Am I a Good Enough Homeschool Teacher?

Sometimes I wonder if I am the best teacher for my children… Am I alone?

Last week I picked up the novel my son was reading to help him with comprehension. He is reading Call it Courage. As I read the first chapter I realized that this book was not about a boy’s struggle with war. (That’s right! I never even noticed the cover)

Good Lord, help my children!

OK. I am not the most literate adult I know. In fact I did not read one book in high school. I was that student that could scan and skim, gather the right information and quotes to get an “A” in the class while never really having to read anything.

I was pleasantly surprised by the plot of this tiny little book my son was reading, yet it made me question my ability to lead him.

• How could I possibly teach this child when I couldn’t even scan a book in advance to know it was about an island culture and their worship of courage? 
• How could I look myself in the mirror and be confident in my ability to help my son love learning?

After about three days of feeling bad, I realized my son’s interest had awakened as he read about and drew the setting of the story: an island surrounded by a beautiful coral reef.

I picked up a Coral Reef book filled with fantastic photographs and we began exploring the complexity and delicacy of these living structures. Oh my, we were and continue to be captivated!

In our research we discovered a new creature: The mantis shrimp. Holy smokes! This little guy is fantastic. Supposedly this creature has the fastest movement in the animal kingdom as it punches its prey. We had to learn more…

A quick internet search, led us to one of my favorite YouTube Channels “Smarter Every Day” and viola, there was the beautiful, powerful, and astounding mantis shrimp. This one is worth watching with your kids!

So there you go. A ride on my homeschooling merry go round.
First I allow my son to read a book that I know nothing about.
second, I form an opinion about the book strictly by its title.
Then, I am struck “dumb” as I read to catchup with my son.
next I see an opportunity to follow a rabbit trail down an area of interest.
Then, we become engrossed and amazed in a little creature we didn’t even know existed.

Yep, a successful homeschooling week I’d say.

Of course, I failed again when I fell for the “Finding Nemo is all about a coral reef”: hook, line and sinker.

How about you?
Do you ever struggle with feeling like you fall short as a homeschooler?