Phony and fake or true and genuine—kids can spot it a mile away. That’s why Mrs. Walker puts more than the usual preparation into her Distance Learning video lessons. She knows that most elementary-aged students don’t watch her math, reading, heritage studies, and English video lessons because they just love those subjects. There has to be something more to motivate them to learn. Here are three ways she does that in her teaching.
The “Hook”
Now this idea might sound scary if you know the story of Peter Pan, but with Mrs. Walker you have nothing to fear. Her “hook” is used to help your child make a connection. As she prepares lessons for a subject, Mrs. Walker asks herself, “What can my student relate to?” Teaching the lesson this way means that sometimes Mrs. Walker seems to go off topic, but she’s really using her hook to help your child build a bridge of understanding. She provides encouragement along the way, pausing to speak directly to your child so that he can think independently and draw connections.
Dinner Nugget
No, Mrs. Walker isn’t talking about something to eat even though she would probably love to have an excuse to make chicken nuggets on camera. What Mrs. Walker means is a nugget of information your child might share at the family meal. She does this by including in her lessons personal stories, such as the time she went skydiving (yes, really!) and various interesting facts as in this Math 2 video lesson, which introduces the baobab tree. You won’t have long to wait before your child says, “Guess what Mrs. Walker told me today!”
End on a Giggle
Learning is a great big challenge for your child at times, especially when he is just beginning to learn to read. But Mrs. Walker wants to teach him that learning is also fun. She tries to end almost every lesson on a positive note—most often with an amusing comment or story that causes a giggle to escape from your child’s mouth. (Just watch him and see!) It’s Mrs. Walker’s goal to use humor as a way to encourage your child to keep coming back to learn more.
By the time your child completes a Distance Learning course with Mrs. Walker, he’ll consider her more than just a teacher. She’ll be a true friend.
See Mrs. Walker in action with Reading 3—a favorite course for her Distance Learning students!
Hi Angela, we passed your kind comment on to Mrs. Walker, and she has a special message for you and Matthew:
Thank you for your kind words. One of my main goals is for boys to love to read. I’m so glad that Matthew is enjoying our reading lessons. Thank you for making my day!
–Mrs. Walker
Mrs. Walker my son Matthew absolutely loves you. He has the best time watching your class and his reading skills are beyond what we could ask for, and we owe it all to your amazing class. You bless our homeschool every day! Thank you for sharing our wonderful gift and passion of teaching.
Hi Sarah! Thank you for your comment. I sent it along to Mrs. Walker, and she had a special message for you:
Dear Sarah—
So glad that Heritage 5 was a blessing to you. I learned quite a bit teaching it. In fact, I think teaching something may be the best way to learn it…or at least learn it more completely! Hope you have a wonderfully smiley summer!
–Mrs. Walker
Hey Miss Walker! My name is Sarah and I am going into 9th grade. I can not begin to express the impact you had on my love for social studies in 5th grade. I still remember the chapters and lessons that I have learned. You’re my all time favorite teacher! Thank you for impacting my education by being positive and making me smile:)
Thank you for commenting, Rachael! Mrs. Walker had a message for you:
Dear Rachael,
So glad your family has enjoyed our lessons. I had fun preparing them and teaching them. I do miss the hugs tho! If you are ever in the area, please come by the studios for a tour and some HUGS! Have a great summer!
–Mrs. Walker
Thanks for commenting, Micah! Here’s a special note from Mrs. Walker:
Dear Micah,
Thank you for your kind words. I’m thrilled that you are enjoying Heritage Studies this year! Have an amazing summer! Perhaps I’ll have you in Reading 5….we have an awesome SPY theme!
–Mrs. Walker
Dear Mrs. Walker,
Greetings from Mississippi. I just wanted to say how much my daughter Emily (and I) enjoy your lessons. We appreciate the way you make learning come alive. It has made these past two years an adventure and we thank you. Looking forward to the upcoming school term.
Respectfully,
Rachael Boswell
Hi Mrs.Walker! I am in 4th grade and you are the best teacher ever!