At Guilt-Free Homeschooling Carolyn addresses the misconception that you have to be smart to homeschool. Some parents want to homeschool, but feel they are not qualified. In So You Think You're Not Smart Enough to Homeschool? Carolyn points out that many of us took college classes from teachers who helped us understand Rembrandt paintings or Shakespeare plays. But these teachers were not able to produce comparable works.
Carolyn writes:
"If I had waited to begin homeschooling until I felt confident enough in my own knowledge and abilities that I could answer any question my students might ask, well, I would still be studying. In reality, I learned right along with my students."
This is a great point. By teaching our children while we are sometimes learning with them, our children learn an additional lesson that we as adults are still learning. Our children watch as we model how to continue our education. Public schools teach that the only valid way to learn is to be taught in a school. The implied message is you can not learn on your own; you have to go to an "expert."
Children who are homeschooled recognize that both methods are valid. An expert may be able to teach you something faster. But we need to be able to learn on our own. There are times when you find a piano teacher and get help learning to play the piano. But there is so much we can learn on our own. It is exciting to watch your children to become active learners.
The Lioness made a similar point last year in her post about The Golden Quote. She wrote that research found tutoring to be the most effective way for a student to learn, way more effective than a classroom setting.
If you are considering homeschooling, but think you "aren't smart enough," or know someone who is reluctant because they feel incompetent, have them check out Carolyn's post.
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2 comments:
Henry,
I think that many non-homeschoolers show they believe only an expert can teach when they ask their questions. It is funny to me, as a former teacher, how much faith they put in the knowledge and expertise of teachers. If they only knew...!
Most of education courses is about methodology...there is very little content required. But that isn't what I wanted to say.
You can say the same thing about parenting, really. If you wait until you are ready...established in your career, know a bit more about kids, have grown up yourself...you'll never have them.
Most of us have kids at the more inconvenient time, when not all is quite so certain, and we usually figure it out. Those first few years are supposedly the critical ones. We get by without the degree. And anyone can stay a chapter ahead when you are the one giving the assignments. : )
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