning, knowing full well I may need to take a leave from my job if schools became shut down again.  And that was scary for me personally. I LOVE these kids. They are my world! But I wasn't sure my mental health was strong enough to endure distance learning again. I've struggled with anxiety for several years and am finally feeling like I am myself again. This could have been a big set back. 


And that's when a wonderful friend called us up. She had a brilliant idea and wanted to sit down and talk about it. I'd love to take credit, but it was all Stephanie's idea. 


Pod school. 


So, by mid August we had hired a newly graduated teacher. We had cleared out Steph's basement and purchased almost all the school supplies Amazon had to offer. We searched our basements, and garage sales and came up with a fully functioning classroom. Complete with a teacher's desk, white board, learning resources, books galore, art supplies, maps, paper and pencils!  We named the school "Little Crescent Academy".  


Now this teacher was really the key to our success. She was heaven sent. My kids immediately fell in love with her. Like Miss Honey in the book Matilda.  She is creative, kind and so incredibly reliable.  We were able to continue our school year, right through both school closures, and finished the year ahead of the game. The 4:1 ratio in our classroom was definitely an advantage.  


As with anything, there are always negative aspects to go along with the positive. Like, when your kids come home complaining about someone at school, I always guide them to find someone different to play with. That's not possible in a school of four kids. But that "con", just leads us to the "pro" that is, learning to work through your problems. Not a bad skill to have. And of course, this was not an inexpensive option. But this was the best choice for our family, and I am so grateful we were able to provide this for our kids. 


This week, we ended the school year with a mini graduation, complete with speeches, grad caps and burying a time capsule that we will gather together and open in 10 years.  This is a year, and a teacher that will have a lifelong impact on all of us. 


With the increasing vaccination rates, and the decrease in covid positive cases, we are planning to send our kids back to public school this fall. With the expectation that school won't need to close, and thus deliver a consistent, uninterrupted education.  


My advice to you would be to experiment with education. Explore your options. Think outside the box. Be it home school, private school, schooling online, or taking time off to travel! Do you! Do what's best for you, and your family, and do it with your whole heart!