Homeschooling

This post was inspired by my wife, who gave me some homework this morning. On top of taking care of the kids and doing my actual schoolwork, she gave me homework..... This one time I'm glad she did. She teaches in a local community college, and I can't remember if she had to watch this YouTube video for work, or was doing it on her own. She probably said, but sometimes I only catch every other word. (she talks a lot, she would even say so)

Anyways, I typed "Sir Ken Robinson" into the search bar, and clicked on the video labeled "Do Schools Kill Creativity". Having a British accent, the guy is just naturally funny (to me anyways), but he is also brilliant.

Sir Ken Robinson, Do Schools Kill Creativity?

To summarize, he is basically saying that our public school systems are not unlike an assembly line, creating millions of the same minded individuals, and thus squelching creativity. Those who don't conform to the system usually end up with some sort of label, and typically get medicated so they can conform. One of his examples was of a ballet dancer that (in the 1930's) probably would have been labeled ADHD if it 'existed' then. By taking her to a school where she could learn the way she needed to, she rose to her potential.

What are we doing to our kids?

I can honestly say that, at 36, I have no clue where my life is headed. The certainties exist. I have a lovely wife, and two wonderful children. Beyond that, I don't know where this ship is sailing to. Sometimes it bothers me. In kindergarten we are asked what we want to be when we grow up. I don't remember my answer. All throughout school we are pushed in one direction or another. We have aptitude tests to find out where our passions lie. I am sure at one point, probably in high school, I knew what I was passionate about. But I was pushed in a different direction. I failed out of my first college. I worked full time and went to another college, where I also failed out. I have been working ever since and still don't have my loans paid off. I am not unintelligent. But I just wasn't being taught the way I needed to learn. Next month I graduate from college with a 2 year business degree. (For some reason I am getting emotional about it) Society says that we are worthless unless we have abbreviations after our name or some framed document stating our level of college completed hanging on our wall. I think the only reason why I am able to do any schooling right now is because it is online and self paced (for the most part). I will finish up with somewhere around a 3.7 GPA. I am learning the way I need to learn, not the way society pushes our kids into learning. There aren't just a couple ways that people learn, I think everyone learns their own way. Thus why we are even entertaining the thought of homeschooling.

Its a big step for someone to want to school their own children. Its a big time commitment, as well as taking lots of patience. Unless you have more than a handful of children, its a great way to connect with them and teach them on a one-on-one level. Some kids can progress on their own fairly quickly, other kids will need that one-on-one guidance. Our public system cannot provide that, its just not possible in our do-more-with-less culture. We have class sizes of 25. 25 unique needs and ways of learning and we expect one teacher to handle it. I don't even know if I can handle my two yet.
One other reason is that I want my daughters to excel where they want to. If they love math, lets do math. If they love to read, for pete's sake let them read! Our public system has our kids getting up earlier than their little brains can handle, sitting still for 6-8 hours a day, and then coming home to do hours of homework.

We wonder why they can't sit still in class. At 36 I can't sit still for more than a half hour without being bored, unless I'm doing something I'm passionate about.

One of the criticisms of homeschooling is that some kids lack the social skills of public school kids. I think everyone's definition of "social skills" is different. My children will learn (from either myself or my wife) to respect people. One of the buzz words now is bullying. For as long as there has been school, there has been bullying at school. Don't misunderstand me, I am not for bullying. I was bullied. I went through many years of being called gay (I cant remember why) and not having any friends because of bullying. Homeschool kids can be bullied as well, but its very unlikely. My kids can learn about bullying but not be bullied. And while it is true that some homeschooled kids aren't as capable of speaking or interacting in public the way that those of us who went to through the assembly line do, but who's to say that's a bad thing? My children wont learn about sex in third grade, at least not the way I learned about it. (by overhearing conversations on the bus). My children wont be propositioned to take drugs in fifth grade when they are really incapable of understanding what a mistake it could be. (yes, that's happening now) Not all 12 year olds are ready to learn about sex and drugs and whatever else the assembly line is teaching at that age now.

And before you ask, yes, my kids are vaccinated..... My wife and I didn't do it because Big Brother said we had to. We made the decision that it was what was best for our children. I bring this up because when asked the other day by someone who will remain nameless about schooling, they said "if you are homeschooling, why are you vaccinating?" Do I think people who are anti-vaccinations are crazy? Absolutely not. As parents we should be able to make that decision.

I don't have anything else to say right now, but definitely go check out Sir Ken Robinson!