Stephen

We will begin home schooling our daughter in a couple of weeks. She has an
opportunity for an internship at a bakery. It will be a first for both
parties. Does anyone have any experience with internships and their high
school age children? Any suggestions on how to set it up, what to focus
on, what to be aware of, what to be careful of, web sites that may be
helpful, etc ?

Thanks,
Steve

BRIAN POLIKOWSKY

-Hi Steve,
I got a few questions since it sounds like you are new to homeschooling/unschooling.
Is this internship something your daughter wants to or is it to keep her busy?
Her decision or yours?
Is she interested in baking? or interested in another aspect of the business?
When I turned 16 I quit school for a couple of years to go to another country and work as a dog handler assistant.
that is what I wanted to do, work with dogs.
It was a priceless experience and I work my (than little) behind off.
But it was my sole choice and decision and my parents only supported me on it.
What are your expectations? Not that you should not expect a 15 year old to take it seriously as I know I did when I was young. But be open to her not liking it and wanting to quit.
What are her expectations?Does she have any?
Alex


----- Original Message ----
From: Stephen <mtic@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, January 1, 2008 7:56:32 PM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Internship advice for my 15 year old daughter - cross post



We will begin home schooling our daughter in a couple of weeks. She has an
opportunity for an internship at a bakery. It will be a first for both
parties. Does anyone have any experience with internships and their high
school age children? Any suggestions on how to set it up, what to focus
on, what to be aware of, what to be careful of, web sites that may be
helpful, etc ?

Thanks,
Steve




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Stephen

Thanks for the reply Alex. Totally her idea. She's a very focused and
mature 15, one of the reasons school has been so frustrating for
her. She loves to bake, especially the more gourmet recipes, and loves
the atmosphere of the independent, eclectic cafe.

Her expectations are nothing more than to try it, learn about baking and a
little about the business of baking.

My initial plan is to map out the expectations on both side, start with a
two day a week schedule and a one-month evaluation period where both sides
see if it works well for them, with weekly evaluations. If it works I'd
like a 3 month commitment from each side. At the end of three we would
again evaluate, with my daughter receiving a written evaluation and a
letter of recommendation, provided she has earned one, when the internship
ends.

But I do not have any experience with internships so do not know if this is
reasonable or not.

Steve

At 06:56 PM 1/1/2008 -0800, you wrote:

>-Hi Steve,
>I got a few questions since it sounds like you are new to
>homeschooling/unschooling.
>Is this internship something your daughter wants to or is it to keep her busy?
>Her decision or yours?
>Is she interested in baking? or interested in another aspect of the business?
>When I turned 16 I quit school for a couple of years to go to another
>country and work as a dog handler assistant.
>that is what I wanted to do, work with dogs.
>It was a priceless experience and I work my (than little) behind off.
>But it was my sole choice and decision and my parents only supported me on it.
>What are your expectations? Not that you should not expect a 15 year old
>to take it seriously as I know I did when I was young. But be open to her
>not liking it and wanting to quit.
>What are her expectations?Does she have any?
>Alex
>
>----- Original Message ----
>From: Stephen <<mailto:mtic%40verizon.net>mtic@...>
>To:
><mailto:unschoolingbasics%40yahoogroups.com>[email protected]
>Sent: Tuesday, January 1, 2008 7:56:32 PM
>Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Internship advice for my 15 year old daughter
>- cross post
>
>We will begin home schooling our daughter in a couple of weeks. She has an
>opportunity for an internship at a bakery. It will be a first for both
>parties. Does anyone have any experience with internships and their high
>school age children? Any suggestions on how to set it up, what to focus
>on, what to be aware of, what to be careful of, web sites that may be
>helpful, etc ?
>
>Thanks,
>Steve
>
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

diana jenner

Totally her idea. She's a very focused and mature 15, one of the reasons
school has been so frustrating for her. She loves to bake, especially the
more gourmet recipes, and loves the atmosphere of the independent, eclectic
cafe.
****I can relate!! I have the amazing opportunity to express myself through
baked goods at an independent, eclectic cafe/coffee shop, owned by my
friends, fellow unschoolers :D I *get to* bake the sweets twice a week and
I've just become the Biscuit Queen on Thursdays. I've gotten to make puff
pastry and have my way with it (in addition to the regular bakery case
items)

> Her expectations are nothing more than to try it, learn about baking and a
>
> little about the business of baking.
>




***Is it possible for it to be more of a *dabble* in the beginning? There
should always be a "this doesn't work for me" trap-door through which she
can go, without fear or pressure. I'm employed and I know folks count on me,
I also know that if this someday didn't work anymore, that would be good and
fine, too.

