Wednesday, November 10, 2010

What is an FHE Lesson Exchange Group and Why Should I Start One?

What is a Family Home Evening Lesson Exchange Group? 
It's a group of moms that are all excited about having more meaningful and creative FHE lessons in their family, so they gather together to form a group to exchange lessons. 

How does the exchange work? 
 Let's say a group of 10 people decide to form a group.  Each person is responsible for creating an all-in-one lesson (including outline, visuals, activities) about one topic.  They make 10 copies of their lesson, including cutting everything out, so that it's all ready to use.  Then on a pre-chosen night everyone meets together,  each with 10 copies of their one lesson and exchanges them, so that everyone goes home with 10 completely different lessons. 

Why should I start my own group (or participate in an existing one)? 
Because each person is only focusing on one lesson topic at a time, you get their full creative efforts for each topic.  In other words, for the time commitment you're getting quite the bargain for 10 amazing lessons. 

Isn't it really time consuming to put together several lessons at a time? 
Yes, if you put your heart and soul into it, it really can be time consuming.  BUT considering what you receive back as "reward" for your efforts, the reward being several weeks worth of well-planned, fun lessons that are ready to pick up and teach, it is well worth the efforts.  I'm the kind of person who would have struggled researching, cutting, and laminating every week just for my family, but I found the pressure of the deadline and wanting to share a well done lesson with the other members of the group, as a very motivating push for me. 

A word of caution.   Do your research before joining a group.  Every group has its own dynamics and expectations and you want to know what you're signing up for before you commit.  If you're forming your own group, think about what elements of the lesson are most important to you and clearly communicate the expectations to anyone that is considering joining. 


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See also...
Making and Storing FHE Lessons

Coming soon....
A Complete Guide on How to Start Your Own FHE Lesson Exchange Group.


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