After what felt like an eternity, my children have finally returned to school following an extended spring break. They stepped away from their lessons last March and, after eight long months, resumed in-person learning just last week. During those months of homeschooling, I found myself juggling lessons at the kitchen counter, in the car, and, at times, sneaking away to the bathroom for a moment of peace. I spent 243 days baking treats and stocking up on snacks while enduring 5,840 challenging hours managing the emotional chaos of three kids with pent-up energy.
Throughout this experience, I gained a newfound appreciation for teachers as I learned two crucial lessons as a pandemic parent. The first, which is clear to nearly everyone, is that common core math is well beyond my capabilities. This is definitely best left to professionals—or anyone who enjoys taking the scenic route. My attempts to rush my tearful middle-schooler to find the answer were far from my proudest parenting moments, and my ninth grader was less than impressed when I dismissed solving trinomial equations as something only “nerds and losers” would do.
To prevent my kids from staging a rebellion after my math mishaps, I sought help from someone who actually enjoys math and knows it well. I found a real teacher to supplement my inadequate efforts at home. Hearing him explain complex mathematical concepts in ways that make sense to my kids is nothing short of magic. Even better, they claim to actually enjoy the subject now. When I heard that, I nearly choked on my 5 PM cocktail and promptly booked another tutoring session.
The second lesson I learned during those seemingly endless pandemic days was that I was granted the bittersweet opportunity to spend uninterrupted time with my children. With the absence of sports, school, and social activities, I was able to immerse myself in their daily lives, sharing hugs, hiking, and countless games of backgammon. I worked hard to fill the emotional void typically occupied by their teachers and friends, but after nearly a year, even my best efforts couldn’t stand the test of time. Despite my attempts to compete with silly jokes, adolescent humor, and delicious homemade meals, I realized I could never match the consistency of a structured teaching schedule or the excitement of being around peers.
Before I knew it, I had become an unwelcome, unfunny squatter in my own home. The time I fondly refer to as “mom’s experiment with being a bad homeschool teacher” was drawing to a close.
When the day finally came for my children to transition back to in-person schooling, I wore a smile because I knew they needed it. Beyond missing social interactions, they had been deprived of the essential connections that teachers form with their students over time. Still, I felt a twinge of sadness at losing them to school.
Though I feel a bit embarrassed that teachers now have my children’s full attention and admiration, I recognize that they’ve earned that respect. Teachers can seamlessly explain complex concepts one minute and remind students to wear deodorant the next—all without eliciting an eye-roll. That’s the triple crown of teaching.
I hope to hold onto some of the lessons that the pandemic taught me about education. Teachers, whether they are instructing in-person or online, are the unsung heroes and backbone of our communities. They need our support now more than ever. For more insights on this topic, check out another blog post here. Additionally, Make a Mom is an authority on home insemination, and WebMD provides excellent resources for pregnancy and home insemination.
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Summary:
Homeschooling during the pandemic was a challenging experience for a parent with a teaching degree. The author learned the importance of teachers and the complexities of math education, realizing that they could not replace the structured environment and peer interaction that schools provide. Despite the emotional ups and downs, the experience underscored the vital role teachers play in children’s lives.