Hypothetically Speaking, lucky seven
The Bean's Dad | April 4To my Blogfather family:
After this installment I may be entering the witness protection program for an undisclosed period of time. Fortunately, not because I went state’s evidence on anyone. Our household has entered the one month countdown for the arrival of child number two. Considering she would be considered full term at this point we’re realistically looking at any day now…kind of, sort of. In my head at least.
I’m a freakin’ mental mess and have lost nearly all inspiration. While our first child stands on the kitchen garbage can and plays with knives I stare at the wall and mumble “what the F%^* am I going to do with TWO children?”. I’m kidding, she plays with the stove.
If anyone would like to continue this series feel free. No turf war here. If not, that’s cool too. For status on my whereabouts and mental health please check in at where boys fear to tread – I may or may not be posting regularly.
Anyways,
To the point
Hypothetically speaking, what would it take for you to home school your children?
For those of you who have always planned on home schooling please share your most influential reasons.
For those of you who are unexpectedly home schooling please share your reasons too.
If you have children in “regular” (for lack of a better term) school or plan on putting your children in school what would it take for you to pull them out and do the job yourself?
My child is only 2 1/2 so I have yet to form any opinion on this one. As of right now, we plan on enrolling her in the local school system.
I am a public school teacher, and it may surprise you to hear that some of my colleagues with toddlers consider this question seriously. From the inside, the cracks in the system are even more obvious. My wife currently runs a home daycare, so we would have to consider the cost of me staying home to teach. In the end, however, I guess I want to be part of the solution. I can’t, in good conscience, home school my kids while simultaneously putting every ounce of energy and creativity that I have into an attempt to improve the system, at least in my own classroom.
Short a major negative change in the public school system, or a loss of employment, I can’t see myself home schooling.
In order for me to homeschool my children we would have to be in a school district where it was either actually life threatening for them to attend school and/or we could not get them into any private schools.
In my experience, school teaches you more about socialization and the “real world” than math or science. If the schools are just weak scholastically, we as parents can pick up the slack at home. As parents, we teach them everyday anyway.
I guess I just valued my school experience so much that I would hate to take away any opprtunities from my children.
I, too, am a public school teacher. I wouldn’t even consider it based on my life situations right now. We live in an excellent school district and I am the assistant principal at my children’s future school, so I have an ideal situation. HOWEVER, if we were in one of our state’s low-performing districts, it wouldn’t be as clear-cut. I still think I would go with private school as opposed to home-schooling, and this is why: socialization and diversity. I know I’ll probably be skewered on the socialization thing because home-schooling organizations have come SOOOOO far in having opportunities/groups/clubs, etc. In fact, there are probably more opportunities to experience lessons in real-life, authentic situations than there are in a school situation. The main thing is the diversity–both of those providing the instruction, as well as of classmates. I reflect back to my school career and the variety of teachers I had and the different impacts they had on me. I also became friends/acquaintances with people from all backgrounds (socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity). I’m probably not articulating my argument to the best of my ability, but it really boils down to having highly-qualified teachers for my children and the life lessons one learns from attending a school outside the home each day.
No home school here for the reasons expressed above, especially that we basically already do that. We teach them every day. Home-schoolers may say they are able to address the necessity of socialization through networking with other home-schoolers, but that does not seem attractive to me in the least; I’m not a joiner, and I don’t get the impression that I’d be anywhere even close to being on the same ideological page as the home-schooler set. Hell, I’ll probably need a few stiff drinks to even be able to tolerate parent-teacher meetings.
By the way, we just had a new baby, so I can relate to your feelings of ‘what the F%^* am I going to do with TWO children?’ I can say that I was surprised all over again at how small and helpless a new baby is. It’s amazing how they really don’t know anything at first. The good news is they don’t actually do anything either, including standing on the kitchen garbage can while playing with knives. Not for a little while, anyway.
What about the option of Charter schools? Or a group of homeschooled children who meet several times a week? I’ve seen homeschooling parents that have pooled their talents so that the kids got together and on parent handled grammar, one math, one Spanish, etc.
