Many complaints from parents of school-aged kids center on how schools ‘teach to the test’ rather than teach for life. It’s something my family noticed several years ago but thought we were powerless to stop. Well, we were and are powerless to stop it for others, but not for ourselves… which is why we now homeschool. Or rather, part of why we homeschool.
I know homeschooling isn’t for everyone and I know there are those who think of us as freaks. I know this because I thought the same thing before we started the process. The first activity we went to with a local support group had me shaking deep inside… what would these people be like? Were they part of some kind of cult?
The most amazing thing I learned from that class… which btw was Thanksgiving from the Point of View of a Native American and featured a descendent of the Cherokee Nation… was that the other homeschooling folk were normal.
Normal.
I had no idea what I’d encounter there but everyone was part of a hardworking and loving family who had the best interest of their kids at heart… and the opportunity to remain home with them for this schooling option.
There seems to be a movement in this country, with more and more families taking their children out of school. Just in my area, there are over 10,000 homeschooled children, and the number soared to that point in just the last couple of years.
There are a lot of reasons so many of us opt for homeschooling. Not the least of which is to give our kids a chance to be and think for themselves. After all, if a child can recite facts from a textbook but cannot think for him/herself about practical issues, what kind of education have they received?
It seems if it’s “not on the test” schools resist or discourage teaching it. As far as I’m concerned, the test is life and life is getting harder, so it’s up to us to prepare our kids for it – gently but thoroughly.
This 2-minute video may not say it ALL, but it says an awful lot –
“Don’t think about thinking… it’s not on the test.”
Debbie,
Thank you for sharing your experience re homeschooling. There are so many things to learn outside the schoolroom. I think of kids who travel the world with their parents while doing lessons. Talk about a wonderful education.
Linda
Oh, so true, Linda. But you know what? Homeschooling is still somewhat new to us, so I’m not yet comfortable with traveling about. I’m just now starting to come out of a more ‘structured’ homeschooling process by packing a lunch, Daughter’s math book and my laptop so we can spend a beautiful afternoon in the park doing our work. Eventually I’ll learn some of the “unschooling” techniques. Ah, to travel the world. That could make a great T-shirt… “I’m homeschooled – the world is my classroom.”
~Debbie
Debbie,
Oh, my, what a powerful video. It says a lot, indeed. “No Child Left Behind” may have been well-intentioned, but the unintended consequences of that law have been many and far more severe than anyone anticipated. No wonder you decided to home school.
One of my friends home schooled her three girls who are now in college. They joined a home school orchestra, and last year they all traveled to Austria and performed in Salzburg and Vienna, even with the Vienna Boys Choir. It was an amazing experience for them. I’ll tell her about your blog.
Linda
Debbie,
I’m Linda’s friend who homeschooled her three children. My kids never went to a traditional school before college. During their first semester of college, several of their teachers told them to thank me for preparing them so well. We read a lot of classics and talked about them. We traveled many places with the orchestra, last summer’s tour was the third we had taken. In all we visited France, Monaco, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, and the Czech Republic. Their dad is a contractor, and they also learned to install drywall and frame up rooms. At times it was intense and discouraging, but eventually you begin to realize that kids are learning 24/7, and teaching moments happen at the most random times. I think the greatest benefit to homeschooling is that you are around your kids more and have the opportunity to instill your values and talk to them when they are not cranky and over-tired. We are all moving on to other things noq, and I don’t have any regrets about their growing up because I know that I gave them the best of myself.
Teresa Liu
Linda,
It is a powerful video, isn’t it? It says what a lot of parents say. Unfortunately, not enough of them can or want to do anything about it. When my daughter was in school, I spoke to the principal and wrote to the chancellor. It was useless – maybe if enough people complained it would have helped but no one wanted to mess with the system. Too bad – for them and for their kids.
I’m amazed by your friend’s story! Thank you for telling her about my blog!
~Debbie
Teresa,
What a wonderful success story! Thank you for sharing it with me. I’m thrilled to learn how others work with the homeschooling process. I’m still in a very structured mode and desperately want to shake that. I love that you traveled with your children. Did they happen to pick up languages that way?
In my state, there are tough homeschooling rules and we have to answer to the district quarterly. I’d like to try a more relaxed way of covering curriculum but I’ve yet to figure out how to do that and still keep the district happy. We’re working on it, though, and having a great time doing it.
I’d love to hear more about your homeschooling experiences. If you have a blog, I’d love to visit it.
~Debbie