One of the challenges of homeschooling is that homeschooling parents rarely have experience as teachers before they begin homeschooling. Because of this there are certain problems that arise that the parents don’t know how to deal with. In this article I will discuss five common problems that arise in homeschooling from a lack of teaching experience.
The first of these problems is not understanding what the goals of education are. If you ask an experienced school teacher what his goals are for a student, he’ll respond with specific academic goals for the school year. If you ask a homeschool parent what their goals are for a child they’ll respond with long-term sweeping goals. The experienced teacher will be able to move from those specific goals to objectives and then to tasks to focus on day by day. In fact he probably has this entire system already worked out. The homeschool parent’s goals are not appropriate for education and he cannot move from goal to objective to task. Since the homeschool parent does not set appropriate goals, he also has no guidance when it’s time to select study materials or teaching methods. The experienced school teacher approaches every day with a specific set of objectives and tasks to be completed. The homeschool parent often begins the day with anxieties and uncertain thoughts about what’s to be done.
The second of these problems is not understanding the normal pace at which students should progress towards the fulfillment of the true goals of education. An experienced school teacher not only has appropriate goals for his teaching but has experience working with hundreds of children and knows how those children move towards those goals. He understands the normal variation in pace among students and has reliable assessments that let him know all is going well. Where there are probkems, he can spot them and treat them before they hurt a student. He can enjoy daily interaction with the children with a calm and happy spirit knowing that things are going well. The homeschooling parent, on the other hand, often does not know what the normal pace of progress feels like with different children. This uncertainty often makes the homeschool parent anxious about whether progress is being made. This anxiety often leads to erratic decisions with regard to homeschool materials and teaching methods. The confusion caused by the parent’s lack of experience makes problems even worse.
The third of these problems is not having the discipline to manage the children’s studies consistently. The school teacher follows a fixed daily schedule and serves the students at the same time for the same duration of time everyday. With years of experience the teacher knows exactly how much can get done in a class period and how lessons should be arranged over the course of the school year. The homeschool parent often finds it difficult to maintain a regular daily schedule which leads to more trouble in the children’s progress. Homeschool parents fail to understand the importance of making positive progress every day over the span of many days, and spend much of their time re-syartimg or trying to figure out where they left off. This confusion prevents student progress in any subjects.
The fourth of these problems is not understanding the process by which children move on from their education to their college or career. An experienced high school teacher has helped hundreds of students complete required studies and move from high school to college or career. A teacher understands the college and career application process, expectations, requirements and so on. The teacher has experience writing reference letters for students to bring with them to the next phase of their career. The teacher knows what matters and what does not matter. Homeschool parents often have ambitions for their children that exceed their own experiences. Their thoughts about what is required for success are often unfounded, and this creates pressure and anxiety that distracts and discourages students. Often, unnecessary things are pursued and necessary things neglected. For example, so much attention is given by parents to college admission that students are not prepared for success in college studies after admission. Parents often fail to understand the stages of career preparation and are distracted by things that should be reserved for another time. Parents are often not aware of options and benefits available to their children and make bad decisions based on a lack of information.
The fifth of these problems is not seeking the help that is necessary for success in the education of their children. Teachers normally expect to collaborate with dozens of other full-time professionals in educating a child. They understand their role and focus on doing their job well. Homeschool parents often approach their children’s education with a do-it-yourself attitude with no plan for collaboration. Homeschool parents are often misled by the simplicity of elementary education and are unprepared for the teenage years when children are capable of great learning. Homeschool parents often restrict their children’s opportunities to their own understanding and ability. Homeschool parents often fail to budget responsibly for the costs of a quality education and make excuses for their failures rather than seek help to overcome them.
By being aware of these five common problems in homeschooling, parents can make preparations to prevent them from affecting their children. In the Classical Liberal Arts Academy, we provide all of the help homeschool parents need to give their children the highest quality classical Catholic education.
Mr. William C. Michael, Headmaster
Classical Liberal Arts Academy
Phone: (909) 281-7025
mail@classicalliberalarts.com
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