Pregnancy
Discussion Title: My problems with homeschooling
Created by: Synergy
Created on: Thu, 04/24/2008 - 2:20pm.
Created by: Synergy
Created on: Thu, 04/24/2008 - 2:20pm.
Hey everybody, I'm kind of new posting here, so first of i just want to introduce myself and say hello. This topic interests me some, but just like many people, I have my doubts about its' credibility.
The first concern I have is teacher credentials. I am part of a family of 3 teachers and understand the process that goes into becoming a teacher quite well. Years of determination, practice and ongoing learning are required to perfect the skill of teaching. For people to simply come up and say they are able to teach their own children without the proper training and education worries me. What kind of experience do you have to make up for the credentials required of state approved teachers? If that is in place, fine, start teaching.
Besides the academic aspect of the school system, the social aspect is just as if not more important. There is really only so much a child can learn from books. Group activities, social networking and peer to peer interaction are such valuable tools in today's society that I could not imagine someone being neglected of it. I do understand when teenagers especially voice their freedom and talk about how their skills are not being met, but that is just an excuse for laziness. There are several options for students to exercise their skills if they feel underachieved.
I just find conventional schooling to be such a powerful tool for young people that home schooling just sounds so limited. Sure there are temptations such as drugs and violence, but as long as parents raise their children to be smarter than the people who pressure them into it, they would be fine. It makes them stronger individuals in the long run. If anyone thinks I am wrong in what I have said, I would love to hear your opinion.
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Replied: 11/17/2008 3:04am.
My 15 yo daughter is having a hard time with high school. She had an incident happen in 7th grade that has followed her through the years and she can't seem to shake the stereotype people have placed on her. We live in a very small town. She went from a social, athletic young lady, to being extremely depressed and not wanting to participate in activities. She also has lost touch with a lot of her friends and has a very limited network of friends, due to "drama" and backstabbing, etc... She is so unhappy going to high school here that she is begging to be homeschooled. She is ocasionally suicidal. My question is how do I know if homeschooling is the answer for her, or if it is just a manipulation from dealing with her problems. On the other hand, if she is that unhappy does it really matter, or am I teaching her to be a quitter. This is no reflection on home schooling I think it is great we have the option. I just want to make sure if we decide to do so it is for the right reasons. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
Any insight would be helpful.
Thanks!
Conderned mom
Replied: 11/30/2008 5:27pm.
Okay now I loved Public School, I don't have some kind of weird ideal or reason for home schooling. Number 1, Data has also showed that class size is too big for ideal development. Number 2, schools and teachers are under funded. Why would I choose to be part of the problem? I also know that it is up to the student to succeed, and many do that in PS, but many don't. Number 3, If you are not capable of teaching your own child with today's recourses (this is not grandma's home schooling nowadays okay?)then you probably need parenting classes because all parents are the biggest influences on there children.
Replied: 7/16/2009 5:50am.
I Home School my 10 year old son and am planning on Home Schooling my daughter. No, I haven't been formally educated as a teacher, but one thing I do find that I have an advantage over a traditional teacher is this, if my son is having a difficult time with a certain subject, I can spend all afternoon working with him until he "gets" it. Can you say that you can work with one child in your class for hours at a time until you and he/she both feel confident in his understanding of a certain subject?
These kids fail to learn because they may not understand what exactly is going on in class. Then they get bad grades and are in parent teacher conferences with everyone wondering why little Johnny just can't seem to grasp his studies.
I'm not knocking you as a teacher or your profession, but I, as a parent, feel as if it is up to me to make sure my child gets the most out of his education. And that doesn't include sitting in a classroom for 6-7 hours per day and depending on someone else to make sure he learns his ABC's.
Replied: 7/16/2009 7:11am.
I just attended a presentation by a teacher at a very prestigious private school in Pittsburgh. She does not have a teaching credential. I asked one of the other attendees who told me that few of the teachers at private schools are credentialed. The private schools tend to hire people with advanced degrees in their subjects.
Replied: 7/29/2009 3:57pm.
Normally, I only read these boards, but this particular discussion is one that I felt the need to weigh in on.
First, just let me say that the debate over homeschool versus traditional schooling is, undoubtedly, a debate which will likely never cease. To homeschool a child is a parent's personal decision based on their opinion of what is best for their child. No one really has the right to question that decision, just as those of us who homeschool really do not have the right to question the decision of those who choose to send their children to public or private school. This is a debate where, in the end, all of those involved should simply agree to disagree.
That being said, I have been on both sides of the debate. My two oldest children attended public school for 9 years (oldest) and 6 years (youngest). They are both now homeschooled.
