Really, they do. To understate, I get a bit defensive when I hear some phrasing of the age-old hereby dubbed "Extremely Annoying" question: "But what about socialization?"
The thing is, and this is not meant to be taken offensively, I prefer homeschooler-homeschooler interactions. To some degree, then, perhaps homeschoolers aren't "socially able" to interact super-well with public schoolers. And so I suppose the reverse would also be true. Some people claim that homeschooling doesn't prepare children for social interactions that will happen once they enter college. Besides the possibility of doing something a little more innovative than going to college, I think that this is unimportant. The primary purpose of college, to me, is to learn. That seems totally obvious to me. Sure, people more often than not meet their spouses during college. It is good to have friends during college. Not necessarily at the college, though. If I went to college, I believe my main friends would still be the ones I have now. To tell the truth...I'm wary about new people coming into my life. They sort of have to pass a little test that I subconsciously put them through that either allows them to enter further into my life or stay on the surface. I don't know if anyone kind of picked up that vibe from the last entry, because I don't know if I said anything that would lead you to think I did that, or if vibes are even give-off-able in blog entries...ahem.
Another thing about this supposedly super-duper-ish-ly vital ability to socialize properly in college is that homeschoolers, as...well...homeschoolers, experience a much broader range of social interactions than your average public/private schooler. (And on that note, you may call me out at any time for making assumptions about public and private schooling just as much as people make assumptions about homeschooling.) In any given day, there are interactions with same-age peers, young children, adults, and seniors. We actually learn to get along with our siblings, and they are some of our best friends. Rather than being lectured while glued to a desk in a stuffy room for six hours, we will have discussions with our parents and other adults/older/younger/same age people about politics, religion, music, books, whatever. It's a process of language development as well. While you can learn language by listening and reading, eventually it is better to actually use it yourself. Implementation is just a factor of learning. You don't learn to drive by someone talking to you and telling you to read a book. You don't learn to drive by taking a test. You take the test to show that you somewhat comprehended the material presented to you. I don't know about y'all, but I learned to drive by driving the minivan.
Interacting with a variety of different age groups, as I was trying to say before getting off on another tangent, prepares children for college, I think. This goes back to the whole "How to Win Friends and Influence People" idea. Back from where? I don't know, I just said back. It's late, I should be sleeping, but three Vaults aren't likely to let me just do that. ANYHOONESS, it gives children experience in dealing with many different types of people. Thus, if they go on to college, they should be...adaptable isn't really the right word. But they should have a general built-in-batteries-included-free-shipping knowledge of how to interact with anybody they may encounter. They also should be able to talk to their professors on a more professional level (or as they say at WTCC, "college level", a mindset that the in-charge people seem to be constantly emphasizing, as if people in college don't understand [and they really don't, a lot of the times, which is sad]).
I've been reading some stuff on a forum that I'm not sure is around anymore, but it's an interesting discussion. Some people make me mad, and some people say things to those anger-inducing-others that make me feel very happy, and some people just say things that are disappoining because they just don't understand and I think that makes them afraid of approving of homeschooling. Here's the link...it's very long, but worthwhile over time, or just for skimming: http://www.hipforums.com/newforums/showthread.php?t=109240.
Here's an example of a typical post that would get me riled up:
public school is what id vote for...coz it jus brings u far more closer to
the harsh reality of the world around. Helps u meet ppl frm all walks of
life..and makes u bold enough to make yur own decisions[even if that means u
were a wannabe teenagers..coz hell u chose to be one!]. Its not just the book
education but also the social education u gain in a public school. Even if they
cause an absolute trauma in ur teenage days..as someone mentioned before... they
make u strongewr..and far more superior in ur dealings with such ppl who fukedur
life in school... later on in life!
Thankfully, a few posts on, somebody said, "If this is how public schools are teaching kids to write, I'm voting for homeschool!!!" That at least consoled my raging a bit. But now I'm going to sign off for now because I need to try and force some sleep. I'll leave you with this other response made me appreciate this person very much:
I utterly hated school, just kept my head down and survived it. Seem to have
repressed most of it. Those better not have been the best days of my life or
I'll just end it all now. I point blank refuse to believe that being angry,
alienated, having self esteem and independance ripped to shreds was some how
beneficial (well my theraphist made a tidy profit) or some 'rite of passage'.
Don't think I leant anything of use that couldn't have been figured out with a
good acedemic plan and being out there actually living. Though have always
thought I'd be good in homeschooling, what with my serious motivational problem.
