Did you have a teacher that really had an impact on you? Remember the excitement? Or the thrill you felt when you taught something to someone else and they really got it?
It’s that connection that we’re after between teacher and student. The great news is that as a homeschool parent, you have access to this opportunity constantly throughout the day. The bad news is – you have this option all day, every day. And it can feel overwhelming and exhausting to answer hundreds and hundreds of questions every day from a seemingly non-stop flow from your child.
Here’s a couple of ideas to keep in mind as you go through your day with your child to keep you from getting burned out. It’s simple and easy – and here it goes!
1. Teaching (both homeschoolers and educators) is not a job or a career, it’s a LIFESTYLE. At least, that’s the way I think about it in order to keep myself feeling fulfilled and happy. It’s my way of going through life, sharing it with my kids, and helping them understand the world. It’s showing your kids “how you DO life” and teaching them by modeling and experiences.
2. Teaching is a TEAM SPORT. You are not alone, and you do not have to reinvent that wheel. I get the most mileage by making effective use of the passion and expertise of others. This means I’m finding experiences for my kids that I couldn’t otherwise from surfing lessons to foreign language… I am constantly looking for new opportunities to enhance their world.
3. Focus on CONNECTION, not perfection. If I am more worried about if I am doing things right to the point of not being connected with my kids, I am focusing too much on myself and not trusting myself enough. It is more important to me to stay connected with my kids and understand their world, and trust my intuition to come up with ideas to try out.
4. Know that i’s going to be BUMPY, especially if you’re just starting out. How many times does a baby bump back to the ground when they first learn to walk? Lots! It’s ridiculous to have such high expectations and not allow yourself to enjoy the process of learning how to do something new, and this includes learning how to best educate your child. There’s no one-size-fits-all, so get to know your child and expect it to be a little bumpy along the way.
5. Get a MENTOR. Find someone that has already done what you want to do (homeschooling your child, etc…) and get them on your team as a guide and a resource. I mean, you wouldn’t learn how to play tennis with someone worse than you, right? Some goes for anything new you’re trying to figure out. When I am facing a new challenge with my kids, I thank them for it first, saying “I’ve never been here before – thanks for bringing this opportunity to me.” I find it really diffuses an otherwise intense moment.
If you found this helpful and you find yourself thinking, “Hey, you know, I want this person to teach my kids science for me, and to create my curriculum lessons for me…” then we can do just that.
Go to www.SuperchargedScience.com
When you get there, you’ll see a video that shows you the science curriculum that I developed and teach.
If you like what you see on that website, just fill in the form below the video and your kids can get started today doing real hands-on science with everyday materials.
Thanks for watching!
Aurora
Supercharged Science
Homeschool Science Curriculum
P.S. By the way, if you know anybody that might find this content useful or helpful, please share it! Thanks so much!!
