Become an Educated Educator

My background in education was formed from a traditional public school perspective. I took what I knew as a student, gathered information from my college courses, and used insights from my student teaching and observations when I developed my courses, my lesson plans, and my curriculum. Then, I had to unlearn a lot of what I deemed “the right way” to teach. I did this when I realized those ways did not fit the foundation for how I wanted to teach and oftentimes hindered my own learning when I was younger.

When I work with new teachers, I focus on how they can turn their passion into a class. A license or certification does not make one an expert in what they can teach. And, not to take away from what I have learned in a formal educational setting, there is plenty that I utilize in my training and coaching sessions. Some of those things include the importance of assessing learners, it doesn’t have to be a formal assessment. Knowing how your students learn will assist you in providing a quality class.

• Do they prefer lecture or discussion
• Do they prefer teacher-led or student-led courses
• Try to provide a mixture when teaching large class sizes
• Do they learn best through visuals, auditory, hands-on, etc

Consider your approach as the teacher too. What is your teaching style? Beyond developing courses and teaching them, there are other factors to consider.

Cultural Competency

Most teacher training programs include some level of coursework related to inclusivity, diversity, and cultural competency. Online platforms that allow anyone to teach don’t always offer this type of training. It is imperative to have some level of competency when teaching beyond the coursework. While licensed and certified teaches may have taken courses that address these components in teaching, it doesn’t mean they implement them. From a personal perspective, as an educator and homeschooling parent, I will not sign my child up for classes with a teacher I feel is inept or lacks understanding about the diverse needs of the children in their classroom or how to approach children with diverse cultural backgrounds.

Some factors

• Understanding different world views
• Teaching from multiple perspectives
• Respecting those different perspectives and world views
• Using appropriate names and/or pronouns to address students
• Learning about implementing practices for students with learning differences

If you plan on teaching online or anywhere, I urge you to find workshops, classes, literature to help you address how to provide culturally relevant teaching, learn how to prepare a class for inclusivity, and understand that diversity extends beyond ethnicity.

If you intend to enroll your child in online classes, I urge you to be selective about who you allow to educate your child. Review content creators and curriculum developer’s websites before purchasing, look up private teacher’s social media. If their views don’t correspond with what you want your child to learn, keep searching.

Other ways to learn

While I sell curriculum and develop lesson plans, there are plenty of ways to supplement your child’s learning at no cost.

Things you can do instead of buying the curriculum:

✨Cook together
✨Read together
✨Exercise together
✨Draw pictures together
✨Meditate/Pray together
✨Build something together
✨Clean the house together
✨Plant/start a garden together
✨Watch documentaries together
✨Take a walk and talk to one another
✨Compose a song and dance/sing together
✨Let your children watch you make a budget and pay bills

Future educators, make sure you are educating yourself. Continue to learn as you teach. Check out websites like NEA for professional development courses, EduX and Coursera offer free courses too.