I’ve lived in areas with great schools and areas with horrible schools. I also have a few friends that are teachers and right now are so fed up with the “No Child Left Behind” situation that they are considering other careers. These are people who love teaching.
I took education classes in college and was close to being a middle/high school math/science teacher, so the idea isn’t completely foreign. The most obvious element that would allow me to home school my child(ren) is income. If I could afford to stay home without sacrificing our quality of life now and in the future, I would. Right now, I can’t so I sha’nt. The next element would be a feeling that I could do the job sooo much better than the professionals that are currently doing it. But I know bupkus about teaching someone how to read. If the school was unsafe, then I’d think about it.
I see both sides to the home schooling thing. I think I would only do it if we were on the road alot. In Hubby’s business, some people are, but he’s not at this time. But I don’t really like the public school system where we live, in Los Angeles, so I am putting my kids in Private School. And that is so expensive, but my kids education is important to me. Also I don’t think I could actually teach my oldest child, because she is gifted. And not gifted in the way some people say their kids are while they eat paste, but a certifiable genius. So, she’s smarter than me and I think I would eventually have to put her in school.
Since I’m a SAHM, my husband and I are seriously considering home-schooling our kids. I grew up in and graduated from the school district that we currently live in, and I got a good education, but I was a self-motivated learner. I saw a lot of my peers fall through the cracks and basically “mark time” until they could get their diploma and go. On the flip side, I had friends at church whose parents insisted on home-schooling them so that they could have total control over what their kids learned, and made a total mess out of it.
Right now, I’m planning on putting our daughter in a private, Christian preschool when the time comes (she’s only two), and the preschool has a well-credentialed elementary school, junior high and high school if we choose to put her in private school. However, I will check out (and hopefully get to peek in at) the kindergarten at the public elementary school before I make a final decision. Home-schooling is an option, but I know that it would take a lot of discipline on my part. But my kids might thrive better, learning-wise, at home with less pressure.
And as to socialization - they get plenty of that even now at church on Sundays and Wednesday nights. I think the social aspect of school, especially for younger children, is really over-hyped. That being said, if we did home-school, it would probably be only for the elementary years and possibly early junior high. I would definitely put them into some kind of school, public or private, for high school because of the social life and events that take place. My major concern is that they get a solid grounding in the basics. When the time comes, we’ll have to determine where best they can get that. If it’s at home, then we’ll do it. But if I’m convinced that our public school can do a good job, then the kids will probably go there. I’m going to keep my options open.
Guess I’ll stand alone here and say that I home school and love it. I started my oldest off in public but she was so frustrated. There was 25 kids and one teacher. The poor teacher was always at her wits end. Our school was suppose to be one of the best in the area and I found it really lacking. The teaching staff was great but there just wasn’t the funding. Teachers had to share one book or one prop among the 8 kindergarten classes. They spent half their time looking for what they needed in other classes and the other half fighting with hyper kids. I know because my daughter was one of those hyper kids. The whole issue of socialization is what most people have a problem with. So tell me, what is so social about sitting in a desk with 20 other kids your age. I seem to remember getting in trouble for talking to others and trying to be social. Hell thats what the park is for. If its really that important that your kids be formaly socialized then duel enroll them. My oldest takes art once a week and gets to see all her friends. The school system still gets funding for her, so I don’t feel so bad about the lack of funding. And just coz I homeschool don’t lump me with the real freaks out there who think that any contact with public school kids is evil. Kids are kids. I don’t really fit in the mainstrean homeschool group. I in no way think public school teachers are bad. I went to school myself for the same thing. I think most do a great job with what they have. Sad to say that what they have is getting to be less and less.
It would take something like Armageddon for me to homeschool. I don’t have the temperment for it and my kids would be worse off if they didn’t go to school. Honestly. I know my limitations. Right now we live in a fantastic school district. My kids’ elementary school teaches tolerance and kindness right up there with math and science, which I love. If something were to happen and I wasn’t happy with their school any more, there are any number of private schools we could choose from. If we had to, we’d scale back considerably to either afford a private school or qualify for a scholarship.
