Homeschoolers: Who ARE We?

[Gonz]

This was written by my sons first grade teacher. My wife received a copy in her email today.

Homeschoolers: Who ARE We?


We are thin, we are fat, we are curved, we are straight. We come in all
colors, all shapes and all sizes. We believe that One Size Fits No one.

We are married and single, separated, blended. We belong to small families,
large families, extended families. We live in the country, in the city, on
farms, in suburbs, in apartments. Wherever we live, small people are there.

We are Christian, we are Pagan, we are Moslem, we are Atheist. We have
found the answers, we have found part of the answers, we are searching for
the answers. And some of us have not yet figured out the questions.

We are college graduates, we are dropouts. We are doctors, lawyers,
mechanics and laborers. We are capable. We are Professional Educational
Facilitators. We are THE experts for the small people in our family.

We are liberal or conservative or walk a road in between. We are Republicans
and Democrats...or not...and libertarians to greater or lesser extent. Some
of us don't vote at all, and some of us feel by virtue of our increased
awareness, we should be allowed to vote more than once!

We do not like government control of our lives. Some of us Do Not Like It
and some of us DO NOT LIKE IT. Some of us do not believe that any entity
should have that much power. Others believe only their Favorite Flavor
should have that kind of power.

We have rejected the public school system for religious reasons or political
reasons, or because our standards were higher, or because we value
creativity, or because we were round pegs hammered into square holes. Some
of us rejected public school knowing we could do better, and some of us knew
only that we could do no worse.

We have school at home, we deschool, we unschool. Some of us are
passionately convinced that our method is not only the best but the only
feasible method. Some of us change our methods weekly.

We are nervous, we are confused, we are confident, we are assured. We read
and read and read until one day, lo and behold, we are able to write the
books we have been reading. We stop clinging so fiercely to those who have
taught and supported us, and offer ourselves to those who are now turning to
us, with a brief passing interval during which we ask ourselves the question
"Why are they asking ME?"

We have been taught that "United we stand, divided we fall", and we have
learned that Diverse does not have to equal Divided. We have a foundation,
and that foundation must run the length and breadth. We must all make a
conscious choice to stand upon it.

For whatever our size, our flavor, our method, our value system, we believe
that parents have the right to raise their children, and that right includes
each and every educational decision. If we attempt to use any other tenet
as our foundation, we will fall.

If we will not waver in that belief, if we will not dilute it with questions
about the ability of people with orange-and-purple hair, or people who don't
clean house to our standards, or people with no education, or people who do
not share our religious or political beliefs, or our cultural values, or
people who use other methods, then we will stand...diverse, but united.
©2001 Cathy Henderson

 

[Nixy]

If your son is homeschooled how does he have a first grade teacher? Wouldn't said teacher be your wife? As thus by that logic wouldn't your wife have sent that to herself?

 

[Inkara1]

Homeschool programs are run through the school district. There's a teacher you have to meet with periodically to turn in work, get new work, make sure the kid's learning the right stuff, etc. so that the district is sure you're meeting the state standards before it certifies you.

 

[Luis G]

How do they grade the children?
How do they get elementary/secondary/high school certificates? (I doubt there are bachelors homeschooled)

 

[Gonz]

He went to public school 1st - 3rd grade. He'l be in 6th next year.

Not here Inky. NO teacher approval, no certification, no state interference whatsoever.

Luis, we are the school. We provide all needs.

 

[Luis G]

Luis, we are the school. We provide all needs.

So when your kid applies to college and they ask for a high-school certificate, he hands over a letter signed by daddy?

Is there no official documents to certify your education?

 

[Nixy]

So when your kid applies to college and they ask for a high-school certificate, he hands over a letter signed by daddy?

Is there no official documents to certify your education?

I assume if he chooses to be homeschooled through all of highschool he would write the SATs and a highschool equivalency exam for college entrance purposes

 

[Gonz]

We provide a certificate...


Graduate of ABC Academy or something similar. They need SATs to get into college...the diploma is a technicality.

 

[Gonz]

I assume if he chooses to be homeschooled through all of highschool he would write the SATs and a highschool equivalency exam for college entrance purposes

That's also an option.

