Can Homeschooling Parents Really Teach Every Subject Well?

Can I as a homeschooling parent really teach every subject well?  Doubters of homeschooling often question whether or not parents can provide an appropriate education.

I think this very question demonstrates a misunderstanding of how homeschooling works.

I can’t teach every subject well.  That is rather impossible.  My job isn’t to teach my children anyway.

As a homeschooling parent my goal isn’t to teach, but for my children to learn.  My job is to guide them in that process.

Sometimes that may mean that I teach them what I already know….or I teach them something after I learn it on my own…or we learn together…or I use a curriculum to guide our learning…or a teacher at a local or online class teaches my child…or I simply provide resources or opportunities for my child to learn on his/her own.

What I don’t know doesn’t limit me.  It doesn’t limit my children either.  It inspires us to find out, be inquisitive, and discover answers.  It motivates me to find resources to help my children learn.

You see, I am not a fountain of knowledge.  I don’t want my children to see education as something that should be spoon-fed from a teacher anyway.  I want them to see education as the process of learning.  Sometimes that learning process is messy.  Sometimes answers must be sought out.

Sometimes they ask questions when I don’t know the answer.  At that point my child either discovers the answer on his/her own or we find out together.

Sometimes my children study things I have never studied.  That hasn’t been an issue at all because homeschooling isn’t about a teacher-student dynamic.  My kids don’t need to look to me for answers.  Answers are out there to be found and discovered.  Homeschooling provides a natural environment for an active rather than a passive learner.

Gone is the test taking environment where kids repeatedly ask the teacher if something will be on the next test.  There is no learning for a test.  There is learning for life.  There is learning for the sake of knowing.

My son was asked recently if he was good in history.  He found the question rather puzzling as did I.  You see, our history learning has been about learning and understanding.  We immerse ourselves in times and places and learning happens naturally. There is no good or bad in that.  There are no tests.  We simply learn. That is what education should be about after all.

Homeschooling isn’t about teaching my child, but making sure my child learns.  If one thing doesn’t work, we find another way to learn.  There are a world of options out there when you stick your head out of the standard education box.

What do you think?  Please share in the comments.