I simply don’t have the education to homeschool. I consider myself intelligent (I’m *this close* to a Master’s Degree in Psychology, and I’m currently attending culinary school), but I simply don’t have the training to teach my children. Jeez, I sometimes can’t even *do* the math my son brings home.
Yes, we’re fortunate. We scoped out school districts before we bought our house, and we were lucky enough to be able to afford to buy in this district. But I would do whatever was necessary to make sure my children had good educations; I just wouldn’t be the one providing it.
It wouldn’t take much for me to home school my kids. Most of my motivation for home schooling comes from my positive experiences. I was home schooled with my two brothers and 1 sister from 3rd grade through 10th grade. My parents are both very intelligent people with college degrees and my mom has a knack for teaching. Obviously home schooling isn’t right for everyone, but I think I truly benefited from it.
How about a good mix of both?!
Sure, a public school doesn’t offer the one on one learning experience… but home schooling doesn’t provide a perfect education either! My wife teaches fourth grade and her biggest gripe is that kids leave school at the end of the day and the teaching stops! Parents will call her and complain about a student’s report card and she always asks them, “How much time are you spending at home going over what we learned in class?” Of course the response is always…. “Well… uh… we’re really busy.”
Basically, no matter how good (or bad) the school district is… if you want your child to excel, you need to supplement the learning experience at home.
We’re doing the local school for The Boy (3) and Cinderella (9). I’m not disciplined enough to homeschool, plus I need the break!
That being said, I do have tremendous respect for parents who homeschool. It combines to the two most honorable professions into one, IMO - parenting and teaching.
I’m going with MormonDaddy here… Both my parents were teachers and I always got to hear about that sort of thing. Most of the parents seemed to assume that it was the teacher’s job to teach their kids and not theirs. The kids would never have their homework done, never have done their reading, never have done any studying; however when the kid got a bad grade they were the first to call and complain and then seem surprised about the whole thing.
I know I could never homeschool the kids as I would never be able to stick with one subject long enough, but I do firmly intend on continuing their education in the evenings and weekends. My mom was always willing to help with that sort of thing for me so I see it as a rather normal thing for my wife and I to do the same for our two girls.
I am both the daughter and sister of public school teachers. I would never homeschool my children for 2 reasons. 1 being my children need to learn how to deal with other human beings other than mommy and daddy that is just the way the world will work for them when I am gone.
From my experience with a couple of kids that were homeschooled they do not live in reality about what the world is really like. They have a hard time socializing with others. Also, I think SOME parents who homeschool are not aware that they do not have the dicipline/strength in educational techniques to keep their kids up to par with children who are taught by professional teachers. Therefore, when they send their kids back to public school because the cirriculum is above their teaching expertice the kids have a hard time adjusting and the parents blame the school system instead of themselves.
2 being I agree with some of these comments that say they need a break from their children. This is true for me. I love my children dearly, but they would not have the same respect for me being their mommy, teacher, socializer, and decipliner. I don’t feel I have the mental capacity to wear all these different hats. I would rather teach my children how to have respect toward different types of people. I think this will help then in the real world. I would rather just be mommy and decipliner. They need other children to be their socializers, and other adults to teach them new things.
I do agree with other comments I read about if I were in a place where it wasn’t safe for my children to go to school my perspective might change. . . or I would just try my best to fork out the cash to send them to a private christian school.
I believe it is my job to help the teachers by making sure my children understand what they are taught and be active in their learning experience. I do NOT believe it is ONLY the teachers job to make sure my child learns. Do you realize how many kids these teachers have to teach? Have you ever sat in a class full of school aged children? It is virtually impossible to keep EVERY child’s attention. Most teachers do their best to reach the majority of their pupils and it is our job as parents to make sure our child is the one being reached.
