What subject is the hardest for you to teach?

[Mommy22alyns]

For me it's math. I'm not bad at math, but I have the worst time teaching the girls, especially Rebecca. I don't know what it is. :confused: What about you?

[shinyhappypeople]

Science. Except for biology, I have almost no science background. No chemistry. No physics. No astronomy. None. It makes it incredibly difficult to teach, because I don't have a bank of background knowledge from which to draw.

 

So far, we've done very little science :(

[Cassy]

History. I love history, and the boys don't. I keep trying to find different ways of presenting it in the hopes that they'll become as passionate as I am about it. I always just end up feeling frustrated and hurt (yes, hurt, isn't that ridiculous :tongue_smilie:).

 

I'm trying History Odyssey next.

[PhotoGal]

Writing. It seems so hard to pin down. I can't always tell if the writing is good for their ages and it is hard to advise them. Also, there doesn't seem to be one curriculum that is solid. I feel like we are in good hands with Singapore math, but I haven't found something equivalent for writing (that covers everything).

[redsquirrel]

I am least sure of myself in upper grades math. I have a difficult time science, but not due to lack of my own education. It feels very...disjointed in my head. With history and language and literature things feel like they flow. In science I have information but no mental flow.

 

So, I spend an awful lot of time researching math and science instruction and materials. I am willing to spend an awful lot of money getting them done, as well. Money isn't the only solution, by any means, but I will buy those extra book or materials to make our year that much richer. So far, my kids are doing well in both topics.

 

With my son in the middle grades, I am currently concerned about logic. We are done with informal logic and are moving towards formal logic study next year. I am not looking forward to that.

[Meriwether]

Art and music. Followed by science and writing. My kids have a lot of general science knowledge, but I haven't taught it consistently. This year will be a good year for science. We are doing human anatomy and forensics. Everyone is excited about it. I can teach writing, but I feel imcompetent to judge my kids' writing. We are focusing very heavily on writing this year. Art and music are difficult because I am not artsy.

[Element]

Writing! Writing, writing, writing. :banghead:

 

If, in the future, one subject causes me to throw up my hands and send the kids back to ps, I can guarantee that subject will be Writing.

[AimeeM]

History. We tend to be more stem focused and history falls to the aside; she has no interest in it.

 

Literature. Ditto history. She hates reading (although I'm a reader myself).

 

Writing. Ditto literature. She is dyslexic/auditory processing problems and writing is very difficult for her (again, this is something I enjoy, but she doesn't). I'm afraid this subject is most neglected because I've yet to find a program we can work well with. I'm *hoping* that she will one day write well because we are building a strong foundation in spelling and grammar. Maybe? Lol!

 

Easy for us are sciences and maths. Autumn enjoys these subjects and excels in them; also, while they aren't my strong suits, my husband's degrees and knowledge lends to making these subjects fairly easy to teach since he can help, if only by helping to choose appropriate curricula.

 

To sum it up, our difficult areas aren't necessarily in MY weak areas, but in hers. It's easier to teach something that I may personally struggle in, but she has an interest in and does well with.

Edited June 29, 2012 by AimeeM

[Embassy]

Math and science. Math is difficult because I have a non-sequential learner and figuring out how to best teach him has been mind-boggling. Science is difficult because most of my knowledge is limited to the biology arena.

[Ecclecticmum]

Reading.

 

There, I admitted it.

 

.....................

 

:glare:

 

I hate teaching blending. Hopefully soon enough it'll "click" but until then, I pronounce I have free rights to go stark raving mad.

 

And once it clicks, I am hoping she'll teach the other two how to blend. All of the kids know their letter sounds, but blending gives me a headache. I think its harder because I was a natural reader, I somehow learnt to read myself, before kindergarten. I asked my mother for tips from how I learnt, she had no idea, apparently, I just taught myself (but obviously didn't remember any useful tips)

 

She'll "read" out each letter, then LOOK AWAY (*daughter HELLO, the word is here, why do you have to stare off into the far DISTANCE?????) and then take guesses. Even after me modelling the word a billion, trillion times, i think she only remembers it by either sight or "memory" rather than reading. I know its a start, but its driving me bonkers :banghead: to me, once they will be reading, the rest will be a breeze! Calculus? No problems, history of the Primitive man? Great!

 

Forget graduation party, a "you're reading" party should happen instead, with mom getting a medal and a long vacation with servants to attend her every whim (and probably a therapist :tongue_smilie: ) On that note, I'm off for a nice warm cup of milk ;)

[jenangelcat]

Art. With 3 kids, aged almost 2 to 6, art = stress+mess.

[TheAutumnOak]

Writing...

 

I don't remember having a difficult time learning to write, so it makes it difficult for me to understand all of the steps that are necessary to teach writing...I take a lot of it for granted...

[abrightmom]

Writing! Writing, writing, writing. :banghead:.

 

:iagree: I don't know how to make sense of the whole thing even after reading TWTM, taking notes, listening to lectures, etc. I think the key is consistency and continually learning about the writing process as we are writing. It is horribly uncomfortable and undermines my confidence DAILY.

[EducationX2]

Reading almost did me in.

DD is a perfectionist, and wanted to give in every time she didn't know something. She also gets overwhelmed by frustration very easily.

I was never actually taught to read- I taught myself. But I don't know all the rules and such. Plus I have mild hearing loss in both ears and processing issues, so sometimes similar sounds are harder for me to distinguish.

Let's just say- phonics lessons around here went slowly. S...l...o...w...l...y. :lol: We are finally over the hump though! DD isn't yet a fluent reader, but she's got all the basics down, just need to practice now.

 

The hardest subject for me to teach now is... history. Ironically. I say ironically because I'm a history major in school and planning on being a history professor. But obviously the way you approach history with a 6 year old and the way you approach history in an academic setting is much different, and sometimes it is hard for me to make the switch.

[Mrs.Gregg]

Reading.

 

There, I admitted it.

 

.....................

 

:glare:

 

I hate teaching blending. Hopefully soon enough it'll "click" but until then, I pronounce I have free rights to go stark raving mad.

 

And once it clicks, I am hoping she'll teach the other two how to blend. All of the kids know their letter sounds, but blending gives me a headache. I think its harder because I was a natural reader, I somehow learnt to read myself, before kindergarten. I asked my mother for tips from how I learnt, she had no idea, apparently, I just taught myself (but obviously didn't remember any useful tips)

 

She'll "read" out each letter, then LOOK AWAY (*daughter HELLO, the word is here, why do you have to stare off into the far DISTANCE?????) and then take guesses. Even after me modelling the word a billion, trillion times, i think she only remembers it by either sight or "memory" rather than reading. I know its a start, but its driving me bonkers :banghead: to me, once they will be reading, the rest will be a breeze! Calculus? No problems, history of the Primitive man? Great!

 

Forget graduation party, a "you're reading" party should happen instead, with mom getting a medal and a long vacation with servants to attend her every whim (and probably a therapist :tongue_smilie: ) On that note, I'm off for a nice warm cup of milk ;)

:iagree:

 

I hate teaching reading. My older DD started homeschooling already a strong reader. A combo of public school, being read to a lot and I suspect a natural reader.

 

DD2 was doing pretty well with learning letter sounds and letters but then she got glasses which is great because now she can see right. BUT she has had to re learn what letters ACTUALLY look like. She has her letter sounds and a good amount of blends down but we ineffect had to re do about 6mo of learning. She been getting it but gets easily burnt out because she "knows it Mom".

 

I was a late reader, having mild dyslexia and dysgraphia. Along with an unstable homelife as a child and moving to 7 different schools in 2 years during Kindergarden to middle of 2nd grade. Once things stablized and I met with a reading specialist it all "clicked".

[Violet Crown]

Art. I don't even know what teaching art should look like. With the result that Great Girl never really learned much about it. She was ecstatic to discover in freshman orientation that she'll be able to use a History of Classics course for her mandatory art credit.

[MinivanMom]

French. I have confidence issue with teaching foreign language (even when I have studied it), because I have never achieve fluency. I am managing for now, but I will be outsourcing to a tutor within a year or two.

[Zebra]

Math.

 

I know how to do it at this age, I just never know how to explain it to someone else.

[Tanikit]

History cause I have never really liked it myself and can only see the point of it when linked to something in the present.

 

Art and Music - I have no idea what teaching this would look like. We do some art projects but so far there has been no real "teaching" at all. And music - we listen to songs on youtube and that is all.

