To the homeschooling parents...

[Cattle Cait]

J and I don't have wee ones yet, and won't for awhile, but we've been discussing potentially homeschooling our children when we do get to that point. Every day my younger siblings come home from school that make me want to either smack teachers or smack students.

My boyfriend was homeschooled and his mother socialized he and his four siblings very well, made sure they were always busy and had a lot of "outside" activities, but there's a lot of things about public school that I wouldn't want to give up.

Would it make sense to homeschool part of the day and send the calves to public school for the other part (like...for algebra)? Or would that be counterconstructive (is that a word?)?

 

[SterlingSatin]

well, i'm not a homeschooling parent, but i am a homeschooled high schooler. if you want any of my opinions...
my parents teach me math, history, and some other classes, but the majority of my education comes from a co-op with other homeschooling families. there are lots of co-ops around the midwest, although they can be hard to find if your not in the homeschooling circle. there are 6-7 within an hour from my house, and i know there are many in michigan as well, so if you wanted to look into it, you'll probably be able to find some near you. in the co-op i am taught by other moms, usually with degrees or a lot of experience in the subject they are teaching. i take foreign language, literature/composition, and grammar classes there, as well as some optional classes like art and drama. i definitely think that i am much more well rounded from the co-op then when my parents were teaching me everything. not that they weren't doing a good job, but at a certain point, they admitted they didn't really have the expertise to be teaching my advanced sciences and things like that. obviously, that is not such a big deal if you plan on sending your kids to public school for their high school education, but since i'm being home schooled through high school, i needed some teachers with more experience to tutor me and things like that.

i feel like homeschooling has definitely been beneficial to me. i love that i can take advanced classes several grades above my age without having to jump through all the hoops that public school kids have to. its almost impossible to skip grades in most public schools in my area, and even if you are allowed, you usually are expected to skip a grade in every subject. that wouldn't work for me, because i can manage science classes above my grade level, but i doubt i could do math much above my grade level. homeschooling is great because it can be tailored to my needs and my strengths. and i don't feel like i've ever really been socially underdeveloped. of course that is kind of a hard thing to judge yourself on

next year i'll be taking even more classes at co-ops, probably math, and history, so my parents won't be teaching me much except helping with homework and such. i'm considering doing dual credit (college level courses that give high school and college credits) at IUPUI.

i don't know if any of that helped, if it didn't, sorry but hopefully that'll help you get an idea about how we do things

 

[skysthelimit]

J and I don't have wee ones yet, and won't for awhile, but we've been discussing potentially homeschooling our children when we do get to that point. Every day my younger siblings come home from school that make me want to either smack teachers or smack students.

My boyfriend was homeschooled and his mother socialized he and his four siblings very well, made sure they were always busy and had a lot of "outside" activities, but there's a lot of things about public school that I wouldn't want to give up.

Would it make sense to homeschool part of the day and send the calves to public school for the other part (like...for algebra)? Or would that be counterconstructive (is that a word?)?

Can you do something like that? I guess with a co-op you can, but I don't think you could do that with a regular public school. After teaching 12 years in the public schools, I would never want to send anyone's kids to public schools. As my co workers say, teaching in a public school is the best form of birth control.

 

[ladysown]

you would need to research the laws/rules in your area.

I know that in my area that if i want to, I can put my son in school for part of the day. He is still primary school.
I can choose later if i want to.. to put him in some courses in highschool and draw him out for other parts. It's fairly flexible.

But in other areas.... that flexibility just isn't there.

 

[SterlingSatin]

public schools around here won't let me come for just a couple classes. but some of the small private schools will.

 

[Rae]

Most, maybe all states have puplic online courses available. In Florida a few years ago it was Middle and High. It was completely free as long as you were enrolled in a local school, even though you never had to go to campus. Using the online courses my youngest brother completed 11th and 12th grade in one year. It allowed him to graduate on time and walk during graduation with his classmates. Not sure if I would rely on it completely though, seemed WAY too easy.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

Ohio has a program like the one Rae Mentions-- But most of the students using that one, I noticed are students that are 'discipline problems' I know of several local students who are co-op educated- and there is definite the benefits of public vs individual within those types of groups.
And Cait, if I had to do it all over again-- I would opt for the Home Schooling groups-During my internship, I escorted a lot of the co-op groups through the arboretum- the kids were better behaved, and showed a keener interest in everything! When I was in a private school-my mother had to BEG my teachers to let me pull books out of the library that were 'above' my grade level ( sadly, even the highest levels the had were mundane, as far as I was concerned)A tleast in the public Jr and Senior high schools, I could check out any book I wanted!!

 

[trinityoaks]

there's a lot of things about public school that I wouldn't want to give up.

What do you have in mind that you wouldn't want to give up?

