I want to tell you about the very first time I outsourced a subject in our homeschool.
But, first, the backstory…
In 2014, we found ourselves suddenly, unexpectedly homeschooling our profoundly gifted and twice-exceptional 6-year-old. My husband and I are both products of public education, and I worked as a school psychologist in public education. When I say homeschooling was never on our radar, it’s true. I had expected to return to work when my kiddos were school-age.
As it turns out, life had other plans. I just completed our ninth year of homeschooling. Our homeschool journey has been the best curveball.
All that said, it can be intimidating to homeschool a highly gifted child. My son has always been super mathy, and I knew, even when he was just 6 years old, he would surpass my math abilities in time. And he did!
But before he surpassed my abilities, I encountered a different problem. I found math the most challenging subject to teach because I didn’t have the language for it. Growing up, I did well in math and was in honors classes. But I wasn’t taught why we did certain things in mathematics. I learned the steps and the rules but not the reasons behind those rules.
My oldest has always been a “but why???” kind of kiddo. When I found I didn’t have the language to explain the math, I worried that I would inadvertently squelch his passion and curiosity for the subject. Quite frankly, I lacked the passion and interest for math. I always performed well, but it was far from my favorite subject.
And that’s how I decided to outsource our first subject. I wanted someone passionate about math to teach my mathy kid. In 2019, when my oldest was 11 years old, he took his first (of many!) courses with Mr. D Math.
*Disclosure: I was compensated for my time in writing this review. I was not required to write a positive review. As always, I only share resources I would use with my family and those I believe other families will enjoy. Our family has enjoyed many live and self-paced courses from Mr D Math.
My oldest’s first Mr D Math course was a live Pre-Algebra class… taught by Mr. D himself! As you can see from the video flashback below, he loved it. He couldn’t stop smiling!
The little guy you see in that video is now 15 years old. He opted for public high school and is entering his sophomore year. He will be taking honors pre-calculus, and I am so grateful that we decided to outsource all those years ago. He’s still as curious about math at 15 as he was when he was itty bitty.
And be sure to keep reading because Mr D Math offers FAR more than “just” math courses.
All Online Classes Are Not The Same
Not all online classes were created equal. Over the past 9 years, my three kiddos have tried various online courses. Some were fantastic, and others were terrible.
When searching for online courses for my children and teens, here are some things I look for:
- I want high-quality content that is engaging.
- I want a parent dashboard that is easy to navigate.
- I want a course set-up that is easy for my kids to access.
- I want accessible teachers so that we can get prompt replies if I have a question or my kids have questions.
- I love a course platform that can be used with many ages and stages, a resource that can grow with my family.
- I adore returning student and sibling discounts.
- Bonus points if the teachers are engaging and have a great sense of humor!
Guess what? Mr D Math crosses off all of those boxes and more!
Online Homeschool Courses We LOVE!
If you’re a homeschool parent considering outsourcing a subject this year, please know it can be a lifesaver!
We have used Mr D Math forever! Here are just a few of the courses I’ve written about:
What Makes Mr D So Special
Dennis DiNoia, a secondary education math teacher with over 30 years of experience, left the public school classroom to create his online curriculum. He aimed to help students understand math as a language and incorporate problem-solving skills they could transfer to their own lives.
Mr D Math offers high-quality and highly-engaging courses for students k-12. Depending on what works best for your unique family, you can enjoy a live class that meets weekly on the same day and time or take a self-paced (pre-recorded) class and work at your own pace.
Mr D Math courses are presented online using video lessons. Live classes meet once a week, while self-paced courses are completed at your own pace. Live classes are recorded so the replay is available if your child misses one.
All courses offer extra help sessions and teachers are available by email. Mr. D Math offers discounts for returning students and for siblings. I have found the class dashboard easy to navigate.
And for the poolside professional development lovers out there, Dennis recently published a book. It’s called TEACH: Creating Independently Responsible Learners.
Mr D For More Than Just Math
It gets better! Yes, Mr D Math offers the following math courses:
- Algebra I
- Geometry
- Algebra II
- Pre-Calculus with Trigonometry
- Calculus I
But Mr D Math offers more than “just” math classes. There are so many courses available for grades k-12.
Here are some current offerings:
- 8 Steps to Powerful StudyingAmerican English Grammar
- ACT Math Bootcamp
- ASL 1
- ASL 2
- ASL 3
- College and Career Readiness
- Comparative Literature and Composition
- Computer Science 1
- Computer Technology (elementary)
- Digital Music Production
- Flamenco Dance Level 1
- Flamenco Guitar Level 1
- Economics for High School
- Information Technology 1
- Information Technology 2
- Junior Economics
- Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship
- PERT Test Prep Math
- SAT Math Bootcamp
- Training Like An Olympic Runner
In addition, Mr D Math has a variety of summer courses available. You can also incorporate Mr D Math classes in your homeschool co-op! To learn more, visit Mr. D’s course catalog.
Try Mr D In Your Homeschool!
If you are a homeschool parent considering outsourcing a subject this year, I highly recommend Mr D Math. My children have loved the courses they have taken. And outsourcing lightened my load time and time again over the years. That, my friends, is priceless!
To learn more, visit Mr. D’s course catalog. You can also connect with Mr. D Math on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram. Dennis also has a podcast.
