Inevitably it will happen: you WILL doubt your skills as a teacher. After all, most public school teachers have a thorough knowledge of their subject area – backed up by a degree and classroom experience. And you? You’re merely a parent whose last memory of algebraic equations may have swished out the door with that old pair of bright red parachute pants.
It’s an age-old dilemma: for generations, parents have been struggling to manufacture (without success at time of print) additional increments of time. The production of added time in the course of each day becomes especially meaningful when the homeschooling of our children is involved! But alas, according to scientists, we are forced to bend and fit our daily schedules, goals, and needs into one mere rotation of the earth on its axis. So how do we make the passage of time and homeschooling requirements work hand in hand – instead of against one another? Here’s our step-by-step approach.
For years we in the world of homeschoolers have known about the significant success of homeschoolers. We have watched as our children and others have grown up with a desire for excellence, a commitment to community, to church, to our country, to their ideals. We have seen them achieve great things at young ages and influence those around them for the good.
When I first began to conduct homeschool evaluations, I remember often struggling with whether I should allow homeschoolers to list audio books on their reading lists. If they didn’t actually read the book, was I doing a disservice by not calling it into question? The fact is, reading is designed to help children build their reading comprehension skills and to develop their ability to think critically about a book . . . right?
As Moms and homeschoolers, it is so easy to let the little things become far too big. Because our job is so important, we want to do it right and we want our kids to do it right. And so often we want our kids to perform as though they are little adults who understand responsibility and accountability.
It is that attitude that gets me into trouble all the time!
Just read this article recently about the drawbacks of homeschooling and I am convinced that this was not written by an experienced homeschooling parent. Couldn’t let this one go without some input so let me help clear up the misinformation.
First, this writer mentions that one of the drawbacks to homeschooling is that:
What about socialization? Don’t homeschoolers miss out on socialization?
I hear that question so many times. Many times it comes from a parent considering homeschooling who has had to field that question over and over again; other times it comes from those who just don’t understand homeschooling at all. Read More
Do you have one of those kids who just does not like to read the directions? He or she would much rather just get down to
the work of math or English, etc. than take the time to read the directions first? If he or she is like most kids, this means that you end up with mistakes that must be fixed, answers that are totally off the wall or academic struggles.
We have fought this battle with one of our kids who just hates to take the time to read the instructions first. Instead, she will set out to do the work that she thinks they want. In fact, there are many occasions where she doesn’t even review the sample problems. Before she knows it she has completed an entire assignment incorrectly or she hits a problem that she cannot do and we discover that once again she forgot to read the instructions . . .
Homeschoolers, please be aware that our freedoms are at risk. I know there are those who disagree with me; in fact, many get very frustrated with me when I speak this way. But here is another case where a homeschooling mother lost her RIGHT to homeschool because a judge decided that the child’s “religious beliefs are a bit too sincerely held and must be sifted, tested by, and mixed among other worldviews . . .”
I am often frustrated by the question, “But are you a certified teacher?” I happen to be one, but I don’t believe it has any impact on my ability to teach my own kids. Do I use any of what I learned while I worked towards certification? Perhaps. But more likely I use techniques and ideas I developed or improved upon while I was in the classroom.
