Homeschooling: thoughts?
I've decided to homeschool my children when I have children.
I went to public schools and believe I got a subpar education. Also, I feel like public schools indoctrinate children and produce people that often all act the same and talk the same and aren't mature, unique individuals.
What do you all think of homeschooling?
I went to public schools and believe I got a subpar education. Also, I feel like public schools indoctrinate children and produce people that often all act the same and talk the same and aren't mature, unique individuals.
What do you all think of homeschooling?
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Mainly, it teaches you to make mistakes. And, as backwards as it sounds, mistakes are something people have to make. Sure you can learn from the mistakes of others, but the best way to learn from them is by making them yourself.
Also the social interaction thing. It might not seem that important, but it sure as fuck is.
Unless they become bullies, of course. But that's something I don't think you'd need to worry about, MtnPeak.
There are many ways to learn social skills, and not all socialization that takes place in public schools is positive. Outside of government schools people can play club sports, take part in church-related or other community activities, etc. Yes, this seems to be often cited as a concern for homeschoolers, so I think special attention should be paid to ensuring that your students interact with all different kinds of people outside home.
And, as I said before, the public school social settings seem to value conformity to popular trends and adoption of PC values over individual identity. Additionally, so much time is wasted in schools. Kids could learn 10 times as much, and actually have time left over to devote to community services and other personal projects, if they didn't have to put up with all the useless nonsense and busy work in schools.
I know that people make fun of homeschoolers. It's really too bad. I had friends growing up who were homeschooled, and I remember they were mocked, but I thought they were a really interesting bunch. Guess it's best to try to give your kids a thick skin and to help them anticipate the stupid bullying that's bound to come from ignorant, intolerant and immature people.
Public schools in the US vary widely in quality, and of course some (self-motivated and well-raised) students can emerge from them in good shape. But many graduates are barely literate and aren't very productive members of society. Half the teachers themselves, from what I've seen, are incompetent, lazy morons, and their unions are only about their own power, so I'd just rather not subject family members to that.
Really, have you guys seen non-honors/non AP classes in high schools? Babysitting and time-killing. It's pretty bad.
I didn't really learn how to be good at being social with the majority of people until I moved away from home.
Actually, there's a school somewhere that's a hybrid. All of the teachers are parents, and I don't know much about it, but it's apparently very different from normal middle school. Much friendlier.
And you must have met some pretty amazing homeschoolers. A lot of the ones who I went to choir with were far behind where I was in school and really struggled in getting into colleges (most didn't). Because colleges do look at where you did high school to measure up your grades. If you don't go to a proper school, the college will not pay any attention to your transcript and admission will be based solely off of your test scores and essay.
Which might be enough if you test well. But why put all the strain of a college application onto one statistic, especially when it doesn't really accurately measure how much you know?
An alternative option is to homeschool up to a point and then shift the homeschooling to a community college. That gives you an accredited institution and more advanced classes all in one. Of course, it's hard to get those classes, but it's an option.
However, I feel that probably the most important that you'd be missing out on is the possibility of failure. See, when I was in school, I hated it. It was stressful, I'm not a good social person, and I was a perfectionist. I was terribly bored in elementary school and routinely begged my parents to let me skip a few grades or homeschool me. They didn't.
But it forced me to deal with people on a daily basis that I would have otherwise avoided. I learned enough about subjects that I was completely uninterested in to be able to hold a simple conversation. I learned those unspoken codes of conduct that my parents hadn't ever brought up because it never occurred to them that I might not instinctually know them. And I know, that if I hadn't been forced to learn these things, I never would have.
Also, being with the same small group of people for an extended period of time is terrible. Seriously, terrible. Don't do it. Sure, it's sad to have to go to a different school from your friends, but it's totally necessary to learn to grow. Again, forcing to learn social interactions without a helping hand. Really invaluable.
With home schooling I feel it would be harder to make friends. And the friends you do make you will see less of. Seeing my friends for 6 hours a day every weekday was the best.
I think the best option is to invest in a good school. Do your research. And then maybe be part home-schooled if it bothers you (like at weekends or during holidays). Just my two cents.
If you do homeschool your children, then it's definitely important that you live close to kids the age of your kids, since like others have said socialization is important.
i home schooled my child for a year and I would recommend it to anyone. i don't feel that children are really safe in public or private schools. I went to public schools and private schools. and I can tell you that out of 12 years only four were spent in private and I learned so much. If considering private schools be prepared to pay BIG TIME. Public schools are only there to teach your kids abc,123 don't expect anything else, this is why they encourage parents to be apart of their child's education. It's the parents responsibility to raise their children as leaders not followers, so the problem isn't public school kids. Also if you do homeschooling your child has to have physical ed and field trips, you also have to log their hours.
I also placed my child in private school a few years back i paid over two thousand a month.
These are excellent points.
I wonder if homeschooling is better if you have a large family, so that way your student will be able to spend more time around other young people.
What you say about public schools is definitely true, based on my own experience. However, I only went to public schools and have nothing to compare them to. Seems to me that smaller private schools might be the best. It's ridiculous that public schools cut art, music, drama, etc. and then pay their faculty and staff so handsomely. I also like the idea of teachers being able to be fired easily of they aren't performing well.
What is the best way to know which private school to choose?
my mother chose schools based on parent reviews/recommendation please note that you have to submit an application and your child has to go through testing, also the principle and school board decided whether to accept/reject your child's application. it may take some time but all schools are different. I had to wait a month. oh I forgot a parents income is also taken in consideration during the reviewing of an application.
my mother was also very religious and very strict which is why i attended two faith based schools. here are my experiences.
The first school was a small mansion it was run by a family. there were only four people in my classroom the curriculum was standard, they were very strict. we went on very few field trips and when we did the students were only allowed interaction with other private school kids. after school activities were offered like clubs and swimming and a hand bell choir. They had cooks that made food from scratch everyday absolutely no sweets. They believed in CORPORAL PUNISHMENT.
Second school was a religious school located in the mountains(very big campus) it took an hour to get to school and back home daily. it was built like a normal school. They had a small lunch cart but for the most part students packed their lunch, church services every week were mandatory as well as biblical studies, They offered sports/clubs and another god damn hand bell choir! they believed in detention/expulsion. There were 21 students in my class. math and science class periods were longer than public schools.
the last school was another small mansion that had been built onto a church which was the schools primary founder. there were only five of us in my class. math and languages were heavily apart of the curriculum. Latin was mandatory to learn. religious services were also mandatory. The priest/pastor would talk to the students privately about God. students packed lunch there were no activities offered. we did go on field trips every month. If you were in the graduating class and fluent in Latin the school would pay for an educational trip to Italy during the summer.
Wow, where are you from? I'm going to guess.... Ireland? Am I close?
That first school sounds really extreme. O_O. I was thinking more along the lines of nurturing, enriching, enjoyable but yet intellectually stimulating. Basically someplace where time wasn't wasted and the environment doesn't force everyone to be the same.
I don't think I would be okay with corporal punishment. If anyone so much as laid a fingernail on my kid, there would be hell to pay.
It is definitely interesting hearing your experience, though. I think what you say about needing parent recommendations is so true.
No I'm American, I posted those experiences because I want people to know that even private schools have flaws. Actually corporal punishment in the state I attended school was banned in 1998 so I also went to a public elementary which preferred that as punishment.
If you want to send more than one child schools usually give you a discount, the best private schools usually are the ones you've never heard of, you'll be surprised where they're located as well. Look for schools that families have been going to for a couple of generations, those children are usually very smart and friendly. and the parents are good people.
I tried homeschooling, but I don't think my home is any smarter.