Seven Tips to Becoming a Successful At-Home Teacher
The first thing to remember is that no parent has to learn every subject and do everything all on their own.
There are many homeschooling groups available both in the community and online that can help provide support, encouragement and ideas based on the collective experience and knowledge.
Utilize Online Homeschool Programs
The best online homeschool programs are designed to help students and parents stay organized and successful in every grade no matter how many years you choose to use this approach to education.
Know your strengths and weaknesses so you can be the teacher of your elementary student or high schooler needs.
If math is a strong area then take a more interactive approach with this subject while allowing the professional instructors through the platform handle the areas where there is less fluency.
Join a Local Homeschool Group
Homeschool groups are another option to combine talents and skills, but it is important to consider that everyone may be using a different curriculum which can make group teaching a challenge.
Online programs typically allow the parent to choose whether they want to be a part or full-time teacher in the younger grades so this needs to be thought through to determine what is best for the student.
Parents who choose to homeschool long-term may study ahead so they are familiar with the concepts that will come up the next year.
Use Free Online Resources
Take advantage of online resources such as tutorials, YouTube videos and free websites that allow students to work similar problems or concepts.
The top online homeschool system should provide access to students and their families with quick links as well as recommendations on other sites to use to build confidence in the information.
This is a great way to make learning fun through games especially for younger students who may be struggling with a particular concept no matter who is doing the instruction.
Every child learns differently so parent-teachers have to be flexible in how they instruct and recognize that what works for one student may not work for the next child.
Stay Organized
Organization is a critical step to making the most of every school day whether it is a designated set of hours for school, a particular area identified as the classroom or a physical whiteboard to keep track of everyone’s progress.
The online homeschool programs include a portal for parents to check where students are in each class, how they are doing and where they should be.
Students are also given this information, so everyone can stay up-to-date with the work and finish in a timely manner.
Life happens but setting expectations and standards through organization can help students focus on the material and make adjustments as needed.
Don’t Forget to Take a Break
Create time when you cannot be asked about school so that you can take a break and walk away for a time.
It could be that the students have to hold their questions until the next day or the other parent steps in and provides assistance and support.
The most important unit is the family and these dynamics need to come first with the education aspect coming next with moderation and boundaries.
Children cannot always be treated as the student and parents are not always a teacher of study material.
Both need to be able to step away and enjoy time together without that specific emphasis.
Know Your State’s Homeschooling Laws
While homeschooling has become an accepted form of education in the majority of states, it is important to know what the state’s rules and requirements are for families who choose to engage in this.
Some dictate that documentation must be maintained and annual tests have to be taken to evaluate the student’s ability to enter into the next grade just as they do in traditional schools.
It is the parent’s responsibility to be familiar with this information and, if they use an online homeschool system, to ensure that they satisfy these requirements through their internal protocol.
This reduces the hassle for the parent having to keep track of records when all they have to do is log into the portal and print as needed.
Take It Year by Year
Homeschooling may be a solution for a short-term problem or a long-term decision based on lifestyle, belief foundation or dissatisfaction with the public-school system.
Some students decide to go back to a traditional classroom in high school for the social events and to participate in sports while others prefer to stay with the personalized attention and online study until graduation.
Regardless, parents and students should sit down and discuss each year whether this is still the right option for the individual and the family.
Parents are always amazed at how much they learn as a teacher over the course of homeschooling. Students graduate with a quality education that opens the door to colleges and universities as well as deep and meaningful relationships with their parents.
These rewarding accomplishments belong to the parent who invests the time and effort into being fully involved with the education, as do the student who did the actual work.
