Can we talk about teaching style?

[Amy loves Bud]

I was talking with a friend recently about homeschooling and we got into Latin. She started telling me about her high school Latin teacher. Seems the class was my friend's very favorite because her teacher was a great storyteller when she told all the myths, and just generally kept everyone engaged with her manner and approach to the class..

 

I'm afraid it has me thinking about my style. I'm generally a very outgoing, joking, expressive person, but somehow I get very serious when it comes to school. When I read literature, I do get into it and I'm pretty good with voices. But in general, I'm not a lot of fun during school - I get very task oriented. Luke and Peyton seem to think school is fine, but I'm wondering how much more engaging I could make their subject matter. In fact, and I hope Susan doesn't cringe when she reads this, I'm considering using SOTW this year and "telling" the stories rather than reading them.

 

Any thoughts about this? Do you try to be animated and engaging? Do you think serious is better? Do you care?

[elegantlion]

My favorite history teacher was the same way. He had a battle ax and one corner of his desk was gone because he used it so much. He told stories and really brought history to life.

 

I can be very serious about studies, but that doesn't work well for my son. I get too intense which makes him frustrated, snowballing into utter chaos. So this year I lightened up. We make learning fun, not that everything was fun, but I took a new approach.

 

We did conga lines to Gregorian chants, he wrote a rap song about Handel

 

I break into song if the tension gets to be too much. We're like a musical version of homeschooling.

 

History takes the form of a news report. He pretends to be a cameraman while I use my best Walter Cronkite voice when reading from certain texts.

 

This spontanaeity (sp?) has become 2nd nature to us and he truly retains more when "I'm" not so intense.

 

We aren't silly all day, but it is allowed and encouraged on a daily basis.

[Mama Lynx]

I tend to be serious and task-oriented too, and struggle to not be.

 

It helps (am I saying this??) to have a challenging child, one who can, in an instant, lose it and turn the whole house into an uproar. If I catch him as he's getting frustrated, and if I can get him to LAUGH, disaster is often averted. He's done a lot to teach me to be suddenly silly.

 

I am just never going to be that teacher who holds people spellbound with engaging stories. But I *can* be silly, and make them laugh. And we all have so much more fun when I do!

[WTMindy]

I don't think you have to retell the stories. I think it is the enthusiam for the subject that you bring to the table that will make the difference. I honestly believe that the reason that my kids love history now is because I was very excited about all the things we were learning right along with them (using SOTW). I would express MY enthusiasm for the subject, which seems to rub off. I think this goes a long way!!

 

But, if you do decide to retell the stories, I promise I won't tell Susan!!

[WTMindy]

 

I break into song if the tension gets to be too much. We're like a musical version of homeschooling.

 

We aren't silly all day, but it is allowed and encouraged on a daily basis.

 

This would describe us too!

[Kris]

I don't know if serious is better or not -- but I am. I always wanted to be one of those "fun" Moms, but it got him too wound up. He didn't know when to quit. Now that he's older, I guess we wouldn't have that problem, but it's too late now. :-)

[Alenee]

You're definitely not alone here. I was just contemplating this very thing a day or so ago. My dh is really good about getting them to lighten up with a silly joke but I've just always been so serious...it bugs even me but I don't know how to change it. I'm looking forward to hearing from others.

[VaKim]

I couldn't be serious for any length of time if my life depended on it. :) There is always something funny to point out in whatever we are reading or doing. My girls have to make me behave sometimes (which they immensely enjoy.) :001_smile:

 

But that is just me. I don't purposely try to make it fun or funny. It just happens naturally. Not sure I could do it on purpose.

[Peela]

I find trying to make school fun the most exhausting thing in the world and I usually get very irritable when i am exhausted :)

Basically, we just do the work. However, we keep it short, we do some stuff together, and we try to keep our sense of humour intact! Just a joke here and there and a cuddle and snack and some sympathetic pats when the going gets tough- it feels like that all happens pretty naturally and it keeps things from getting too serious.

[8filltheheart]

Me, too. I would go crazy if I felt like I had to make education entertaining.

 

I focus more on making our discussions engaging. Instead of regurgitative responses, I try to ask questions that really make them think for themselves and create their own opinions that in turn they need to try to persuade me to see by "defending" how they arrived there. That is what I remember from my best teachers and what I try to emulate.

 

I am definitely not a "fun" teacher. (nor do we spend much time on projects, experiments, etc.) But, I don't think my children would use boring as a word to describe our school.

[Plaid Dad]

I was one of those kids who found it embarrassing to sit in class while the adult in front hammed it up. The teachers I liked the best in school were passionate about their subjects and able to share their enthusiasm without being cheesy.

 

I do struggle with being too "git 'er done" during our lesson time. I'm a very focused person, and (naturally enough, given her age) my 7yo is less so. What I consider a distraction, she considers motivating. I think (hope!) that with my older students, I'm able to strike a balance between productive work and engaging presentation.

[Myrtle]

I think the key is passion rather than "fun."

 

When a teacher is truly in love with their field it's hard for that not to be contageous.

 

Very young children perhaps need more "fun" activities, coloring, games, but in the long run if students are required to be immediately entertained by gimmicks on a regular basis then they aren't going to make it as far as those who can grind through the hard work because the reward for sticking to unfun work is more knowledge in fascinating field.

 

 

All too often I hear people say that their kids "love subject x'. But the kids don't really love subject X. They wouldn't touch subject x with a ten foot pole when they are left to choose a free time activity. What the kids love are the games associated with subject X. The teachers want the kids to love subject X but the teachers don't even love it enough to do it on their own time for fun either.

 

Get passion!:drool5:

[Melora in NC]

I don't know if serious is better or not -- but I am. I always wanted to be one of those "fun" Moms, but it got him too wound up. He didn't know when to quit. :-)

 

:iagree:

 

Same problem here. And my ds just turned 10, which seems to be a Very Silly Age.

We Do get a little silly sometimes, but it gets out of hand very easily and then I have to use the Firm Mommy voice to get us back on track.

[Amy loves Bud]

Yes! This is what I'm talking about! I'm talking about being animated and passionate about a subject, not really being silly.

 

I'm pretty good at lightening the mood when things get tense. We'll joke, turn on some music and dance, run outside and chant something while we run a lap around the park. That part is not a problem.

 

It's more the demonstration of passion for the subject. I think I get too bogged down in Getting The Facts Across rather communicating the joy of the subject. I don't want to be overly silly, or "ham it up", I just want to better communicate the life and joy in a subject. I'm sure some of it is natural personality.

 

I love science and I love to read about it. To me it doesn't need any dressing up because it is so darn interesting. I mean really, have you read about how hemoglobing works lately? These things I think in my head, I'm not good at verbalizing them. I tend to be a "Just the facts, ma'am" kind of teacher, but I think sharing some of these connections I have in my head would make learning more of a joyful endeavor.

 

I'm sure that makes no sense to anyone, but this conversation is helping me sort it in my head, so thanks, and keep it coming!