She is always a chapter ahead of the kids. “It is really fine and parents can make it work,” Kim told me as I explored how families homeschooled their children when they live outside of the U.S. “You are a teacher and you are a student. You learn first and you help your child learn…” another homeschool parent talked about her experience.
Yes. You are a teacher and you are a student. We are learning as we are teaching.
For me, every class is a new class even when I have taught the same lesson before. There might a new group of kids. It could also be the same kids. But, how the kids are doing that day before my class might impact their learning. And, children learn differently in different settings.
When we observe we learn more about our children and we can help them explore more ways to learn. There are many approaches to introduce a subject. And, there are many ways to explain a concept. What works for one child might not work for the other. Learning is a personalized experience.
The two sides of teaching are to be a learner and a teacher. Confucius has shared this concept generations ago. He said, “When you teach, you learn. When you teach, you grow.” In Chinese, it’s “Jiào xué xiāng zhǎng 教學相長 | 教学相长.”
I encourage you to ask your child to teach you something that your child has recently learned in a Chinese session. Young children are amazing teachers. When she teaches she reviews, shares, and walks on the road to master what she has learned.
What can you ask your child to teach you or one of the family members about something she has learned this week? It can be something she has learned in Chinese or anything new. Observe how your child teaches. It can be quite inspiring.
Image by Content Pixie
The Two Sides Of Teaching
Explore more about Confucius and his teaching
Confucius, the Greatest Teacher in Chinese History
Teach Your Child Chinese – Confucius’s talk on personalized teaching