Are You Qualified to Teach?
Boy, the evolution I have been on over the last decade. I did not have a lot of exposure to homeschooling in my life. I remember thinking it was weird and that parents were doing their kids a disservice. I thought it strange that someone would think they were capable without teaching qualifications. I even recall a parent posting about her family spending the day building forts outside and me scoffing that she was not adequately preparing her children.
Who Was That Girl?
Again, I am so amused by the 180 I have done over the past decade. A transformative moment for me was when I began a friendship with a school superintendent who became very influential in my life. We agreed on many things like the importance of educating the whole child, doing yoga in schools, creating community, having clear vision and communicating your passions. There were also things he helped me gain new perspective on such as the common core and assessments.
Dr. Michael Hynes
I was already on this path, I did feel kids needed a lot more than schools were providing and I was fighting the system from my classroom, but he opened my mind to so much more. He introduced me to thought leaders like Sir Ken Robinson, Peter Gray and William Doyle. He shared amazing books with me like Addicted to Reform, Free Range Kids, and Let the Children Play. He taught me all about the Finnish education system. Through his teachings and then the birth of my daughter my views on education evolved to a place unrecognizable from that judgmental girl a decade ago.
Now I’m the mom posting about fort building as an amazing instructional day. So, thank you, Dr. Michael Hynes for helping me on my journey. Maybe, I was always meant to be here and would have gotten here anyway, or maybe I would be a totally different person had we not met. Either way, you certainly accelerated my growth!
I no longer believe a trained teacher is better qualified to teach your children. It is true, that I learned a lot of valuable information about the educational giants out there and that is no doubt helpful in the way I regard child development. It is also true that through my decades of experience I have developed my ability to teach academic skills. I am a far better math and reading teacher now than I was when I first began. The degrees didn’t prepare me well but 19 years in the classroom combined with professional development did.
This does not change the fact that no one knows their child better than you.
A huge disadvantage we have in the classroom is that with the time constraints and large group size it becomes very difficult to personally connect with the kids. You know them on a surface level and do not get to show them a ton of love and care. The connection isn’t even a fraction of what kids have with their parents.
No qualification in the world trumps that. You know what makes your child tick. You know their talents and strengths. If you get creative, you can figure out how those strengths can help your child succeed. You also know what is hard for them and can make decisions about how to handle that best. You know what their needs are, how to get them to respond and your child’s education is never being interrupted by the host of issues that occur in a school each day.
It is true that managing a whole classroom requires training. It is an inordinately difficult job that people cannot imagine until they do it for at least a year. There are tons of pressures and many tasks beyond teaching kids. What is required of managing a large group and getting through mountains of standards and curriculum is nothing like teaching your own children with the freedom homeschool offers.
We learn best from those we love and respect.
We trust them and this is a key aspect to learning that sticks. When I think about things I learned from my dad growing up, just by living with him and his words and actions communicating who he was as a person, those were formative in who I became. I spoke before about how Michael Hynes’ teachings really changed me. if I didn’t develop a connection with him they most likely would not have had the same impact. The lack of genuine love and connection between teacher and students leads to coercion and punishment as a management system. This is not a recipe for deep learning to take root.
Be strong, be brave, have confidence and good luck- you got this!
So, remember when you are doubting yourself- no one can teach your child like you. By the way, you have been teaching your children since they day they were born. They are always learning from you and homeschool does not have to be any different. You do not need to know all the answers, you are allowed to get help from outside sources, and there is no reason why you can’t learn content that you expect your child to learn. I have always taught elementary so when Chloe is learning beyond fifth grade I will need to relearn that curriculum, particularly in math. Why does everyone act like this is a big deal? If I expect my teenager to be able to learn it why can’t I? Be strong, be brave, have confidence and good luck- you got this!