Don'ts In Teaching

    

Homeschooling is a profound challenge for a parent. Sure, it's a challenge for the student, too. But the parent has to suddenly become an expert teacher. And since it's your children that you're teaching, you want to be a great teacher!

Here are some don'ts to consider as you start (continue) your teaching adventure:

-Don't restrict the student to the "three R's". Listen, and when the student expresses an interest in a subject (other than video games), do what you can to expose them to subjects they're reaching for. You may go through several of these and find your student rejecting them before hitting on one or two they love. Expect to waste some money and time. But those interests which they embrace will help shape the rest of the student's life, provide them joy and possible security. This is a real advantage homeschool families have that schools generally cannot provide; flexibility in subject matter which can be tailored to the student's interests. Interested students work harder at their studies than uninterested students.

-Don't micromanage any more than is necessary. The more responsibility the student takes, the more they'll learn. We expect a lot from our children, but we rarely grant them authority equal to the level of responsibility. You probably don't like it much when you're told to do a thing but not given the freedom to do it your way. Your student doesn't like it, either. A gradual, careful surrendering to a student of authority over their education empowers and prepares them for life. We call people who are entirely responsible for themselves "adults". (At least, that's the idea.) That should be where your student is headed.

-Don't edit or "critique" your student's creative efforts. Creativity is a deeply personal thing. A creative work is nothing less than a part of the person who created it, shared with the world. Accordingly, few qualities are as fragile as creativity. A disapproving look at the wrong time can slow creativity down. Correcting spelling in a creative writing exercise, when creative expression and not spelling was the point, can blunt the student's interest. And "helping" with ideas, plots, melodies, whatever, only tells the student that their own ideas aren't enough, or good enough. Left alone with plenty of opportunity to experiment, almost anyone could become an artist of some sort. In the arts, study and experience (exposure and practice) generate expertise far more than critique ever did. Willing artists create far more than those who are brow-beaten and who have been "trained" to doubt their own insights and skills.

The Dos? Do listen, answer questions, provide resources and opportunities, and admire your students and their creations.

These don'ts and dos can go a long way toward making you an excellent teacher, to your student's lifelong advantage.

     Steven Horwich
     Connect The Thoughts™
     1st Step™