Our youngest never had a real problem with public school. He was well liked, made good grades and was excited about learning. Our oldest, however, began having problems in the 5th grade. We were called to the school by her teachers to have a conference. In their opinion, she was having reading comprehension problems. The teachers informed us that she would be placed into remedial reading classes so that she could "catch up". She barely passed the 5th grade. In the 6th grade, her grades continued to suffer, despite hours of helping her with her homework at home. We had numerous conferences with teachers at her school trying to determine what the problem was...why wasn't she learning the material? Then, during the 3rd nine weeks of school, her grades suddenly went from C's, D's and F's to straight A's. I praised our oldest for the wonderful grades, but was a bit skeptical. Our time with her at home wasn't showing any improvement. We would informally test her on her knowledge of the material and she couldn't answer our questions.
After a couple of weeks of this, I requested a conference with her teachers. At this conference I was informed that when our daughter would fail a test, the teachers would give her an open book test along with several extra credit "projects" which usually amounted to copying from the book or looking up definitions. This was why her grades improved so dramatically. The school administrator even had the nerve to tell me that they had simply given up on her, but the school could not afford to retain her...plus it would not be socially healthy for her to be retained while all of her peers progressed through the grades!
At this point, I had never even heard the word homeschool. I didn't know that it was an option.
When our oldest reached the 9th grade, she was at a 3rd grade reading level, a 5th grade spelling level, and hated doing anything related to schoolwork. She failed the 9th grade.
After only a few months of homeschool, she is now testing at what the government says is "normal" for 10th grade. Beyond that, and more importantly, she loves to learn now, which is something that I had almost given up hoping for when she was in public school.
My point to this story, and the reason for the response, is simply to say that not every child is suited to a public school environment. Our youngest would likely have progressed through 12 years with no problems. Our oldest, however, was well on her way to either flunking out of school, or dropping out. Not because she didn't want to learn, but because the school (in their own words) had given up on her, and as a result, she felt "why should I even bother, what difference will it make?"
There are pros and cons to both public/private school and homeschool. In the end, whether to homeschool or send a child to public/private school is a personal decision, made for personal reasons, and suited to the personal needs of the child or children involved.
Synergy, perhaps you should simply agree to disagree. In has been my experience that mothers and fathers who homeschool their children may not have a teaching "certification" but they are very intelligent, resourceful, dedicated, and above all passionate about their child's education. Who, after all said that a person needed a government certification in order to teach? Why....the government of course.
Replied: 8/5/2009 12:01am.
That few private school teachers are credentialed is a blanket statement that is false for almost all of the private school teachers that I know. There are two exceptions that I personally know: 1. A medical doctor who teaches anatomy/physiology and chemistry to high schoolers. 2. A Doctor of Divinity who teaches Bible classes to high schoolers. Just my 2 cents on the subject...
Replied: 9/14/2009 3:19pm.
I agree, there is only so much a child can learn from books, I also want to add, Have you SEE The PUBLIC School teahers now a days, Some do not care if one child (Or more)is behind the rest of the class, they will push them off to next grade with out batting an eye.
I find that HS are far better off because us HS Parents KNOW where our children are and if need be work on something that they are having trouble in.
Happy HS Ya'll
Replied: 9/14/2009 9:01pm.
Ok I have several problems with this post. One the author noting that PARENTS have no rights parenting/teaching, What the heck is our job as parents? Do we not teach our children or what? Let me ask you author, Do you think my job as a parent is to raise my child and teach my child only to a set age and then it is the Governments job to raise them the rest of the way? or heck the teachers right to raise my child the rest of the way? HECK NO!
My last post disappeared so maybe it is on here somewhere. AT any rate, to the author, I have family who are teachers in this system and I know many teachers and they all agree on the same thing. THIS TEACHING SYSTEM IS THE WORST IN THE WORLD. THEY DO NOT APPROVE OF OUR EDUCATION TODAY AND THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE. THEY CERTAINLY DO NOT WALK AROUND ACTING LIKE BECAUSE THEY HAVE A TEACHING DEGREE THAT THEY ARE BETTER THEN ANY PARENT. MOST TEACHERS I HAVE TALKED TO AND KNOW STAND BEHIND ANY PARENT WITHDRAWING THEIR CHILD FROM SCHOOL.
How is it you can sit there and bash HS parents and HS period. Usually the ones who are not aware or familiar with homeschool are the IGNORANT ones! I think we all agree on this. If you are not willing to educate yourself on HS then do not come to an HS forum ignorantly bashing HS and Homeschoolers.
How can you sit there and say that because parents do not have a degree in teaching we cannot teach our children. I have been to the school system all be darned if I am going to send my child in to it facing the crap I did and what many face today.
God gave all parents the gifts they need to raise their children. Just because someone went to school for the job does not make that person smarter or better for that position. A college degree means nothing, it is just approved by the government. I dont need the governments permission to tell me how to raise me child. I will gladly tell them where my hiney is if they would like to bend over and kiss it.
