Educational Guidance
Choose whether you need a Consultant or a Coordinator for your specific needs. Peach Smith also speaks on a variety of educational topics; please make contact to discuss how your needs may be met.
Coming 2027: An Educational Tour to study Ancient Greece for Classical Educators: Classroom Teachers, Administrators, Homeschooling Parents are all welcome!
-
Provides answers to specific educational questions for families, co-ops, and schools.
-
You need a speaker for your Professional Development, or for your pod or co-op, or for parent meetings.
You have been thinking about an education or curricula problem, and are not sure how to proceed.
You have questions about a curriculum or implementing a curriculum.
You need to figure out what books or programs will work for you, but you do not have the time to research what would be a good fit.
You already have books, programs or curricula sets and are not sure how to integrate them into your existing educational model or how to make them work for your child, class, or school.
You would like to learn about educational models.
You are having problems with an individual child, a classroom or an entire school setting.
You need advice on special needs students.
Your child is enrolled in a public or private school, and you need to decide on classes to take, dual enrollment questions, career choices, college options.
-
Consultations do not include counseling as I am not a mental health professional, although I will support in any way possible! I cannot diagnose learning disorders, but I can help you find solutions for the challenges you have had diagnosed, and direct you as to how to get a quality IEP and diagnostics. I am not in the legal field and will direct you to appropriate sources for all legal inquiries and state specific requirements, but can direct and advise in regards to certain aspects of the law in regards to special needs, disabilities and home education regulations.
-
Organizes, implements, and supervises curricula and educational programs for students, co-ops, and schools.
You need a Coordinator when:
You need help organizing your home program, co-op, or school in an integrated, fluid manner
You need help with researching, evaluating, and implementing teaching strategies and materials and coordinating curriculums between classes.
You need someone to design, implement, and evaluate programs for teaching staff development.
You need someone to oversee that curricula meets school district and government regulations.
You need someone to visit classrooms to provide support for you or for teachers, to evaluate teachers, and help with improving teaching methods.
-
You need a Curriculum Coordinator when:
You need someone to organize, implement, and supervise curricula and educational programs.
You have a model in mind and need help planning curricula to suit that model.
You need help coordinating materials you already have to support the student(s) in the manner you wish.
-
Mrs. Smith can provide lists, links, resources, and ideas as either a Consultant or a Coordinator.
Areas of Expertise
-
Properly done, history is the spine of an excellent classical education.
-
Science education must include wonder as well as mastery.
-
The Arts are essential to a good education, and should be a central focus.
School
-
Transcript creation for homeschoolers and Un-schoolers is available.
-
-
Discuss the value of transcripts - and why most never need an accredited transcript.
College Counseling
-
The initial appointment takes 20 - 45 minutes and is free. In this time frame, I obtain basic information about the student, and discuss key points important to the family. If you wish to use my help, we then make an appointment for the next step. If you wish, I will create a Classroom Page for your student on Google Classroom, and will add as many people as wish to be on the page from the immediate family. (Typical is one or two parents and the student.) This page will be used for appointment reminders, posting timelines, deadlines, questions and so on.
-
This appointment is usually between 45 and 90 minutes long. I interview the family with the student either in person or over the phone or via video chat (no email or texting), and obtain more information from the student directly. I will then make the first set of suggestions for the student to help them get started. This may include timelines, test prep, suggestions for college visits, and ideas for major choices if that is not yet clear. Everything will be posted on the Classroom page or emailed within one week of the interview. If you wish for me to drive to you, add $30 for travel fees, for a maximum of 20 minutes. Further travel is negotiable. Online meetings can be arranged via Meet, Zoom, Hangouts or FB messenger.
-
After these interviews, many families are able to make decisions on their own, and begin the process independently. Other families prefer to obtain further help.
-
Help students set realistic college goals
Help students and families understand the application process
Advise on academic and extracurricular choices
Help identify student strengths and assist them in developing their own voice and direction for applications
Assist students in deciding a career direction
Compare offers and help with appeal letters
Assist with gifted and talented or accelerated students
Assist students in considering options with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, health issues and chronic illness
-
Give a timeline for the application process
Test planning for ACT, SAT, SAT subject tests and CLEP tests
Guide students through methods for preparing and improving test scores
Provide essay coaching
Assist with the Common App
-
Assist homeschoolers with transcripts, transcript creation and accredited transcript programs.
-
What I cannot do:
1. Write essays for students
2. Complete applications for students
3. Take students on college visits (some rare exceptions do apply)
4. Apply for fee waivers
5. Take examinations of any kind for students
6. Guarantee admission or scholarships
7. Change or decide transcript grades
8. Guarantee that students will not change their
major once in college
9. Play the violin – you just don’t want to hear me try!
Fees
-
Prices vary determined on your specific needs. A limited number of pro bono consultations are available per year on a discretionary basis. Hourly rates are available depending on the form of consulting or coordinating.
-
Rather than worrying about hours and fractions of hours, you have access to expertise at any time. Some questions can be answered in ten minutes, and others need an hour of discussion. Rather than trying to pay for a ten-minute increment over and over again, a retainer gives you the freedom to be able to text, email, or call with a question throughout the month and know you are covered. I will keep track of the times for you, and let you know when you are approaching your limit. For homeschoolers, co-op leaders and schools alike, it is usually most helpful to simply have answers on hand when you need them!
-
All services require advanced payment before any meeting.