Mama's Secret Weapon; Intuition

A good friend of mine just recently decided to take her children out of public school and begin homeschooling.  I know that's not very uncommon, but what makes her situation unique is the fact that both parents are professional teachers in the public school.  Not only that, but they are both excellent teachers who have been at it for many years.  They have tons of experience teaching a classroom full of other people's kids.

It's funny how some friends of these teachers say that they wish they had the patience and education necessary to homeschool. Like "real" teachers are the only ones who can really handle it.  Huh?  I guess it seems logical that a professional teacher would somehow be more qualified for the task of home educating than a plain ol' mommy. But, not necessarily.

Mommies have a secret weapon....and it's not a college degree in education.



It is intuition.

I know that effective professional teachers use it, too, but it really works best on your own kids.  Intuition is that gut feeling you get that tells you what you need to do.  It lets you know when you're pushing too hard.  Or being lazy.  It helps you find a way to explain something so it makes sense.  It gives you that edge.  My kids say I'm psychic.  Of course, I don't believe that.  I think it's just God's gift to mommies.  : )

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is this:  When a mama decides to teach her children, she has qualifications that the board of education knows nothing about.  She has the greatest vested interest in her own child's success.  She LOVES her student.  She has intuition.  She knows her student inside and out.  She can practically read minds!  That's some serious stuff, girlfriend.

But, as a disclaimer, I must warn you that this secret weapon only works under certain circumstances.  There is kryptonite to watch out for...  Fear.  And its result, Control.  If you try too hard to be somebody you're not, and run your home school like a public school you'll get off track.  A lot of that striving comes from fear.  We always try to control the things we fear.  If you're too worried about what other people think, you'll sabotage yourself.  Don't worry about "knowing everything."  That's what the curriculum is for.  Your job is just knowing how to communicate with YOUR child.  You've been doing that all along!  Relax.  Ask God how to handle it. You need to do what works for you and your family, and ignore the rest.  And be very patient. This is a marathon, not a sprint.  See, what I've found is that God has given me everything I need in order to do the job that He's given me to do.  That's just how He is.  But, if I start comparing myself or my students with other families, I'll feel discouraged, like I'm falling short.  Then I freak out, try to change everybody, and feel like quitting. Bummer.  But, if I relax, trust God, ask for help and then just follow my God-given intuition... things work out so much better.  And my kids learn.  Amazing, right?

So, whether you're all-out homeschooling a crew or just teaching ABC's to your three year old, you are a teacher.  You may not have gone to college for training, but you are qualified.  Homeschooling is a completely different animal than public school. Therefore, the handler must have a completely different skill set.  It doesn't come from college classes.  It comes from your heart.  Relax.  Can I say that too many times?  Relax. Take advantage of your intuition, Mama.  My guess is, you've already got what it takes.

p.s.
I just found  this discussion on  blog I like.  It's a heated debate between certified teachers and other homeschooling moms.  The question started out with "what do credentialed teachers know that I should know in order to homeschool my kids?"  Then it kindof snowballed.  Very Interesting...