I have been considering homeschooling, give me your feed back whether you vote or not on my poll. I truly would like to know what your opinion is.
I am considering these choices for curriculum:
Calvert (Like a private school)
Carl G. Maeser Academy (LDS curriculum)
Georgia Virtual Academy (like a public school at home)
Let's talk about it.
Leslie
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12 comments:
Coming from the standpoint of a public school teacher, for me, I only like homeschooling in extreme situations (sfaety, etc). There is so much more gained from being in a school setting than just the curriculum. And although I know that things in this world are changing rapidly, and we have to be watchful, careful, and involved in our child's education, I don't feel it it is beneficial to remove them from it. How we can we prepare our children for taking a stand and being strong in the world, if they are not exposed to it until they are older. And what I mean by that, is that children need to learn how to interact and be strong long before they are teenagers, and if we shelter them too much, they may not have the skills to deal with certain things. I'll get off my soapbox now :).
That said, living in Savannah, it depends on what school you are zoned for, as Chatam county can be one of those extreme situations I mentioned before. (We are lucky to be zoned for Georgetown) And Leslie, if anybody is capable of doing a good job, you are.
i must say that i agree with lisa brown. i don't know her, but well put! leslie, the busy thing does come to mind. but you can take on way more than me and still be quite sane. so it sounds overwhelming to me, but that's me. the whole social aspect is a big deal to me as well. i think lisa makes a very good point about learning to "interact and be strong". in school they learn to do this with little things so that as they get older their skills mature to match what they need to know at an older age. am i making any sense. i feel like my words are jumbled. sorry. but all in all i feel like if you had to do it, you would be a very good mother/teacher. i think you are organized. the only real advice i would give you is to ask someone that is currently doing for reasons of their choosing...like not because of safety and things like that. and then i think you should ask someone that did it and their child is done and see if they'd do it again and if to them it was all worth it or not. good luck!!
Well, as nothing more than a mom I don't necessarily agree with Lisa. Studies have shown that for elementary age children, socially speaking, home school does not affect them negatively. However, going to public school definitely exposes them to things that we as members of The Church do not want! This world is deteriorating so rapidly that even children in elementary school are corrupted with foul language, immodest dress and behavior and while it's hard to swallow, they are being sexualized earlier and earlier.
Now, lets address the issue of the education children receive in public schools. I will admit that there are many wonderful teachers in this world and the ones who are not are usually the exception. However, because of state and government interference and political maneuvering in school administration teachers are left with their hands tied. No matter how much it is denied they are teaching to the level of the low achieving children. It can't be helped, "no child is left behind". The ones who could excel are ignored while the ones who cannot behave and cause disruptions are given all of the attention.
What it comes down to is what is important. Do you want a socialized child in this society who meets the standards of mediocrity set or do you want a child with a firm foundation in elementary education and the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Of course, as strongly as I feel about this, I am, at least for the time being, still sending my kids to public school! ;)
Hey girl! I tend to believe that there is no one more qualified to teach your kids than you, the parents, as you are the ones God chose to trust them with. You have the unique opportunity to help them excel in their strengths and to encourage them in the areas they need help in, all the while doing it with love. You will all learn a great deal through the process. You can always get tutor help with sticky subjects when they are in high school if you need to. But yes, you will have to be organized to do a good job. My opinion is that you should pray seriously about it. You and Robert should both feel good about it and support each other in it or scrap the idea until you can agree together. You don't need conflict between you added to the pot. God will show you both clearly if you will seek Him humbly for His will. I love you! Aunt Patty
April 11, 2008 8:09 PM
Leslie--
this is definitely a topic that has many facets to talk about but I think your Aunt has the best advice so far---pray about it. There are so many things you can discuss about and debate about but what it really should come down to is if it is what the Lord wants you to do. I have a few friends that do it and each one does it diffently so if you'd like to learn more from their perspectives I can get you in touch with them but I would definitely study it out but find your answer from the Lord.
I agree with everyone. A child's personality can also be a deciding factor. We actually have Sophie at a charter school that is part of the public school system and I couldn't be happier. (Go Uniforms!) There are a lot of homeschoolers around us and they're are a lot of things available to help a homeschooler. A large majority do Homeschool during Middle School, which is something I'm considering., because that is some of the hardest time of peer pressure. S. gets so much from her classes that I just can't provide at home with 3 other little ones around. That for me is a big thing, I wouldn't have the time! Good Luck it's a big decision.
I had a few people e-mail me about homeschooling so I would like for you all to see it too.
Leslie,
Are you thinking of homeschooling your oldest 2?
Ultimately, you have to decide for yourself, but for me and my crew at their respective ages, it was tough. I homeschooled B. when he was in 1st grade for almost a year. I had 2 younger kids (1 and 3.5) and I found that B. was very distractable. I found myself not keeping up with the cirriculum I established for B. My middle child was old enough to know that she was missing out on my attention, and would try very hard to get noticed. This further distracted B., frustrated me and we made little headway until I put J. in a preschool/day care during from 9-5, 5 days a week for a couple of months in the summer to catch B. so he wouldn't have to repeat 1st grade and be behind his peers. I felt really bad about having to put her in a daycare situation, but there was no way we could get though the material at the pace we were going at. In March or April of that year, I had decided to get B. back into the school, and was fortunate to get him into a good magnet school. I had to turn in a report card I generated from the "K. School" based on my evaluation of his performance. I mailed in attendance records every month to the Student Placement office.
