Homeschoolers

[Sai]

I'd be scared to home school my kids. I dunno if i would have the patience.

[TheDrunkenNinja]

I was only homeschooled in second grade, because usually my parents don't believe in the curriculum (sp?) of public schools, and we didn't have enough for a private school that year.

[ZiP]

Homeschooling is good overall I think, but you don't want to isolate your kids from the outside. Homeschooling tends to have that effect. I can see it from the other homeschoolers I know. If I homeschool my children, I'll be sure to involve them in plenty of social activities.

[GrubbTheFragger]

if i ever homeschooled my children i also make sure they get to have a social life of sorts

[Yumie]

Just enroll them in a swim team for a few summers, and then, if their experience was anything like mine, they won't mind being anti-social!

I kid, I kid. But seriously, even the best attempts to socialize kids can have bad outcomes. I know. So just make sure that whatever attempts you make to get your kids into social activities, listen to what they have to say about it. I felt more isolated with my swim team then I did alone in my own house. Pathetic, ne? :-P

[Wave]

I personally feel that the socialization I got as a home-schooler was much more beneficial in my social development than any of the socialization I got at public school. I was part of a very neat teen group made up of other home-schoolers. We did all sort of fun stuff! When I went to college, I observed a very distinct difference between the way my class mates and the home-schoolers interacted. My class mates constantly tore each other down, made fun of each other, and played tit-for-tat games. But in the home-school teen group there was practically nun of that. The home-schooler were so much more exepting of peoples differences and quite frankly much more mature.

[the_lizardqueen]

I felt more isolated with my swim team then I did alone in my own house. Pathetic, ne? :-P

Ugh, I hate it when that happens! Trust me, I know the feeling. I've even experienced it at church, which can be really disheartening. Teens can be brutally unaware of those outside of their cliques. On the bright side, due to my own experiences of being isolated, I tend to go completely out of my way to zero in on quiet people and drag 'em into the fray. Sometimes I wonder if I'm scaring them though ^^;

As for homeschooling and socializing, my mother managed to connect with about six other homeschooling families from our church and we formed a group of sorts. Because of that group, I had four friends my age that were homeschooling during Junior High. I was the only one that continued homeschooling through High School but by that point I was so buried in academics that I didn't really notice the lack of fellow homeschoolers. And I still had my youth group and art classes.

I also was able to play violin with a casual orchestra and choir because of homeschooling. I was one of the only teens in the group, but I met my best friend there (she's two years younger). I also got to hang out with tons of really cool people who ranged in age from twenty to the late fifties. It was definitely different from school, in which everyone is the same age as you. I also had a hoot hanging out with the junior violinists, even though some of them were alot younger than me ^.^

I think because of homeschooling, I learned to overlook age differences really early on. People are people, regardless of how old or young they are.

[Linksquest]

I was homeschooled from 1-4 grade, 7th grade, and 9-10th grade. haha, don't ask. The freedom of doing school at home is something that will work for only certain types of people. For me, I need a more structured environment, one that I could get at public school from teachers who weren't my parents. It's just the way I am, I guess.

[Yumie]

[quote="the_lizardqueen"]Ugh, I hate it when that happens! Trust me, I know the feeling. I've even experienced it at church, which can be really disheartening. Teens can be brutally unaware of those outside of their cliques. On the bright side, due to my own experiences of being isolated, I tend to go completely out of my way to zero in on quiet people and drag 'em into the fray. Sometimes I wonder if I'm scaring them though ^^]

Exactly! Me and Osaka are like that too-- any time somebody new comes into our youth group, we make it our responsibility to make sure they feel welcome. It's a good thing to learn to do, even if the process of learning it stinks. XD

[Snow White]

Yeah I never felt happy in my youth group. I think Satan liked pushing my buttons about that. But God has blessed me now, and that is what I look forward too.
After 8th grade I was homeschooled and had a very budding social life.
Homeschooling myths:
1) no social life- That is a lie. I had more friends and groupies than in school where people made fun of me and were scared of me. Dont ask.
2) Homeschoolers have a hard time getting in to college- Bull. Take the ACT/ GED and you can enter. Infact, by GOD'S BLESSING, I just got accepted into a very hard nursing program. Lord help me for what is to come.*beyond giddy*
3) Homeschoolers live in the country- nope, we are EVERYWHERE.
4) Homeschoolers are rich- apparently you haven't met my family. We are rich in blessings though. It was only my Mom raising us so we didnt have a big in come. But ebay, ecampus, amazon all have a used book section and even some of the schools sell their old books pretty low- not to mention other homeschoolers.
5) Homeschoolers have to be taught my parents- Whatever, if you can read you can be homeschooled. Math is another story though.

