Education.
I picked up this book at the library the other day:
A few weeks ago, the husband and I were talking about homeschooling, not in a very serious way, just in a homeschooled-kids-are-pretty-smart kind of way. We wondered if it would work for our kids, so when I saw this book, I figured I'd read it and get the author's experience. I'm only about a quarter of the way through but I'm enjoying it so far. It makes me question whether I could do it or not.
My background is as an elementary-level teacher, so I have the skills to do the work of homeschooling; I just wonder if it would drive me crazy. I love my kids, but I do need a break from them, and if they were homeschooled, they would be home all the time. Right now Gus goes to a small church preschool that he loves. His teachers tell us how sweet he is, and what nice manners he has, which is great because he doesn't always display those at home. We know he's learning because he comes home saying things that we didn't teach him (in a good way). He likes the other kids and is always happy to see his friends. I think he will most likely be a kid that will do okay in a traditional system. Greta already wants to stay at preschool when we drop him off, so I'm hoping that she'll enjoy herself when she starts next year.
However, the traditional public school system doesn't always get the best marks for doing the best for kids. Having been in it, the whole system is a political mess, from government regulations to pandering to difficult parents. I want to make sure that my kids get the best education they can, and figuring out what that is will be interesting. If they were homeschooled, then I would know exactly what they were learning and how they were doing, but what if that isn't the best for them? What if they thrive in a regular classroom environment, and we take that away from them? So for now we'll have to wait and see.
We do talk about private school, since they don't have to follow the state standards, but we aren't exactly in a position to hand over many multiple thousands of dollars on school every year. One thing we did decide on is that we are perfectly okay if our kids decide not to go to college. Personally, I think there are too many people in college. It's not meant to be for everyone, yet everyone is expected to go. Also, it's really hard to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life when you are making that decision at 17- or 18-years-old. Right now Gus wants to be a construction worker, and that's great. We're all for it. If he changes his mind and wants to do something else, we'll be all for that. But I don't necessarily think college as it is now is the answer for everyone.
A few weeks ago, the husband and I were talking about homeschooling, not in a very serious way, just in a homeschooled-kids-are-pretty-smart kind of way. We wondered if it would work for our kids, so when I saw this book, I figured I'd read it and get the author's experience. I'm only about a quarter of the way through but I'm enjoying it so far. It makes me question whether I could do it or not.
My background is as an elementary-level teacher, so I have the skills to do the work of homeschooling; I just wonder if it would drive me crazy. I love my kids, but I do need a break from them, and if they were homeschooled, they would be home all the time. Right now Gus goes to a small church preschool that he loves. His teachers tell us how sweet he is, and what nice manners he has, which is great because he doesn't always display those at home. We know he's learning because he comes home saying things that we didn't teach him (in a good way). He likes the other kids and is always happy to see his friends. I think he will most likely be a kid that will do okay in a traditional system. Greta already wants to stay at preschool when we drop him off, so I'm hoping that she'll enjoy herself when she starts next year.
However, the traditional public school system doesn't always get the best marks for doing the best for kids. Having been in it, the whole system is a political mess, from government regulations to pandering to difficult parents. I want to make sure that my kids get the best education they can, and figuring out what that is will be interesting. If they were homeschooled, then I would know exactly what they were learning and how they were doing, but what if that isn't the best for them? What if they thrive in a regular classroom environment, and we take that away from them? So for now we'll have to wait and see.
We do talk about private school, since they don't have to follow the state standards, but we aren't exactly in a position to hand over many multiple thousands of dollars on school every year. One thing we did decide on is that we are perfectly okay if our kids decide not to go to college. Personally, I think there are too many people in college. It's not meant to be for everyone, yet everyone is expected to go. Also, it's really hard to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life when you are making that decision at 17- or 18-years-old. Right now Gus wants to be a construction worker, and that's great. We're all for it. If he changes his mind and wants to do something else, we'll be all for that. But I don't necessarily think college as it is now is the answer for everyone.
Where do you stand? Homeschool or not? Public or private? College or not?
