Looking for teaching strategies to use in your homeschool?
According to the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), there are currently 3.1 million homeschooled children in the United States. Homeschooling has become increasingly popular, with the number of homeschooled children increasing yearly. Now more than ever, parents are taking the role of educators by actively being involved in their children’s academic lives.
However, by taking this role, parents who want to be teachers of tomorrow face unique challenges threatening home school success. Educators must take leadership insights into modern educational approaches to ensure home school success.
The following are some teaching strategies aspiring educators can become accustomed to for homeschool success.
Create a Structured Schedule
Just like traditional schooling, homeschooling requires a structured schedule for academic achievement. It ensures organization and provides a clear framework for learning, helping learners develop effective study habits. Aspiring educators must create a structured schedule that considers the following:
- Children’s attention span
- Family obligations
- The state legal requirements.
Creating a good routine will also ensure learning is tailored to children with special needs, such as those with ADHD. Educators can plan daily routines, allocate specific time slots for each subject, meals, and play breaks. For instance, educators can set a timetable that begins with math and science subjects in the morning, meal breaks, and readings in the afternoon.
Act as Facilitators of Learning
Being a facilitator of learning means that educators must encourage learners to be more involved and curious about everything. Parents striving to be teachers of tomorrow must act as guides and assist students in learning effectively for themselves. For instance, educators can formulate a question for students to discuss and then provide them with the necessary resources to make their conclusions.
Aspiring teachers should listen to students as they talk about ideas and give value to what is essential. They can direct learners to apply their understanding of issues and develop solutions. In other words, teachers are helping students solve issues around them by themselves.
Incorporate Various Teaching Methods
Teaching methods provide effective delivery mechanisms to present great educational content. In many cases, how teachers give content is more important than the content itself. Students grasp content that teachers have packaged excitingly and engagingly. Aspiring educators must incorporate various teaching methods when schooling students to make learning more exciting and dynamic.
Teaching methods such as scaffolding, group interaction, flipped classrooms, blended learning, educational games, etc., ensure learners are always energized. Educators can customize these teaching methods to fit students and any situation. They can use their creativity to make the teaching methods their own.
Parents can take alternative certification programs to ensure they are versed in teaching methods to promote homeschool success.
Taking Learning Beyond Classroom
Learning from morning to afternoon or evening can get boring, especially since children’s attention span is much shorter than adults. For this reason, parents, as educators, should consider taking learning outside to enhance learning outcomes, according to Lafayette College.
Parents with alternative certification programs can take learning opportunities outside the classroom. For instance, instead of constantly sitting in a “classroom,” educators can play board games with their students and teach them household management skills, among others, which is a way to help students grow. Incorporating this provides a well-rounded curriculum.
Collaborate with Other Homeschoolers
Just because parents are homeschooling children doesn’t mean they have to be isolated from others. Teachers should use the various homeschooling opportunities to collaborate and share resources.
Parents can encourage participation in extra-curricular activities that help students interact with other students, thus developing social skills. In addition, parents can interact with other homeschooling parents to share ideas and challenges faced. This is because they can come up with solutions to improve learning at home and ensure learners get the most out of it.
Embracing Technology
According to the University of Northern Iowa, technology is a great tool for homeschooling. Apart from helping learners expand their knowledge, it also helps increase teacher efficiency. Homeschooling provides parents with various options for incorporating technology into their teaching methods. The possibilities are endless, from using interactive websites and online learning platforms to easy access to educational websites.
Technology also provides homeschooling educators access to resources such as curriculum materials, textbooks, and educational videos. These resources allow for a more comprehensive learning experience tailored to each child’s needs.
Furthermore, technology takes interaction and engagement to a whole new level. Educational software and multimedia resources provide an immersive learning experience. Through virtual simulations, learners can explore various ideas and participate in educational games that teach them about life skills.
Aspiring educators can take up certification programs offered by teachers of tomorrow to help them be more tech-savvy to help students with technology-related matters.
Conclusion
Homeschooling is just as important as traditional schooling. To succeed, parents carefully plan and be open-minded about adapting teaching strategies to use in your homeschool. Educators can ensure learners get the most out of homeschooling by creating a structured schedule, acting as facilitators, and taking learning beyond the classroom. Doing this ensures learners get quality education and are better prepared for the future
