So why do you homeschool?
It's a question I hear often. Usually I give a quick off-the-cuff answer. Sometimes, people really do want to hear the whole answer. So for those people, here it is!
As a little bit of background, my husband went to public school his entire life and felt like he spent a lot of that time downplaying his above-average intelligence so he could 'fit in' with the rest of the kids. This is the type of 'socialization' many people refer to as an argument for traditional schooling! My own experience was a little different. I went to military schools until my family moved to China at 8 yrs old and the only options were communist public school or homeschool. After being pretty appalled with the robotic first option my parents opted for the second when we found another family to homeschool with. We used the Calvert curriculum. I have such fond memories of that time and the freedom we had to create things like a dance studio, a detective agency, an animal hatchery, a club house, a cooking club, not to mention all the academics. That was only for a year and half and then it was back to public school until 10 grade when we went overseas again and did private schools. I was grateful to have a wide variety of experiences, but I really do believe the homeschool gave me the best kind of learning out of all of it.
So, we choose to homeschool because...
1. We feel our children's hearts and minds will grow and develop best in an environment that is rich in the essential 'nutrients' they need - e.g. of love of and faith in God, obedience, service, discipline, virtue, hard work, leadership, and self-reliance. Everything we do in our family is focused on creating this learning-rich environment. Many of these elements are sadly lacking (even legally banned) from implementation in traditional classrooms.
2. We want our children to have the right balance of structure, space and freedom they need to explore and discover what they are passionate about, and make connections at their own pace. We believe the purpose of education is much more than simply being able to test well or get high grades, accolades, or even go to college or get a job. It is the pathway to discovering and fulfilling our potential as children of God. As parent-educators we are the ones most in tune with how each child learns and can individually tailor our teaching to them.
3. We want the right kind of socialization for our children. Much of the socialization that happens in traditional school settings is distracting and poorly monitored at best. Being 'above the curve' is often discouraged, if not by teachers then by peers. The learning environment at home allows parents and siblings to develop their primary social bonds with each other first, and friends second, and to encourage children to pursue their passions where the sky is the limit!
4. I believe in classical education and few places that are affordable will really provide that these days.
5. (this is the selfish one) We want to have more time together as a family. Children have such a short time at home before they are off in the world fending for themselves!
What excites me the most is when my children have a whole barrage of questions about things they are curious about and I can say "I don't know, but let's find the answer together!" and then we take an hour or a week or more learning as much as we can about it. Or when Natalie decides to teach her brother something and he picks it up way faster and more enjoyably than if I had tried to drill it into him. Those are the 'magical moments' that make the hard times worth it.
Like every human homeschooler, I do still waver at times in our decision and feel overwhelmed and inadequate for the task. I struggle with the tendency to want to control things like a traditional teacher in a classroom and have to keep reminding myself to relax and just let go of flawed models!
My husband reminds me that no decision is permanent and that seasons might change. There may be a time and place where more traditional school would be a good idea for some of our children (as it has been for some of our friends at different times). But for now, I know that as we have researched, studied, prayed and acted on our desires to homeschool - we have seen wonderful things happen in our family this year. Our relationships with each other and with each of our children have grown tremendously.
We are so grateful for the support of a loving Heavenly Father, extended family and an extensive network of friends and veteran homeschoolers in this journey. We are fortunate to have an almost overwhelming amount (seriously, way more than I have the time to utilize!) of resources and networking opportunities in our area.
So...that's my answer, for anyone that wanted to know! Now it's time to venture into another day of learning with my kids! Woo hoo!!
As a little bit of background, my husband went to public school his entire life and felt like he spent a lot of that time downplaying his above-average intelligence so he could 'fit in' with the rest of the kids. This is the type of 'socialization' many people refer to as an argument for traditional schooling! My own experience was a little different. I went to military schools until my family moved to China at 8 yrs old and the only options were communist public school or homeschool. After being pretty appalled with the robotic first option my parents opted for the second when we found another family to homeschool with. We used the Calvert curriculum. I have such fond memories of that time and the freedom we had to create things like a dance studio, a detective agency, an animal hatchery, a club house, a cooking club, not to mention all the academics. That was only for a year and half and then it was back to public school until 10 grade when we went overseas again and did private schools. I was grateful to have a wide variety of experiences, but I really do believe the homeschool gave me the best kind of learning out of all of it.
So, we choose to homeschool because...
1. We feel our children's hearts and minds will grow and develop best in an environment that is rich in the essential 'nutrients' they need - e.g. of love of and faith in God, obedience, service, discipline, virtue, hard work, leadership, and self-reliance. Everything we do in our family is focused on creating this learning-rich environment. Many of these elements are sadly lacking (even legally banned) from implementation in traditional classrooms.
2. We want our children to have the right balance of structure, space and freedom they need to explore and discover what they are passionate about, and make connections at their own pace. We believe the purpose of education is much more than simply being able to test well or get high grades, accolades, or even go to college or get a job. It is the pathway to discovering and fulfilling our potential as children of God. As parent-educators we are the ones most in tune with how each child learns and can individually tailor our teaching to them.
3. We want the right kind of socialization for our children. Much of the socialization that happens in traditional school settings is distracting and poorly monitored at best. Being 'above the curve' is often discouraged, if not by teachers then by peers. The learning environment at home allows parents and siblings to develop their primary social bonds with each other first, and friends second, and to encourage children to pursue their passions where the sky is the limit!
4. I believe in classical education and few places that are affordable will really provide that these days.
5. (this is the selfish one) We want to have more time together as a family. Children have such a short time at home before they are off in the world fending for themselves!
What excites me the most is when my children have a whole barrage of questions about things they are curious about and I can say "I don't know, but let's find the answer together!" and then we take an hour or a week or more learning as much as we can about it. Or when Natalie decides to teach her brother something and he picks it up way faster and more enjoyably than if I had tried to drill it into him. Those are the 'magical moments' that make the hard times worth it.
Like every human homeschooler, I do still waver at times in our decision and feel overwhelmed and inadequate for the task. I struggle with the tendency to want to control things like a traditional teacher in a classroom and have to keep reminding myself to relax and just let go of flawed models!
My husband reminds me that no decision is permanent and that seasons might change. There may be a time and place where more traditional school would be a good idea for some of our children (as it has been for some of our friends at different times). But for now, I know that as we have researched, studied, prayed and acted on our desires to homeschool - we have seen wonderful things happen in our family this year. Our relationships with each other and with each of our children have grown tremendously.
We are so grateful for the support of a loving Heavenly Father, extended family and an extensive network of friends and veteran homeschoolers in this journey. We are fortunate to have an almost overwhelming amount (seriously, way more than I have the time to utilize!) of resources and networking opportunities in our area.
So...that's my answer, for anyone that wanted to know! Now it's time to venture into another day of learning with my kids! Woo hoo!!
I am really grateful you posted this Marcie. I like the detailed insight it provides to your decision.
ReplyDelete