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SLOBuds
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Reged: 06/12/03
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It's terrible that you have to fight these things all the time.
As I mentioned above, I do not have children who are school age now. I am just interested in the topic and everyone on this board seem very informed.
As much as I hate to say this, I also have an impression that home schooling families are somewhat discriminated against. Maybe it's not discrimination in the typical way we think of it, but the types of questions they get are very similar to the kinds of negative feedback that are (either innocently or deliberately) dished out to minotiries. I see everything from 'strange looks' at the home schooling families, to consistent (and ignorant) questions about socialization, to disbelief about the practice, etc.
It seems like most homeschool parents are used to these questions. But just like minorities, they must also be always 'on edge' of sorts. Maybe always thinking that strangers have something against you.
Just like minorities who get this stuff all the time, I'm thinking that home schooling families always get this stuff - or THINK they are getting this 'stuff' even whether or not it is actually happens. That's the bad part of the story. The GOOD part of the story is that folks who are subjected to this type of negative feedback can become naturally strong individuals. At one with themselves, as it were. The kids too.
Anyway, it's all very interesting to someone like me who never personally experienced home schooling in my family.
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knucklehead
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Reged: 09/11/02
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Posts: 58
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Loc: Maine
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Re: Home Schooling
[re: SLOBuds]
05/07/05 03:13 PM
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Very good discussion; honest questions and honest answers. I've been away from this forum for a while, doing other things. I am very happy to return and read the civility with which everyone conducts themselves.
When we first had children, we were against homeschooling because we considered it to be isolationist. "Lamp on a hill and not under a basket", we thought. Then we thought more about it; about our responsibility as parents and the commitment we were making. We thought about the tender and easily impressed minds we were so blessed to be entrusted with, and about our opinions of the importance of early development of children. We wondered what balance there should be and where that balance point lies between nurture and overprotection. We thought about our childhood experience through the 60's and 70's in Maine, and what a childhood would be like in the 80's, 90's, and 00's in Maine.
My wife had already decided (I played devil's advocate but secretly had my fingers crossed) to stay home and become involved in their education; it eventually just naturally seemed easier to assume responsibility for the whole process. We (I should say she) first asked around of other homeschoolers, familiarized herself with some common processes (including the state requirements), then stepped out into the Whirled Wide Web for info. What an overload! The single hardest part about homeschooling is choosing from the vast landscape of educational information and opportunities available.
We understand now that homeshcooling does not necessarily mean teaching your child at home; it means recognizing your responsibility for all of the decisions about their upbringing and education, and acting confidently on that responsibility. If every parent did that, schools would transform overnight. We now explain this to those who say they would like to homeschool but "could not" for a variety of reasons. We encourage them to view themselves as the controlling party and the schools as subcontractors. Perhaps a little intimidating, as some "educators" may sound (and be) condescending initially, but most are thankful for involved parents.
Bad examples abound and are growing as the "anything goes" societal model spreads, but most of us would soon discover that a relatively small effort from parents, the earlier the better, pays off in huge behavioral and educational results well before our kids reach the double digits. Reading to a 1-6 year old and teaching them to recite the alphabet is one of the easiest and most profitable expenditures of time anyone can make. Listening to them read, spell, and perform the four basic math functions from 6-10 or so will cement study habits AND a family relationship that carries them through the rest of their lives. Throw in a few games of checkers, chess, cribbage, etc., and/or playing catch, pass, or kick in the backyard, and drowning several worms (or pieces of hotdog/bologna for the squeemish) per month will make a stellar citizen.
Is there anyone here who does not feel qualified to do any of those things?
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BlueRidge
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Gold Member
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Reged: 05/07/05
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Loc: Virginia
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Re: Home Schooling
[re: SLOBuds]
05/08/05 10:29 AM
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In reply to:
As much as I hate to say this, I also have an impression that home schooling families are somewhat discriminated against. Maybe it's not discrimination in the typical way we think of it, but the types of questions they get are very similar to the kinds of negative feedback that are (either innocently or deliberately) dished out to minotiries. I see everything from 'strange looks' at the home schooling families, to consistent (and ignorant) questions about socialization, to disbelief about the practice, etc.
Very true. It's expressed in very subtle ways, at times, and very obvious ways at other times. Some of hurdles are from officialdom; there are struggles with things like driver education rules, college admittance, daytime curfew laws, etc.
The socialization one is the most:
a) Uninformed objection
b) Funniest objection
c) Saddest objection
The thing that is called "socialization" in the usual sense is exactly one of the things that most homeschoolers want to AVOID for their children. It's really nothing more than teaching children to follow the crowd. It's teaching them that those who are their same age are their peers instead of those with whom they share core values. It's a problem to be solved, not a goal to be sought!
So, uniformed because it completely misunderstands what is going on in schools and what homeschoolers are trying to do, funny becuase of the vast disconnect from reality coupled with the zealous sincerity of those who raise the objection, and sad because Americans, for the most part, have so completely abandoned their responsbilities as parents that they think only a state run school can properly teach their children what it means to be part of society.
In reply to:
But just like minorities, they must also be always 'on edge' of sorts. Maybe always thinking that strangers have something against you.
