How much of the time do you actually "teach"?

[ProudGrandma]

I am a elementary teacher by trade and sometimes I find myself getting caught in the trap of thinking I need to run my homeschool like "school"....teacher standing in front of the class writing on the blackboard, spending time "teaching" grammar, math etc.

 

So, my question to you is...do you actually "teach" your kids (espeically the older ones) or do you let them do a lot of it on their own, if they can??? I sometimes feel like I should be doing more...but they understand, get the answers right (most of the time) without me. That is ok? right?

[SFM]

I teach, usually in my chair beside him with a small dry erase board. We talk about it and then he goes over the exercise. This is true of grammar and math. Writing we usually do together --- WWE and then for narrations I go over any difficult spelling with him. We use WRTR so that can be pretty teacher intensive as well. Latin is one that once we go over the lesson portion he can complete the written assignment on his own, USUALLY.

 

I actually kind of enjoy it -- maybe it's the teacher hidden in me breaking out. Also, my children are still some what young at 8, 5, and 3.

[Pawz4me]

Sure it's okay. Once my son reached about fifth or sixth grade I've rarely needed to actively teach very much. He's an independent learner who picks most things up easily. We do, however, have a LOT of discussions.

[athena1277]

I sit with my K child, but my 4th grader does most of her work on her own. I do FLL with her and read from SOTW and ask the questions orally with her. The rest she does herself with me giving assistance when she gets stuck. I think the curriculum choices do make a difference in how much instruction is needed. I personally love open-and-go. It helps dd's independence too because she knows to just open and do the next lesson.

[regentrude]

I do not teach in the sense a school teacher teaches, i.e. I do not lecture, and I do not micromanage (now open the book, now fill out the worksheet...)

I answer questions, help when they get stuck in math, work on foreign language with them, provide materials, am a discussion partner, ask questions to help them figure out a concept...

I facilitate learning, but I don't teach.

[DragonFaerie]

I don't "teach" either. My son works mostly independently. I answer questions, explain things he doesn't understand, and go over problems and questions with him that he gets wrong. He really likes being "in charge" of his school day and wouldn't tolerate my standing in front of him lecturing.

[briansmama]

I refuse to call myself a teacher. I'm definitely a facilitator, like Regentrude :)

 

ETA: We do spend 3 hours per day on lessons with my 9yr old but what we do looks nothing like what is done in a traditional school. We use lots of literature and are starting to incorporate more Khan Academy and science videos/technology in our learning. No worksheets, textbooks, or standardized tests or quizzes here.

[momacacia]

My kids are still young, obviously. But, 8yo really seems to enjoy some "teacher at the whiteboard, student at the desk" time. I find I think more outside the box, sometimes, this way also and teach a little more enthusiastically. But, I've also chosen fairly teacher-intensive/parent-intensive curriculums. I do hope she gets more independent at some point, but I also don't want to miss the fun stuff with her (high school reading, etc. ;-). We'll see!

[Anne in CA]

When my children were young I "taught" them about ten minutes a subject for LA, math, or spelling. History and Bible and science I read out loud to them and we discussed thing and did projects together. The kids read out loud to me for reading and I helped them so I could call that teaching. Now dd does her math lessons with her father and other than that she reads her own lessons and I just correct work. I really have not taught dd anything for a couple of years. She is really independent. She has been letting me do literature with her this year, and she "uses" me to help her figure out the answers in her workbook. But even with literature sometime she just wants to do it by herself. I do not "teach" her literature. I read out loud to her and we discuss answers together before she writes them in the workbook and I check to see if they are right.

[boscopup]

My oldest is third grade, so I still have to teach. We are slowly moving toward more independent learning followed by discussion with mom.

[Farrar]

Hm... It's hard to say. I do a lot of sitting there and encouraging them to keep going or answering their questions when they get stuck. That's a teaching job, but it's not teaching per se. It's not instructing.

 

I also read a loud a lot. That's also teaching... but not the same as instructing per se.

 

I do instruct during spelling. That's 20 mins. per kid a day. And it's scripted. And I instruct for a math lesson or two for maybe 10-20 mins. maybe twice a week or so? And I instruct when I teach the dictation passage. Ten minutes a week. And when I help the kids edit and revise writing. That's extremely variable. Sometimes for hours and sometimes very little in the course of a week. I also teach science... that's much more teachy because I have extra kids once a week. I have to have it structured and set up. So that's for a couple of hours once a week.

