How is it Possible to Maintain Discipline in a Home Tuition Situation?
This is the situation at hand-a child stays at home all day long, the mum is the teacher. This calls for some seriously pondering because there are certain issues of discipline which will be at stake. It is very easy for a child to misinterpret the freedom they have at home and feel that home tuition is just a long holiday to be enjoyed at whatever cost. This is usually a potential time bomb and children need to be disciplined right from the start, otherwise, failing to do so will only lead to failure.
Home tuition gives you and your child what can only be called 'true flexibility'. You and your child decides on when, where and how to study and learn. These decisions should be made early enough to remove any misjudgment on the part of the child. If your child is too young to take any active part in your decision to school them at home, put aside a few hours daily for the various activities and stick to it. Otherwise when there is no outside agency like the education department to supervise and no examinations to answer, it is very easy for anybody to get sidetracked. But if your child is old enough, consult him or her and find out what he wants to learn. Apply your parental discretion and come up with a viable time table which suits you both.
Like in a formal education system, homework is an integral part of home tuition. Once a child has been taught, they should be asked to do some part of the coursework by themselves without your input. You will need to ensure that the child willingly sits down and finishes their assignments.
Punctuality, good manners and courtesy are the numerous aspects of discipline that a child has to absorb in their earlier formative years. At a normal school, the interaction with their peers, juniors, seniors and their teachers forge these very important values automatically. At home, the child should be taught the importance of speaking and behaving in a proper manner and appropriate corrections should be done immediately any unsatisfactory behavior occurs.
For the home tuition to be successful, a particular study room or a part of your house should be set aside. The child is expected to be at their desk at the appointed time and in the proper attire with all the necessary learning materials fro the lessons. Don't allow the study room to be turned into another playing ground, rather ensure that the child follows the laid down rules and regulations strictly. As you are the teacher, supervisor, principal and janitor all rolled up into one, approach the study room with all the professionalism you can master.
One aspect of home tuition that makes it fail is the lack of patience on the part of the tutor. So in spite of all the precautions and steps one may take, it very easy for the child to become familiar with their home surroundings thus making it difficult to discipline them and get them to listen to you attentively. When this happens, switch to something new and allow the child to take a breather. You should take this opportunity to enjoy a break yourself.
What a parent should be aware of is that homeschooling is not an easy option. It requires a lot of hard work and patience. The whole familiarity of the surroundings for the kid makes it even harder for their concentration. But if necessary steps are taken at the very beginning, the home tuition experience will be very successful.
About the Author:
By Freddy Ngiam, Founder & CEO of TuitionPortal.sg
