Have you ever wondered if you really are qualified to do this homeschool gig? I mean, they are YOUR kids, but what if you’re not a certified teacher? Don’t you need to have a degree in early childhood education or reading or advanced calculus to be a successful homeschool mom?
Many of us deal with imposter syndrome at one time or another in our homeschooling journey. It can come in many forms, and usually hits you when you’re discouraged, stressed, or on the way to burnout.
Because on “normal” days, we know that parents are uniquely qualified to homeschool their kids! We know that we are doing a good job.
But what about the days when you don’t think you are?
Here’s how to deal with imposter syndrome as a homeschool mom: remind yourself of the truth. Write it down. Read it out loud.
Here’s one of the sneaky lies we tell ourselves:
I can’t homeschool successfully because I don’t have a teaching degree.
Now let’s tackle that lie with the truth.
Where do I even start? There are a million problems with that lie we tell ourselves.
So, first, you need to know that I am a certified teacher with public school classroom teaching experience. But as a concerned parent, I have learned more in our decade plus of homeschooling than I ever did in getting my education degree!
The purpose of teacher education is to learn child psychology, educational psychology, and of course the subject matter you are going to teach.
We also needed to learn good classroom management and how to grade on a bell curve.
Seriously, how much of this is necessary for a loving parent to home educate their children? Almost none of it is necessary.
The best part about homeschooling is learning right alongside of your children!
You don’t have to be an expert in any subject matter. You just need to be able to craft an educational experience for them that includes helping them find resources, learning to ask questions, and giving them an atmosphere that allows a love of learning to bloom.
That’s why I say ditch the official teacher planning books. You’re not teaching a class of 30, so why is it necessary?
This is also why I say to ditch most of the worksheets – because they were created to give that same class of 30 enough busy work for the day. Classroom teachers need a paper trail for each kid, and worksheets are the tool of choice.
But you – your homeschooled kids can break out of the traditional classroom box! They can be active learners who deep dive, use their hands to learn instead of just passively listening to a lecture. They can spend hours immersed in a book. They can think creatively and enjoy the learning process with you.
So, next time you hear that little voice in your head telling you that you probably shouldn’t homeschool because you don’t have that official piece of paper showing that you’re a bona fide teacher – ignore it! It’s just imposter syndrome rearing its ugly head again.
Remember your why. Always come back to it. And keep loving your kids as you do this messy, scary, and self-sacrificing thing called homeschooling.
