This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast Ep 124: Homeschool Grad Becomes Teacher, Interview with Rebekah Groop. This post is running concurrently on the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network.
Homeschool Highschool Podcast Ep 124: Homeschool Grad Becomes Teacher, Interview with Rebekah Groop
Rebekah *Bekah* Groop is a homeschool graduate. She is also a second grade teacher in a public school. She is married and a mom to her first child. (She is also Sabrina’s daughter and is married to 7Sister Marilyn’s son, Casey!) In this episode, Sabrina interviews Bekah on homeschooling and teaching.
Rebekah Groop and family used by permission.During homeschool high school Bekah liked:
Her homeschooling format (co-ops, group classes, activities)
- Time with friends
- Time to develop interests and talents
- Developing independent learning skills
- Developing important life skills
- Learning how to own her goals and meet them: The right to *fly or fail*
- Flexibility
Bekah homeschooled K-12 then went to Towson University for college. During high school, she switched major ideas several times: Veterinary Science (she loves animals), Music (she assisted the local homeschool high school choir and loved it). She learned leadership and teaching skills through her assistant role which led her to think about education.
Bekah went to Towson with a double major in elementary education and deaf education. She ended up teaching 2nd grade in the Baltimore County school systems.
What are some educational ideas she learned in college that she found she had a foundation for in high school?
- Differentiation: What do kids need? (Bekah’s experience homeschooling helped her with that.)
- Lesson Planning.
- Hands on learning.
Her advice for homeschool moms:
- Lesson Plans: Keep it quick. Lessons need to be in 3 minute chunks with a clear, simple idea.
- Include hands on activities.
- Make real-world connections.
- Give teens a voice in their education.
How much should moms test or do evaluations? We can forget to enjoy if we test too much, but it is good to get a feel for what kids are learning. It is good to assess their progress. Bekah found that short *mini-assessments* frequently through a subject in a creative format are helpful. Some ideas for quick mini-assessments:
- a few multiple-choice questions or a quick essay question
- a discussion
- a white-board activity
- a quick project
Want Bekah’s suggestion for homeschool high schoolers who might be interested in teaching?
- High school elective: Early Childhood Education
- Teach them how to advocate for themselves
- Teach them how to make their voice heard
- Teach them to visit professors during office hours (if they go to college)
Join Sabrina and Bekah for an encouraging interview and enjoy these resources and posts:
HSHSP Ep 92: Helping Literal Thinkers with Literature Analysis
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