Then realise I wasn't motivated because the stuff was so boring and pointless.
(fact; the average person doesn't use any of the mathematical skills taught
after year 9/tenth grade). The things I liked will serve me well in future, the
rest falls at the wayside. Such is life, but it'd be kinder to spare the
agony. Always makes me laugh when people say school prepares you for real life.
Homeschooling is real life, it's how you learn as a preschooler and how you
learn after graduating. Why pray tell is there an eleven year period when this
doesn't work? School is the furthest thing from real life. Those who are truly
inspiration and make a diffrence do so by thinking outside the box. Which
doesn't happen when you're (as Pink Floyd put it so well) just 'another brick in
the wall'. Of course I'm still in the system. Feel a bit of a hypocrite for that,
but I want a degree damn it. Bit late to back out now anyway. My future children
will be homeschooled, or at the very least an independant schooling. (like
Steiner or Montessori) Obviously I appreciate this isn't the experience of
everyone, heck some people even enjoy it.
13 comments:
Ugh...I think these sorts of arguments are going to be around for quite a while. At least until someone gets a clue and realizes how bad the public schools are, and as that hasn't happened yet, it's obviously going to take something worse for anyone to notice.
On the other hand though, I guess there are people who know the school system is not working, but think that a little more, or a lot more, money thrown at the problem will fix it.
And...well, basically I just agree with you. :) I could go on and start ranting, but I don't have time right now. :p
The one thing I thought was funny was that you mentioned drinking Vaults in your post about homeschooling...because Vault seems to be the homeschool energy drink of choice! :D I guess perhaps because it's one of a few that don't have somewhat crude names.
Vaults keep you up? They don't do anything to me! :D
In defense of the public schools, it depends on the location that someone is in when it comes to the education that particular person will learn at that particular school. Schools around Wake County receive good funding and the teachers are mainly good. But, if you were to go to some inner-city places in New York or even some rural schools in smaller populated counties here in North Carolina, they receive small funding and that effects a person's education. I loved most of the classes I took in high school, in both high schools in fact (Apex High School and Desert Ridge High School). Sure we all griped about how much we hated the school, but it was about petty things like the teachers and the security guards, but we loved being there to see our friends either in or outside of class.
Now, as I remember back to when Jessica was telling me about how she was opposed to parents needing to have teaching degree in order to homeschool their kids, i'm actually for that notion. Reasons being is that I believe that someone should be qualified in order to teach their kids just like other people have to be qualified to teach other people's kids. Kids need to learn what's needed to the best of their ability and a teacher will always help out. If you're bad at math, you can't just keep doing bad until your parents stop teaching you because you are missing vital information that may be needed for later.
I will not homeschool my kids unless the circumstances warrant it.
First of all, on the topic of vault - I've never had one and I'm home schooled! Guess I'll have to try one sometime...
Secondly, even though I am home schooled, I don't necessarily think that everyone should be home schooled. It works for certain people and not for others.
Chris - I don't know you, but I wanted to say that I do agree that some schools are really good.
I have a question for you, however. Do you think that just if someone has a teaching degree, will that really make them qualified to teach?
~Elayna~
Having a teaching degree makes the parent homeschooling their child look more credible to schools and whatnot. I know there are parents that are fantastic teachers without one and I can understand if the are against that notion. But, there are a few bad apples that claim their kids are homeschooled and do a terrible job on their kid's education.
There is no win-win situation when it comes to this particular topic.
The thing is, Chris, I think that God intended parents to be the primary educators of their own children. That qualifies them to teach their children and not be required to send them to an institution where another person teaches the kids certain things in certain ways that the parents would not normally want their kids to be taught. Public schools are of the government, and they want us all brainwashed. Thus, I think homeschool is healthier because parents can have control over what their children know and how they learn, and that is better because they can mold the curriculum to fit the individual's needs.
If a kid's potential is held back by the parent's lack of knowledge, parents these days have a very wide range of great curriculum materials to purchase for their child. The thing about public school is that it is only tailored for the average child. The advanced children aren't challenged enough, and the below-average children can go through school believing they are stupid, when they really aren't because they have no other way to achieve their full potential. Therefore, for the perfectly average student, public school is a great option.
You're right, Chris, it's not a win-win situation. Homeschooling is not for everyone, parents and kids alike. However, in my opinion, nobody is going to tell me not to homeschool my kids.
