What happens when I get stuck on a topic?

In another life I taught at a tiny private school: Biology, Chemistry, Physical Science, Earth Science, French, and Grammar and Composition. Really.  No one trains for this type of scenario.  It’s a lot like home-schooling—just with bigger numbers.  What is unnerving is to encounter a topic, question, or concept that is completely unknown.  If the textbook just wasn’t helping, I went to the library and looked for an elementary level book on the same topic.  Yes, you can use Khan Academy; it frequently works.  But, if you get stumped, say trying to understand how to measure the speed of sound in a Physical Science lab, try a search with key words: ‘elementary’, ‘Grade 5 or 6’, or ‘intro’.  The search engine will steer you to similar concepts for younger children, with simpler explanations.  Share these simpler explanations with your kid.  Admit things are about as clear as mud. 

What happens if you just don’t get a concept?  Let me give you an example.  An ambulance siren is a good example of the Doppler effect.  Beyond that, I’m still not clear about the wavelengths.  I’ve taught the topic many, many times.  I read the section aloud to kids, use the ambulance siren as my example,  squeal like a French ambulance siren, WEEEE-OOOOOO!, and move on.  Really.  There are plenty of other topics I do understand.  Tell your kid that maybe we’ll all understand the idea better when we teach his sister.  Here’s my tip.   When you get stuck, try simpler versions.  Do a little research on the topic.  See if Khan Academy makes sense.  But don’t let one topic, such as the philosophers’ theories which influenced the Founding Fathers, or ratios between corresponding triangles keep you from teaching many, many other subjects which you do grasp. Move on.