7 Timeless Secrets of Effective Teaching

Last week, my daughter taught me how to fold an origami heart. Step by step, she showed me each precise fold, patiently corrected my mistakes, and celebrated when I finally produced a recognizable heart shape. Without even thinking about it, she demonstrated perfect teaching technique.

Yet that same morning, I’d heard from three different homeschool moms who were doubting their ability to teach their children math or writing. These were intelligent, capable women who successfully teach their kids complex life skills every day. So why does effective teaching of academic subjects feel so different?

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What Did School Teach You About Effective Teaching?

I suspect the answer lies in those roughly 16,000 hours we spent in traditional schools – hours that taught us that ‘real’ education requires special credentials, complex systems, and institutional settings. Even after choosing to homeschool, these deeply ingrained beliefs can undermine our natural teaching abilities.

I want to help us break free from these limiting beliefs. After reading ‘The Seven Laws of Teaching’ by John Milton Gregory (on recommendation from Jean Moroney at Thinking Directions), I realized that effective teaching isn’t nearly as complicated as our modern education system makes it seem. The same principles my daughter used to teach me origami – breaking down complex tasks, demonstrating clearly, offering patient guidance – apply beautifully to teaching math, reading, and every other academic subject.

In this series, we’ll explore these seven timeless principles of effective teaching. But more importantly, we’ll reconnect with our innate ability to guide our children’s learning – an ability that’s been there all along, just waiting to be recognized and strengthened.

You can read the book for free by clicking here!

Law 1: The Law of the Teacher

“The teacher must know that which he would teach.”

john milton gregory – the seven laws of teaching

As homeschool teachers, this might seem daunting – after all, we’re teaching multiple subjects across different grade levels. But you don’t need to be an expert in everything before you start. You just need to stay a few steps ahead of your student and be willing to learn alongside them.

Remember how I learned to make that origami heart? My daughter didn’t start by teaching advanced origami – she began with something she had thoroughly mastered herself.

As your child’s first teacher, you’ve been applying this principle since they were born. When you taught them to tie their shoes, you didn’t just understand the process – you could do it automatically, which allowed you to break it down into manageable steps.

This same principle applies to academic subjects. If you’re teaching multiplication, take time to refresh your understanding before the lesson. If you’re teaching history, read ahead and make sure you grasp the key events and connections. You’ll find that preparing to teach actually deepens your own understanding, making you a more effective teacher for your child.

Law 2: The Law of the Learner

“The learner must attend with interest to the fact or truth to be learned.”

john milton gregory – the seven laws of teaching

This isn’t about forcing concentration; it’s about awakening interest and engaging natural curiosity. As a homeschool teacher, you have a unique advantage here: you know your learner intimately.

Think about how children naturally learn things that interest them. My daughter didn’t need to be forced to learn origami – her curiosity drove her to watch tutorials, practice folds, and persist through mistakes. This natural learning process shows us what real attention looks like.

In homeschooling, we can harness this same principle. Instead of demanding attention through external pressure, consider these natural ways to engage your learner’s interest:

• Break lessons into manageable, engaging chunks
• Choose the right timing for lessons (like saving math for when your child is most alert)
• Connect new material to existing interests (exploring fractions through baking or music)
• Awaken your child’s interest in a subject by showing them why it matters or how it will help them
• Create an inviting learning environment (maybe a cozy reading nook or a dedicated project space)
• Follow your child’s natural curiosity (letting questions lead to deeper exploration)

Law 3: The Law of Language

“The language used in teaching must be common to both teacher and learner.”

john milton gregory – the seven laws of teaching

As your child’s first teacher, you already excel at this naturally. Think about how you adapted your language as your child grew – from simple words and gestures with your toddler to increasingly complex conversations. You instinctively knew when to simplify and when your child was ready for more sophisticated explanations.

When teaching academic subjects, this natural ability to adjust your language becomes a superpower. You know exactly when your child is confused by your explanation – it shows in their eyes, their body language, their questions. Unlike in a classroom of thirty students, you can immediately adjust your approach.

Some practical ways to apply this law in your homeschooling:

• Start with familiar vocabulary before introducing technical terms
• Use analogies from your child’s everyday experience
• Watch for signs of confusion and rephrase immediately
• Let your child explain concepts back to you in their own words
• Build a shared vocabulary together as you explore new subjects

Law 4: The Law of the Lesson

The truth to be taught must be learned through truth already known.

john milton gregory – the seven laws of teaching

This law shows us that teaching is like building a bridge. You need a solid foundation on one side before extending toward new territory.