[NASDAQ]

JK and 1st. I instruct the older between ninety minutes and 150 minutes a day. I instruct the younger in two fifteen-to-twenty minute sessions a day.

[Lily_Grace]

We discuss a lot. At this point, I am not "teacher", I am guide and companion. It's my job to keep him (14yo) on track and progressing, it's his job to internalize the material. He's visual/tactile. The more he sees and touches, the better he understands. He doesn't need my lectures or direct instruction. He needs someone to ask the hard questions, to make him think, to make him prove that what he believes is right.

[KBunn]

I wish I didn't have to "teach" so much. My son is really dyslexic though. So, if I left him to read on his own, one of two things would happen. He would either start guessing and not read, or he would start reading and it would take him an hour or more to get through some of the reading for different subjects we do. Also, unless he reads aloud, I cannot correct words that he either can't sound out or sounds out wrong, which means he likely won't understand what he just read.

 

I can let him work independently when he is doing a writing assignment, a worksheet I have already explained or a lapbook project we have already gone over. Other than that, I am by him for hours a day. We are doing a remedial phonics and spelling program that require me to be there teaching, so that adds to the time I suppose.

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

Not much actually. I do more guiding then teaching. When they are still non readers I teach but the amount of time is very little because there class time is just an hour or two and that is filled with coloring, manipulative and other hands on things...actual teaching time might be half hour or an hour at most.

 

As they begin to read they start doing things on their own. My teaching time might be an intro to a lesson they read or quick explanation on a math skill. My dd is ending 2nd and for the last month or two she has told me she wants to try and figure out these things on her own...so very little teaching there. We do read aloud her science and discuss...mainly it is me pointing out the things I want stressed. I would say total teaching time is again half an hour to an hour tops.

 

High School I do not teach unless they come to me because they do not understand something or they need a quick reminder of grammar/writing rules. This might be once or twice a week with a total of an hour (unless it is a major math problem, then 2 hours tops).

 

As I said, my role as a homeschool mom is more guidance then teaching. I want my children to learn to learn on their own.

[angelmama1209]

i guess we have a lot of self guided curriculum. my oldest is 7. i spend about and hour and a half reading- 2 lit books, fll2, apologia science, sotw, a book on fruits and vegetables, lof, Bible, then she reads her phonics pathways and from a reader to me. then she does her "independent" work- etc, handwriting, cwp, wordly wise, and song school latin. then she does math mammoth. if she needs me, i help her, but since it's written TO her and very incremental, it's pretty easy for her to understand. we do our reading snuggled in my bed and she has a lapdesk for any writing work or coloring. and she does her other work at the kitchen table.

 

i "teach" my 3 and 5 year olds a little more.

[shanvan]

I'll be the odd ball. I teach. How much I don't know. There are books I will send them off to read on their own, and quite often lately Dd tells me she doesn't need me to explain her math b/c she knows what to do just by looking at the page. That certainly was not always true. Dd needed quite a bit of drilling and guidance in younger years. Ds (in 9th) does work on his own a lot (does all but his geometry proofs on his own, writes his essays without me standing over him) but I still teach him too. One of the most important things I taught him this year was how to read a difficult text, extract the meaning, take notes, and study. He's great at analyzing literature, but we discovered his skills at deciphering a high level science text were not equal. (Granted most science texts are not well written.)

 

I do both facilitating and teaching. I look over the materials we are using (w/ my Dc and their particular strengths and weaknesses in mind) and decide where there may be a problem or what my goal is for a particular subject for that day and i decide what I need to explain or model. We discuss. I ask lots of questions. I give assignments. Later I check those assignments and decide if more practice is necessary. I call that teaching. When we read aloud I stop and ask questions whenever they pop into my mind. Literary analysis is easy for me and I enjoy it (which is why I majored in English). Sometimes Dc stop me to relate an observation about the book. When I teach I am imparting to Dc knowledge I have gained over my lifetime. I often add in tidbits of information and a connections from other subjects, or real life stories. They will not get that by going off on their own with a book. I also have quite a few approaches to math for kids who have difficulty.

 

Independent learning is great and has it's place, but there is also something to be said for learning from a good teacher. I am teaching a public speaking class currently and many of the parents have told me, after class, that they are learning how to teach just by observing the class. One of the parents made the statement that it must be my education as a teacher that makes me able to design relevant lessons that are interesting and suited to the kids in the class. I responded quickly to that b/c I do NOT think that is true at all. I've just always been good at analyzing material and breaking into small digestible parts. Add to that research skills that enable me to find activities and information, plus a very active mind that is constantly working to find solutions to problems, and you have the reasons why my lessons work (most of the time) not b/c of any training or learning I had in college. I'm just wired that way.

 

And..that brings me to the most important consideration--the Dc you teach...how are they wired? Is teaching warranted or not? You wouldn't stand over your excellent reader and monitor every page of a novel he or she is reading, but you might be reading some literature aloud in order to discuss and model some higher level analytical skills. Consider, how do they learn best? What particular areas do they struggle with? Do they need a teacher? Do they learn well independently? Many kids need to be taught how to learn independently. Some need to be taught explicit time management skills. I think we need to be sure our Dc develop the ability to do both. Most will need to be able to learn independently, but they will also need to know when they need help and how to choose a good teacher to help them. Whether or not you teach is going to depend on quite a few variables like time, the type of student you have, and your own abilities. Ds really needs a teacher for chemistry next year. i know better than to make it an independent subject. I could teach him myself, but time is an issue, so he will be taking a class with a highly qualified teacher (whom I have met and interviewed) next year.

 

Imho, too many parents decide their kids need to learn independently and send them off on their own, with very little facilitating or follow up, only to discover later that their Dc are struggling. In some cases their Dc may be doing okay, but would have learned more if they had actually been taught or had the material been discussed. I've had personal experience with quite a few families who have done this and regretted it. I think it happens b/c they look at families who have high achieving independent learners (b/c their kids are wired o be that way) and think they need to do the same with their Dc. Then their Dc do poorly b/c the parent did not take into consideration whether that method would work for their Dc. I have a good friend who has several Dc who do all their work on their own and are excellent students, but I know my Dc, and I realize that mine need a teacher in many areas. That doesn't make them less intelligent or inferior, it just means they are different.

 

 

Forgive all my rambling and typos. I have a sinus infection and am having difficulty putting thoughts into words this morning--this will not be a stellar teaching day for me! SOmehow I have to get it together to help 2 students with speeches later today.

[Mom-ninja.]

I teach. I teach most of the day. I'm cool with that.

[shanvan]

I teach. I teach most of the day. I'm cool with that.

 

 

:thumbup1: You know, that is really what I was saying in my lengthy post above. Somehow I could not get my brain to make a nice succinct statement. I'm blaming the sinus infection.

[MicheleinMN]

I sit with my 16 yo ds to do most of his geometry and correct his chemistry problems. I also work with him on Spanish. We have discussions to go with history, literature, and composition. I occasionally teach grammar. I sit with my 13 yo dd to do her math and sometimes to do her composition. I teach All About Spelling 2 to my 11 yo ds. I also do math corrections with him. I listen to him read a chapter a day (dyslexic) and help him do his composition, but he does his copywork on his own. We also have a morning time together where I read aloud to all 4 children. I include my 14 yo ds in the history, literature, and composition discussions with his older brother. I also do math corrections with him. I could spend ALL day doing school with either my 16 yo or my 11 yo, add in the other 2 and I am busy all day.

[Jilly]

It varies from day to day here. Occasionally I have to help my daughter with algebra if she gets stuck, but she is mostly independent in her work. With her twin brother I have to work through geometry with him and WWS some days. I wouldn't call what I do with them "teaching" in the traditional sense. Instead I try to gently lead them to the correct answer though they do most of the work.

 

With my youngest son I teach him math for about ten minutes a day. I also read to him for about an hour a day. Other than that he is also independent in his work.

[wallingjan]

I facilitate, discuss and make sure my daughter is understanding and learning. I'm currently studying chemistry and Latin with her, but she is mostly on her own for the rest. I check her work daily to make sure she is doing well. I agree that it it is a mistake to set your children up to be independent and then realize later that they didn't learn. That said, my 6th grader does very well studying independently and I don't feel guilty for not sitting with her. It really depends on the kids and the family. The beauty of homeschooling is finding what works for you.

