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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I know of one woman who homeschools who's not a religious freak. However, her reason for homeschooling is odd, as she wishes to protect her daughter socially b/c she's extremely shy.

I find that odd, quite frankly.  How does a shy child benefit from being pulled out the mainstream?  I realize there are some interesting, enriching activities in which homeschoolers can participate.  But usually for these activities,  homeschoolers are surrounded by the same group.

I have no doubt that the non-religious homeschooling mom is smart.  She runs a home business and appears sane. But I still question her main reason for doing this.

Furthermore, while I, as an educator, recognize there are different teaching styles and methods, I do question whether or not these homeschooling parents recognize that being trained in strategies helps many students master content and skills.  While reading for pleasure is a goal, so is critical analysis.  How many "regular" parents are able to create (or find for that matter) [b]wonderful graphic organizers specifically created to help students analyze theme[/b]?  There is so much junk out there that unless someone is trained in content and content-specific methods, I doubt s/he can claim to be an expert.

just my 2 cents[/quote]

Is this part tongue-in-cheek?[/quote]

But obviously you're no educator, or you'd value different strategies, especially those used with kids who are visual learners.  Some are awful, but I'm certain that many homeschooling parents wouldn't notice the difference.  Nor do most have the background to teach upper level courses.  So where do kids go?  to public for a course or two (happens at my school) and to the internet [/quote].

Why the negative assumptions? [b] Who knows kids more than their parents?  Do you honestly believe parents can't figure out how their kids learn best?[/b]

I admire educators immensely.  I once was one, and I loved my job.  Teaching my own children is completely different than teaching a classroom.  Totally different skill set.  The tutorial model of education is timeless and intimate.  Assessments can be done through conversations, rather than multiple choice.  When kids never experience the institutional model of education, learning is very organic, just like when a toddler learns to talk.

And what is wrong with seeking out the resources your child needs to pursue the knowledge s/he desires?  That is not a sign of failure on the parents' part--it is a sign of success.  That is he beauty of homeschooling:  flexibility, only using what works.

There's a good reason homeschooling grows in popularity every year.  It is awesome.[/quote]

So b/c I like to look at the moon and the stars, I'm now an expert who should apply for a job at NASA?

[b]You may have been a teacher at one point, PP, but most homeschooling parents have no expertise in this area.  I'm surprised - that as an EDUCATOR - you can't understand why that's such an important factor.  [/b]

My friend, a former elementary teacher with a concentration in SPED, homeschools her 4 autistic children.  I respect her decision.  However, if she had a degree in architecture, I'd question her motives.[/quote]

Don't we all learn on the fly? [b]We start reading about pregnancy a few months before[/b] while TTC then we take birthing classes and read books on birth a few weeks before the due date, then when we're sleep training we read about it, we read about Bfeeding while trying to latch the baby, we read about every milestone when it's about to happen. Why not learn about how our kids learn while trying to figure out what works best for them? What's the difference?[/quote]

Reread what I've just highlighted -  Would you take legal advice from a nurse?  Would you let a doctor design your new home?  Would you take your child to your landscaper if he suddenly developed a high fever?

With your way of thinking,  I suppose you didn't visit your OBGYN when you were pregnant?

If you're NOT a trained educator, why would you treat your children like guinea pigs?  
[quote]

Training in education can actually get in the way of homeschooling.  Again, teaching a same-age classroom and teaching your own children are totally different, barely even related skills.  Tutoring is different from teaching 30 kids at once.  Helping someone you love learn is not the same as helping 30 strangers learn.  You use different methods, different assessments.  Not necessarily worse either way, just different.

Some of my siblings went back and forth, school to home and back, and all went to college.  They took he best from every situation and made the most of every opportunity.  It is like the "mommy wars":  the conflict does not need to exist between institutional learning and independent learning.

For me, I love our independence, and hope we never need to let it go.

And rather than knock parents with fewer credentials, why not admire them for their bravery and commitment?  Plenty of kids go through public schools and suffer at the hands of incompetent teachers, and plenty of homeschoolers achieve more than their parents ever could...[/quote]

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