Wednesday, 16 July 2008
-
Beginning Homeschooling
by mrs violet
There is a growing awareness of homeschooling in the community at large. While once upon a time it used to be largely a "Christian" domain, more and more people from all walks of life are jumping on the bandwagon. Because of this growing trend, I've added a second part to the homeschooling series.Feel free to catch up with part one, "Why I Home School."
A good place to start: With your familySpend some time brainstorming about your goals, dreams, and vision for your family. This is probably the easiest place to start and the most logical. Who you are will shape what you do and how you do it. Here are some buzz words that may help you work out what it is you want for your kids. I am not saying you should want all of these things, rather I am hoping it helps you identify what's important to you as a family.
* character * academics * sports* social justice * community service * talents * gifts* travel *mission trips/work* spiritual growth * ethics * morals* world views *learning styles *management styles* organized * eclectic * ordered *well disciplined *child driven * natural *unschooling *hands on * work books* passions * reading *simple * involved * teacher taught * self directed* society* life skills* work*
How you react to some of those words, may be a good indication of how you could begin to home school, and how you homeschool should really be a reflection of your families personality. The list is in no way exhaustive.
With the State
I think it is very wise to understand what the law requires/suggests/expects from you as a homeschooler. This may also affect how you homeschool.
Educational philosophy
Don't you just love buzz words? An educational philosophy is a fancy-schmancy way of saying how we think it should happen and how it is going to get done. If you are anything like me, life is one big journey. Things change all the time. My educational philosophy has changed with the different seasons of our life.
I have changed my approach many times during the past 9 years or so. One of the hardest, yet most important things to do is to be really honest with yourself. I would like to carry out a Classical curriculum with my children. In reality though it is just not going to happen. I don't have the energy or inclination to personally educate my children this way, yet I applaud those that do. I am much more eclectic in my approach. We do all kinds of curriculums and approaches, which is a better reflection of who I am.
When I was pregnant, we reverted back to a more formal work book approach. The reality is that I am very sick for 5 + months of a pregnancy and carry out most of our schooling between reeling on the lounge and running to the bathroom.Homeschool communities
These communities are a great place to start. I remember taking my children to homeschool gatherings long before they were school age. At the time it felt a little odd, but looking back it was the best thing I could have done. It was just terrific to sit and listen to women who were in it up to their elbows every day. They patiently answered my questions, spoke to me about my fears and concerns and kindly allowed me to look at curriculum before I needed to start.
It was great to see their children in action, to talk to them, watch them, make sure they weren't just two headed monsters able to spew out regurgitated facts and figures at the click of mommy's fingers, but rather were thoughtful and communicative.
Online communities
If you can't get to a homeschool group, or you don't feel ready or you just don't have any in your area, don't despair! There are email loops, forums, notice boards and online groups set up specifically to be support networks for those within the home school community. You only need to Google it to see how many there are out there.
Reading
There are many, many books out there on homeschooling. I recommend I Saw the Angel in the Marble by Chris and Ellyn Davis of the Elijah Company, as I found it most helpful to me.
Other authors that come to mind and that I have enjoyed are-John Holt, Raymond and Dorothy Moore, Teri Maxwell, Charlotte Mason (out of print books can be found online), Gladys Hunt, Tedd Tripp, and Susan Schaeffer Macaulay.
Prayer
Prayer, last but not least on this list, should be a top priority for Christian families contemplating homeschooling. I cannot express to you enough how good God is at providing solutions that we have never thought of to our concerns. It also teaches us not to rely on our own understanding and wisdom but to seek His.
What frightens or inspires you most about home schooling?
-
recommend
- recs 0
-
share
-
email
- sent 0
Related Posts
Post a Comment
- Back to revelife's Revelife Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in revelife's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
Comments (36)
@Made2sing4Jesus@xanga - I actually met the parents, they were really nice.
@EclipticStrike@xanga - That's good. I wish them all the best and you too.