Teen Pact, Girl's State, Coastal Retreats, and 4-H, are some of the "clubs" that I enjoied.

[That Dude]

Homeschoolers aren't rich?!! Well that explains why my family is a lot closer to the poverty side of things than the rich side...All six of us children in my family were/are homeschooled.

[Kenshin17]

Homeschooling rocks. I was homeschooled from first grade all the way through high school. I personally think that homeschooling isn't just a cool idea its biblical. After all a parent is supposed see to their childs education not the government.

I plan to know the girl I will marry by the fact that she will be willing to homeschool our children. If she is not then she isn't the girl for me.

I look at the decrepide state of the modern public school and I just shudder. A parent shouldn't fear for their childs life when they send them to school, nor should they have to worry about their purity being challanged or worse.

I took the placement exam for my local college and the advisor took one look at the grades and wanted to know why I wasn't full time. I sleeped through College Algebra and I have yet to read any of my college books. I have 3 B's and a whole lotta A's and my GPA before this year was 3.891.

Homeschooling takes responisbility and its time consuming but as a parent you know exactly what you child is learning. I look at public schools and I just can't understand why people insist its better. Boggles my mind.

[mechana2015]

I sleeped through College Algebra and I have yet to read any of my college books. I have 3 B's and a whole lotta A's and my GPA before this year was 3.891.

Nice to know you're doing good in math, hows your english class going...

(Don't be getting so down on all us pub-schoolers so much, were not as dumb as we look... usually.)

[Puritan]

I look at the decrepide state of the modern public school and I just shudder. A parent shouldn't fear for their childs life when they send them to school, nor should they have to worry about their purity being challanged or worse. ... I look at public schools and I just can't understand why people insist its better. Boggles my mind.

I have to say, modern public schools are hardly decrepit, and your idea that parents have to fear for their children's lives and purity at school is generally incorrect. Admitted, not all of them are wonderful and some public schools cause problems for parents and children, but there are many excellent public schools out there and I've been to several of them. I think that it is perfectly responsible for a parent to send their children to public school provided the parent takes an active role in their children's education. If a parent is actively involved they can protect a child and help teach them Christian principles even if the child is in an environment hostile to them (and not all public schools are hostile to Christianity). I've seen homeschooled children get into terrible things and turn from their parents, and I've seen public school children have a positive effect on their peers and bring the light of Christ to those around them. I think both school types can be effective (and I've experienced effective homeschooling, public schooling, and private schooling), and my experience indicates that which type of schooling is best depends on the area the parents live and the personalities of their children.

Please try not to condemn a country-wide school system so quickly. It isn't perfect, but it has provided education to millions of people and it continues to teach the majority of the people in this country. Homeschooling your children is a great thing if done correctly, but it isn't the only option or always the best option.

[the_lizardqueen]

Please try not to condemn a country-wide school system so quickly. It isn't perfect, but it has provided education to millions of people and it continues to teach the majority of the people in this country. Homeschooling your children is a great thing if done correctly, but it isn't the only option or always the best option.

Very true, the school system definitely shouldn't be slammed. The reason that my parents chose to homeschool had nothing to do with fear for their children or morality though. Many families homeschool because their children cannot learn within the school system. Teachers often have a difficult time modifying their teaching to suit students that learn differently. Each student has an individual way of learning, some kids are hands-on learners, while others learn best by listening or writing, etc. Unfortunately, some kids can't adapt to learning in the same manner as their peers and they get lost in the crowd.

By the end of Grade Two, my brother could hardly read or write and he was at risk of being held back. He had a wonderful teacher that often set aside time to help him but the fact of the matter is, she still had another 25 other students to teach. In the end, my mother had to withdraw him from school and take over his education. We later had my brother tested and discovered that he had dysgraphia, fortunately my mom was able to structure her teaching style around his strengths and weaknesses. If he had remained in the school system, my brother would have been held back and his self-esteem probably would have suffered.

