My father’s attempt to teach me about semicolons was quite the disaster. With a passion for English, he was eager to help me with my homework, but as a second-grader, I only had a grasp on the basics of punctuation. His preferred approach was the Socratic Method.
“What do you think it is?” he asked.
“A period over a comma,” I replied.
“But what do you think it does?” he pressed.
“I don’t know. I think it’s supposed to go between two words?” I pleaded.
The exchange dragged on for over two hours as I desperately begged him for the answer. When my mother arrived home, she was understandably frustrated at seeing me still awake.
“You’re trying to explain what a semicolon is?” she snapped. “It separates two complete and equal clauses that are related to each other. Now get to bed!”
She reminded my father that the Socratic Method is suited for adults with preconceived notions about intricate topics—not for children lacking any prior knowledge of concrete facts. Yet, he was convinced he knew better.
The irony? Both of my parents were seasoned educators with advanced degrees and years of experience.
When I read about parents trying to homeschool during the pandemic, I can’t help but remember that experience and cringe. Despite being committed public school teachers, they struggled to teach me at home. They saw me as their youngest child, not a student, which allowed their frustration to surface more quickly and easily. While working on long division, they would nag me about chores, and my father would insist my teacher was mistaken on a minor point, further confusing me. My mother was openly skeptical of my history and English materials. Most critically, there were no educational standards, boundaries, or expectations set in place.
I can’t help but think of how these dynamics mirror why doctors are often prohibited from treating their own children. Who wants a lecture about too much screen time while receiving medical advice?
To be an effective homeschooler, one must set aside familial relationships. Professionals such as doctors, accountants, lawyers, and educators go through rigorous training. Although the education sector often faces ridicule, teachers are required to obtain degrees, complete student teaching, undergo training, and pass various examinations. While accountants don’t have to buy their supplies out of pocket, successful homeschooling parents should possess similar skills.
Teaching might appear straightforward because we believe we can easily share our knowledge with willing learners—like explaining directions or how to change a tire. However, this simplistic view overlooks the daily hurdles in a classroom: diverse learning abilities, Individualized Education Programs, discipline, standardized testing, unique temperaments, state and federal regulations, and budget constraints. Although homeschooling presents similar challenges on a smaller scale, they can still significantly impact educational outcomes.
The combination of this overly simplistic view, our emotional history with our children, the pandemic’s heightened stress, and ongoing work obligations makes homeschooling a daunting task.
Certainly, some parents manage to successfully homeschool their children. For instance, a colleague of mine learned algebra and trigonometry from her father and later attended a prestigious university. However, such cases are rare, especially during a pandemic. A successful homeschooling parent typically doesn’t work full-time from home while being unable to seek external educational opportunities.
If my parents, who were well-versed in the very education system they worked for, couldn’t effectively tutor me during non-pandemic times, what hope do the rest of America’s parents have? For now, we must do our best until our children can return to school and be guided by qualified professionals.
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Summary:
This article discusses the challenges many parents face when attempting to homeschool their children, particularly during the pandemic. It reflects on personal experiences with parental teaching methods and emphasizes the necessity for specific training and qualifications for effective education. The piece argues that familial dynamics and the stresses of the current environment complicate the homeschooling process, leaving parents to navigate these issues until schools can reopen.