United States has gone from the best schools in the world to the worst schools in the world. Look at the statistics. Not only that, look at what has been said about HOMESCHOOLING. Right now there is over a million homeschooling and climbing at children withdrawn each year now 26,000 a year to be homeschooled. Homeschooled children are more successful in schooling then any child in the public school system.
You tell me how that is possible when as you noted, parents have not been educated enough to teach their children? I will tell you why, the teachers with a college degree are molded to teach the children what the Government wants them to teach. Eliminating Morals, Values, TRUE beliefs and FACTUAL INFORMMATION, to replace them with poorly encouraged things like experiment Homosexuality, handing out condems and providing birth control to girls with out parental consent. Replacing True Evidence with Theories.
Pardon me for not approving this for my child. God blessed me and my husband with the responisbilies of our children, All be danged if the Government thinks they will step in and re form my child in a direction I do not want them to go in.
My children are more educated, socialize, manner raised then most in any public school. I will educate my children on Sexuality when need be not when the Government says it is time.
To you Author, You and your small amount of uneducated, inconsiderate foul mouth teaching staff who continue to bad mouth Homeshcooling need to take a hike in a new direction of education. Every teacher I have spoken with from several states at that stands behind the rights of a parent and homeschooling. Many encourage it and support it although for job security can not stand up publicly stating it unless they are willing to take a job loss.
It is extremely rude of you to come to this forum.
LET THE RECORD SHOW : TO THOSE WHO DO HAVE A DEGREE DO NOT TAKE THIS FOR YOU, MOST COLLEGE DEGREE LEADERS TODAY DO NO HAVE THE HANDS ON SKILLS NEEDED TO DO MOST ANY JOB OUT THERE TODAY. THE ONLY THING THEY DO HAVE IS THE BOOK SMARTS. I DONT NEED JUST A BOOK TO BE SMART. ALOT OF THINGS YOU LEARN ABOUT TODAY DO NOT ALWAYS COME FROM A BOOK BUT DO COME FROM EXPERIENCE. THAT IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE HAIR BRAINED COLLEGE DEGREE PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF!
By the way while I am at it, When I pulled my daughter out of public school at the end of her 4th grade year I tested her to see what she knew and didnt know and diagnostics When I got my test results back I called and chewed out the Public school system for passing my daughter in to the 5th grade when she had a 3rd grade learning level.
But you teachers have more smarts in your tiny brains then us parents do.
Replied: 9/15/2009 2:53pm.
First of all to homeschool you do not need a teaching degree.
Second my children are involved in more groups being homeschooled then if they were public schooled. Since we have more time to participate in those activities.
Third it is shown that children learn more and faster with one on one education. So who is going to learn more a child in the class of one or in the class of 20 to 30.
Fourth people homeschool or a variety of reasons. Not just religious, we homeschool or medical reasons.
My children attend virtual classes with children all over the world. We also attend activities with many homeschooled children all over our state. I believe they social network just fine.
Replied: 9/16/2009 4:14am.
Hi
There are some good points made here.
Home schooling has been a big issue for me.
My son started secondary school after a year of traumatic events for the family. He was missed with friendship groups and in spite of our raising concerns with the school became completely disaffected. His school are well known for inaction to the point of not returning phone calls, replying to letters etc.(there is a long story here).
His social life at school was nil, bullying, disruptive classes, insufficient time to eat lunch after 20 minutes queing. He was diagnosed with mild Aspergers and socialising can be especially difficult. We also know of several children at the school whose life is unbearble, they dread going to school, the parents are constantly worried and no action is taken after serious bullying.
He started school a happy friendly child and after 2 terms he just refused to go to school, no tantrums just emotionally very broken. I started teaching him at home with the agreement of the school and LEA to help him back. The authorities were a waste of time as there only efforts were to try to talk him back to school, including threats that his parents might go to prison. (another long story).
I had to home school for a year and a half. It was a very difficult time, I was unable to work, I had to cover years 8 and 9 subjects and try to rebuild his confidence. The school were also unable to supply curriculum or schemes of work. Fortunately I had some teaching experience after my PGCE. A point here, there are thousands on teachers who are let lose without proper guidance after 1 years PGCE, and do not have the real skills of a teacher.
He may be classed as lazy but I think particularly, Aspergers children are motivated in other ways and the physical and emotional challenges of conventional school can be unbearable.
Home schooling was the only answer left, we tried, unsuccessfully, to link up with others in the same situation. It would have been ideal if successful.
My point is that school is the best environment for most children if there are good teachers, sensible discipline and inclusion. However, there are significant number of children for whom school is very negative. Although intelligent, they learn very little, they may be bullied and isolated. If they have no prowess at games they are picked on in PE. It comes to a point where their confidence and self belief is lost.
I enjoyed the time with my son although it was very stressful. He worked very well and now has a place at grammar school, I hope this will be a different story.