Would it make sense to homeschool part of the day and send the calves to public school for the other part (like...for algebra)? Or would that be counterconstructive (is that a word?)?

If your children are in public school AT ALL, you're giving up most of the benefits of homeschooling.

 

[Legacy]

Co-ops are great for that sort of thing. My kids are going to a physics class in co-op right now. They did chemistry in co-op last year. Biology the year before.

What is that you don't want to miss? There so many alternatives and choices now, I can't think of a good need that you would miss in public school that isn't available another way.

 

[Miss M]

There are co-ops, there are online schools (not just the public ones), there are many opportunities in homeschool groups...

So much available out there! :razz:

If you're worried about being able to teach things like algebra, then enroll your kids in a co-op class, or sign up for an online class. Or trade off with another mom who's a math whiz -- "I'll teach history, you teach math".

 

[Jack]

here is the difference between home school and public school
and there is MUCH less a difference between private school

PARENTAL INVOLVMENT

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

well Jack, you hit the nail square on the head-- the learning begins at home, and for many families/children- the only place any structure is in place, is at school, IF the teacher can gain control of the classroom.

 

[SatinsRule]

well Jack, you hit the nail square on the head-- the learning begins at home, and for many families/children- the only place any structure is in place, is at school, IF the teacher can gain control of the classroom.

That's an awfully big "if", FR. The system has virtually eliminated the teachers' ability to exert any type of authority in the classrooms today.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

That's an awfully big "if", FR. The system has virtually eliminated the teachers' ability to exert any type of authority in the classrooms today.

exactly-- and the teachers cannot get control if the parents don't back them up-- so, it all really boils down to the family. Quite frankly, my caucasion teacher friend, is not even permitted to give an angry glare at her little munchkins without being blamed for abuse, but her co-workers can grab the kids and use racial slurs. I can imagine what Skysthelimit goes through- she teaches in a charter school-- where parents purposely CHOOSE to send their children, hopefully so that they actually GET an education, and the few things she has mentioned here,, she may as well be in the basic public school system.

Certain aspects of dress codes DO help cut down on distractions
The use of vulgar language DOES interfere with learning
I wonder if nuns still apply rulers to the backs of knuckles.....

 

[Cattle Cait]

I loved going to school and seeing all of my friends, going to dances, being in FFA and Dressage Club and other school clubs, being involved in student government...things like that.

And, yes, one of my fears was teaching algebra

 

[trinityoaks]

I loved going to school and seeing all of my friends, going to dances, being in FFA and Dressage Club and other school clubs, being involved in student government...things like that.

Many of those activities have counterparts in homeschool co-ops and associations.

And, yes, one of my fears was teaching algebra

Two words: Videotext Algebra. AMAZING!! Wish we'd done it with our older kids.

 

[skysthelimit]

well Jack, you hit the nail square on the head-- the learning begins at home, and for many families/children- the only place any structure is in place, is at school, IF the teacher can gain control of the classroom.

That's an awfully big "if", FR. The system has virtually eliminated the teachers' ability to exert any type of authority in the classrooms today.

legally anyway.

I do not recommend public schools. I wish I had an option to go elsewhere. My license is up this year. I will renew now, but after this five year stint-I do not plan to renew again. I am hoping to find work elsewhere, somewhere less stressful--perhaps as a juvenile corrections officer.

Had a parent call, said I said something to her child. She left a VOICE MAIL on the the SCHOOL answering machine, telling the secretary she was going to come up and beat the #@## out of that !@#$H. Right on the school phone. Parents have no respect, how can the kids?

 

[SatinsRule]

exactly-- and the teachers cannot get control if the parents don't back them up-- so, it all really boils down to the family.

I went to school with several kids who got it when they got home if the teacher had to discipline them in school that day. Corporal punishment was the rule of the day, and the paddle or belt was wielded when they got home to top it all off. Pretty difficult to find either one of 'em today.

Funny thing about the kids whose parents used that type of discipline--their kids were normally the best-behaved kids in school. Really must have warped their minds. :shock:

 

[Jack]

I am hoping to find work elsewhere, somewhere less stressful--perhaps as a juvenile corrections officer.

I did a year my SR. year of HS, I attended the university as a guest of the education department, got hundreds of hours classroom apprenticeship or whatever it's called that you have to rack up for a teaching license.

I love kids, but the problems you see, the teachers that say 'you've got to watch that one, if she says any of these thing tell us IMMEDIATELY, she come from a difficult home' great, watch a kid that was an angle, but has a temper cause she's getting abused at home, and there isn't enough evidence to do anything about it...

Or Prince Johnny who can't do wrong, or Princess Sally that gets everything RIGHT NOW and mommy and daddy get mad AT YOU for not giving in.
and people wonder where these loosers that can't even keep a job flipping burgers.