Why do you homeschool?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think most "teachers" are pathetic overpaid public employees. They whine about the children's behavior. They while about the parents. They whine about all the extra hours for prep time. They want to be revered as the most important professions in our society, but they hide behind their union to secure benefits for even the worst of their kind.

Our kids are our responsibility to raise into educated adults with the right values, and there is no indication that the teachers we've dealt with are up to that challenge.

Besides, what's the downside? Am I going to teach finger-painting wrong?

The kids get lots of socialization through church and sports, etc. but instead of sitting in a room with 30 kids the same age and marching to the sound of a bell every hour, they get to learn in a much more exciting and fulfilling way, taking lots of trips and having lots of spontaneous interactions with people from all walks of life.

church and sports! lol

That will surely prepare them to integrate back into society.

One of our homeschooled kids entered PS for the first time and was caught with a boy by the stairs. Another one came with so few skills that she failed all of her courses. Bother left before the quarter ended.

Leave the teaching to the experts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think most "teachers" are pathetic overpaid public employees. They whine about the children's behavior. They while about the parents. They whine about all the extra hours for prep time. They want to be revered as the most important professions in our society, but they hide behind their union to secure benefits for even the worst of their kind.

Our kids are our responsibility to raise into educated adults with the right values, and there is no indication that the teachers we've dealt with are up to that challenge.

Besides, what's the downside? Am I going to teach finger-painting wrong?

The kids get lots of socialization through church and sports, etc. but instead of sitting in a room with 30 kids the same age and marching to the sound of a bell every hour, they get to learn in a much more exciting and fulfilling way, taking lots of trips and having lots of spontaneous interactions with people from all walks of life.

church and sports! lol

That will surely prepare them to integrate back into society.

One of our homeschooled kids entered PS for the first time and was caught with a boy by the stairs. Another one came with so few skills that she failed all of her courses. Bother left before the quarter ended.

Leave the teaching to the experts.

correction - Both left

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think most "teachers" are pathetic overpaid public employees. They whine about the children's behavior. They while about the parents. They whine about all the extra hours for prep time. They want to be revered as the most important professions in our society, but they hide behind their union to secure benefits for even the worst of their kind.

Our kids are our responsibility to raise into educated adults with the right values, and there is no indication that the teachers we've dealt with are up to that challenge.

Besides, what's the downside? Am I going to teach finger-painting wrong?

The kids get lots of socialization through church and sports, etc. but instead of sitting in a room with 30 kids the same age and marching to the sound of a bell every hour, they get to learn in a much more exciting and fulfilling way, taking lots of trips and having lots of spontaneous interactions with people from all walks of life.

Wow. Spoken like someone who has never set foot inside a classroom. I have a teaching degree from a highly regarded program from a highly regarded school. I spent four years teaching at an inner city public high school and let me tell you, the teachers are not the problem. Problems I ran into:

35 kids per class
Absent/uninvolved parents, which led to truancy, gang affiliation and crime.
Being forced to teach to a standardized test rather than teaching interesting and engaging material in an interesting and engaging way.
Being paid for a 30 hour work week but actually working 50-60 hours
Shabby/broken classroom furniture and equipment
$25/student to spend on supplies and only if the student pays the lab fee. I taught at a school where 83% of the student body were FARMs so yeah, good luck getting that money!

You clearly don't know what you're talking about so STFU.

Also, teachers don't get paid for their summer breaks. Our 9 month salaries get split up into 12 month payments.

You sound like the problem. 35 kids is fine if you are an effective teacher who doesn't just sit at the desk but moves around and engages with the class pretty much all the time. Also you can take a dry curriculum and add to it, but that depends on your own creativity and brain power. But maybe you lack that as well as the effectiveness. I expect so.

Using curse words pretty much indicates a lack thereof.

Using curse words pretty much indicates a lack thereof.