 

[PrincessLissa]

I think that people who are able to homeschool should have every right to without people getting in their way. As long as those who choose to homeschool also make sure that their children gain socialization skills. I am not qualified to homeschool my child and I know this. Her school is pretty good and I am kept very closely in the loop. One thing however is that I am thinking of switching school districts as the standarized testing in her school and grade is outrageous! We spent over half her teacher conference going over standarized tests.

 

[rrfield]

One of my brothers is a sophomore in high school now. He was home schooled through the 8th grade. He was ahead of his peers in every subject his freshman year, most significantly in grammar and writting skills.

Another brother was home schooled for 7th and 8th grade. In elementary school he was labeled a trouble maker, received bad grades and was made an example of by a handful of teachers. Once he got to high school, after 2 years of home schooling, he was back even with his peers in math and science and well ahead of them in grammar and writting.

I read somewhere that Indiana #2 on the list of "home school friendly states" behind Alaska, or some other state i don't really remember right now. Indiana University offers an accredited high school diploma for students and parents who feel the need to have an accredited sheep skin. (Gonz, I bet you can get something similar from IPFW if you care ) I think the student has to pass a test or 3 and get a predetermined score on the SAT or ACT.

From what I have seen, home schooling works. It may not be for everyone, but then again neither is public education.

 

[Gonz]

It may not be for everyone, but then again neither is public education.

Absolutely.

 

[Mare]

Absolutely.

Gonz, what exactely do you teach them, example: science, social studies, math, P.E.??? Do you supply him with books, and where do you get them? Does he have actually homework? And one most important question that I ask, Does he like being homeschooled? and does he participate in outdoor activities with other children in the neighborhood? (football-soccer-etc...).
I'm not trying to be a smart-ass or anything, i'm just trying to understand the method behind home-schooling.

My cousin homeschooled her daughter, she went as far to not even get her immunized, which i think is wrong-thats why we have polio, measles, etc....still lingering around these days!

 

[Gonz]

Math, history, geography, spelling, language arts, science-standard curriculum...there are tons of homeschool book companies. Saxon math is an especially good one. Today, my wife (I may go) is going to a homeschooling book fair, here in town. There is a used book fair in June, we have links to several companies, for mix-n-match lessons. My wife & son go to the local "teachers aid" store here in town on a regular basis & pick up workbooks & other assorted do-dads to stay busy.

Yes he participates with the other kids. Most of them are older than he & like sports, which he's never cared for. My kid & his friends walk the streets with plastic swords (or sticks or home-made weapons) pretending to save Gondor from itself or saving the Universe using "the force". Or they sit on the porch & play gameboy or ride bikes.

There are levels of homeschooling...depending upon the parents. The range is from "no-school" style all the way to classrooms set up in the house. There are highly religious books sets & atheist book sets & stuff in between.

Your cousin was an idiot. However, more & more people are following that line of action.

 

[Mare]

Your cousin was an idiot. However, more & more people are following that line of action.

You mean about the immunizations? I TOTALLY agree with ya there! I personally think every child/person needs immunizations!

It sounds kewl what you and your wife are doing though. I give you both ALOT of credit for homeschooling. Personally, I, don't think i would have the patience to do that. And from the sounds of it, your son likes it, its great he gets involved with your wife in going to the fairs.

One more important question for ya? Do you have to pay for all the books and supplies for homeschooling? Do you get any type of help or funding for doing this?

 

[Gonz]

We pay for them. Why ask for help from the same people we're trying to avoid

 

[Gonz]

From Pam Hynes:
I told an old friend from high school how my son was able to progress in each subject at his own rate. She earnestly replied,

"What if he learns it
all before he finishes high school?"

Some more silliness to share

Dumb statements about homeschooling

From Kara Becker:
Our realtor learned we were home schooling. She commented about the lack
of social development that would result, but tried to still be positive by adding, "Even though they couldn't be realtors, thank goodness that there are lot of jobs out there which don't require people
skills."

From the Austin family:
A stranger said, "Don't you think your children are being deprived of the thrill of buying school supplies at Wal-Mart when everyone else does?"

From Angela Blackman:
A friend who is a paralegal at a very busy law firm said, "How can you ever
think you can keep up with having four kids at home? Don't they just run you off your feet? I'd be exhausted by the end of the day."