Given human nature, that's always a danger, but I've seen very little of it, really. With a few, yes, but very few. Most of us are aware of and prepared for, but not EXPECTING, negative reactions.
In reply to:
THINK they are getting this 'stuff' even whether or not it is actually happens.
Oh, it happens! It happens plenty. Just check the HSLDA website for some horror stories! And the minor stuff happens routinely. But most of us really aren't bothered by it. We are on a mission, and we understand that these things are part of the price we pay for swimming upstream. And, as you say, this makes a stronger person.
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BlueRidge
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Gold Member
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Reged: 05/07/05
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Loc: Virginia
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Knucklehead, all I can say is AMEN!
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home schooling is a great option today, since there are so many hazards and dangers threatening our children outside of our home. it is a two way process, with the parent guiding their child/children to better and greater individuals. it does not limit the child's capability in social interaction. people should not be so harsh in viewing home schooling.
[a href="link"] www.homeschoolforsuccess.com[a]
[a href="link"] www.commanderandcheese.com [a]
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CJDave
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Veteran Member
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Reged: 10/21/02
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Posts: 860
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Loc: Southeast Iowa
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 I work in kind of an: "educational interstitial" so to speak in that I do volunteer teaching in a small Christian school not too far from where we live in SE Iowa. It isn't HOME SCHOOLING, but some of the course materials are the same as what home schoolers would use. Of course small schools are constantly struggling with budgetary issues so when I called and asked if they needed a volunteer to do some of the HEAVY LIFTING like teach advanced Math and Physics and so forth, they could hardly believe their ears. The classes are small, and it is easy for me to teach almost one-on-one. The school is big enough that the kids get "socialization" without the priviledge of being mugged each day for their lunch money, or having their learning constantly interrupted by those who I refer to as: "professional disrupters". I also do substitute teaching in local public schools and each school has a handful of brats whose total focus seems to be: TO KEEP EVERYONE ELSE FROM LEARNING. The admin is powerless against these kids because they won't take unified action; there is always one or two teachers who are willing to put up with these disrupters at the expense of their own lesson plan. It is a joy to teach in an environment where real learning can take place. Because they can zooom across town to take Chemistry or Band at the local high school, the Christain school in which I volunteer is definitely, in many ways, the best of both educational worlds for those kids.
CJDave
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Pat
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Veteran Member
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Reged: 09/15/02
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Loc: SouthCentral Oklahoma
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Re: Home Schooling
[re: CJDave]
11/30/06 02:09 PM
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Dave, Good on you for volunteering! I thought about doing that too but have too many other distractions AND a good friend of mine (he and his wife are both retired teachers from the JC HS level (and a private academy) mostly advised me against it for some of the reasons you mentioined and more. She is MA in English and he is PhD in Biology.
He asked me why I thought my personal psych profile would empower me to "handle" the BS spewed forth from what passes for learners these days. I reflected on it quite a bit and have pretty much found other things to do but later when (if) I get caught up I might want to help out some. Out here on the fringes of civilization my background in physics, math, computer sci, and software engineering could probably supplement the available instruction nicely.
One of the local consolidated high school teachers brought her class to tour my house and hear about the various engineering concepts employed in the design and construction.
Oh, and Dave... did they ask if you were bilingual?
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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CJDave
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Re: Home Schooling
[re: Pat]
11/30/06 06:56 PM
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: If they did ask, I would have answered in Spanish.  I don't know much Spanish, but I know enough to SOUND like I know how to speak Spanish. I can ask if the brakes work; which is MORE than 90% of the kids in a H.S. fourth year Spanish class knew. The teacher that I took the class for had them making posters that depicted different SA countries......sixth grade level crap....and here they couldn't even ask someone if their car was an automatic....er I mean ...grancha automatico.  Pat, what you need to do is teach a UNIT of a certain subject. In the first place, you'd have more specific knowledge of that particular unit than the instructor who was teaching the whole course, and in the second place, the students would remember it better if it came from you, an outsider. I did a unit on parasitology....totally without the text book.... for two sections of Science at a local Jr High skool about a year ago, and some of those kids STILL come up to me in the store or in the barber shop and comment on it. They had no problem remembering the life cycle of a tapeworm. YUK! those cestodes are really gross!  You should visit with some of the local Profs Pat and see about that; I'm sure it would be right up your alley. The other thing you would like is teaching in one of the gifted programs; those kids are SMART, and they would figure out right quick that YOU were smart and you'd have their respect. Gifted kids respect brains, so they would instantly connect with you and it would be a great opportunity for learning to take place.
CJDave
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Pat
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Veteran Member
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Re: Home Schooling
[re: CJDave]
12/01/06 08:17 AM
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Dave, I guess if I have fooled you I could fool them.
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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i'm researching homeschooling as well, and have come to many sites discussing these topic. there seems to be a lot of people considering this. people have different views on how education ought to be, and we have freedom to choose what we believe is right to us.. good luck with your choice... my link supports homeschooling, so if you want more information, you can just visit it..
[a href="link"] www.homeschoolforsuccess.com[a]
[a href="link"] www.commanderandcheese.com [a]
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