Homeschooling: Not for Everyone
By: Keith
Homeschooling my kids is one of the great pleasures I have in life. I get to be responsible for their mental growth and to shape them into productive citizens. My job description is this: Increase my kids’ chances in life through quality education and direction. It’s my responsibility to teach them everything they need to know to a point where they can take over for themselves, to the point where they become self motivated. That means homeschooling my kids requires more than an understanding of the material being taught (though that is also necessary). Homeschooled or not, kids need to become curious if they expect to have any success in life. Public school kids will see dozens of teachers in their school careers. There’s a high probability that at least one of those teachers will inspire them and spark their curiosity. Homeschoolers have one teacher, perhaps two. If you are not a curious parent you should not Homeschool because you won’t inspire your kids, and you’re kids will likely not be better served by a homeschooled education.
Others Who Should not Home school:
1. The Uneducated: I’m not talking about degrees and certificates. I’m saying you should know things that are relevant to know. You can’t teach anything if you don’t know anything.
2. If You Have all the Answers: Nobody knows everything. You should feel compelled to learn right alongside your kids. Participate in their lessons and go find answers together, wherever the journey takes you.
3. The Closed Minded: Again, if you think you know everything you probably know nothing. There is very little in life that is definitive. If you can’t listen to ideas that are not immediately acceptable to you, you should leave the education of your kids to someone who can.
4. People With No Resources: There is a reason kids go to school to learn chemistry. The schools have labs. Likewise, home schooled kids need to have hands on learning. It sounds bad do say, but you’ll need to find a way to get them out into the world to museums and various other relevant field trips. They need access to equipment too. That means enough money to make it happen. You don’t have to be rich, but you do have to budget for it.
5. The Easily Distracted: Home schooled kids still need structure. If you’re the sort who can’t see a project through to completion then you shouldn’t subject your kids to the possibility that they’ll never completely learn something because you won’t care to finish it.
6. People with Little Time: You can’t home school part time. Being a parent is a full time job, being a home schooling parent is a job on top of a job. If you go into it thinking it can be accommodated around your busy schedule you are making a mistake. The opposite is actually true. It’s your current schedule that will need to be accommodated around the home schooling.
7. The Impatient: When I started homeschooling the boys I thought I could do it painlessly and without hiccups. There are always hiccups along the way. There are always going to be times that your schedule is thrown off and your patience is tested. Things rarely happen when you think they will. You have to relax and just go with it. The highly stern or rigid need not apply.
I’ve talked to parents who are curious about homeschooling; they want to try it themselves. I have yet to meet someone who I don’t think could do it if they dedicated themselves to it. The problem is that I’m not sure how many people realize the kind of dedication that it takes. The teaching skills are not what I question; it’s the commitment to learning. It’s like when we all became parents and we acted like what we were doing was completely unique and had never been done in the history of the world. Well, of course it had, and we were just a bunch of new parents who had a lot to learn. We started to understand, as the years went by, that parenting is not about doing it all right or doing it all differently. It’s really about growing slowly into the job through our curiosity and drive to improve. That’s homeschooling too. Dedicate yourself to it and it can be done.
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Mark me down as #5 and #7, I applaud you for homeschooling, I really wish I had the drive to do that for my son. The more I read about schools, the less interest I have in having him attend. The other side of the coin is my staying involved in his education as best I can so if his needs aren’t met I can supplement them. Who knows, I have plenty of time and my position may change.
.-= PJ Mullen´s last blog ..De-stressing the naming process? =-.
PJ. That’s something not enough parents do. They send their kids off to public schools and then sorta just forget about them. They don’t take an active part in their children’s education. It’s no wonder there are so many directionless kids. That’s a good attitude to have about it. You can always keep on top of what your kid is doing at school and make sure he’s being guided in the right direction. Sadly though I don’t think most parents are so enlightened.
I hadn’t thought of homeschooling as a career, but if anything, it’s even more so that what public school teachers have– your boys have but 1 or 2 teachers to be inspired by, versus the dozen you mention. A weighty responsibility.
Nice Post Keith,
As a teacher, I have to say I could never home school. I just don’t have it in me. I am great with other people’s kids but I would drive my own nuts.
Although the homeschooling business is growing here in Canada I don’t think it is as booming as it is in the States. Our school don’t seem to be plagued with as many issues as you good folks seem to have although I am sure they are on their way.
Anyhow… Good reading!
Cheers,
Keith
Keith, That’s a good point. Both of my wife’s parents are medical doctors, but they are both terrible at diagnosing or caring for anything that happens with their family. They’re always calling in “professionals.” Something about being fine cutting open other peoples kids but they can’t do it with their own. Funny, isn’t it?
Hmm….number 7 and a bit of 5 hit home for me. Although I love working with the kids at home, reinforcing what they are learning at school, etc. I’m just not confident enough to place ALL their education “eggs” in my basket )just a few!!).
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Thanks Angie! I sometimes wonder if I should trust just myself with their education. In the end I figure I couldn’t screw them up any more than anybody else would
I have juggled full-time corporate work from a home office with full-time parenting two little kids, but… I cannot imagine homeschooling. I don’t think I would have the patience, long-term commitment, or energy which is required. (I have two friends who have home schooled; it is their full-time job, but unpaid – rather like full-time parenting(!), and includes involvement in the homeschooling community, kids sports, and so on.)
My hat’s off to you.
.-= BigLittleWolf´s last blog ..Speedos, Shorts, and Racquet Sports =-.
Thanks, Wolf! I have a hard time convincing people that it’s more than just play. For as much as I make out that it’s not very hard, it really is. Not back breaking work, but it’s mentally exhausting. Thanks for the support!
I loved this article. It is plenty of work homeschooling, I think what you are doing is awesome. I homeschool my oldest which is in 4th grade. My other two attend school, and it is a full time job just homeschooling one. I love your blogs and look forward to reading more. Thanks Deborah