Education Outside the Classroom

Children’s education should not be limited to a school building and homework in the evening.  We all know that true learning isn’t just about memorizing history facts and solving math problems. Learning is an interactive — and lifelong — process of analyzing, questioning, and discussing; learning is looking for new meanings and unique applications of knowledge in every situation.

Most parent know this, but in our busy world, how do we give our children the joy of seeing this world outside academics?

Hosting an au pair is just one way to accomplish this.  It is a chance not only to learn about another culture, but to share our own and in the process learn something about it ourselves.

Here is a great article from Parents.com with seven suggestions for helping your children learn outside the classroom.  I also like to think of these as seven ways au pairs and children and the whole family can spend time together learning.  Learning about science and math, space and nature, people and culture.  

International Students at College of Lake County

I wrote a blog last week about how the laws surrounding ESL classes have changed in Illinois.  To recap: Au pairs and other people on student visas may no longer take the free ESL. They must instead register as students and take English Language Instruction.

Today I would like to concentrate on the benefits this change offers Au Pairs.  The ESL classes are designed to for legal aliens who are entering the work force. The ELI Classes at CLC are designed for students looking to further their studies.

Registering for ELI classes gives au pairs all of the benefits of being a student at CLC not the least of which is access to campus events and clubs giving them ways to connect with people their own age.

The next session begins in January!

Here is a great video that explains why these are the perfect fit for au pairs.

About ELI Classes

What are ELI classes?

ELI (English Language Instruction) courses are ESL classes for students who would like to continue studying in American colleges or universities or who would like to practice their career in the US. You will learn necessary academic language and study skills that increase your chances of succeeding in future college classes. Class size is small, homework is assigned and every attempt is made to help students reach language proficiency as quickly as possible.

Which ELI class should I take?

This will depend on your placement test score and your academic goals. If you already have a CELSA test score, you may use that score for placement. New students should take the COMPASS ELI test for placement. If you just want to improve your language in one skill only, such as grammar or pronunciation or research writing, take ELI 100 classes. If you need to improve all English skills as quickly as possible to get language proficiency to take college courses or practice a profession, you should take ELI 101-107, depending on your test score (see below). If you have attended high school in the US and you only need to improve your reading and writing skills to take college classes, you should register for ELI108 or ELI 109, depending on your test score (see below). If you are a new student in the US and are not familiar with the educational system here, you could also take ELI 125 Introduction to American College Culture. ELI 125 is college level and may be transferred to another school and counted towards graduation.

A Backpack Full of Homework

One of the things we often ask an au pair to do is help with homework. I want to stress, that while this is a totally acceptable task as far as the au pair program goes, it is something should be well thought out and strategically implemented.

 

 

First of all you want to make sure that your potential au pairs are all aware that this is something you want her or him to tackle.  Stress your children’s ages and what the homework will entail.   If this is a job you really need an au pair to do, it needs to be a part of your interview with them.  (Go Au Pair Mutual Match)

It is important to remember that as the child ages the homework gets harder and takes longer. Is your au pair prepared?  Make sure she knows who to turn too if it is getting difficult to deal with.

For whomever is will be the homework coordinator in your home, here are some great tips from Parenting.com.

Don’t Fake It

Don’t try to muddle through homework you don’t understand. Pretending you’re a geography guru will lead to mass confusion (we’re pretty sure Orlando is not the capital of Florida). Instead, when you’ve reached a roadblock, send an e-mail to the teacher for clarification or touch base with her at drop-off and request extra resources on the topic.

Ask Professor Google

The marvels of modern technology can come in handy if a particular problem has you scratching your head.  A quick search on the Internet can often provide the clarity you need or jar some basic academic concepts back to the forefront of your mind. There are also online forums (including subscription-based ones) dedicated to certain subjects that can help you brush up your skills. The Khan Academy for math, and CyberSleuth Kids offers free study help for subjects including language arts and science.

