TEACHING FOR MASTERY VS. TEACHING FOR COMPLETION

The concept of teaching for mastery instead of teaching for completion was just introduced to me via a post by a fellow homeschool mama. It was a revelation that served to reaffirm my purpose as well as empower me to continue along this path.

Every day with a micro schooling pod is a gamble, regardless of how prepared we feel. There are less children to serve as “the example” when one of them is having “a moment.” But you know what? Tomorrow is another day, and tomorrow may be absolutely beautiful.

The benefit of homeschooling or micro schooling is that you’re not rushed. I’ve been a classroom teacher who felt the pressure to follow the “pacing guide” (yes, this really exists), and it’s almost impossible to ensure that 20+ students master every taught concept within the same time frame, which is often only days long. Yes, you heard right: days, not weeks.

So what do teachers do? Hopefully they pull small groups, individualize homework assignments, and contact the parents for support. But eventually, teachers must move on. In my current situation, not so much.

We’ve spent weeks on letters Aa, Bb, and Hh, and I’m so proud of the children’s growing ability to identify and even name these letters. These littles are just 3 years old, folks! If that doesn’t blow your mind, it really should. Not because I think I’m the greatest teacher the world has ever seen, but because I have patiently exposed them to these concepts over and over. Time and consistency matter.

Do I expect them to be reading by the end of the school year? Absolutely not, but they’ll have a solid pre-literacy foundation, and that’s priceless.

And to be honest, this new role as my child’s school teacher is offering me a greater sense of purpose and all kinds of pride in watching how she carries these concepts over in real life, beyond the classroom. It’s also teaching me to be more flexible than I ever have been and reminds me that we ALL have room for growth. In a home school or micro school classroom, we are all teachers and we are all learners. Feeling blessed to be able to do that on our own terms.