You’re Already A Teacher

One of the biggest fears for both new homeschoolers and suddenly-at-home-schoolers, is that you are not a “good enough” teacher for your child. If you’re lucky, your child has a teacher he/she feels really connected to at school. That may leave you feeling inadequate to take-up the role, but you have everything you need to accompany your child on their learning journey.

You might think because you argue with your child, because you struggle to get them to “sit down” and “just finish” their schoolwork, that you’re not as good as their school teacher. But home education is not school at home. You might not recognise you are teaching your child because it doesn’t happen the same way at home as it does at school, but you’ve been your child’s teacher since the moment they were born. 

That’s because children do not learn primarily from worksheets and apps. They learn through connection, and who do children most want to connect with? You. Their parent. 

If you give your child the gift of your attention, listen deeply, comment on non-academic sills like empathy, creativity, and risk-taking, then you’ve build the foundation for learning. If your child feels connected to you they may be willing to risk being wrong, and that’s where true learning begins.