At our shop, we bake at night, alone. It's amazing and fun and wonderful --
and lonely. I take another shift during the week (a social shift) to
experience the other aspects of the community and the business and the
PEOPLE!!
I would be open to talking to her about my experiences and I'd love to hear
hers. There's a standard bakery case we do every night and above that there
are specific parameters for creations; both a challenge and an opportunity!


> My initial plan is to map out the expectations on both side, start with a
> two day a week schedule and a one-month evaluation period where both sides
>
> see if it works well for them, with weekly evaluations. If it works I'd
> like a 3 month commitment from each side. At the end of three we would
> again evaluate, with my daughter receiving a written evaluation and a
> letter of recommendation, provided she has earned one, when the internship
>
> ends.
>









***Just reading that overwhelms me. I wanna hide from that, I wouldn't want
that job. And I'm almost 40. I'd really step back from school/corporate
model thinking and let her dabble, experience, experiment, check it out...
she's newly freed from the above kind of thinking, let her experience what
*other* ways of thinking, doing, being are out here :D Chances are, the
eclectic, independent cafe she'll be in does not necessarily subscribe to
the above way of thinking. Ours doesn't! My boss and I e-mail on a regular
basis, throwing ideas around, I get his feedback instantly, when I need it.
We get to work together once a week, too. Our commitment is that I will do
my best to produce baked goods to his standards; he will make those
standards clear. He supports me in becoming the best baker I can and
provides opportunities for my creativity, within the parameters he has set
for his shop; I support him in having the best baked goods in town :D

When she finds what makes her heart sing the way baking makes my heart sing,
that alone is worth 1000x anything you've mentioned. I promise.


> But I do not have any experience with internships so do not know if this
> is
> reasonable or not.
>
>
>
>



***Remember she's had little experience with freedom, it's reasonable to
expect she'll want to experience A LOT of that!
--
~diana :)
xoxoxoxo
hannahbearski.blogspot.com <--- see my baked goods here :D


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Stephen

Thanks Diana. I think you're right about making it a little less
formal. When we get our idea of what my daughter is looking for we'll meet
with the baker and see what she is looking for. I'm thinking maybe one day
a week for the first month and then evaluate the process. I want my
daughter to schedule enough sessions to become comfortable with the
situation and think that at least four to eight sessions might do that for
her. Sounds like our cafe's are similar.

She's never had a job outside the home, but does make herbal hot/cold packs
and has sold a number of those. She made her first retail store sale this
Christmas. A milestone for her. She also loves to write and has been
published a few times, twice in New Moon magazine, once actually getting a
check for her story, another milestone. She's torn between her desire for
freedom, and sleep, and her impatience to experience the world instead of
sitting in a classroom being spoon-fed a distorted view of it.

Thanks again for the input. I'll pass along your comments.

Steve

At 09:44 PM 1/1/2008 -0800, you wrote:

>Totally her idea. She's a very focused and mature 15, one of the reasons
>school has been so frustrating for her. She loves to bake, especially the
>more gourmet recipes, and loves the atmosphere of the independent, eclectic
>cafe.
>****I can relate!! I have the amazing opportunity to express myself through
>baked goods at an independent, eclectic cafe/coffee shop, owned by my
>friends, fellow unschoolers :D I *get to* bake the sweets twice a week and
>I've just become the Biscuit Queen on Thursdays. I've gotten to make puff
>pastry and have my way with it (in addition to the regular bakery case
>items)
>
> > Her expectations are nothing more than to try it, learn about baking and a
> >
> > little about the business of baking.
> >
>
>***Is it possible for it to be more of a *dabble* in the beginning? There
>should always be a "this doesn't work for me" trap-door through which she
>can go, without fear or pressure. I'm employed and I know folks count on me,
>I also know that if this someday didn't work anymore, that would be good and
>fine, too.
>
>At our shop, we bake at night, alone. It's amazing and fun and wonderful --
>and lonely. I take another shift during the week (a social shift) to
>experience the other aspects of the community and the business and the
>PEOPLE!!
>I would be open to talking to her about my experiences and I'd love to hear
>hers. There's a standard bakery case we do every night and above that there
>are specific parameters for creations; both a challenge and an opportunity!
>
> > My initial plan is to map out the expectations on both side, start with a
> > two day a week schedule and a one-month evaluation period where both sides
> >
> > see if it works well for them, with weekly evaluations. If it works I'd
> > like a 3 month commitment from each side. At the end of three we would
> > again evaluate, with my daughter receiving a written evaluation and a
> > letter of recommendation, provided she has earned one, when the internship
> >
> > ends.
> >
>
>***Just reading that overwhelms me. I wanna hide from that, I wouldn't want
>that job. And I'm almost 40. I'd really step back from school/corporate
>model thinking and let her dabble, experience, experiment, check it out...
>she's newly freed from the above kind of thinking, let her experience what
>*other* ways of thinking, doing, being are out here :D Chances are, the
>eclectic, independent cafe she'll be in does not necessarily subscribe to
>the above way of thinking. Ours doesn't! My boss and I e-mail on a regular
>basis, throwing ideas around, I get his feedback instantly, when I need it.
>We get to work together once a week, too. Our commitment is that I will do
>my best to produce baked goods to his standards; he will make those
>standards clear. He supports me in becoming the best baker I can and
>provides opportunities for my creativity, within the parameters he has set
>for his shop; I support him in having the best baked goods in town :D
>
>When she finds what makes her heart sing the way baking makes my heart sing,
>that alone is worth 1000x anything you've mentioned. I promise.
>
> > But I do not have any experience with internships so do not know if this
> > is
> > reasonable or not.
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>***Remember she's had little experience with freedom, it's reasonable to
>expect she'll want to experience A LOT of that!
>--
>~diana :)
>xoxoxoxo
>hannahbearski.blogspot.com <--- see my baked goods here :D
>