I found that I felt the weight of his education very keenly. Homeschooling is not a decision to be entered into lightly. I have seen some families really excel (they were part of a local group FEFC (Families Educating For Christ). I would have joined except they would have required me to sign a statement that I believed in the Trinity, etc. which didn't work for me. I have also known well of families that said they were 'homeschooling' but everyone knew they weren't. They were pulled out of school with good intentions but not enough commitment to carry through and now these kids pay the price. Struggling to get their GED, sense of falling behind peers and a sense of personal failure, parents having let them down, etc.
If I remember right, though, your moving situation is tricky right now. A suggestion: You could take them out of school now (or soon) with plans to get them into another school again soon and then apply to 1-2 good magnet schools to get them on the waiting list so their name starts moving through the ranks. It is a way around the rule of having to stay in your zoned school if the lottery time has passed. Hopefully, you could get them into the school you want, but you would have a Plan A and Plan B in place. If the kids don't get into your school of choice before school starts again, you may get in after a week or two of school. Many parents have an alternate plan in place if they don't get their 1st pick. When they cancel in the first week or two of school or fewer kids show up than the school anticipated, new openings are available and the kids move through the list. After the 1st week or 2 though, kids who are already in a county public school have to stay where they are and are not allowed to move to a magnet school. BUT, kids in private or homeschool are allowed to jump into those openings because they are not in public school at the time. This lets you homeschool them and open up the possibility of choosing the school for your kids to go back into.
I have experience in a couple cirricula for reading and math if you would like to know more. Homeschooling is a great alternative if you are prepared and have plenty of support. I found that I was stressed a lot, had few outlets/supports in this endeavor and put on 15-20 pounds during this period of time (food was my emotional crutch- a not so healthy way of taking care of myself). I took B. out at that time because I felt they were not giving B. what we felt he needed based on his diagnosis. I know that as the middle school years approach, I will probably be revisiting the homeschool option again. I hated middle school and I do not look forward to that school transition for B., J. or K.
I hope this has been helpful. It all depends on what you feel your kids need and fortunately for us, the Lord will guide us in these decisions.
Good Luck,
Leslie- I just wanted to give you my advice on homeschooling. I think that you CAN do it and do it very well. I have no doubt in your ability. However, I think that if you decide to take that step you may want to see what groups are available to get your children the social outlet that I believe all children need. Also have you talked to the older girls about it and asked them? Another friend was in a similar situation and the child was able to give honest opionions about what she wanted. Good luck with whatever you do!
Hi Leslie! How are you? I just wanted to let you know that I home school my children and it is very rewarding. Hard work, but very rewarding. If you have any questions I would be happy to help. Have a happy day!
M.
Hey there sister
I think that homeschooling is a great idea IF AND ONLY IF both parents are on board with the program. If one is gun-ho and the other only so-so then I think that is a recipe for problems. Contention will arise in the marriage and the child or children will suffer, not only because of the added stress the child/children will feel because of the contentious parents but also the child/children might feel like they are the cause of the contention. Also, without the unification of the parents the childs education will suffer as well.
If both parents are on board then the parents must be committed to provide an education that is at least on par with the local school district. Otherwise the childs education suffers. With this commitment comes the parents ability to finance or pay for the cost of books and other materials. This can be mitigated by working with other homeschoolers.
If you and Robert can do this then I say go for it. Otherwise I would say do not do it.
Personally, Chelsea and I are excited about the idea of homeschooling our children.
Love,
Brian
Leslie,
That is an interesting question you pose. However, I'm not sure I have
enough information to even give you any advice. I know people who have been
very successful with home schooling and I know people with whom it has been
a disaster. Ultimately only you will know if you should or should not go
this direction. A few years ago I was considering this for one of my
children and I consulted with several people I knew who were successful at
home schooling. Here are some of the questions they asked me or I asked
myself at that time:
-Why are you considering home schooling?
-How long do you plan on home schooling?
-Are you going to home school all the kids or just one or two?
-How does home school fit with you and your children's relationships? This
ultimately was the deciding factor for me - I believe it would have hurt the
relationship between myself and my child due to both our personalities.
-Do you have something in place or in mind that will help the kids develop
social skills as well as learn from their peers as well as teach their
peers?
-Do you have something in place or in mind that will help them learn from
other adults?
-Do you have the finances for home schooling right now? Curriculum is
expensive and field trips and activities will cost some money.
-Do you have enough time to teach and meet the needs of ALL your kids if you
were to home school? Would you be available to your hubby when he needs you
as he finishes up his education? Right now his education is the most
important as it will allow him to provide for your family. Would you be
able to fulfill your callings and church service in a manner that is
pleasing to you and to the Lord?
-Would you have enough time to fill your own bucket so that you remain
strong for yourself as well as your family?
-If you plan on doing this long term, do you have a plan in place to help
them transition from the home school environment to a public classroom?
Public classrooms are very different and they will eventually need to have
these skills to attend college.
-If you plan on doing this long term, are you going to have them involved
with an accredited program so that they can receive a high school diploma?
I have a friend right now who's daughter is a senior. The program they have
done for the last ten years lost its accreditation last summer. She tried
going to the local high school for her senior year, but that did not work
because she was short so many required credits that it would have taken her
too long. She is now having to finish up her tough home schooling classes
in addition to attending a program in the evening to get her GED so that she
can apply to college. Because of this, she has now missed the college
admittance deadlines for next fall and will have to delay starting.
People are usually very opinionated on one side of the other with this
subject, so you should get some interesting feedback from your question.
Like I mentioned before, I think it is dependent on the child and the mother
as to whether this is a good idea and I think both need to revisit every
year whether it is still in the best interest of everyone involved to
continue. Hopefully these questions will give you something to consider as
you make your decision. If you would like more information I gathered or
want to know more about the people I know who have done this successfully
(or even those who have been unsuccessful), please let me know. You and
your family will be in my prayers. I pray that you will be guided as you
find your answer.
Love,
~K.
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