Homeschooling: Here's my take on it, What's yours?

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micronut

Trad climber
Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 25, 2013 - 07:25pm PT
I was at first a dad who was reluctant to homeschool my kids. My wife brought me the idea ten years ago, but I took some time to warm up to it.

I was worried they'd be weird. Strange. Disconnected from social reality. We all knew "that homeschool kid" from when we were young.

But now we're now almost eight years into it with a kindergardener, a fourth grader and a freshman in high school. And it has turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. What a joy and an honor to parent and teach these kids.

Today at the Fresno Museum of Arts



My wife lines em up daily and its Little House on The Prairie in the kitchen. With a spread from K through 9th its a bit comical but heartwarming to watch.

Here's the table right now.
Bek's doin' addition.
Gabriel (4th grade) is reading Conrad's Heart of Darkness.....not your normal Calif. reading level/list
Sierra is digging into the heavy writings of Martin Luther.
Lego creations abound throughout the home. "Its a mega nuclear alien hunter/destroyer craft"


My kids can't play public school team sports, which is a bit of a drag, but they do club sports, (Sierra is one of the state's fastest 100M backstrokers in the 14 yo age group)church league basketball (and really...are half asians ever gonna play in the NBA).....But would you rather have your kid doing triple day macho dad t-ball or learning to tie their own knots.

"Always check your buddy Dad."

And Sierra may not go to the Prom if she chooses to stay homeschooled. Maybe just a nice evening at the opera or something with a group of homeschool friends? Is that so bad?

The world tells you your kids will be weirdos if they aren't in school.....but this is what I trade in return:

-A dumbed down Calif. Curriculum vs. Teaching how and what we deem important

-Bullies and school shootings vs. A caring and safe environment

-A worldview shaped by lusty, lazy classmates with home issues vs. A solid identity based in love and respect

-Friday night lights football(I do miss it) vs. Trad climbing with with my kids (no contest)

-Truancy vs. Family adventure Wednesdays whenever we want

The list goes on and on in my opinion. I had a great education, good country schools and a great college and solid education at the Medical College of Georgia. But times have changed. I'm diggin' the way they are turning out. The proof is in the puddin' so far. We're far from perfect and we learn as we go. But for now I'm all for homeschooling if its done right.

I'd love to know more insight or thoughts if you got em.






ontheedgeandscaredtodeath

Social climber
SLO, Ca
Jan 25, 2013 - 07:37pm PT
My aunt and uncle did it with 4 boys and they all turned out great.
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Jan 25, 2013 - 07:47pm PT
A lot of people homeschool in my neck of the woods and in my opinion the only thing missing is a shell.
mucci

Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
Jan 25, 2013 - 07:54pm PT
I was homeschooled until high school started. We moved around a fair bit, must have made sense to my parents.

Not so en vogue during the early 80's either.

HS was a joke, so I dropped out after sophmore year, started a business, recieved my Good Enough Degree, went to college with the rest of my friends...

I would never change one part of my upbringing, or my parents decision to keep me at home.

Good for you Micro, your kids will thank you for the real world experiences you have shared together.








rectorsquid

climber
Lake Tahoe
Jan 25, 2013 - 07:56pm PT
I know of a couple in which the male was completely for home schooling. That was, until he found out that he would have to do some of it and it would impinge on his ability to do other stuff like go on skiing trips.

I get the impression that the female does most of the kids upbringing when it comes to daily kid management.
justthemaid

climber
Jim Henson's Basement
Jan 25, 2013 - 07:57pm PT
Homeschooling? I grew up with a load of home schooled kids.

The schooling is only as good as the parents. Most turn out fine. A few great.. some not so great.

I guess that's no different than regular schools though come to think of it.
WBraun

climber
Jan 25, 2013 - 08:00pm PT
Kauk was home schooled.

He left the stupid worldly school and joined us all in school of Camp4 ..... :-)
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Jan 25, 2013 - 08:07pm PT
-A dumbed down Calif. Curriculum vs. Teaching how and what we deem important
let me guess yer pissed cuz God aint allowed in school.

couchmaster

climber
pdx
Jan 25, 2013 - 08:27pm PT
The home schooled kids I saw were close to universally doing awesome. It takes more time and commitment from parents, but the end result appears to be a superior product. It was a harder row to hoe than my wife and I wanted though *cough*lazy*cough.

Big respect for those that choose that path.





Oh, and Kennyt, clearly you have no clue what you are talking about.
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Jan 25, 2013 - 08:32pm PT

Oh, and Kennyt, clearly you have no clue what you are talking about.
Thank you for your opinion prof.
hobo_dan

Social climber
Minnesota
Jan 25, 2013 - 08:36pm PT
I've been teaching 9th grade since 1986. Pretty much every home school kid (except one) that I have had were very very polite and quiet. Very polite and very quiet-They tended to gravitate toward adults. Too much so IMO. I'm not sure how to say this, but it felt like they were missing something.
I think that there is a huge value in letting children be together--In their own crude and cruel way they teach each other lessons that adults are unable to communicate. They drag each other kicking and screaming into the world--unfiltered by adult supervision.
I'm not trying to be a killjoy for you and your children but sometimes adults try to polish things a little too perfect--I always liked the kids with some rough edges
Home school kids look good in Museums and in Science fairs and shti like that but............well.....this is what I've seen FWIW.
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Jan 25, 2013 - 08:37pm PT
Cragman, All of us working people who are stuck with the "dumbed down california curriculim" will have to be satisfied with our kids working for yours and micronuts.LOL
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Jan 25, 2013 - 08:39pm PT
++ 100 for hobo_dan
LilaBiene

Trad climber
Jan 25, 2013 - 08:45pm PT
Thanks for some great "food for thought" -- yet another reason ST is so awesome -- connection to folks with ideas different than your own that really get you to thinking...and expanding your understanding and view of the world.

I never would have googled "home schooling", but your thoughtful post (as so many of your others) with pictures reached me on another level.

Last week the muppet's preschool teachers gave me an "evaluation" at least 10+ pages long where she is compared to other preschoolers nationally in I don't remember how many categories. She's 3.5 years old. She'll be evaluated again in the Spring. My own mind started to wander about three pages in because I couldn't make sense out of the format or what it was meant to convey. Words and lines and comparisons.

I realized reading your story that I am actually dreading putting the muppet in kindergarden. We don't enjoy sitting still for long periods of time, or learning from written materials. We like to "do"...we're kinesthetic. And we have an overabundance of energy that needs physical and creative outlets or we get temperamental (or worse, we retreat into ourselves).

There are concerns about all that energy, challenges with self expression, speaking ever so softly and inverting/getting things backwards. All of this I know intrinsically as reflections of myself in her. And I also know how it feels to have people all your life long trying to make you into something that you are not, for lack of understanding or simply a preconceived notion that everyone should fit a certain mold because different is not good and needs to be fixed (there are National standards, don't you know?).

Mark Powell told me last fall how and why the nickname "Dolt" came about. He said that the things that came out of Bill's mouth didn't make any sense, to which he would respond (affectionately, bluntly, as only a true friend can): "You DOLT!" I was in stitches.

"I know," I said, laughing, while trying to breathe and regain my sense of decorum. "No, I mean I REALLY KNOW!" (But I couldn't, at that very moment, explain why. There were too many emotions, ideas and words tumbling over themselves in my head to SAY anything. I promptly shut my mouth.)

While I didn't have the benefit of this mirror of understanding growing up (well, until 10 months ago that is -- lol), I don't want the muppet to suffer the feelings of having her wings clipped to keep her on the ground with the rest of the flock. Thank you for helping me realize that there are choices in teaching my little muppet to fly.

A
stevep

Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
Jan 25, 2013 - 08:46pm PT
Yeah, I'm struggling a bit with what to do with my daughter. Here in SLC, she's definitely in a minority as a non-LDS kid. And Asian on top of it. Even at 10, the cliquishness starts.
Don't know that I or my wife have the time or or patience to do the homeschooling thing even if we wanted to. But I can see some advantages.

OTOH, I would be very wary of the socialization thing. Getting kids out and doing things with others of their age is very important. Where I went to college, there was a home-schooled 16 yr old. Brillant kid, but absolutely lost socially. Classes were small, and he didn't have the first clue how to interact with others, which was essential. It was very hard for him.
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Jan 25, 2013 - 08:50pm PT
Crag, In yer spare time can you post up all the famous public schooled folks? Just the success stories though keep it fair
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Jan 25, 2013 - 08:52pm PT
I'm sure an equally impressive compendium can be made with publicly schooled kids.
It is pretty meaningless IMHO.

My question is to all the college admissions people out there: it seems
that more and more these days admission to the more coveted schools depends
a whole lot more on stuff other than just your grades, right? It would seem more
difficult for the home-schooled kid to present an impressive extracurricular
curriculum vitae. But then I suppose too much cachet is given to getting a
BA at a 'premium' school. Some of my nieces and nephews went to 'premium'
schools and I am not impressed with what they came away with.
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Jan 25, 2013 - 08:56pm PT
When my kids are old enough to belay We will start homeschooling. That's what would be best for me!
Nohea

Trad climber
Living Outside the Statist Quo
Jan 25, 2013 - 09:24pm PT
I teach at a public HS and fully support the home school concept. I had a student on my debate team last year and he was in one of my classes. He was home schooled thru 8th grade and he was a straight A student. His presentations and debates were excellent. Like others said its all on how it's done and if it were my kids, I'd put the trust in the wife and I.

Sounds like your producing some great success.

I also support vouchers, what's wrong with a little competition?

Aloha,
Will
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Jan 25, 2013 - 09:24pm PT
Another famous homeschooled person Katie Morgan. YeahKatie was born and raised in Reseda, Los Angeles, California in an extremely religious family. She was home-schooled for the entirety of her school career. She claims to have lost her virginity at age 16 with her first boyfriend in a church parking lot where she was teaching Sunday School. She first married in 1998 at age 18 to another man whom she had known since age 12 through Church Camp.
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