The Downsides of Being a Homeschooling Mother with a Masters in Education

Often times when I meet someone and they find out that we home-school, I get the inevitable question: “Well are you a teacher?”  I tell them “yes”, but usually explain that a teaching degree is not a necessity in this home-school journey.  However, in spite of my explanation, it is plain to see that they are more comfortable with my home-schooling, knowing that I am a teacher by degree. 

Well after nearly nine years of home-schooling, I have come to the realization that my teacher training is more of a hindrance than a help.  I have bought into the lie that learning has to be planned, scheduled, documented, and taught in sequence.  There has been a lack of spontaneity on my part and many lost opportunities because of this mentality. 

For example, I have a wonderful home-schooling friend, Barbara, who doesn’t have a college degree but yet is a better teacher than me.  She taught my then six year old daughter, Lily, how to tell time (to the hour) because she wanted to know.  My answer would have been, “Don’t worry, you’ll get to that in your math book soon.”

Well today I did two spontaneous things – Do I hear some applause??? 

First after Lily’s oral reading, I gave her an impromptu grammar lesson on when to use “a” and when to use “an”.  I’ll admit that my first reaction was to think, “Oh, I’m sure that we’ll get to that soon in our First Language Lessons.”  But the teachable moment was then when she puzzled over the use of “an” before the word “apple”, not when we get to it in a month or two.

My next captured opportunity came as we were looking through last year’s notebook.  Lily saw the picture that she drew of the “Gingerbread Baby“.  She was very excited and asked if we could read this wonderful book.  Once again, my first inclination was to think, “Advent hasn’t even started.  We should wait until December to read that book.”  But I told my internal party-pooper to be quiet.  I pulled out the book and enjoyed reading for 10 minutes with Lily on my lap.  And then when she asked to make gingerbread cookies, I said, “Yes!”  Oh the delight on Lily’s face!!!  Hey I guess that’s three spontaneous things – hopefully I didn’t burn myself out!!! LOL