Writing statements w/o using evidence to back them up is often an attack on the writer and NOT on the content. Teacher backed herself up with evidence. As a teacher myself, I can support her statements. yes, even the STFU line!

Ad hominem is a term you should have learned in school. Were your homeschooled, by the way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to say, all the homeschooled kids I know are the politest, most well spoken children I've ever met. That said, i'd never ever do it!

Being polite and smart aren't the same thing.

There are plenty of nice, uneducated folks around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I homeschool because my son needed extra one-on-one time, to focus on things that were being overlooked at public school. I pulled him out at the beginning of 3rd. We have done two years at home, and have two years left. He will go back to public school in 7th. He is like a sponge, absorbing information. He has learned to control his hyperactivity, and has learned to listen. We have a great time at school every day! I'm so thankful that I made this decision, because it was exactly what he needed.

Oh

It's nice living in Cotton Candy Land.

You have NO clue how hard it will be to transition your child at that age.

Upper elementary is where kids are tested for accelerated courses. Furthermore, socialization is hard enough on kids who have been in PS all of their lives. Moving him from homeschooling to a PS in 7th, where he's actually missed a grade getting to know peers and the schedule, will be difficult.

Add skill gaps to the mix, and it's a recipe for disaster.

[Anonymous]

PP, by chance are feeling defensive? Given the time stamps on the last five posts being about two minutes apart from each other on what is usually a rarely commented forum, my guess is you have need a new hobby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, by chance are feeling defensive? Given the time stamps on the last five posts being about two minutes apart from each other on what is usually a rarely commented forum, my guess is you have need a new hobby.

I particularly like the way she implied she had two home schooled children who failed miserably in their first quarter at a school. Either she was an incompetent home schooler or not one at all.

[Anonymous]

In response to the original question -- not sure if anyone has brought this up.

I have a child who works in professional theater productions. When not working, he is training and auditioning. When working, he is at the theater at night, often quite late. We tried juggling school and theater, but public schools can only accommodate so many absences, so this was our best option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In response to the original question -- not sure if anyone has brought this up.

I have a child who works in professional theater productions. When not working, he is training and auditioning. When working, he is at the theater at night, often quite late. We tried juggling school and theater, but public schools can only accommodate so many absences, so this was our best option.

+1
For various sports/activities where early, intense training is common in the teen years, homeschooling can make it possible for the student to pursue the other training as well.

As with so many decisions, whether opting for homeschooling in such cases depends on many, many factors and can turn out well or poorly.

[Anonymous]

We started homeschooling because DD works as a child actor, and missing school became difficult with attendance requirements. We tried joining other homeschoolers for activities and such, but discovered that most of the people we met who homeschool were extremely conservative, anti-vaccination, and anti-government/establishment, etc. I am now reconsidering homeschooling and reenrolling my DD in a private school thats more understanding of her passion to act. As much as I love homeschooling and DD is ahead academically almost by two grade levels, the social aspects I have found to be limiting...unless you are of a certain religious/vaccine slant.

[Anonymous]

PP again. I think DD was the only child in the entire group of homeschoolers we met who was fully vaccinated on the CDC schedule. It made for some awkward conversations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In response to the original question -- not sure if anyone has brought this up.

I have a child who works in professional theater productions. When not working, he is training and auditioning. When working, he is at the theater at night, often quite late. We tried juggling school and theater, but public schools can only accommodate so many absences, so this was our best option.

Just saw this. This is the PP. Would love to pick your brain about any other alternatives to homeschooling. DD goes back and forth to NYC for auditions and callbacks, sometimes 2-3 times per week. But she also has expressed that she misses seeing normal kids every day. Any advice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP again. I think DD was the only child in the entire group of homeschoolers we met who was fully vaccinated on the CDC schedule. It made for some awkward conversations.

Where in the world do you live? All the homeschoolers I know are not conservative, religious, or anti-vaxxers. Most were just faced with unhappy local public schools that didn't fit their child's needs