The words above – learning at home – mean something different to most people after the events of this past year. The pandemic has interrupted all plans and has impacted all operations. Schools, universities, and training centers have all shuttered, and now are in various stages of reopening. But for the majority of learning, it has moved to the home and is facilitated with internet connectivity.
My Experience
In my family, learning at home has been part of what we do for over 20 years. My wife has taken the lead in educating our five children (the oldest of which is 28 and the youngest is 13), and she has directly participated in the home-schooling and educational success of 7 other children. We have worked together with many families in several co-op schooling groups and associations. These groups contain families with thousands of years of collective experience in home education. I mention this to demonstrate that there are many people who have vast experience in teaching and learning at home.
Therefore, it is a good use of this platform to present a place where best practices, tips, and techniques can be shared. I plan to invite others to share their thoughts and experiences regarding how to best learn at home in your private dwelling – a place that may not have been originally intended to serve as a schoolhouse.
Other’s Experience
First of all, look for posts from Cathy Backhaus. At P H Tyson & Associates, she has been helping me for several years as my research assistant and office manager. Cathy is an English teacher, public speaking teacher, and writing instructor for her own children and for others. Her teaching has included formal school settings, home school cooperatives (live and virtual), and privately in-home one-on-one. She has great ideas from her background to share with us all.
Learning at Home – a Perfect Fit
Discussions about successful learning at home fits “hand-in-glove” with my company tag line – DREAM, LEARN, DO, BECOME. We look forward to and DREAM of a productive, enjoyable, exciting future for our children, with a world of opportunity open to them through education. They LEARN not only the minimum requirements of their grade level, but they also see our example, our work ethic, and our values as they learn in close proximity to us in our homes. We DO the work with them in many cases, and certainly, our students are putting forward their own best effort. And finally, we BECOME what we set out to be: well-informed, capable, competent, and successful people. People who have, at least for a little while, learned at home.