[sunnylady303]

You know, I read the question and thought, "oh, well the hardest for me to teach are science and history." But then I saw the art and music responses. Art and music aren't on my radar even right now. What does that say? :lol:

 

Anyway. I love history and science but somehow I have a harder time with those content areas versus skill areas. I know how to teach skill, but content seems to be a struggle for me. I'm going to try TOG this year hoping I can use it as a jumping off for skill areas. And science I am going wacky, using a Thames and Kosmos engineering kit for my take-everything-in-the-house-apart DD and putting together my own herbal plant and remedy course for my I-want-to-be-an-herbalist DD. Maybe we'll get history and science done this year.

 

Now to think about music and art. :D

[Punks in Ontario]

English including writing. It just takes so much coaching and marking time that we never seems to complete a course. I'm considering outsourcing this for the olders.

[sagira]

Spanish! I speak Spanish, read Spanish, understand Spanish.. Can't seem to transmit all that into teaching my kids. Rosetta Stone is bearing the brunt of it all right now, but still.. After 4 years of different programs, no conversation. Barely any small phrases. Gets who and what mixed up. Sigh. Trying Easy Spanish K-3 again with all the printouts done already.

[ScoutTN]

Art or music.

[ereks mom]

Writing. It seems so hard to pin down. I can't always tell if the writing is good for their ages and it is hard to advise them. Also, there doesn't seem to be one curriculum that is solid.

 

:iagree:

[Joani]

It would definitely be Art, except we've actually never done it. How bad is that?

[Violet Crown]

Well I feel better now. And yet, kind of worse.

[sagira]

She'll "read" out each letter, then LOOK AWAY (*daughter HELLO, the word is here, why do you have to stare off into the far DISTANCE?????) and then take guesses. Even after me modelling the word a billion, trillion times, i think she only remembers it by either sight or "memory" rather than reading. I know its a start, but its driving me bonkers :banghead: to me, once they will be reading, the rest will be a breeze!

 

Excuse me, are you talking about my dd4? She is exactly the same way right now. I haven't formally started teaching her how to read yet, but at her Montessori pre-K they did. We'll see come this fall. Hang in there :grouphug:

[atozmom]

Writing! Writing, writing, writing. :banghead:

 

 

Yes, this is me too.

 

Writing...

 

I don't remember having a difficult time learning to write, so it makes it difficult for me to understand all of the steps that are necessary to teach writing.

 

I think this is my problem as well.

[FairProspects]

Math and reading. But at least the reading part is not completely my fault. :D

[EducationX2]

She'll "read" out each letter, then LOOK AWAY (*daughter HELLO, the word is here, why do you have to stare off into the far DISTANCE?????) and then take guesses. Even after me modelling the word a billion, trillion times, i think she only remembers it by either sight or "memory" rather than reading.

 

:lol: My daughter did that. It drove me seriously crazy. HOW in the wide world can you read a word that is on the page when you are looking at the ceiling?? Please tell me. And then insist, absolutely INSIST, that you are trying. :svengo:Then come up with guesses all around the word, and when mom was at the very, extreme end of my rope, "suddenly" get the right word.

 

You know, I read the question and thought, "oh, well the hardest for me to teach are science and history." But then I saw the art and music responses. Art and music aren't on my radar even right now. What does that say? :lol:

 

I said history was hardest for me to teach, but art is hardest for me to REMEMBER to teach!! :D

[Elfknitter.#]

Science. I like it, we occasionally do it (not enough though), but I never feel comfortable with it. I'm always afraid they'll ask me something and I'll be :001_huh:. It's definitely something that I'll have them take classes for outside the home later on.

[SkateLeft]

Art and music.

[Walking-Iris]

Languages. My brain just does not wrap itself around another language. I had French in school and I remember enough to (sort of) translate a passage. But I couldn't tell you what someone was saying to me in French. No fluency. Spanish? I know even less. I can teach Latin and Greek in a vocabulary area, but as a whole language? Uh no thanks.

 

I've seriously thought hard about trying to find some tutor for these.

[Mommyfaithe]

Math. After that....Logic. I always farm Logic out to MP Online classes. It is not exciting, but gets the job done.