Hold your heads up high ladies, you have chosen the best profession. Now act like it – a professional I mean. This IS your profession so treat it like you are a professional. If you want others to take what you do seriously then so should you. If I hired you to tutor my children I would expect a certain level of education, knowledge and professionalism. You are tutoring your own children, so they should be worth that and more.
What are the aspects of a professional?
Professionals almost always have post-secondary school education. You should too. Very few of us have college degrees in education, but that is no excuse for not having “education” in education. There are tons of resources and books on education, many of them written just for and about home education. There are a number of books on every different philosophy of education. There are resources on teaching techniques, learning styles, learning disabilities, parenting and many other topics related to educating your children at home. START READING. (See my list below.)
Professionals stay up-to-date by subscribing to, and reading, their trade journals. We have those too. There are many publications for homeschoolers: fun magazines, monthly journals, blogs, and catalogs. They also attend annual conferences – so should you. They are great fun, they are inspiring and motivating, they are a great place to learn more about everything that has to do with homeschooling.
Professionals are members of their professional organizations so that they can network and know all the newest information that is out about their field – we call these homeschool groups. They are a must if you want to socialize, network, make friends, go on fieldtrips, laugh a lot, cry on a shoulder, learn who the best OT is, and how to get discounts for the museum.
Professionals also work long and regular hours. I know that school at home can take much less time, but don’t short change your children because you don’t have a regular schedule. Children need to know how to get up and going so they can easily hold down a job someday. Do you want them to turn out to be professionals – Train them to be professionals. As in all things children learn by example, and you are the main one they have.
My Favorite Homeschool Educational Books:
Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum by Laura Berquist
When Children Love to Learn by Elaine Cooper
Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille
Landscape with Dragons, The Battle for Your Child’s Mind by Michael D. O’Brien
Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning by Douglas Wilson
Unit Studies Made Easy by Valarie Bendt
How Children Learn by John Holt
The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise
Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola