How do you deal with 'anti home schoolers'

[fivestring]

I'll second the nomination of Bird. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[BrianP]

Hmmmm.
I don't fear government tests of my kids, although I would sort of wonder the basis of those tests: regurigition or reasoning?

It is interesting, however, that the teachers unions raised hell when the government tried to test teachers, or to use the students' test scores to evaluate teachers. It seems that teachers give tests, and don't take them. Fair enough, but it doesn't seem equitable that a teacher gets to keep his/her job through thick and thin, whether or not he/she is a capable teacher. Too bad the rest of us don't get the same treatment in our jobs.

For the past couple months, in addition to homeschooling our kids, my wife has been giving remedial instruction to a neighbour's son. His reading skills were so poor he was going to be sent to a 'special' school. It seems that he has hearing difficulties and problems concentrating, meaning learning disabled, like about 10% of his class. Curiously, his hearing, etc., are not a barrier to his math skills.

I'm not a teacher, but I know that a 'special' school is a one way trip. Seven days a week of hour long lessons and his hearing keeps getting better and better. If I didn't know any better, I'd say the problem lay with his teacher.

You see, in our (my wife & I) primitive way of thinking, real life is not learning how to write tests, its learning reading, writing, arithmetic, math, chemistry, physics, history and how to figure stuff out. It means being willing to do work that is 'beneath you' because it has to be done if you want better. It means reading a book because you are interested in the subject, not because there is a test on it.

My original question was, how do you deal with anti-home schoolers. I don't think I've ever laced into somebody because they send their kids to public school.

Of course, thanks to my wife, our 3 are fluently bilingual (reading, writing, and spoken). The oldest is doing well in university, the 11 year old is doing high school chemistry, and even the 6 year old is reading English, his second language, at a level well beyond his years. (We were watching a documentary on the Battle of the Atlantic and he spotted a destoryer and told me "Dad - that's a destroyer - you can tell by the guns" and went and got a book on WWII ships to show me).

The kids aren't geniuses. They've just been taught by a good teacher, and those are quite rare.

[ljh2]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Fair enough, but it doesn't seem equitable that a teacher gets to keep his/her job through thick and thin, whether or not he/she is a capable teacher. Too bad the rest of us don't get the same treatment in our jobs.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm actually thankful that the rest of us don't get the same treatment in our jobs. The quality of work done by people in this situation would rapidly degrade.

I walk the line between home/public school ideologies, but I will agree that, in either situation, for a kid to get a decent education, it must begin at home. Parental involvement is key to children learning. Parents that expect to send their kids off to the government institution without daily involvement (asking about assignments, asking what they are currently studying, reviewing 'homework', etc...) are unlikely to get much in return. Your kids know whether or not you care much about education. If you don't invest yourself in their education, why would/should they?

I for one applaud the effort that you and your wife obviously put into educating your kids!!! [img]/forums/images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

I also agree that, too often, it seems that tests are designed more around regurgitation of facts rather than thoughtful reasoning. However, it is important that any well thought out reasoning should have a basis in fact. Without that foundation, it would be impossible to support the reasoned conclusion. Of course, you already knew that since your 6 year old was supporting his statement about the Destroyers with documented evidence. It would seem that a well designed test would include both facts and reasoning so we can excercise both parts.

I've known people that could recite facts all day and not put together a cohesive argument about them, and other people who would argue all day without a single fact to support their statements. Neither were very effective. [img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img]

I'm not sure how to handle 'anti-homeschoolers'. I guess I'd let your success speak for itself. People with differing opinions often feel obliged to share them, for whatever reason. In your situation, I'd agree with Gatorboy's one word summary about their reason - jealousy. Many people don't have the education or the willingness to spend as much time as you and your wife have chosen to. In addition to jealousy, I'd bet that a lot of people have little understanding of the effort that goes into a quality home-schooled education. They just see your kids staying at home. They don't see your wife preparing lessons or your kids doing the lessons. Of course they probably don't see that aspect of the public system either.

