pudge's Journal: Homeschooling

Amen, brotha.

His characterizations do not represent our family exactly, but it's pretty close. We are no extremists, wishing to close off our children from the world. Our concern on these grounds are more allowing the line of "achiev[ing] consistent moreal training," as well as avoiding the silly politics of public education, which just get in the way.

I probably don't love learning as much as most professors do -- though we do love it -- and we certainly don't love to teach as much as they do. But these are our children, and we teach them all day long, every day.

Also, our memories of our own public education were not as traumatic as theirs, though they were traumatic. I was teased a lot in junior high, but I eventually got past it through force of will. My wife and I are of personality types that we don't let the haters get us down, for the most part, but the negativity still is a drag, even if it is not traumatic, and why expose my child to that? Then there's the academic trauma: either being bored, or being overwhelmed. Either way, you end up resenting the whole affair.

Without a doubt, the biggest reason we homeschool is to provide far greater educational opportunity with far less wasted time. But a clear second is to simply avoid the negativity -- both social and academic -- that almost inevitably comes from public school.

Interesting Article

[rholliday]

It really puts a good light on homeschooling. Although I wondered about this point:
"... high-school graduates are not really prepared for college, either academically or emotionally."

I'm not entirely sure what he means by "emotionally." Does this factor in socially? And what about home schooling would prepare someone for college "emotionally" more than public school?

He also mentions that they will home school "... at least until they are old enough for high school.

Re:Interesting Article

[pudge]

And what about home schooling would prepare someone for college "emotionally" more than public school?

Giving them more responsibility, and otherwise preparing them to act and be treated like adults.

He also mentions that they will home school "... at least until they are old enough for high school." What happens then?

That's a personal question, that only he can answer.

If intelligent children can be as bad off in the public school system as he describes, how well will they fare when dropped straight into high

Re:Interesting Article

[rholliday]

You didn't note what I said about the sheltering later in the comment. I didn't mean sheltered from the world, I meant sheltered from what they would be dropped in the midst of if they went into high school. I understand that he may decide to home school them straight to college, I'm just surprised he's considering not doing that. Being exposed to more diverse ideas and people will prepare them for the college atmosphere, I'm not convinced it would help them in high school.

Home schooling is not active sh

Re:Interesting Article

[pudge]

I didn't mean sheltered from the world, I meant sheltered from what they would be dropped in the midst of if they went into high school.

And I did address this: it depends on the individual child.

I understand that he may decide to home school them straight to college, I'm just surprised he's considering not doing that.

And I am surprised you think he's not!

Inane

[jdavidb]

Wow; what an inane way to run a news website. If you follow the link now, you get a message that says, "Please note that articles forwarded by e-mail from our site expire after five days." Now, admittedly, it's pretty inane to use a site "email this link" feature when you could just ... er ... email the link, but still.