When was the last time you took algebra? Does it feel like half a million years ago?

I’m sure you remember enough math to know it wasn’t quite that many years. Still, maybe you don’t feel qualified to teach some of the high school level subjects your kids need to take. What do you do?

1. Identify the Skills You are Not Confident In

In high school, a lot of students can transition to working primarily on their own. However, that doesn’t always mean a student can teach themselves. If they have questions, or fail to understand something, or simply need more motivation, you’ll need to help them find answers. But these answers don’t have to come from your intrinsic knowledge. If you just never really “got” English literature, be aware of that and plan accordingly!

2. Outsource or Supplement What You Don’t Know

Video-based curriculum is a good way to bring audio-visual instruction into your home. Look for a curriculum that comes with good support if you feel uncomfortable teaching it. Alternatively, most parents find that if they watch the video with their student, the knowledge tends to come back to them! Sites like Khan Academy offer a myriad of free video resources for many subjects. Paid sites like Udemy and SkillShare also offer comprehensive courses.

Online instruction is becoming more popular, for a good reason. Students can do problems online and have them automatically graded. Some courses will continually cycle in questions that are difficult, until a student achieves mastery. Both ALEKS and Khan Academy are excellent sources for this kind of learning. The Teaching Textbooks curricula has a very similar method as well.

High school classes taught by qualified teachers can be a great supplement alternative to a video or online curriculum. Check with your local co-op, college, or even a private or public school to see if your student can take just one class. Basic Skills offers high school classes at our Oregon City site in subjects like math, English, and science. Online resources like Veritas Online Academy offer real-time instruction from a teacher as well, just over web cam instead of in-person!

3. Don’t Be Intimidated

At this stage of life, it’s perfectly understandable to feel intimidated by high school level classes. And to be sure, many high school students at this stage begin to learn on their own. Teaching a student how to be an autodidact, or self-learner, means teaching them to be resourceful in their education, which is an excellent life skill! But that doesn’t mean every student needs to do everything alone. A little more structure can be just what a student – even a self-motivated one – needs to make it successfully through a tough subject. Plus, if your student does end up taking a class from a live teacher, they can get another academic reference for college or a resume  — always a good thing!

— Lauren Shearer, registrar at Basic Skills, former curriculum consultant for Exodus Books.

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