@Made2sing4Jesus@xanga - thanks! you too
@Made2sing4Jesus@xanga - 1. I think that public school provides a distinct experience, that will be an important transition to college life. Learning to deal with teachers, students, and bullshit admin policies are part of life, and while I wouldn't want my kids dealing with it too long, I do think they can learn something from it.
2. Grades are considered much more credible from a "real" institution than from Mom, for college admissions.
Often, homeschooled children will be ahead of regular school children. If this is the case, they can be placed in honors level classes, or simply start taking college courses. There's also the option of a rigorous private school (the local church's alternative to public education probably doesn't qualify), which pretty much gives the same advantages as 1 and 2.
@la_faerie_joyeuse@xanga - I could see a point on the admin. issue but believe it or not that comes from other things as well, part-time jobs & volunteer work.
The grade point of view isn't true, colleges seek homeschoolers out, strongly in fact. The scores on entrance exams are used & they are MORE important than anyone seems to really know.
Also in many homes they actually are a valid private school ( TX Law makes me one) or are running their program through one. But in either case the grades kept are not as important as the exam.
We are going to homeschool. We will not be sending our kids to the local private Christian school because we'd rather use that money towards college. We will not be sending our kids to public school because they will learn how to take a test. They would not learn critical thinking, writing, languages, etc. We refuse to send them to a school that does not really want us to be involved in their education. I don't think a school would appreciate my input when said school wants to teach my kids about homosexuality, or world religions, for example. I'll teach my children about those things without a stupid movie funded by the ACLU.
Why on earth would I send my children to a hostile environment for 8 hours a day? That's what schools have become. Instead of focusing on academics, kids learn to focus on being social and fitting in. And, know what...here's the big lie--nobody cares about that stuff once you graduate. Who cares if you were or weren't prom queen. Or if you were the star athlete. Doesn't matter. That's not what life is about. I noticed that one person stated that college professors would know who the home school kids are. Yes, they would. Know why? Because they are better. They are task oriented. Their work is completed and handed in on time. My husband works for a college. On awards night, most of the graduates were home schooled. As for keeping them at home all the time and "sheltering" them, I plan on taking my kids on field trips. And not your boring elementary school field trips. You know, out-of-state types of trips--Gettysburg for example. And, when they hit high school, Europe so that they can practice their mad language skills. How many public or private schools do that? Also, once they are 16, they can start college. I certainly don't think that's sheltering them. I know my kids better than any teacher ever will. I know how they learn and what they like. I know if they had a bad night and need some space. I know that an attention span may be short so a speedy lesson might be necessary. I'll know when they are bored and what to do about it. Kids are lost in schools. Teachers can't keep up with all the demands, the discipline problems and state testing. What makes me an expert? I'm their mom. And, both my husband and I have college degrees. We can handle it, trust me.
Thank you for all this info!
The thing that frightens me the most is that my kids will lose patience and respect for me by me being their teacher. I know I had more patience and respect for MY teacher than my mom when she was trying to help me with my homework!
@Punk_Rock_Mommy@xanga - Just because you shot a kid out of
your vagina, doesn't mean you will do jack-crap at teaching them via
answer key. Parents get plenty of involvement in public education also,
I'm sorry if you moved to an area without checking out the quality and
test-scores of the local public schools, if they're just that terrible.
Also, the entire world revolves around social environments, finding out
where you fit in, etc, it doesn't disappear after high school. The
world also teaches your kids many things you can't control, filter, or
deliver to your likings to your children. So may as well give up on
that pipe dream right now.
Kids who are bright will flourish in any environment. Homeschooling
isn't going to make your kid better than any other kid out there.
Also, for "knowing your kids", you can't accomidate them and baby them
their entire life. They have to learn to deal with shit they wont like,
do assignments they don't feel like doing, you don't get any special
treatments in the real world. We all have deadlines and things we must
do, despite "bad nights" and "short attention spans". The sooner you
put your kids in those environments and allow them to not be babied,
the better. I don't see how a public-school kid would turn in
assignments any later than a homeschooled kid either, since we get
heavily penalized for any late work as well.