Create a Homework Hotline

Don’t hesitate to phone a friend — take some time to identify the areas you don’t excel in and create a roster of people you know who are adept in those subjects, such as your science-minded spouse and your history-buff neighbor, and who would be willing to help when you and your child are stumped. Ask your child to suggest contacts as well, so he’ll feel comfortable reaching out for help when you can’t support him.

Consider using your social-media network to broaden your group of smarty-pants backups. A post on Facebook, Twitter, or other networking site may soon lead to your newsfeed being jam-packed with information on the Constitution or tips on how to craft a haiku.

Don’t Mix Dinner and Diagrams

If you’re attempting to make dinner while trying to master the order of the planets in the solar system, there is guaranteed to be a mix-up along the way. Doing everything plus a side of fractions is going to create a tense, distracted environment. Your ability to comprehend an assignment may be hindered if you don’t read it properly. So before you stress about what you don’t know, take a break and give it a second glance later on, when you can focus.

Education continued… Host family obligations

OK so you have decided on hosting an au pair.  You know that somewhere in all that info there was something about and education requirement.  You will just deal with that when she gets here or just let her sort it out.  WRONG!

Many host families do just that, but it really makes it much more difficult for both au pair and host family.  I am a big proponent of panning ahead especially when everyone’s crazy schedules have to match up.

I suggest using the prospect of the class credits in your interview process. Find out what she wants to study, what her interests are.  Let her know what time of day she will be available to take the classes. Sometimes the class she really wants is not offered when she is free.  Send her links to your local colleges and discuss travel times and means as well.

Remember:

• Host families reimburse tuition costs and costs of related materials (books and supplies) up to $500 for the first year. EduCare companions are reimbursed up to $1000 for the first year. If the au pair chooses classes that will more than $500 (or $1000 for EduCare) she will have to the additional expense.
• Host family is required to provide transportation, including gasoline, parking, or public transportation costs (if applicable) to and from classes in your community. The cost of transportation is in addition to the $500/$1000 allocated to tuition and related fees.
• For the au pair to extend into a second year she will need to have proof of 72 hours by her 11th month. If you want to extend with her, make sure that she is up to date on her requirements

An option that is available is Au Pair Weekend Classes.  If you and your au pair are having a hard time finding the right fit for the Education requirement, these are a great alternative.

Important information about the requirement for the au pair can be found in this blog.

Don’t blow off that education component.

In my opinion many au pairs and host families don’t take the education component of the au pairs program seriously enough.

On the outset, it may seem easy enough to fit 72 hours of classroom hours into a year, but it takes planning to make sure that it can fit everyone’s schedule and budget.

It is important to remember that education is a requirement of the State Department of the United States. They are the governing body for the program and they set the rules.  If  an au pair does complete her requirement, this puts at risk both her and her host family’s involvement in the program.

Don’t think of it as a drudge though.  Taking a course will provide yet another level of experience during your year and yields many skills that you can use to further your personal goals. You may also make new friends and professional contacts

At the local colleges J-1 Visa student will have to take an English proficiency test before they are allowed to register for general education classes.  If they cannot pass the test there are two options:

• You may take any of the non credit classes as long as you end up with 72 classroom hours in the end.  These are usually cheaper and held in the evening or on weekends.
• Take an ESL class to learn English

Change to ESL in Illinois

It is important to remember that Illinois law regarding ESL classes has changed.  In the past ESL classes were free to all foreign students regardless of visa type.  This has officially changed and au pairs will now have to pay per credit as with any other college level class.  At College of Lake County for example, it will cost and au pair approximately $120 a credit hour.

How to prove you have taken the classes.

After you have taken the required hours you will have to get that information to Go Au Pair by your 11 th month.

You will need to submit at least one of the following

• Letter from the school on letterhead
• Completion certificate from the school
• School transcript

All proof of education must state your name, ID number, school attended, course title, and number of credits/hours earned.

