When you decided to start homeschooling, you decided to become a teacher. Now think back to all the teachers you’ve had in the past.What was the one quality every great teacher had? In my experiences as a student and a teacher, I found that enthusiasm is the one quality every great teacher has. Now that you have become a teacher, you need to harness all the enthusiasm you can muster. This is important because most of the time your attitude towards a subject or towards education in general will be mirrored by your child.

To create an exciting and inspiring environment for you and your child, start by thinking about your own educational interests. When looking at things to study in particular subject areas, think about areas within that subject that interest you, things you didn’t have enough time or opportunity to explore while you were in school. One way to start homeschooling with enthusiasm is to think of homeschooling as not only an education for your child but also a continuation of your own education.

Viewing your job of educating your child as an extension of your education will also strengthen the family bond. Your child will be thrilled to see you take such an interest in his/her education and will start to mirror that enthusiasm. Pursuing a topic with passion is also a sure way to retain learned information. After all, what good is knowledge if we simply forget it in a day or two? When you start homeschooling with enthusiasm your child will not only remember what you teach him/her, but will cherish it.

To start homeschooling with this kind of fun energy you must understand the areas of rigidity and flexibility in your child’s curriculum. There are certain topics in the curriculum that must be covered, but there is still much room for venturing off into your own interests. Read up on curriculum requirements to get a feel for this and to ensure that you create a good balance between what requirements and interests.

Here’s an example of how to start homeschooling with enthusiasm in English class: choose a novel that you’ve always wanted to read and study it with your child. You can have lots of fun analyzing characters, writing summaries and answering questions on a novel that you enjoy reading. In science class, you can do an experiment on a topic that has always intrigued you, whether it be ant hills or earth quakes. So start homeschooling with enthusiasm today and watch your child transform from a glazy eyed student into a wide eyed adventurer.