[email protected]

In a message dated 1/1/08 9:44:15 PM, hahamommy@... writes:


> Just reading that overwhelms me. I wanna hide from that, I wouldn't want
> that job. And I'm almost 40. I'd really step back from school/corporate
> model thinking and let her dabble, experience, experiment, check it out...
> she's newly freed from the above kind of thinking, let her experience what
> *other* ways of thinking, doing, being are out here 
>

__________________
that is JUST what I would have said, if I had found the words :) I too baked
- LOVED IT - though what *I* baked and made were bagels, I now love to bake
cakes and what-not at home and one want to own a cafe. I will, too :) Anyway, I
don't have the internship aslpect of it, but it seems that the description of
the time table and the evaluations and all of that...well, where's the joy in
THAT? Baking is joy for those of us that love it. Having a love become a
chore, or a project, removes that in my very honest opinion.

I'm excited for her! I hope she loves it - and if not, I hope she finds
another place, another thing, another passion. You sound very supportive of her and
that's wonderful. Just keep supporting HER and not the idea of the
internship, if that makes sense.

How cool :)
Karen


**************************************
See AOL's top rated recipes
(http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004)


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Stephen

Thanks for the feedback Karen. I will try to keep it a little looser. My
daughter actually likes the idea of a structured framework for this. She
wants the letter of recommendation and the evaluations, but keeping it lose
and fun is important to. She's got a laundry list of things she wants to
learn and experience, and as she decompresses from the rigid framework of
school she'll discover for herself what works and what doesn't. She's also
interested in getting a part time job later this year and hopes the
internship will help her in that regard. She's committed to the idea that
when she works, she wants to enjoy it, not tolerate it for the paycheck.

I think I'm more excited about this even than she is, but I keep my
enthusiasm in check because I don't want her to internalize my excitement
and feel she needs to satisfy my expectations.

At 12:10 PM 1/2/2008 -0500, you wrote:


>In a message dated 1/1/08 9:44:15 PM,
><mailto:hahamommy%40gmail.com>hahamommy@... writes:
>
> > Just reading that overwhelms me. I wanna hide from that, I wouldn't want
> > that job. And I'm almost 40. I'd really step back from school/corporate
> > model thinking and let her dabble, experience, experiment, check it out...
> > she's newly freed from the above kind of thinking, let her experience what
> > *other* ways of thinking, doing, being are out here
> >
>
>__________________
>that is JUST what I would have said, if I had found the words :) I too baked
>- LOVED IT - though what *I* baked and made were bagels, I now love to bake
>cakes and what-not at home and one want to own a cafe. I will, too :)
>Anyway, I
>don't have the internship aslpect of it, but it seems that the description of
>the time table and the evaluations and all of that...well, where's the joy in
>THAT? Baking is joy for those of us that love it. Having a love become a
>chore, or a project, removes that in my very honest opinion.
>
>I'm excited for her! I hope she loves it - and if not, I hope she finds
>another place, another thing, another passion. You sound very supportive
>of her and
>that's wonderful. Just keep supporting HER and not the idea of the
>internship, if that makes sense.
>
>How cool :)
>Karen


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]