Homeschooled Kids Called “Demented” on The View
Yesterday on “The View” homeschooling came up in the Hot Topics discussion. The panel was discussing the schooling options for the president elect’s daughters, and home education came up as one option. Unfortunately, Joy Behar called homeschooled children “demented” during the segment, and a few homeschoolers on Twitter and some bloggers such as Barb at Back Door Homeschool Tools were offended. The discussion about homeschooling comes up at the 5:45 mark.
It saddens me that Joy Behar, an educator herself, would look down on the home education movement. She has been in the classroom and knows that not all children learn the same way. Children need different educational choices because each child is unique. Homeschooling provides children lots of flexibility that allows parents to meet their children’s needs. Sadly, Joy Behar does not see it that way.
Katie, at Moms in the Right, gave me a link to this article by John Taylor Gatto. It is a satirical piece, so please take it from that perspective. Overall, John Taylor Gotto sounds like an interesting author and educator. I plan to read some of his work.
Hopefully, home educators can continue to work towards changing stereotypical views about homeschooling. It is unfortunate when someone who has a powerful opinion makes comments that are both hurtful and untrue.
Filed under In the News, politics | Comments (5)Homeschool Mom: Persevering or Proving Herself
I just read a great article in “Christianity Today” about “dropping out” of homeschooling. It got me thinking that home education is a huge commitment and perfectionists like me might wrestle with the decision to continue homeschooling. As I was reading this article, I kept thinking that I often do not show myself any grace, and the mother in the article didn’t either. She talked about her struggle to let go of homeschooling. She wanted it to work even though nothing she was doing made things improve, and she clearly heard God telling her to send her children to public school. It can be difficult to distinguish between perseverance and the need to prove something to everyone else. Perseverance is good, but proving yourself to others is not.
My husband and I have decided this:
- We will think about and plan school one year at a time. It is impossible to think through all of the possibilities and determine what will be best for our children beyond that time frame.
- We will remember that each child is unique. Home education may be good for one child, but not good for another.
- We will work together as a team to educate our children. Ecclesiastes 4:9 tells us that we need each other. Hopefully that will help us make better decisions about our children’s education.
- We will pray about the direction of our home school. Right now we feel called to home educate our children next year full time, but God may have different plans after that. I want to follow His plan!
Show yourself some grace and pray. Homeschooling is hard work and rewarding. But if you find that home education is not working for your children, then investigate alternatives.
Filed under Homeschooling Life | Comment (1)Responding to Concerns about Homeschooling
Recently I have been talking with other moms about our decision to homeschool full time next school year - both kids. This seems like a big step for us since we are supplementing Montessori school right now. I know that we can do it, though. For some reason I have found it incredibly difficult to face those other moms when I tell them that. I think people think that we are weird.
I have a friend who just started homeschooling this year because she and her husband feel called by God to do that. She told me that although she is confident in their decision to homeschool, but she also finds it difficult to talk to other people about this decision. She also feels like people will think that they are weird and doesn’t know what to tell people. After some discussion about the topic, we came up with a couple of things you can tell people about your decision to homeschool.
- Our homeschool meets my children’s learning needs better than any other educational setting right now. I have more flexiblitity to try different curricula and methods to reach my children.
- We want to provide a Christian education for our children, but we cannot afford private school.
The other concern that others have when I talk about home education is about socialization. I have to wonder why socialization is the big concern and not the quality of the education that my kids get, but this is what I say:
- By not paying for school, we will have funds available to put towards dance class, horseback riding lessons, swimming lessons, and the like. These are the situations where my children will be involved in group learning experiences away from Mommy.
- We are active in our church, so my children are forming friendships with these children. This way I know the families already when we either host a play date or play at a friend’s house.
Some people are concerned about me doing too much. They talk about me needing a support system and a break, which I agree with. This is my response:
- I will find a co-op or just a group of other homeschoolers to talk to about our school and our joys ans trials.
- I will also continue attending Mom-to-Mom and my church’s women’s Bible study. I will either have to work with the Children’s Ministry Director or find an alternative form of child care for the children in order for me to be part of those groups, but I know that attending these programs is essential for me.