People, it's ignorant jack-assed parents like this lovely lady that made be absolutely hate the experience of homeschooling. Stop thinking you're the best things ever because you're not letting your kid go to public school.
@Bella_Mabel@xanga - Wow. There's a lot going on in your reply. First of all, I'd like you to just step back, take a breath and relax. My reply was not an attack on you or your situation. I'm coming at the home school decision as someone who loved school but felt that the whole social scene did no one any good. And, I wanted more. I wanted to learn more about the classics and current events. And, honestly, I don't recall taking all of those standardized tests. I think my opinion of school would have been different had I been forced to take those.
When I became an adult, I realized that all that social pressure to fit in doesn't exist in an adult world. You wrote "Also, the entire world revolves around social environments, finding out where you fit in, etc, it doesn't disappear after high school." Actually, it does disappear. I've seen many people in my adult work situations who have tried to apply high school social rules to work relationships. These people did not last in their jobs because they created conflict and drama when there was none. When you become an adult, (I'm not being condescending), I hope that you will realize that life is about the business of living and not about being popular or fitting in. There's nothing to fit in to. You work and you live. You may or may not get married. You may or may not have kids. You raise your kids and work at your marriage.
I am curious about your use of the phrase "teaching them by answer key." I do know that there are some people who "home school" and don't do any work and don't really teach their kids. I'm not one of those parents. Those folks do give home school a negative connotation. I certainly agree with you there.
"Kids who are bright will flourish in any environment. Homeschooling isn't going to make your kid better than any other kid out there." Actually, a bright kid won't flourish in an environment of 30 other students who are vying for their teacher's attention. A bright kid won't excel because teachers teach to the lowest common denominator. And, unfortunately many teachers are in the business of taking care of discipline issues because kids are not being disciplined at home. So, while the teacher is busy with Johnny who's being a little jerk, my kid is being ignored. A bright kid can't compete in that situation. I am friends with lots of teachers. My husband was a teacher. My in-laws were teachers. I have also worked in a school setting. They have all told me that this is a struggle and the way it's set up hurts the bright kids.
I really don't have a pipe dream. It's not a dream, it's a reality. I love my kids and want the best for them and from them. Public education is not the best. You don't know me, so you don't realize that I don't "baby" my kids. I'm raising adults not children. It's not about accommodating them. It's about teaching them. It's about raising them to be what God wants them to be. I don't want them to merely survive life with the so-called skills the public education machine managed to teach them. I want more for them.
"People, it's ignorant jack-assed parents
like this lovely lady that made be absolutely hate the experience of
homeschooling. Stop thinking you're the best things ever because you're
not letting your kid go to public school." I'm not really sure where this anger is coming from. I don't think that I'm the best thing ever. When/if you ever have children, hopefully you'll see things a little differently. And a word of advice, you may want to re-think your use of certain language if you want to be taken seriously.
@Made2sing4Jesus@xanga - I also knew some home schoolers and found that they had no social skills. Now I know lots of kids who are, and they have no problem in social situations. I realized that it's not about home schooling, but about the parents. If a parent doesn't have social skills then neither will the kids. And, as I look back at my public school experience, there were a whole lot of kids who were just as odd and had no social skills, and public education didn't teach them either. Social skills are taught at home, in my opinion.
I'm really grateful to be living in North Carolina. Â Laws have been passed on the state level that allow Home Schooled children, as children of Tax-Paying citizens, to have equal opportunity in all extra-curricular activities without having to engage in the academics. Â Having been home schooled through 3rd grade in New York, and then transferring to public school when it became clear that the school district was not going to allow me to participate in choirs, theater, sports, or the other things I wanted to do, this was my largest concern. Â I know of many pre-prepared curricula for people who do not have the patience, organization skills, or will power to create their own, and will likely take advantage of one of these (the Sonlight Curriculum) to make sure that I stay on track with my kids. Â Also, testing is readily available within the state, so I can gauge how they are coming along in comparison to other children on a yearly basis.