One thing that came to mind this morning while I was reading some postings on my favorite message forums was the question on whether a parent COULD teach their child successfully at home. I, obviously, believe that we can do this very well, but I thought maybe I should share some of my thoughts on it.
Think back. Think back to the time that your child was first born. For some of us it has been a while, I know, but that day is etched in our minds forever, isn't it? Okay. Now, what was one of the first things you did? (after counting fingers and toes and such...) You fed the baby, right? Some of us used bottles and some of us nursed. It really doesn't matter which, but if you nursed, you know that it is not always an easy automatic thing for you or the babe. So, you taught the baby how. Did not take long did it?! The reward was there for the babe and the motivation was there for you to succeed.
Welcome to being a parent - Welcome to being a teacher!
Later, in the process of parenting, you taught the child to eat 'real food'. You taught them to use utensils. You taught them to use the potty. You taught them to sleep in a big kid bed. You taught them that there were rules and expectations. You taught them appropriate responses and actions... Were these all easy? No? Well, of course not. Was the motivation there for you to succeed? Sure. Was there a reward for the child to accomplish these tasks? Sure. Even if it was simply to please you, there was some sort of reward for their success.
Are you starting to see where I am going with this?
You have been teaching your child since the very beginning. You were motivated to succeed in teaching your child the various tasks. Your child was motivated to succeed at learning these tasks. Did you attend school (of some form) as a child? Yup. Most of us did. Did you graduate? Did you do well or poorly in school? It really does not matter. Honest, it doesn't. Let me explain.
If I told you that you had to go to a certain place in a town say 3 hours away from your home that you have never been, could you get in your car, and just simply drive there? On your own. No cheating, now. No? Well, of course not. Would you know HOW to find out? Could you ultimately get there? Yes. You could use a map, you could ask someone that has first hand knowledge, you could search on the Internet, or you could plug in the information to your handy dandy GPS unit. Right?
Half of getting any task done is not about knowing immediately how to do it. It is knowing how to learn how to do it. Then, following through.
Did you do poorly in math in school? Can you not tell the difference in a verb and a noun? Does the term 'color theory' scare you? Do you get hives thinking about teaching these subjects or any others that you simply did not learn for whatever reason? Calm down! You are motivated to succeed in the raising of your child. We have already established that. Your child is motivated to please you or to feel the self satisfaction of completing a new task. Now, you just need to find your 'map'!
The information is there. It is easy to obtain. Whether you decide to use an Internet based curriculum, a 'school-in-a box' type curriculum that is ready made, one that you write yourself, or even if you choose to follow the more relaxed approach of unschooling. The information is there. You just need to start looking. You do not need to be an expert in any or all subjects. You do not need to have a PhD in any or all of them. You only need to be motivated to succeed at helping your child in this next step of their life!
If you are reading this, you have access to a computer. It is your best friend! I am not saying to trust all written word found on the Internet. By all means, DON'T! (there is a common joke at our house of, "I found it on the Internet, it MUST be true!" That is about the furthest from the truth as you can get.) However, there is a wealth of good knowledge out there mixed in with the bad. Start searching. Look around at the sites for educators. Not just home educators. Utilize them all. Find yourself a few forums on education where you can submit and read questions and responses from others following this same path. You will find a few resources that you like. You will find out where to look for trusted information. If you need some starting points to go, ask! Ask on forums. Send me a question. If you know a homeschooling parent, ask them. If you know a public school teacher, ask them. Become a detective to find resources that you can go to in times of trouble.
You do not need to be able to teach any subject off of the top of your head. You do not need to be able to explain the inner workings of, say a frog in order to help your child learn them and to dissect them and so on and so forth. You just need to learn where to find the answers and how to point your child to seek information.
Bottom line? You are a parent, you are a teacher. They go hand in hand. They are one and the same. If you have actively raised your child, you have been their own personal tutor since the very beginning! You love your child like no other can. This is your motivation. This is your incentive to succeed. Your child's return love and respect for you is their motivation. It is their incentive to succeed. Success does not mean straight "A's". It means following through. Giving it a good honest effort to learn. To truly attempt to learn the task at hand.
You can succeed. You will succeed. So, will your child. With you, their personal teacher guiding the way!
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