The host family has obligations too.  Read about them here. 

The College of Lake County is offering four new special topics courses this fall.

 

Remember that Au Pairs need to take classes offered by an accredited college or university.

Are you fascinated by history or sociology? If you are then you are in luck! The College of Lake County is offering new classes in these fields of study this fall.

The courses are History of the Middle Ages, History of the Cold War and Latinos in Society

History of the Middle Ages (HST 299-002):

This class covers the development of the church and monasticism, events such as the Viking raids and follows the development of the Papacy, its tensions with secular rulers and heresy. It will cover medieval warfare; the Crusades; the 12th century Renaissance; the histories of the kingdoms of France, Germany and England and their influential rulers; the Black Death; the Hundred Years War and the Avignon Papacy.

History of the Cold War (HST 299-001):

This course examines the Cold War as a global phenomenon, covering not only the military and diplomatic history of the period but the social and cultural impact of the superpower confrontation.

Latinos in Society (SOC 121-013):

The course will examine the experiences of various Latino subgroups from a sociological perspective. Learn about how Latinos have been studied and how they are integrated into various social institutions (education, government and economy). Students will also examine Latinos’ experiences with prejudice, discrimination and racism, family life and other hot button issues such as sexuality and immigration.

 

For more information on these courses, contact the Social Sciences division at (847) 543-2047 or visit www.clcillinois.edu/divns/socdv.asp. Fall semester classes begin Aug. 26. To learn more about fall semester offerings and how to apply and enroll, visit www.clcillinois.edu/fall. For help with the registration process, call (847) 543-2090.

If you have questions about how an au pair can take to fulfill the education requirement, please contact your LAR or go to our the Chicago page of the Go Au Pair website.

“Part-time” Au Pairs

So you really really want to try the au pair program.  The cultural exchange aspect truly appeals to your family.  As you are looking at the program you realize ” I do not need 45 hours a week of childcare”  Your kids are all in school  from 7 in the morning to 2 or 3 in the afternoon. You need someone to drive them to lessons and practices, but no way is that going to add up to 45 hours a week. Why waste the money?  On the other hand you know that older kids really benefit from having a “big sibling” to count on. Someone other than mom and dad to bond with and  learn from, but someone you still trust.  Is there an option out there for you?  You bet!

It is called the EduCare program.  Au Pairs in this program have the same requirements as those in the Standard Au Pair program, however the program is designed for families with school-aged children.

The requirements of the EduCare program are:

• EduCare Au Pairs work 30 hours per week instead of 45 hours
• The EduCare weekly stipend is only 75% of the Standard stipend
• EduCare Au Pairs are required to complete 12 credits of post-secondary education at an accredited institution
• The EduCare education allotment is $1000 per year instead of $500
• EduCare Au Pairs are not permitted to care for children under 2-years-old
• EduCare Au Pairs may provide care for children up to 18-years-old

Au Pair mom had a great discussion about this a while ago.   What do you think?

Go Au Pair  has Au Pairs who are interested in being in the EduCare program. Why not investigate this option to see if it is right for your family?

Language Immersion

Research indicates that the earlier a second language is introduced in the life of a child the better.  Because of this many schools are offering language immersion programs as an option for students and their families as early as Kindergarten and even some preschools. Spanish and Mandarin seem to be very popular languages for these programs.

I have many families who host an au pair as a way to supplement the language practice at home.  Au pairs are the perfect language tutors since they are with your children on a daily basis and can reinforce at home what the children have learned in their language program at school.

In addition to the children learning the new language, they can help the au pair learn English. This reciprocity can reinforce the new language for the children, by helping them better understand their own language.

Studies have shown that it is best to start children as early as possible on a new language and what better way than to have their caregiver speak it with them.

Here is an example of one of the au pairs in our cluster.  She started to care for this little girl when she was a 3 months old and spoke to her in both English and Chinese.  When the little girl began speaking she did so in both languages.

