Interesting subject from my perspective because I am not only the parent but am also the teacher. Not a teacher who works a class full of kidlets but a parent who chooses to educate otherwise or home educate her child.
This duel role can make for some challenging issues at times but it is also one of the most rewarding things I have ever undertaken. It is also one of the scariest too - especially now as we start to approach the age of exams and thinking about the future. There is no-one to shoulder this for us - we have to step up to the mark and make choices.
The positives of home educating and the dual role of parent and teacher are the same as all parents experience before their children enter the education system - it just lasts longer in a home ed situation. I see first hand everyday J's triumphs and his disasters - in fact these are both shared. If he fails, then it means I fail too etc. Over the years we have shared some amazing things amongst these are the most brilliant moments of all, the moments of distraction when a question or a comment sends us off on a tangent and we can be distracted by something new that neither of us knew about before.
I have learnt so much. I have learnt new ways of doing and learning, I have learnt to be more accepting, patient and open minded, I have learnt to say "Damn it, it's not working, lets do something different." And most importantly, for me, I have been there seeing J learn.
He isn't a genius, he's an average teen boy. But he has an enquiring mind and has learnt at his speed using things that interest him - we have both learnt together.
The pros of my dual role definitely outweigh the cons.
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