Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Why Homeschooling Insults Me

I read a lot of blogs. I like it. I like blogging. I would like to be a blogger. I like the word blog. Blog blog blog.

In a lot of the blogs I read, the women homeschool their children. I read them. I try to see their points of view, and they are totally allowed to have their opinions about why homeschooling is better than traditional schooling because they are writing on their blogs. This little bliggity blog is my space, so I then get to write what I want.

I find homeschooling insulting. The whole concept of it. What's that? You'd like an explanation? OK...twisted my arm...

I went to college to be a teacher. I took it seriously. I graduated with honors. I had great recommendations. I worked my butt off to get my first teaching job (the job I still have today), and I have been working EXTRA hard ever since to keep that job. I love what I do...even when I hate it, and I carry the responsibility of educating children with me at all times. I spend a great deal of my own money on my classroom. I don't nickel and dime the system, turning in for reimbursements for staples, notebooks, binders for my kids, cute chairs for them to read in, etc. etc. I could probably set up my own teacher store in my room and sell 1/2 of my stuff and STILL have enough to feed a third world county (that is, if third world country people enjoyed eating brightly colored posters, borders, letters, and stickers). What I am trying to say is...I am a teacher 365 days a year, not just August through May, and I am teacher from the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep. Rarely am I not thinking about how I can be better and do better. I strive for excellence, people!

And I would be willing to bet that the majority of teachers out there are built about like me. I know it's easy to be all Negative Nancy and say that the education system is full of old crusties who need to hop off the dead horse and retire away to Central Florida already (and believe me, there are a few-- not you, Mom), but I am going to err on the side of positive and say that I have many teacher friends and family members who are committed to this profession.

I don't know too many bankers, doctors, financial advisors, nurses, (you get my point) dragging home their work in bags with apple appliques on them to sit and complete while having one eye on the TV and one hand on their dinners. People make a fuss about summer vacations saying dramatically, "I wish IIIIIIIIII had a summer vacation!" Well...I have been to school 6 times on my summer break, spent countless hours reading educational reference books, surfing inspiring educators' websites, and I have dropped a nice amount of cash for some new things for my room. I seek inspiration for new lessons and projects from everywhere...I mean everywhere...Lowe's, Goodwill, children's books and more. My mind never quits.

All that being said, it saddens me when a parent feels that he/she could do better homeschooling their child, especially when that parent has no training in teaching or child psychology or instructional methods or state standards. Education is the foundation on which everything else stands...how can you really think that you can do better than professionals when it comes to giving your child the tools they need to succeed in life?

Kids need time away from home and their parents. They need socialization with other kids and adults. They need rules and boundaries. They need traditional school. There, I said it.

Don't parents need a break, too? Do moms really want to make breakfast, clean it up, get kids dressed, brush teeth, wipe butts, and THEN sit down and try to teach all the subjects of school? And when you homeschool, you cannot tell me you sit down for 6 hours straight and educate like a traditional school. I do that for 180 school days and STILL have material I can't get to. A couple hours a day of homeschool can't possibly equal out to the full school day in a traditional setting.

Believe me, I know that there is more to life than tests and standards. I am always looking for new ways to infuse my classroom with excitement and non-tradtional ways of teaching. However, I believe in accountability. I believe in the standards. I believe that if we don't have standards to worry about, we would have no way of knowing if our kids were ready to face the big, scary post-high school world.

Speaking of high school...homeschooled kids are ROBBED of all the wonderful experiences in high school. Making the cheerleading squad. Playing on the basketball team. Eating lunch with friends. Homecomings. Proms. Wearing that cap and gown. How do homeschooled kids graduate? Their parents pat them on the back and say..."Well...I guess you're done now!"

Many argue that homeschooled kids still get to go to prom because they have little homeschool groups that get together and do it. I don't know how fun that could possibly be, but I won't judge that. They say that their kids are safer, they are free from peer pressure, and they graduate quicker. I think a healthy dose of peer pressure is good. Kids need to learn how to stand up for their beliefs, fight for what's right, stand up against what's wrong. They will not be in a bubble forever, and they will have to face this world at some point. The pressures will still be there, and without practice and experience in resisting peer pressure, they will no doubt fail at it....or just live their lives scared shitless. Graduating quicker? Who wants their 16 year old going to college? Why are we rushing childhood? Why can't kids be kids until they are 18? I always felt this way about people who were determined to graduate early from college. Why? College was THE best time of my life. I wish it were twice as long.

One blogger I read said that she doesn't want her child confined to pencil and paper or learning inside. I suppose she will also have a problem with her child's boss when he asks her to complete a task on ((gasp!)) paper using a ((GASP!)) pencil! Most jobs require these two tools. Also, we learn outside all the time. My kids were outside everyday for a week last spring doing cloud observations. We do spelling with sidewalk chalk. We read outside on nice days. We did an XY coordinate grid on the playground.