Go Au Pair has au pairs from all over the world.  I encourage everyone who wants a bi-lingual child to explore this great childcare option.

How to learn a new language?

I know that many au pairs come to the US to learn or perfect their English skills.  Learning a foreign language through immersion can be challenging, but also fun. And interesting. And overwhelming some days too. Some learn languages more quickly than others, but even those who learn foreign languages easily still have their days.

So how can you learn to speak English like a native?  You are taking that class a the local college, but  let’s face it you are still going to have to work hard outside of class if you want to learn to speak the language fluently.

Here are a few things that help speed up the language-learning process:

Stop speaking your own language with your host family – if your host parents speak your language well, it’s tempting to stick with the comfort of your mother tongue when speaking with them. Give yourself a set amount of time to learn the basics of the new language and get comfortable with it, and then stop speaking your own language with your host parents so that you are forced to speak the new language. It’s a bit scary at first, but it will make a difference.

Meet locals and and talk to them! – Getting out and meeting people is important – not only socially, because you want new friends – but also to speak the language. And just like with your host parents, even if your new friends and acquaintances speak your language, do your best to converse – at least as much as you can – in English. As they say,practice makes perfect, and with languages, it tends to be true (as long as your friends are willing to correct your errors!).

Watch local tv shows and movies – Even if you don’t understand everything that is being said, watching TV and movies in English is a fabulous way to learn the language, especially because you will learn the language the way it is actually spoken – not school-book language. To baby-step it, you can even rent movies that you have already seen in your own language and change the settings to watch it in the local language. You’ll know what is going on AND benefit from learning new words and expressions. Give it a try!

 

 

Keeping peace with the children

Guess what? Siblings arguing, squabble, bicker, fight or just plain ‘at each other’s throats’.  It is the dreaded Sibling Rivalry and it is not pleasant to hear, see or deal with. However It is simply part of human nature to disagree and challenge, though children have to learn where the limits for such behavior lie. So how can we cope with it, teach them, help them understand and keep our sanity? The following will help everyone, parents, families, au pairs and babysitters alike to deal with arguments between children.

1. “Do It Yourself” – Encouraging Children to Solve it Themselves

When you end up in an argument with someone, like your spouse for example, do you always need a mediator or in-law to intervene? I suspect that not only do you not need a mediator, but likely don’t usually want one. Children, like most adults have a desire for independence. When they find themselves squabbling, do not run to stop it unless truly necessary. Let them put their skills into action. Kindly remind them that you know they are capable of solving the problem themselves. When things have calmed, grasp teachable moments to help them better understand how to communicate and resolve.

2. Busy Means Bliss

The more bored you are, the more trouble you are bound to get into. It applied to us as toddlers, children and even today. The busier you keep those children, the less they will feel compelled to argue and fight, mainly since their minds will be elsewhere and their little bodies occupied.

3. Lead by Example

Like everything else we do in life, we’ve had to learn how to do it first. We have learned by observation or explanation. It is your responsibility, as a trusted example, to be sure you are always showing positive ways of dealing with conflict in your home. Children should never witness you shouting, raising your voice or being unreasonable. It can almost be guaranteed, if you behave in a negative manner, children will nearly always mimic you. It is easier to build healthy habits and behavior from the start rather then having to undo bad ones.

4.  Redirect them!

Sometimes, you just need to deter, distract and entertain. If you can get them to smile and move on, everyone will have a better day. So when the ‘usual’ is not working, opt for something that will completely surprise them and get their minds onto something else.

Mostly remember that arguing comes with the territory.  Take a deep breath and don’t get pulled in yourself.  

If it appears they are arguing beyond the norm, it may just be a phase they are going through or the expression of a need they have that is not being met. Be attentive to what triggers these arguments most often, as this will likely help you understand how to avoid them occurring in the future.  Good luck!