Each year, the number of homeschooled children increases, as more and more parents choose to take their kids out of public school and teach them at home. Studies have shown that children who are independently educated are not only more likely to complete their school careers with a high-level diploma but are also more likely to do better at college and in their future careers.
With those statistics, it’s easy to see why so many parents are choosing to self-educate their children; the results speak for themselves! But one downside to homeschooling is the fact that homeschooling parents have to take on many roles to ensure that their children get the best learning experience possible.
So, with that in mind, below we are going to look into the many roles of a homeschooling parent and what they entail:
Role 1: Academic Teacher
The main role of a homeschooling parent is to act as an academic teacher, teaching children a range of different topics. It can be hard teaching your children, as sometimes they act up and refuse to listen. As children get older, however, there’s also the issue of being able to understand the level of work that needs to be taught. You can opt to pass over any complex work, such as mathematics at high school level, to an online tutor. As your child’s teacher, it’s up to you to ensure that they are getting enough lesson time, understanding their lessons and are on track with their learning.
Role 2: Sports Instructor
The second role that a homeschooling parent has to take on is the role of sports teacher. Sports education is on the national curriculum, which means that it’s vital that you make an effort to fit sports lessons into your children’s schooling time. The upside to doing sports lessons yourself is that you get to pick how you do them. You could opt to teach your children pilates or yoga; you could go for a bike ride, play tag in the park, go on a hike, or take them rock climbing. The beauty of homeschooling is that it’s up to you!
Role 3: Guidance Counselor
All schools have guidance counselors as part of their staff. If your kids have a problem with their friends, or they are worried about their futures, it may help to have an understanding of how a school guidance counselor would deal with the situation. You might even want to look into doing a school online counseling course, so that you have the knowledge and skills that you need to deal with any issues effectively. Plus, when your kids grow up and leave home, having a qualification in counseling could open doors for you.
Role 4: Friend
Children who are homeschooled have plenty of opportunities to make friends! To prevent your children becoming lonely, it’s vital that you find ways to connect them to their peers. Sign them up to clubs and activities and encourage them to make friends.
There you have it, your guide to some of the many roles of a homeschooling parent.