So, in my opinion (yes, I know it is only my little, unimportant opinion), homeschooling is an insult to teachers everywhere. People not trained in the field are saying, "Teaching, smeaching....it can't be that hard! I can do better!" The "do it better yourself" concept has gone too far. Save it for laying tile in your bathroom or growing a garden for fresh produce. Don't go DIY on your child's education.

10 comments:

  1. Preach it, sista!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I totally agree that kids need to be exposed to other kids and have that VERY important social interaction! I went to a public school in Louisville (a traditional public school, I'll add), and although it was a great school with excellent academics, orchestras, bands, and athletics, sadly my high school experience was not nearly so rosy :-( I remember BEGGING my mom to pull me out...so I do have a soft spot for those kids who are constantly at the bottom of the food chain in middle & high school. I will not be homeschooling Cole, but hopefully I'll find a more *ideal* situation.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That's what I like about traditional school....there are so many options...private, public, charter, etc. Hopefully somewhere in there we can find a way to meet our children's emotional needs and help them excel academically! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Definitely! If we stay here in Indy, I would LOVE to send Cole to the charter school in our neighborhood (the Oaks Academy)---I have heard some pretty awesome things about that school.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yes, Oaks is very good. My sis in law has also worked in two charter schools...they are different but have their merits. I don't know too much about them otherwise.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It was a random internet search that led me to your site. I wanted to weigh in on this post about homeschooling.

    Really, I think your husband should be the only one to administer any type of physical care to your baby...he's the one that is trained, thinks about it all the time, and is really the one most qualified to do so. Scraped knees, diaper changes, baths, administering tylenol...your husband is qualified; he should do it, and if not him, then perhaps a registered nurse, but definitely not you as Mom. If you attempt to any of these things yourself, I think you should know that it would risk insulting him! Yes! You had better leave all of that to him. Childcare is not an area that should be a DIY project for goodness sake!

    This is as ludicrous as telling a mother that someone like you is more qualified to teach their child 4th grade (hello, 4TH GRADE, not rocket science), and can do a better job. My husband was a high school science teacher for many years (yes, he really can teach rocket science!), and we choose to homeschool our children for many, many reasons. He has the "education training," and we run as far from the ideas that he was taught in college as we can. "A Well Trained Mind" is an excellent book for teachers looking to learn effective, proven techniques in educating children.

    Are our children excelling academically? For sure! Individualized teaching is much more productive than the classroom setting. Isn't that something you are always attaining for in the public schools, "No Child Left Behind." Well I can guarantee that MY children will not be left behind, because I spend all MY time thinking about it, studying, and caring about it 365 days a year. Caring is not unique to just a public teacher.

    Are our children excelling socially? Absolutely. Public school doesn't equal good social skills. If that were the case, everyone who had been through the public school system would be great socially, and I think we all know individuals who prove that isn't the case. Further, our children are not confined to only peer based interaction all day long. Peer-based interaction is not the only aspect of socialization; however, it is the only socialization the school system offers regularly for children. In the real world, we don't spend the whole day working only with people our own age. Perhaps we should consider the question, "What is socialization?" before we jump to the false conclusion that public schools effectively teach socialization.

    As far as finances go, we help pay for the public education system, and then we spend thousands of our own dollars on home education. If money spent "proves" dedication, then we are dedicated also.

    So, in conclusion, our choice to homeschool should be as offensive as your choice to administer first aid to your children. We are equipped, care, and are taking all strides necessary for US to do what is best for OUR children. Also, objectively, what's really more insulting, choosing to do something for your child at home, or telling other moms that YOU are more qualified to teach their child than them? I would say the latter, but that is just my humble opinion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your argument does not make sense. Your analogies are not comparable to the author's argument. You have some points that make sense and some of the things you say are true, "public school doesn't equal good social skills," that is the truest truth of your entire argument. However, your analogies, comparing motherhood qualifications to teaching qualifications...not the same animal. Your argument seemed more personal and defensive than informative, it takes away from your message.

      Delete
  7. The last comment is totally irrelevant and, frankly,just mean. This blog is about laymen trying to insert themselves into a professional position. Being a mother is not about having a college education, it is about instincts. It is not an appropriate nor intelligent comparison to this blog author's argument that uneducated, well-intentioned parents are not the same as a college-educated, professional educator. The aforementioned reply is a perfect example of the case the author is making...the argument of the reply is not valid because the analogies have nothing to do with the argument of the original essay. Ridiculous.

    ReplyDelete