Disclaimer: I was compensated for my time in exchange for my honest review.
You know how classroom teachers have to complete continuing studies and professional development courses to remain qualified to teach? Even if you are not familiar, the fact remains that as homeschool educators, continuing our learning is just as important as teaching our children. Since I’ve been my son’s primary educator, I’ve taken the time to study education philosophies and pedagogy via courses offered by my state, curriculum vendors and other educational partners both virtual classes and in-person. I search for white papers and utilize trusted media sources for the latest news. But most of all, I read quality books on educating children and guess what? I’ve got a good one for you – “Teach” by Dennis DiNoia, of Mr. D Math.
I was first introduced to Dennis DiNoia through his fantastic math curriculum – Mr. D Math. My kid is Gifted in Mathematics and needed a course that would challenge him and keep him competition ready and Mr. D became the perfect study tool for him. His classes work – but I didn’t quite understand why until I read his book, “TEACH: Creating Independently Responsible Learners” published in 2022. Dennis DiNoia gives you a glimpse inside his methodology when it comes to teaching and learning any subject – not just math – with practical and easy to implement ideas for both you and your learner.
Dennis DiNoia’s perfect bound book, “Teach” is a quick an easy read of only ten primary chapters and a bonus chapter on creating a visual working diagram of your goals. He starts his book giving you his “why” when it comes to education. A former classroom teacher, and educator for over thirty years, DiNoia back in 1988 was having trouble reaching his at risk students and wanted to break the code on how to help them. He found that in order for the students to succeed they had to become responsible for their own learning and transform into “Independently Responsible Learners”. After trial and error, and years of experience in educating learners of all ages and levels, he used this knowledge to create his popular curriculum, Mr. D Math, used by students worldwide.
In order to create an Independently Responsible Learner, an educator needs to ensure several steps are taken to nurture and “coach” them, which he outlines in great detail through each chapter. He gives tips like having students “check their own work”, and to use your communication skills to “present your work” to demonstrate mastery of a subject. DiNoia encourages teachers and learners to find their learning style. He even offers the idea to create a “Mastermind” of a few individuals to meet on a regular basis to discuss projects in the works and to be acceptability partners. Most of the solutions given have always been options in learning but rarely used in education or our daily lives, and DiNoia describes each in detail and with passion.
As Eclectic Unschoolers with a Gifted Learner, we naturally applied several of his ideas to our homeschool even before reading “Teach“. I noticed from the beginning that my child truly understood a concept when he could teach others and I often concluded a lesson with an oral or visual presentation instead of a formal test. It was encouraging to see an entire chapter on “Present Yourself” to give credence to what we did naturally. After reading “Teach“, I plan to add more presentations to our homeschool day as well as allow my child to check his own work. He was already checking his own work in Math but it’s great to understand that this will be beneficial across all subject areas and that he’ll retain more from his lessons because of it.
You don’t have to convince me that Professional Development is important. If you have felt that same pull to try something different or were looking for direction to help you both improve your efforts as a teacher and learning partner, Dennis DiNoia’s book, “TEACH: Creating Independently Responsible Learners” is another great resource that can help your child succeed not just in their academics, but life.
Want your own copy of “TEACH”? Check out the book for yourself HERE
@Mamasweetbaby 
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