I'm going to do what now?!?!?!?

Some of us moms from our local homeschooling group are putting together co-op classes. Parents and/or kids will teach classes that other kids and/or parents can take. I am very jazzed about this idea. It is the sort of thing that has rattled around in my head, but I've always put off thinking about until the kids were older. But now here it is, and someone else is taking on most of the responsibility!

I have signed up to "facilitate" (that's "teach" in the vernacular) sixteen classes! These are one-time classes, not weekly meetings, so that isn't as busy as it sounds. Mostly I am sticking with the preschool set, as that is what I am used to with my own kids, but I am venturing into the older kids territory for a couple of classes. Let's see, I'm teaching cooking, yoga, beading, painting, theater, bug hunting, closed-form poetry, and a whole bunch more!

It is, I have to admit, very exciting, but also more than a little terrifying! What do I know about teaching (or facilitating) a group of little kids to do anything? I can barely get my two little ones to do anything! I am a shy, mousy little person! I am not someone who teaches yoga classes to preschoolers! Speaking of yoga, perhaps it is time to take a deep, cleansing breath! Ahhhhhhhhhh.

So here is the plan. I am going to do a lot of planning. I am going to have a very clear idea of what should happen in the classroom. But, I still want to be flexible. Kids are great at throwing surprises your way! I am going to have to rehearse acting like a confident "good" teacher-type person. It is sort of like pretending to be someone I'm not, but not exactly. I will actually be pretending to be someone I'm not-very-often.

Wish me luck!