I saw this principle in action with my daughter’s origami journey. She started with simple folds she already knew well, then gradually built up to more complex designs. Each new piece she learned built on skills she had already mastered, creating a natural progression of learning.

This principle is especially powerful in homeschooling because you have intimate knowledge of what your child already understands. You’ve been there for their previous learning experiences, both formal and informal. You can use this knowledge to create natural connections between what they know and what they’re about to learn.

Key strategies for building these learning bridges:

• Start discussions by asking what your child already knows about a topic
• Connect new concepts to familiar experiences or interests
• Use your child’s strengths to approach challenging subjects
• Review prerequisite skills before introducing new material
• Celebrate when your child makes connections independently

Law 5: The Law of Teaching

“Excite and direct the self-activities of the learner, and teach him nothing that he can learn himself.”

john milton gregory – the seven laws of teaching

The fifth law focuses on the teaching process itself – the art of stimulating and directing learner self-activity. In other words, effective teaching isn’t about pouring information into a passive student. It’s about awakening and guiding your child’s own learning process.

Think about how children learn to walk. We don’t give them lectures on bipedal movement or grade them on their technique. Instead, we create opportunities for them to practice, offer support when needed, and celebrate their progress. As your child’s first teacher, you’ve been using this approach all along.

This natural teaching process applies beautifully to academic subjects. When we step back from the traditional model of lecturing and testing, we can focus on creating an environment that encourages active learning and discovery.

What this looks like in practice:

• Ask questions that prompt thinking rather than just reciting facts
• Allow time for exploration and discovery
• Provide resources and guidance rather than immediate answers
• Share in your child’s excitement about new discoveries
• Model the learning process by showing how you tackle new challenges

Law 6: The Law of Learning

“The learner must reproduce in his own mind the truth to be acquired.”

john milton gregory – the seven laws of teaching

The sixth law emphasizes that learning is something the student must do for themselves. No one can learn for another person – the learner must engage actively with the material to truly understand it.

This is where homeschooling really shines. Free from the constraints of managing a classroom of thirty students, you can give your child the time and space they need to process and internalize new information in their own way. You can watch for those ‘aha!’ moments when genuine understanding clicks into place.

Consider again how children learn naturally. When my daughter was mastering origami, she didn’t just watch videos or read instructions (although she did those things) – she folded and refolded paper until she could create each design perfectly. Her learning came through doing, through making mistakes, through figuring out what worked and what didn’t.

Essential elements of active learning:

• Give time for hands-on practice and experimentation
• Allow productive struggle rather than rushing to help
• Encourage questions and discussion
• Let your child teach concepts back to you
• Provide opportunities to apply learning in real situations

Law 7: The Law of Review

“The completion, test, and confirmation of learning must be made by review.”

john milton gregory – the seven laws of teaching

The seventh law reminds us that learning must be reviewed and applied to be truly mastered. But this doesn’t mean endless drilling or monotonous repetition. Instead, think of review as revisiting ideas in new and deeper ways.

As homeschool teachers, we have the flexibility to incorporate natural review opportunities throughout our days. We can circle back to concepts in different contexts, helping our children build lasting understanding rather than temporary memorization.

The most effective review happens when knowledge is put to use in meaningful ways. It’s like any skill – the more we use it in real situations, the more thoroughly we master it. This is why integrated learning approaches often work so well in homeschooling.

Making review meaningful:

• Look for natural opportunities to apply previous learning
• Connect different subjects through projects and discussions
• Use games and creative activities to reinforce concepts
• Let your child become the teacher
• Celebrate when your child spots connections to earlier learning

From Principles to Practice

These seven laws of teaching aren’t revolutionary – and that’s exactly what makes them powerful. They describe the natural process of teaching and learning that you’ve been using since your child first smiled up at you. As a homeschool teacher, you don’t need to reinvent education or mirror traditional schooling. You just need to trust and refine your innate teaching abilities.

Remember, you are your child’s first and most important teacher. You taught them to walk, to talk, to tie their shoes, and yes – even to fold origami hearts. The same natural teaching abilities that guided them through those early years will serve you well in teaching academic subjects.

Ready to put these principles into practice? I’ve created a free Super Simple Homeschool Planner & Tracker specifically designed to help you organize your teaching without overwhelming yourself or your children. It’s a straightforward tool that helps you apply these natural teaching principles in your daily homeschool routine.

In the coming weeks, we’ll dive deeper into each of these seven laws, exploring practical applications and real-life examples from our homeschooling journey. Subscribe to the newsletter to make sure you don’t miss any of these upcoming posts!