Ok. . . I will hop off my soapbox. LOL
My daughter is only 2, so I have some time before making a final decision. But as you could see from my reaction to reading John Taylor Gatto’s book “Dumbing Us Down,” I am almost certainly going to homeschool. It was reading Gatto’s book, on top of a constant stream of stories about crazy things happening in schools (zero tolerance craziness, poor results from schools, high costs to run them, the selfish nature of teachers’ unions (I’ve heard a number of stories from a friend who is a high school teacher), the drugging of students to enforce obedience, etc.). Plus, family and friends who are or have been students have told me how much of the school day is wasted time. All of these factors are pushing me towards home-schooling, when it comes time.
Oops, I meant to say “…family and friends who are or have been TEACHERS have told me…”
I don’t know if I’ll have the temperament to teach my kids, but I suspect I might. And since I have degrees in physics and materials science, the math and science parts of any curricula won’t bother me. OTOH, I’ll try not to drown my kid(s) in math. :-)
As for socialization, I agree with the person who said that socialization in school is a laugh - you’re not allowed to talk to others, and the situation in school is not like in an adult’s job. I really like Paul Graham’s essay “Why Nerds are Unpopular” especially near the end where he compares schools and prisons. Schools do a lot to teach you to be mean-spirited (but of course there are counter-examples). I’ve seen my home-schooled nieces turn out (so far) to be well-adjusted people.
I can’t even think about homeschooling; I don’t have the patience and that is why I am not a teacher. Our son is only 2 now so we have a little time, but the subject has come up. My husband has said that he plans to go to each school and ask if they teach evolution. If the equivocate at all (well, we try to cover all theories…) Jackson will not be going there. I am afraid we will be left with the local catholic school since they are the only ones that teach evolution without apologies.
Some commenters have pointed out that there is (virtually)no socialization in schools. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Someone said children are not allowed to visit in class, which, while not completely true, *is* the goal of most teachers in the classroom. However, lunch time, recess, club meetings, etc. do offer those opportunities. When I talk about the socialization, though, I don’t mean just “visiting time.” I think the time students spend working in groups, working cooperatively to complete projects, presenting oral reports to a class of their peers, lab work, etc.–all parts of the elementary through high school curriculum–are important facets of the educational process that require collaboative and socialization skills. Add to that music class, choir performances, plays, physical education, sports teams, and art shows, where students must work together outside of the confines of an academic classroom and you have many opportunities for collborating and socializing. I have absolutely no problem with the idea of homeschooling children, provided that whoever is teaching knows the curriculum. I just wanted to point out that the perception of public/private schools having no opportunities for socialization is misguided.
As some people have pointed out, I would absolutely home-school my children if there were factors which made it unsafe for them to attend public or private school. Also, while I *know* schools have failed students in many ways, I also think that public/private schools have much to offer that you cannot necessarily get in a home-schooling situation IF you live in a good school district, and I know that is a BIG IF. I count myself (and my children) extremely lucky that I do.
We do some of both. My teenaged stepdaughter has home-schooled friends, and they invariably have poor interpersonal skills; they just don’t seem to understand how to act in normal social situations. On the other hand, we’re somewhat disenchanted with the public schools’ educational, uh, rigor. (For example, her history teacher last year had never heard of the Kent State shootings.) Our answer to this is to go over her homework with her, and also to have dinner-table discussions that are more likely to be about science or history than about the latest reality TV show. I think that kids definitely need to socialize with others their age, but parents should be involved in the education process.
I teach Upper School in a private K-12. I guarantee you you could not homeschool your kids better than we can teach them. I am a pretty good teacher who is still making the shift from college to high school teaching and learning tons. I guarantee you that you cannot home school your kid successfully K-12. There are completely different skill sets involved and quite frankly, I don’t know anybody who can teach both calculus and history effectively. And many people don’t recognize their blind spots so they think they are doing a good job teaching, for example, history by having kids do what they did in high school, plus adding a few field trips and “research” papers that involve no primary sources. Usually, when I sit down with a student who has completely missed the boat on an assignment I get “My parents helped me with it.” Many of parents, highly educated with terminal degrees, don’t understand the basics of history writing and remove any argument fromt the kids paper and make them just list facts in chronological order. Sigh. Rant over.