Teaching more than one

[Jan P.]

How do you handle the daily direct teaching that needs to be done with your high school students? I know that many of you have self-learners, or you have curriculum that is self-teaching. However, I left my dc to self-teach this past year way too much. I'm not so sure how much they really learned. I feel like I need to step in and do some more direct teaching, especially in science, math, and languages. Have any of you been able to keep up with multiple children by direct teaching them? The books I use assume you would be teaching daily. I'm wondering though, if I should alternate days between the two. I've tried in the past of teaching both of them together, but the younger catches on faster than the older which causes strife. My older one actually likes me to directly teach her. IT is the younger one that would rather I not, but I do need to meet with her to make sure she is on top of her learning.

 

Any thoughts?

 

You'd think that I would have this down after 14 years of teaching, but I still struggle with this!

[newbie]

I personally could not do two. So I passed it to an online school that has teachers and deadlines. Than I am not the bad guy.

 

Jet

[Laura K (NC)]

I've read that other moms here did as well. My high schooler took about twice as much time as my two younger sons did, and we even farmed out two subjects. I found out that even when I enroll him in a class I still have to stay on top of his work somewhat for when he has problems.

 

Last year I spent more time homeschooling than I ever have. I can really see a difference in results between actually teaching them, and giving them good books to read so they can teach themselves. Only very rarely do they successfully teach themselves. Most of the time they are not motivated to get the work done well enough for real mastery.

[Melissa in Australia]

I teach all of my children directly. the only subjects that the older 2 do completely independently are reading, piano, spelling workout, and math. and math requires some direction from time to time. every other subject I teach them individually ( except history , we do that combined with all the rest of the children). this takes me all day. starting from 8 am through till 4.30 pm. the kids individually aren't doing school for that length of time, they have to take turns with my help,

 

If my children had to do self learning , than they wouldn't get anything done, they just are not the type of children that teach themselves things. they have to be shown, encouraged, and pushed along.

I view it as my full time job,