Not often do we have an opportunity to just sit and reflect on why we teach or how we became a teacher, but sometimes a student will notice the things happening in the classroom and ask, “Why did you become a teacher? I could never do this!”

In simple terms, I was disappointed in my oldest son’s education, and I was even more appalled by the reactions of my youngest son’s teachers when I told them that they I had homeschooled my children. Believe it or not, there are teachers out there who do not like parents who homeschool. They thought that I lacked the intelligence necessary to teach my children. Little did they know that I dropped out of college, nor did they know that I was a straight A honors student. My only C being in physics which I quickly remedied by staying after school for help.

My philosophy of education is that lessons should be adapted to each student’s learning style. This was something that I felt was lacking in my children’s education. Both of my children learn differently from one another, and they have specific needs in education.

My oldest son has Asperger’s, and while his social skills are limited at times, he is an intelligent individual. He is an observant learner. He needs to understand everything before feeling confident. He would often take things apart to understand how they worked. For him, learning meant knowing everything inside and out.

My youngest son, on the other hand, learned through listening. It was a different experience for him in school. He would make perfect scores on tests and fail when it came to homework. He hated the monotony of doing something he already knew.

My teaching style

When I went back to college at the age of 38, I knew exactly what type of teacher I wanted to become. My teaching style is to provide my students with multiple opportunities to engage with the topic we are learning and to engage in multiple ways.

In the past, I have taught Character traits through acting and court trials. We have performed Romeo’s balcony lines as Michael Jackson, President Obama, and as Batman. Students have performed silent act outs of tasks and then written them out.

The idea is not to limit students to learning one way, or even the same way that you yourself learn. I’ve seen that, and it never works out well. When teaching writing, I don’t just provide mini-lessons. I provide writer conferences where I actually show them ways to improve their writing in a one-on-one or small group session. I show their peers how to provide better feedback. Plus, with students who struggle to understand editing and revising, I teach them the power of a purple pen and reading it out loud to hear the words.

Using what I’ve learned through my sons’ experiences, I’ve been able to take my gifts and utilize them in the classroom. I think quickly on my feet and reimagine regular lessons. In doing so, I give my students a chance to trust their knowledge and apply their learning. Once you’ve done that, you have confident students.

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