[angelmama1209]

i check my dd's work every day and we make corrections/do extra problems together. i spend about 1.5 hours reading different subjects with her, adding tidbits, answering questions, expanding ideas; but i don't consider that "teaching", just reading, talking, guiding, encouraging.

[happymomofboys]

I don't consider myself a teacher. I feel like I'm a mentor and a facilitator, guiding my student in the direction I want him to go and providing the resources to get him there. I feel that the books we use do the actual teaching.

 

That being said, for some subjects like math and grammar I do demonstrate the lesson and present sample problems on the white board. But, imo, none of that is teaching. To me, teaching involves moving information from the teacher's brain into the student's brain. I'm more inclined to put the material in front of my student and let my student learn from the material itself, with me sitting back prepared to ask questions and lead discussion about what has been read.

[Ecclecticmum]

We jump around a lot, going between all-day learning, all-day rabbit trails to unschooling/natural learning.

 

Because of that I can't really give a time rofl. Some days we literally spend 10 hours (minus food breaks so about 8) in the school area either because the kids want a really long day and keep asking for more or we end up rabbit trailing and following a particular interest. Other times we're more all over the house doing our own things (or outside in the yard, on the farm etc).

 

If we followed our curriculum, no extra trails, it would probably be about 1-1 1/2 hours (with a break in the middle) for "head" learning (i.e. academics) for our eldest. This isn't all sit down work though, probably about 10-20 minutes is actually doing stuff into her main lesson book (drawings, letters etc) the rest of the time is circle time/stories/dramatisations/exploration etc. If we just did the bookwork for the day -no frills- it would probably be half an hour.

[JenC3]

It's a mixture of facilitating and teaching. We've been doing lots of basics this year which I do "teach." I have some open and go, but if i'm there going over it, facilitating, it's less gradng. I only grade tests, etc. Because I know they are getting it.

[Mom in High Heels]

It depends. Some days I do more, some days less. Indy is in the 5th grade, so he can do a lot on his own. I do work on Latin, Greek and Science with him, though Latin he can mostly do on his own. I just go over things when something new is introduced. Greek I work more on, because it's HARD. I read history to him (mostly because I like the book too) and we discuss what we've read. I go over his writing assignments (Writer's Apprentice) and sometimes prompt him if he's stuck. For science, I do experiments with him and discussion questions. He does math and grammar on his own and I help if he needs it.

 

Wow, it seems like I teach a lot, but it really doesn't take that much time. When he was younger, I spent much more time with him.

[hunterhomeschool]

I think this issue really depends on the ages and abilities of your kids and also somewhat on the subjects you are teaching. When your kids are still in the primary grades... just learning the functions of math, the rules of grammar, phonics and spelling teaching them penmanship... you will naturally spend more time activiely teaching these things "like a school teacher" no matter the size and color of your "blackboard". If you have a child who's behind or not strong in those core areas (especially if they are under 4th/5th grade) or a child with disabilities you'll probably spend more time really working those foundation subjects and making sure they've "got it". Once they get beyond that grammar/primary school age group (approx. 4th or 5th grade) you will probably have gotten to the "sweet spot" where they can work mostly independently for the most part except for new and totally unfamiliar things in math and sciences. (Also music if you are teaching music theory/reading or a musical instrument(s) ... teaching music is most likened to teach math and a language at the same time.

If you are teaching foreign languages, plan to repeat that grammar/phonics/spelling stage with each foreign language you teach.

