What subject do you find most difficult to teach?

Question

I seem to struggle with teaching upper level English, essay writing especially. Any good resources appreciated.

Answer 1

For me, I hit the wall at higher math. Once you get halfway through algebra, I'm confused.

I've bartered, though, trading tutoring--  it might be something you want to consider. When my daughter was 14 yrs old and I had depleted all my math abilities, and the books/computer curriculums were not getting her very far and she felt she needed instruction, I found another homeschool family with a 15 yr old boy. He was a  math wiz... he tutored my daughter in math once a week at the library for an hour, and then I  (an ex-english teacher) tutored him in language arts/writing for an hour.

Both kids came through with flying colors.

Answer 2

Upper level math - I had an algebra teacher who firmly believed that "girls cannot learn algebra" (ironic since he had 3 daughters) and never bothered to teach the concepts.  However, with VideoText Algebra I'm learning it right along with my son and loving it!  (It helps that my hubby went through calc and can help whenever we get stuck :-) )

For writing (research, creative, and essays) I strongly recommend IEW http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/Index... - they've got great programs for 2nd grade through high school, throughout the language arts curriculum.  Their products cover writing, grammar, lit and poetry analysis, etc.  It's the only thing that's made sense to my son, and he loves it!  Highly recommended :-)

Answer 3

Writing

It's very subjective, there is no right and wrong as long as spelling and grammar are correct, and the flow is fluid.

Answer 4

Writeshop is a great program!  

http://www.writeshop.com/

Answer 5

High School math used to the hardest for me to teach, but now with Teaching Textbooks its easy!  :o)

Writing skill is next on my "difficult list", not because I don't know how to write (I am a published writer myself), but because I never know what standard is appropriate for the grade level I am teaching.  Also because sometimes I just know by instinct that something should be written differently, but cannot explain why.

Hewitt Homeschooling will let you sign up for just one course, and then the grading is up to someone else.

http://www.hewitthomeschooling.com

Answer 6

I don't have any kids yet, I am not even married yet, (almost there, though!) but when we do have kids I will have to get a tutor for high school math.  I am afraid my math skills are sadly lacking to the point that I would feel bad teaching someone else.

Answer 7

Science. My daughter has many questions, and though she is only 10 she struggles with evolution vs. intelligent design. Even though she was raised christian, she wants proof of God. The hard part is answering her questions scientifically. I can't just say "have faith", she doesn't accept that. She also doesn't accept evolution at face value. Since nearly every science book available now starts out with either "in the begining, there was a big bang" or "in the begining, god created the earth" it is hard to study science without getting into this discussion.

Answer 8

Definetly Sexual Ed.

Everytime I Say "v****a" He Just Looks At Me And Walks out

Debbie Never Gets A Break

Answer 9

At this point we're doing well with everything. But with Sonlight, their lesson plans and notes, on a 4th grade level I better be able to teach it! I think I'll start having trouble when they start High School Geometry. I failed that course (required here) and had to repeat it. Yuck! Our plans? Continue to use Math U See unless that stops working and learning it together.

Answer 10

I also struggle with writing, because it is SO subjective (give me a good, objective math problem to grade any day!)  We, too, use WriteShop.  It's not cheap, but it will get your child writing at a higher level (higher expectations) while giving you a framework for grading their writing.  I've also heard Andrew Pudewa's Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) is good, but it's even more expensive.  However, (from what I understand) it can be used on just about ANY writing assignment (literature, history, science, ...).

Answer 11

my mother found Algebra hard to teach, that is why we were sent to a privet school for 2 years (now back as a Home schooler in my high school Senior year going to a Community Collage)

Answer 12

I can tell you that my mother absolutely hates French, to the point of dumping the job off on a friend who is a college professor. She was good at it. She knows three languages besides English (Spanish, Latin, and Italian) and so it was easy for her to learn ahead of me, but she doesn't care for the languages much, and the attitude rubs off on me after a while. Any homeschool parent with experience with teenagers must know what that could lead to.

Answer 13

go to www.fog-ware.com they have a cd rom that is for high school it comes with 2 disk , and has everything a child needs to know from 9 - 12 grades , i bought it for my son who is 14 and i put it in and checked it out before i had him to , and it is super u just click on the subject u want and then sit and listen it is like having a teacher tell every detail and also has " examples " i bought this at a local big lots for like 9.99 but the web site has them for 24.95  the 2 disk have english , science, math , history ...... everything ur child will need , my mother is a high school teacher in florida and thought this was excellent

Answer 14

Right now everything is easy because my kids are PreK and 1st grade.  I think eventually I will have to join a co-op or find a tutor for Math.  It's just NOT my thing.  With our family, we have to outsource very very little.  MIL was a kindergarten teacher as was I.  FIL majored in art and history.  DH majored in bible and has tons of history courses.  I have a minor in english and sociology.  MIL, SIL, and BIL all three teach music.  DH LOVES science and teaches it well.  Sigh...we're just missing math.