- My dear husband will also take charge of some ongoing math and science projects to work on with the children when he is home (in the evening, on the weekends, or on vacation). He will also discuss the curriculum with me. We plan to be partners in this endeavor!
What has your response been to well-meaning people when they raise concerns about home education?
Filed under Homeschooling Life | Comments (14)Unconventional Inspiration for Your Home School
One of my favorite things about home education is that I can use unconventional methods of teaching since my kids tend to respond to that. So I look for inspiration all over the place. Today I found my inspiration in the Christian Book Distributors catalog in the educational toys. I found dolls, action figures, puppets, costumes, a set of nesting/stacking blocks, magnetic play sets, and board games. All of these different means of teaching got me thinking about the variety of ways that I can reach my children while playing to their strengths. I have been thinking about how the toys could work to help my children learn important concepts. These ideas are great ways to work with kinesthetic and visual learners.
Improve Reading Comprehension: Dolls, action figures, and puppets can help with reading comprehension. Have your child retell stories using these props. You can use that as an assessment tool, too, because you’ll clearly see what your child understood about the story. Your children can also use costumes to act out scenes from books.
Reinforce Mathematics, Motor, and Language Skills: Stacking/nesting blocks teach your child about volume and ordering items from smallest to largest and vice versa. Also the conversations that you have describing the blocks and what you are doing with them will develop language skills. If your blocks have pictures on them, you can create stories or retell stories (particularly if your bloacks are related to a certain story such as Christmas). Stacking and nesting requires a fair amount of motor skills. The list goes on!
Reinforce Science Concepts, Language, and Motor Skills: Magnets are so much fun for children to play with. They learn about what magnets will and won’t “stick” to. Children can tell stories with magnetic play sets. Magnetic words can be used to build sentences, write poems, and learn vocabulary. The other great thing about these play sets is that they can be reused and no worksheets are required.
Build Memory Skills: Board games are fun, but they also have a repetitive nature to them, so they help you to memorize information without boring your child. It is also a great way to spend time with your child.
This unconventional inspiration has helped me to think outside of the box and meet my children’s educational needs better.
Filed under Homeschooling Life | Comment (1)Home Education: Not My Idol
As a home educator, I think that my priorities are in order. My curriculum is good. My home school is progressive; I try new things. I home educate because I am good at teaching.
They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’ Exodus 32:8
I have noticed that I am walking the fine line of making my role as a mother and home educator into my “golden calf”, an idol. I build my identity, in part at least, around these roles. Being at home and educating my own children puts me in a vulnerable place because all day that is what I am focused on.
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. Exodus 20:4
I see the idolatry pattern throughout my history and still feel the effects of that sin. I was a classroom teacher. For most of my life I knew that I was going to teach. I identified myself as a teacher and built my life around that role. i spent long hours preparing my classroom, grading papers, preparing lessons, and the list goes on. I poured my heart and soul into work. My home life suffered as a result. I was not exercising or eating right. I was getting home late. I had no time to be with friends. I fell into a depression. I was not a Christian yet. This is the sin that actually brought me to Christ, so I can see how it is my achilles heel. So what do I do about that?
Developing deep, meaningful friendships has helped me. My friends help me to focus on someone else. I am reminded that it is not all about me. It helps to be with just adults and talk about current events and beyond. My friends also help me to stop taking myself so seriously. Life is fun and interesting. Also God created a beautiful place for us all to enjoy. Getting out into the beautiful world helps me to see the possibilities and gets my creativity going. Most importantly I spend time with God. I fail at this a lot, but when I am on track with it, my quiet time centers me on Christ. It puts me in my place as God’s servant. It reminds my that I do not need an idol. I have a living God who loves me and wants to have a personal relationship with me.
’Do not turn to idols or make gods of cast metal for yourselves. I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 19:4
I have to remember that my identity comes from God, and I am home educating my children for Him to bring Him glory and serve His kingdom. He may call me to serve in another way in the future, but for now, He wants me right where I am - homeschooling. This is a calling, not a choice for me.
Filed under Homeschooling Life | Comments (2)
