Are you prepared to spend a lot of time with the children, perhaps all day? Do you
enjoy their company, doing what they want to, listening to their ideas? Do you
respect and understand them and their needs? This looks easy on paper and you
may be casually nodding your head - but it is harder than you think. Parents need
their ‘space’ too. Children are very willing to give parents this space, provided
their own needs for attention are met. Understanding that everyone has a need to
be able to pursue their own interests and needs in their own way and time, is a good
thing to encourage in families. Co-operation follows understanding.
Which role do you see yourself best at - educational facilitator, mentor, resource
person, co-learner and participant, adviser, friend, parent, teacher? Are you
comfortable with the other roles? Can you develop them more? Do you know
where, and are you prepared, to get help and advice? In schools, teachers have access to a wide variety of resources, professional development and support
services. You will need to create your own.
Are you prepared to take up and make the most of learning opportunities when
presented, at any time of day? In the home learning environment you can
continuously evaluate and plan the learning process for each child, based on their
interests, knowledge and abilities. Continual access to the child allows for
increased opportunity to ‘catch’ and extend the learning moment. Life at home as
you know it, may change incredibly as the focus shifts from prescribed to
spontaneous learning.
Can you learn to be intuitive to your children’s learning needs, to ‘back off’ when
necessary, and to put your ‘teaching’ needs on hold? This involves recognising
and understanding not only your child’s learning needs, but your own perceptions
about learning, and how these two may occasionally conflict. You will need to be
very patient with yourself. This skill often takes years to develop. Don't expect
miracles overnight - even teachers learn this only from many years of experience in
the classroom.
What is your own attitude to learning - do you find it easy, challenging, exciting,
enjoyable, interesting, an adventure? Children learn first by example. Sometimes
parents have had unhappy school experiences in their own childhood, and seek to
rectify this with their own children. This may mean a shaky start to home
schooling for the family, but time and experience smooth out the bumps, and
parents can regain confidence in their own, as well as their children’s, learning
abilities. Whatever your level of education you will be able to embark on home
schooling if you accept the knowledge that your have always been your children’s
first and most important educator. After all, it was you that helped them learn the
difficult skills of walking and talking!
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