How can a parent become a home school teacher? This is an important question to ascertain before you ever dive into the homeschooling world. There are a lot of different things that you must know – from your state’s laws and how to meet them, to finding time to homeschool and knowing what will be required of you in general.
You may also be wondering how to start homeschooling or what the first steps you need to take are. These are all very good things to know before you start homeschooling, which is why we will take a closer look at the answers to these questions here.
Make Sure You Know Your State’s Laws
Every state has different homeschool laws that you must know about before you start homeschooling your children. The Homeschool Legal Defense Association has a list of these laws on their website. Once you have this information you will need to make sure that you are in compliance.
Make Sure That You Know What Will Be Required Of You
There are going to be a lot of things that you will need to do as a homeschool parent. However, one of the most important things is to have patience. This is especially important because the lines between teacher and parent will oftentimes become blurred. Unfortunately, there is no way to overcome this without being patient.
Creating Homeschool Space
One of the things that you will need to have is some space within your home to set up a homeschool classroom for your children. You can use anywhere within your home to homeschool but make sure that you aren’t going to mind having books and activities scattered about if you choose to not set up a classroom. Not having the constraints of a classroom can actually be quite comfortable for some families though.
Make Sure You Have The Time Available
Homeschooling is a big commitment. You will need to find a schedule that works for you. This schedule needs to take into account your children’s academics, house chores and any activities that you participate in outside of the home. Keep in mind that your children will need to have a specific number of hours of instruction (this will become especially important whenever your children reach high school).
Figure Out What You Will Teach And How
It is important to decide upon what subject matter you plan to teach within your homeschool. These are based upon your child’s level of learning and is oftentimes referred to as a scope and sequence. This is especially important if you think that you might ever want to send your child back to school because they will probably want to test him to make sure that he is on grade level.
Once you know what you want to teach, it is time to decide how you want to teach it. This is where homeschool curriculum is essential. There are a lot of different types of curriculums that you can choose from but ultimately it is up to you to decide what curriculum will work best for you and your family (some families will even decide that no curriculum at all is what works best for them). Some of the things that you should think about when choosing curriculum are your child’s learning style, age and grade level. You can review a lot of this curriculum online or at a homeschool convention near you.
Consider utilizing outside classes too. This is especially great for children who are into art, music or sports whenever you yourself are not into them. You will find that since your schedule is more flexible you will be able to do more with your children. There is even plenty of time to go on fieldtrips now as well. This is something that homeschool children really enjoy about homeschooling so make sure to take advantage of it.
In Conclusion
Now that you know the answer to, “How can a parent become a home school teacher?” you may be better equipped to answer another question: Is homeschooling right for my family? This is something that only you can decide but if you do decide to embark on this journey, keep in mind that there will be a lot of ups and downs that you will need to get through. Fortunately, though, there are a lot of veteran homeschoolers there to support you and help you find answers that you need.
