Reteaching for Understanding

Although we may have the best of intentions with our lesson plans and instruction, sometimes we are not effective teachers. I had this experience recently. I was teaching a mock trial class at our co-op and discussing types of questions that are used during a direct examination of a witness. Once I had finished my instruction, I asked the kids to create questions for the witnesses of our case. My helper and I walked around and observed the class as they worked. Before long, it was apparent that the kids did not really understand the concept. We tried to clarify what they were supposed to do and then let them continue with the task.

After class, I was a little discouraged as I read some of the questions that the kids had written. It was obvious that they didn’t understand what they were supposed to do. At this point, I had two options. I could just move on to another task during our next class. After all, we have a limited number of classes and not much time left in the semester. Or, I could try to teach the lesson again.

As my helper and I discussed the issue, I had an idea. If we modeled the questioning technique in front of the class, then perhaps they would better understand the concept. Later, I had another idea. Instead of just modeling good questions, we could first model poor questions. That way, the kids would hopefully recognize the difference.

At our next class, I was the witness and my helper was the lawyer. We had prepared a story and questions ahead of time. She asked me a few questions and I answered them. Then we asked the class if they could retell the story based on my answers. As predicted, they could not because the questions were not sufficient. Then, we modeled the questioning again. This time, the questions allowed me to tell the whole story. After this, the kids confirmed that they now had enough information. They retold the story with ease. Now it was time for the real test. Could they go back to the previous assignment and rewrite good questions? They could!

So, what is the moral of my story? Sometimes you need to reteach. Homeschools have a distinct advantage here. You can stop what you’re doing to make sure your child understands a concept, if it is important. Not every skill is super important and your child will not master everything. However, some skills are important. In our class, I felt teaching the kids how to ask good questions was important. I was disappointed that my teaching methods were not effective the first time, but I did not beat myself up about it. I tried something new the second time that was effective. You may have to try several methods before your child really grasps something. If it is worth learning, then it is worth finding a way to teach it effectively. There is nothing wrong with reteaching.

Heidi Kinney is a freelance writer and editor who specializes in educational publishing. Her background includes professional teaching in the area of mathematics, as well as writing and editing for several educational publishers. She has been homeschooling her children since 2007. She shares homeschool lessons on her blog, Shared Lessons, at heidikinney.org.