But due to homeschooling, he's now an avid writer with an obnoxious tendency towards big words ('cause they make him look impressive ^_~) He also reads classic novels for the heck of it, which is pretty odd for a seventeen-year-old guy. It hasn't been easy, but I think homeschooling was definitely worth it in his case.

And me, I just homeschooled because I got jealous of my brother being able to go the zoo and ride his bike while I was cooped up in a classroom ^^;

[Wave]

Yeah I never felt happy in my youth group. I think Satan liked pushing my buttons about that. But God has blessed me now, and that is what I look forward too.
After 8th grade I was homeschooled and had a very budding social life.
Homeschooling myths:
1) no social life- That is a lie. I had more friends and groupies than in school where people made fun of me and were scared of me. Dont ask.
2) Homeschoolers have a hard time getting in to college- Bull. Take the ACT/ GED and you can enter. Infact, by GOD'S BLESSING, I just got accepted into a very hard nursing program. Lord help me for what is to come.*beyond giddy*
3) Homeschoolers live in the country- nope, we are EVERYWHERE.
4) Homeschoolers are rich- apparently you haven't met my family. We are rich in blessings though. It was only my Mom raising us so we didnt have a big in come. But ebay, ecampus, amazon all have a used book section and even some of the schools sell their old books pretty low- not to mention other homeschoolers.
5) Homeschoolers have to be taught my parents- Whatever, if you can read you can be homeschooled. Math is another story though.

Teen Pact, Girl's State, Coastal Retreats, and 4-H, are some of the "clubs" that I enjoied.

YAA! *high five's*

All said and do it's a free country. Parents are free to choses home schooling or public school. Some parents will chose to home school there children, others will not, and its good that way.

wave.

[The Last Bard]

I'm still homeschool. Just two more years...

[Yumie]

Homeschooling rocks. I was homeschooled from first grade all the way through high school. I personally think that homeschooling isn't just a cool idea its biblical. After all a parent is supposed see to their childs education not the government.

I plan to know the girl I will marry by the fact that she will be willing to homeschool our children. If she is not then she isn't the girl for me.

I look at the decrepide state of the modern public school and I just shudder. A parent shouldn't fear for their childs life when they send them to school, nor should they have to worry about their purity being challanged or worse.

I took the placement exam for my local college and the advisor took one look at the grades and wanted to know why I wasn't full time. I sleeped through College Algebra and I have yet to read any of my college books. I have 3 B's and a whole lotta A's and my GPA before this year was 3.891.

Homeschooling takes responisbility and its time consuming but as a parent you know exactly what you child is learning. I look at public schools and I just can't understand why people insist its better. Boggles my mind.

That's a little harsh, I think. I'm homeschooled, I think it's great-- but I don't condemn public schooling. Because I have friends who public schooled and got a great education. See, anybody who's dedicated to learning can learn. There are hard classes for the committed kids, and sure, some kids will still sit back, do nothing, and wind up slipping between the cracks, but honestly, do you think they'd do any better at home? If you are lazy and you don't want to work hard at your education, then it won't matter what setting you're in. I have a friend who homeschools because she skipped school so many times that her mom almost got arrested. Do you think she works hard at home? Nope. She sits on the computer all day and rots her brains out. So if I were you I wouldn't be so quick to condemn one form of schooling or the other-- they both have their advantages and disadvantages, but in the end, a whole lot of it just depends on the kid.

[mechana2015]

Thanks Yumie... I'd hate to see this turn into a "public school kids are evil" thread. We have feelings too XD.

[heatherjanae35]

I am homeschooled and I have been for about 4 years... going on 5. I started homeschooling in the 7th grade. It was really hard for me at first because I missed all of my friends and stuff, but eventually I got used to the whole homeschooling thing. I have kept in touch with alot of my friends that I used to go to school with and I get to see them alot. I go through a program called homelink and I go to the homelink office about once a week, like many other kids.... so basically I go to school, but only once a week.

[Sai]

That is pretty interesting. Is homelink within your old school or what?