From Pamela Minerd:
My father asked, "Will I have to bail you out of jail for this?"

From MDT:
My neighbor was picking my brain about getting the public school to challenge her first grader. She was concerned because my first grader was already reading while her son of the same age was just learning the sounds of letters. Nonetheless she challenged my home schooling saying my son would still miss out. "It's important for him socially too. He needs to be offered drugs so he can turn them down."

From Marci Zinn:
A family member said, "You are just doing this for yourself so you won't
have to buy the kids any school clothes."

From MDT:
A friend asked, "Do you use books?"

From Rose Mary Coffey:
When my husband told his mother that we were going to home school, she replied, "What makes Rose Mary think she has the right to teach my grandchildren?" (Mike: It's in the same clause of the Constitution which gives grandmas the right to feed cookies and candy to the grandkids an hour before being sent home for dinner.)

From the Karoutsos Family:
My six year old son was very fidgety in the dentist's chair. Afterwards the dentist spoke to me and told me of his fidgetiness and said, "Your son did not sit still. It is possibly due to the fact that you home school him."

From Pam Hynes:
I told an old friend from high school how my son was able to progress in each subject at his own rate. She earnestly replied, "What if he learns it all before he finishes high school?"

From the Austin family:
A female public school teacher said, "Your son will turn out to be much too feminine or gay because you home school him. Being with his mother so much is not good for boys."

From Laurie Winkelmann:
I took my daughter to a podiatrist who specialized in treating plantar warts. I asked how children contracted these warts. He told me that they often come from locker rooms or swimming pools. When I told him that since we home school it wouldn't be a locker room, but we do take a swimming class, he replied, "Yup, home schooling, that certainly explains it."

THIS WEEK'S WINNER

From Dawn Howey:
A Christian friend, "God didn't homeschool Jesus, He sent Him away to school."

The Dumbest Thing YOU Ever Heard, Part 2

From Susan Shay:
"Won't they miss out on learning a lot of important stuff? I mean, how will they ever learn to stand in line?"

From Tracy Pina:
An acquaintance said, "Every kid has to get beat up a few times in public school or they won't be able to cope in the real world."

From Clarence and Barbara Hawkins:
A home school family in our town took their school days off in the middle of the week to match the father's job schedule. Some nosey neighbors had the family investigated for home schooling on Saturday!

From MDT:
A friend said, "MY child is being a light in a dark place, but I guess SOME children are not able to do that."

From Michelle Nichols:
A woman asked a home school friend of mine, "If you don't send your children to school, who is going to teach them their morals?"

From Barb Palmer:
Our girls' friends from the neighborhood ask, "If you are home schooled, who teaches you?"

From the Austin family:
A friend said, "Won't your children miss the experience of the goods and bads of dating people from other cultural and religious backgrounds?"

From Char Brady:
A mother from my daughter's former public school class said, "If you were more involved in your child's education, then you wouldn't have to home school."

From MDT:
An acquaintance asked, "How can you possibly give them enough one-on-one time?"

From "Ozchick":
A friend asked me what we were going to do during a public school snow day. I replied that we were going ahead with school. The friend replied, "That's silly. Why make your kids work since no one will be around to grade their papers?" (Not to be outdone, that same friend heard me describe how I was teaching my children baking from the Colonial period. A recent project was making a cake from scratch. She replied, "Where can I buy a box of scratch, I've never heard of it?")

From Dana Estes:
A friend said, "I could NEVER home school my children. I can't imagine spending that much time with them." She is a public school teacher.

AND THIS WEEK'S WINNER:

From Cherie Oliver:
My daughter was born three months early and had severe brain damage. We were told to put her in a home and forget about her. At the age of three the state said that "special" children needed to be sent to the public school system so that they could get the classes they needed. When I told them I was going to home school my daughter, the school worker came unglued. She said, "But the state can make her into a better, more dependent entity."
My daughter is now a first grader who reads, writes, and does all the other first grader things. She is the most independent six year-old I know.

From Nancy Persaud
(although this comment is not within the rules of the contest as Nancy recognized, it is too good to pass up): >From a 5th grade geography textbook, "Maps are smaller than the areas they represent."