True, but there are different things that go on in school that do infact challenge kids to become brighter human beings. Schools offer honors and advance placement classes (AP classes count double, a student in an ap class recieves credits as a college class as well as a high school class) and many clubs such as the National Honor Society which puts kids in the community to help out for good causes.
We aren't "brainwashed" as you said because teachers are not paid to press their views on us, unfortunately they do not teach us how they want to because the state wants the kids to do well on end of grade exams, which I think are pointless like the SAT and ACT. If teachers were given the freedom to teach at their own pace for their particular subject, then I think students will be better educated, but unfortunately the schools are guided by timelines.
When we have problems figuring out questions in our classes when we are home, we seek our parents and siblings to help us out, like a homeschool student would! We see our parents as teachers too, but more in a sense of guidance through life, like a school counselor, and a helping hand. We look at our teachers as our replacement parents sometimes (depending on age and experience of course) and sometimes as our friend that we can trust.
I've seen kids go back and forth between being in public school and being homeschool, doesn't seem like they are ahead or behind the curriculum, which shows their parents know what they are doing.
hmmm interesting...i mostly agree with you. But since i am in private school this year i see kind of both sides....
As for the socialization thing, while i was homeschooled i was not good at dealing with people/ getting along with people my own age. I was great with adults or those younger than me but i just wasn't used to teenagers! (I realize this now that i am in school). Now dealing with people your own age is not extremely important, but i want to be able to get along with people of any age in any situation....(most homeschooled people are good at dealing with their peers of course)
and another thing is.........the motavation. Its nice to get grades and such and be really motavated.
However there are tons of great things about homeschooling...for instance....so far its saved me from 9 years of immaturity!!
i think for everyone the needs are different...so yea. anyways!!
Lauren (hi btw!! I need to visit you guys soon) - I see what you're saying. Motivation is a huge factor, and I'll have to say that for ALL of my school years I didn't have a lot on the things I wasn't interested in. My parents had to force math on me, and I'd have to say it just wasn't pleasant for anybody involved. But I think that because I was homeschooled, it gave me more time to focus on the things that I felt mattered, like writing, music, and animals, than I would have had if I had "wasted" (as I see it) all my time in school being externally motivated to do things that really weren't going to benefit me later in life. I personally like pleasant, internal motivation that I can get excited about, not the kind of motivation that gets me nervous all the time. Nonetheless, sticking with something is a little problem of mine, and so when I'm taking the classes at Wake Tech, I have to keep finding ways to stay motivated. But then I can just take classes I want to take, so that works out pretty well. As for socialization, I've always had friends my age, as well as older and younger, but everyone is different...
Chris - The way I see it, if you're homeschooled, you are at home a lot more often and can get even more time to get guidance from your parents about everything. I see my friends and neighbors (because all our neighbors go to public or private school) waiting for the bus at the crack of dawn, getting home at three, four, or five, doing their homework, eating dinner, and maybe watching TV with their family or by themselves before going to bed and doing it all again. I think it just must be such a monotonous lifestyle. I had friends in ballet who were just 11 or 12 and were already staying up till 1 or 2 in the morning just to get their homework done. If I had gone to public school, I would have been a dropout at, like, nine. But some people function well in the system. I'm just not one of those people and I doubt that my kids will be either. If any of my children need to be institutionalized, it will be in a private school, though.
Yes, you do need to come visit Lauren soon, Jessica...and then we can all get together and hang out! :D
Oh, yay...that would be fun!!! I'll look into finding out when fall break is...
It depends on what you take honestly. I never took honors or AP classes, so I had more free time than others. I have a lot of free time now with how I have my classes set up with Wake Tech, but the reasons kids will arrive later in the day is not because of classes, its because of clubs, band, or sports. Yes, it does suck to wake up early to go to school (I myself use to wake up at 5:30 to get ready to leave the house to walk to school by 6:20), but from my ice hockey experience, it was nothing (we had 6 o'clock in the morning practices sometimes).
School is like a job, you're there for about 8 hours of the day except you aren't paid, haha.
Yes! do come see us! hmmmm i wasn't talking about motavation in a nervous scary was...i was talking about being motavated to study, do hw, do well on tests and get good grades. My parents never gave me grades (until the end of the year) so i never knew how i was doing and if you don't get grades you don't really feel like trying. (in my case)
so yea...i mean there are tons of great things about homeschooling too! but i think it totally depends on the family....resources..child....whether the family should homeschool or not. Because although it is a great option, not everyone can homeschool their children. ANyways!
whoops I meant "nervous scary way" not "nervous scary was". Is there anyway to edit your own comments?
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