[heatherjanae35]

No, Homelink is kind of a seperate thing. It is kind of like a private, once a week school... you get to pick the classes you want and you can do the rest of your schooling at home. For example, I only take one class there and it is a writing class, and I do science, history, and grammar at home. You could take all of those classes at homelink, but I just decided to take them at home this year. Usually, parents sighn their kids up for the classes that teach the subjects that they can't teach their kids. It isn't associated with my old school, though it would be cool if it was..... lol.

[Sai]

Oh ok. I go to something sort of like that too called M-tec. The only difference is we dont have a very wide class selection.

[Agent Anderson]

I was homeschooled K-12, with one day a week at a public school in kindergarten & 1st grade. (I just finished up two years at a community college, with plans to transfer to Iowa Stste tihs fall.)

[heatherjanae35]

Oh ok. I go to something sort of like that too called M-tec. The only difference is we dont have a very wide class selection.

Hmmm.... never heard of it. At first, Homelink didn't have many classes at all, but it has grown alot in the last couple of years, so now that we have more students, we had to add some more classes.

[FadedOne]

Not a big fan of homeschooling. I dont dislike it, but I believe it is no better than public schooling. It merely is another option...the same as if you would want beef or chicken for dinner. There are so many pros & cons. Personally I feel that I lost by being homeschooled & would have benefitted more from at least high school in a public setting. However, there are many factors that have to be considered. Either situation can work to a student's benefit.

[fairyprincess90]

im homeschooled and i like it alot! im not faced with so many temptations and i think i have more time to do stuff i like. ^_^

[Snow White]

There are so many pros & cons. Personally I feel that I lost by being homeschooled & would have benefitted more from at least high school in a public setting. However, there are many factors that have to be considered.

Yeah, My public high school:
1) sold drugs in class! The teacher's turned a blind eye. And they day that the Narc. doggies came (so cute!) there weren't any. Except for a few new freshmen who had cigs. (bad for you anyway)
2) My sister went for a year and the music teacher (she was in band so this hit her hard) got one of the student pregnant!
3) Just plain stupid, I ended up talking back to most of my teachers in middle school because they were do dumb! Well that is what I thought at least. They stood out side of class and talked then told us to be quiet. Oh I had a field day with her on that day. (I think that was my "non christian" point in life)
4) The "Gov." funded programs like "Accelerated Reading", "Computer Education", and "P.E" are a bunch of bull!

Yeah, we considered the factors for us. Man I really need to stop numbering things.

[mechana2015]

Yeah, My public high school:
1) sold drugs in class! The teacher's turned a blind eye. And they day that the Narc. doggies came (so cute!) there weren't any. Except for a few new freshmen who had cigs. (bad for you anyway)
2) My sister went for a year and the music teacher (she was in band so this hit her hard) got one of the student pregnant!
3) Just plain stupid, I ended up talking back to most of my teachers in middle school because they were do dumb! Well that is what I thought at least. They stood out side of class and talked then told us to be quiet. Oh I had a field day with her on that day. (I think that was my "non christian" point in life)
4) The "Gov." funded programs like "Accelerated Reading", "Computer Education", and "P.E" are a bunch of bull!

Emphasis added.
For some people, home or public schooling may be the only way or best way to go due to the school in your area. BUT not all public schools are like this.
1). I never heard of this happening at my school, though I did hear about the occasional stoner getting arrested. If anything this was the PRIVATE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS in our area that had this issue as well as a lot of other ones, since it was where all the kids who got expelled from the high school usually ended up. Just a function of the individual schools.

2.) This is rare in any case.

3.) This may have been an issue with the school. I remember my middle school teachers being bright, entertaining and for the most part good educators. One was even promoted to the High School and was one of the most advanced teachers there. My experience has been that, being far from stupid, all of my high school teachers did an excellent job preparing me for college, so long as I would listen and do the work they assigned, and in some cases the teachers are frusterated because students don't show any interest in the classes, so they become tempramental.

4.) Considering how out of shape most of our youth are PE isn't so much as bull but really a rather important endeavour. I'm not sure about the other programs, but despite complaints, promoting activity to students can be a very important factor in their future functionality Of course if people don't participate and mouth off to the teacher constantly people obviously arn't going to get much out of it, and if its the activities that seem pointless, find a school sport that could be more entertaining!