 

If several of your kids are either close in age or close in educational level/abilities at the same time, you can often times group them together for lessons where possible. I use this example from my own kids:

 

My oldest (a 9 yr old son with autism) was just pulled out of PS a month ago (though we've been afterschooling him for a long long time because our school was doing a very bad job with ALL of it's students with 60% being remedial in math and 45% remedial in reading and science... this is a rural school with less than 200 students Pre-k to 12, the most "normal" population demographic you could want and parents who are are very involved in their children's education... the problem was largely to do with the curriculum). Our son (whom the school had in 3rd grade because of social age group reasons more than educational levels) was reading on an early 1st grade level (also phonics, grammar and spelling), was mid-2nd grade level for math... but is probably 4th or 5th grade level in science and history due to his own personal interests in those subjects. In math and reading, phonics grammar and spelling we are focusing on filling in all the holes and correcting problems that were created by our public school's curriculum... lots of reviewing math facts to find where things fell apart for him... lots of focus on spelling and phonics rules to fix all the damage the school did to him with their sight words crap and reviewing grammar starting with "the sentence" to get a feel for what he understands and doesn't. We focus on those for most of our daily schoolwork with him. In a month his reading has improved to approx mid-late 1st grade)

 

Little brother is in 1st grade (still currently enrolled in PS until the end of the school year, in a different district via open enrollment... we tried to move the older one too but his appicaltion was denied because of special needs) is approximately at the same level in reading as his older brother and is close to it in math (this is his strong area- math and he's been lightyears ahead of his class in PS with it all year) and is somewhat advanced for his age in science as well.

 

I've combined them together to form group classes in the following: cursive penmanship, health/manners, science and geography. 1st grader is hopefully going to be caught up to Big Brother in reading, grammar and math that we can continue those together over the summer. Partly this is an administration decision that DH and I made, due to the fact that 19 month old baby sister is also potty training, we have a farm to oversee (and DH works about 70 hours a week at a town job) and I train Service Dogs for disabled kids.

 

The point of homeschool is that it can be tailor-made for your unique, individual kids and to the parents' needs as teachers as well. (i.e. if you have a night owl and are a night owl, why not go with it, if you need to schedule around your schedule for work or whatever do that, etc. If you have a 9 yr old kid who reads on a 1st grade level but wants to explore physical science Myth-Buster's style at a 5th-7th grade level... go for it... seriously my boy would love to explore the physics of builing a cannon out of duct-tape just for the fun of it... the only thing holding him back is mommy's lack of expertise with algebraic math and daddy's being far to busy at work to teach physics for 4th graders.)

 

You have to do what fits you and your family and not worry so much about what everybody else is doing. If it works for your kids and for you... and the kids are making educational progress... go with what works. You kids' behavior toward their school work (and their progress) will clue you into whether or not it's "right"... if they start struggling, look at the curriculum you are using and why you are using it first and foremost for evaluation and possible change. If that's not it, then consider your expertise in that subject and your attidude toward it (does that need adjusting somehow, do you need your spouse, a friend, neighbor, relative to teach that one subject you struggle with, or enroll that child in a class at a homeschool co-op?) If that's not the problem then try reviewing back to the point where that subject seemed to go wonky (did they miss an important skill that was to be built upon?) If not, then explore the possibility of an as yet undiscovered learning difficulty.

[shanvan]

I think this issue really depends on the ages and abilities of your kids and also somewhat on the subjects you are teaching.

 

:iagree:

 

Once they get beyond that grammar/primary school age group (approx. 4th or 5th grade) you will probably have gotten to the "sweet spot" where they can work mostly independently for the most part except for new and totally unfamiliar things in math and sciences.

 

I used to think this was true, but now that Ds is actually in high school I find he needs my involvement just as much as he did in younger years. The skills are just different and at a higher level. There is a lot of info to cover in high school and more skills than you (a general 'you', not directed at anyone) realize. AND you have a Dc who is dealing with hormones and emotions about growing up and facing the world. Too many parents think they can just assign work and send their Dc off to do it without monitoring once they reach a certain age. It might be true for some, but not for most judging by what I hear from people I know IRL. My Ds in 9th needs my involvement just as much as Dd in 5th. Of course, as always, ymmv.

 

The point of homeschool is that it can be tailor-made for your unique, individual kids and to the parents' needs as teachers as well.

 

You have to do what fits you and your family and not worry so much about what everybody else is doing. If it works for your kids and for you... and the kids are making educational progress... go with what works.

 

 

:iagree: Too much comparing can really lead you astray.

[hunterhomeschool]

So true, Shanvan... especially high school math and science and other subjects that are covered with older kids that we don't normally expect the little ones to learn... yet. I value your wisdom in that, as I won't have jr high and high schoolers for quite a while yet.