As you can see in the pictures, I started off teaching my children in the mid 70s when we were living overseas. Then as the children got older in the 80s, other children from the international community were added to my classroom.
 |
| @1976 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
I was not a trained teacher and I learned as I went. Here are a few things to consider for all you parents who suddenly have your children to teach.
1) - I found it helped to have a separate room available for teaching. If that wasn't an option, then I would try and avoid the kitchen table. Even a small work area set aside in the living room or bedroom for example. When the children were small, school area was off limits except when school was in session. This helped the children from thinking we were just at home, which made it hard to differentiate between playtime and school time.
2) - Math is not my expertise and I really do get math anxiety. However, I found that the Montessori method of teaching math was so easy and realistic and made sense. If you have a similar problem, I would recommend checking into it. The main thing is we want our children to be able to function in all ways in society. We just have to do what we know best and get the instruction to them.
3) - My mother was the expert at making everything in life some sort of educational lesson. I learned a lot from her in that regard. Because of her example, everything we did was always a teachable moment and something that could be incorporated into our school work. Math was more exciting when you did fractions while baking a cake. Learning about insects and bugs in the garden is a biologists dream. I hated history in school but when it became relatable to me I found that I really did love history and it could have very well been one of my favorite subjects.
4) - Find out what your child or children's strengths and interests are and emphasize that with them. This is an opportunity they might not have in a traditional school. For example, my oldest child was fascinated with different countries and where they are in the world. I put up a world map in the hallway and every time he passed the map he would look at the capitals of the different countries and memorize them. He ended up graduating with a degree in geography and to this day he can still tell you the capital of every country.
5) - I know parents are afraid of too much screen time, but try giving them things to do online that are education related and let them feel they are getting the screen time they think they are missing. In this day and age, this is actually a blessing and can free up your time to help another child while the other ones are working on projects online.
6) - In those days, we didn't have much and we certainly didn't have the internet. And TV was almost non existent so reading was the best form of entertainment. I can't emphasize enough how important reading is. Don't let the internet replace reading. We always had quiet time in our home and everyone was expected to rest, and if not wanting to nap, they could read. Even the older ones.
7) - Games. Don't forget games and puzzles. Games like scrabble are excellent for brain activity and learning language.
I'm sure most of these are already known factors, but sometimes hearing it from someone else is helpful. Especially when this was so unexpected and took us all by surprise. Of course, everyone is different and so is every child. Some of these may not work for you, some of them might. I hope some of it is helpful and that everyone stays healthy.
 |
| Thailand @1985 |