Good luck to both you and your wife for your continued success!

larry

[Pat]

Hey, I sure can't find fault with your attitude and approach. I do agree with the idea that teaching reasoning and analysis is more important than simple regurgitation of facts. Once you get out of school, life is an open book test. Knowing where and how to find information is as important or more so than memorizing isolated facts.

The ability to form testable hypotheses and proceed through a multi-stage analysis using the scientific method is a skill that is of great value throughout life. Learning how to learn is quite important.

I have known parents that have taught their children how to be critical observers by watching TV ads and trying to note all the various "selling" methods and appeals to various lapses in logic.

About Government tests... You can't control what you can't measure. All citizens, even young ones, have a right to expect the Government to act in their best interest. Tests can and should be used to measure the success of the educational process and devine from the results the difficulties or shortcomings as introduced by either student or teacher failure.

Unfortunately, when faced with being scrutinized for teaching ability by how well students perform, instructors often teach to the exam which makes them and their students look good but in reality short circuits the process.

I don't have all the answers, heck, I don't even have most of the questions but I have spent a lot of years as a student and have an abiding interest in education. I also have a MS in Instructional Technology. My only formal teaching experience was teaching software engineering and senior projects classes to university seniors majoring in computer science in evening classes (part time job thing.)

My application of that degree was leading a team of 30 folks developing computer based instruction for certain naval systems where the youngest students were 17.

Pedogogy was never my speciality.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[meledward23]

Fivestrings: You posted a interesting post about many of the ailments of this country. I have no interest in discussing your points. However, I think you might find "Home from Nowhere" by James Kunstler. It is a very interesting study on the social development of America and it's cities and population as opposed to old city growth and development in Europe. And how these differences are reflected in our society. (the book is about much more but for breviety sake.)

I have to comments about pro home vs anti home.

1) Home schooling is only as good as the parents (ie the teacher)

2) Govt School is only as good as the teacher and PARENTS. No matter the ability and level of the teacher if parents dont stay involved with their children before and after school they cant be expected to succeed. To many people presume schools will do it all. How many kids come home from school sit in front of a tv, and do their homework during the 15 minutes of Homeroom class. And then the teachers get blamed.

I am not Anti home....
I am not Anti Govt....

There is good and bad in everypart and everyside of each..... But to me the fundamental and most important thing is where is the parent! what is the parent doing and how are they involved. Doesnt matter if you are homeschooled or Govt schooled. No parent = Bad odd (not impossible thanks to the power of some human spirits).

[spunkey22]

I did'nt home school my children , but if I had it to go over I would do so . My daughter had so much trouble at school, with peer preasure and I had to move her. She ended quitting in the tenth grade.But she got her GED and Has a good life for herself now. I was very dissapointed with the teachers. I worry about my grandchildren now.

[lbrown59]

While I admit I'm not very poilitically correct at the best of times
===============

NO ONE IS EVER poilitically correct .
Once it becomes poilitical it is no longer correct.

[valley]

We don't have to deal with anyone, with their life style or their politics.
Our children are taught at home the ciriculum is from Brisbane School of Distance, Australia. The children do meet with their teacher by Net. Mainly they, the kids, are taught by my wife. I help with sicence and art. It is expensive, we still are taxed to pay for public school but worth the expense. Our children have their childhood.
I worked for the school district as a mechanic and busdriver. There may be schools that are a good environment but none that I know of.
People come from all over the world to attend our colleges but laugh at our grade schools. I can see why.

[cuzido]

Did you ever think that it could be because the schools lose money when kids aren't there? I know you had to be so proud of your child for answering the way they did. I actually admire parents that have the ability to home school their children. In my case I am afraid I don't have the patience and with my different illnesses they wouldn't do their school work. I am unable to supervise them and they slack on everything when I am laying down or sick.

But again let me say I admire your hard work and tip my hat to all parents that homeschool!

[ABNER.STERLING]

No, it's wrong. I'm sorry but here in the UK kids get mugged every day and their phones stolen. Would you want that to happen to your child? On the whole school is a relatively safe environment and children should not need to be in constant contact with their parents.