Friday, Jan. 18, 2008

Working from Home

By AMANDA ROGERS

News-Mirror Writer

These days Shelly Burman’s family room has charts with numbers and letters, child-size tables and large, brightly colored numbers on the floor. That’s because Burman has brought her work home with her, setting up a home school classroom for her daughter and six other youngsters.

“Yesterday we made a robot,” Burman said. “We’re getting ready to plant. We already started a compost pile.”

Burman, who has been a teacher for the past decade, quit her job as a special-needs teacher at Willie Brown Elementary in December and set up her own school. So far, she has four 4-year-olds, a 6-year-old, a 7-year-old and her daughter, Madelaine, 10.

Burman has also taught in California and her native Colorado and worked as a nanny.

“I’ve been a teacher for 10 years, so I know what we need to do, but I want to change how we do it,” she said. “I want learning to be centered on the child, not a test.”

Four of her students are special-needs children, Burman said. She also tutors special-needs kids.

Burman plans to use everyday opportunities to teach her students. With gardening, the children learn science, math and reading. By going bowling, they get exercise and learn math. By going to the zoo, they learn science, sorting and counting.

“It’s pure teaching and pure learning,” Burman said. “You can have a great time and meet everybody’s needs.”

Daughter Madelaine is on a self-paced Christian curriculum. She loves having her mom at home.

“I love that there’s no TAKS test,” Madelaine said. “I like being with my mom. You get to do what you like to do and you don’t have to wait for instruction.”

Burman also gets to spend more time with her 14-month-old son, Ethan, and husband, Brian, a Tarrant County Deputy Sheriff.

Burman holds her classes from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday. In the summer, she plans to have a two-day summer camp. The cost is $400 per month per student.

Days are organized into study, snack and activities. Field trips, art, music, cooking and trips to the library will be part of each week, she said.

Ideally, Burman would like to have about 10 students.

“I think I always want to keep it personal,” she said. “I want children to love learning. Children deserve that chance to love learning.”

She also appreciates being able to work and be with her children.

“It’s been a dream of mine for five or six years,” Burman said. “I love teaching my daughter. I love to be home and teach. I only have one chance to be a parent.”

---

reprint or license Print E-Mail