OK, first off throwing out a warning, many of you may not like this post or it may make you uncomfortable. These posts are my opinions, and for those I offer no apologies. I am, however, open for discussion.
This weekend was not a weekend at 'the farm' I've found myself split between weekends there and weekends actually taking farm classes (every other Sunday). This week was a week for classes. At yesterday's class I found myself towards the end eating kohlrabi, roasted peppers, onions, shrimp, potato salad, taragon chicken and a host of other things I don't normally eat (but they will be the norm... someday). This has become regular fanfare at the farm where we take classes and I find myself eating less on Sunday mornings when I know we'll be headed there. A lot of these foods are new experiences for me (being nearly a strict carnivore these past 38years). But, I find myself feeling better when I leave having eaten all that good food.
Yesterday I started thinking why, and the answer was pretty obvious... I am choosing to put better things in my body, duh, simple. This is a choice I can make every day. How would I feel if I woke up some morning and that choice was taken from me? Instead of healthy foods I was only allowed to eat from the McDonald's menu? Like Morgan Spurlock in "Supersize me!". Watch the movie, in a month you will see him go from a vibrant person to someone who has gained an excessive amount of weight, is lethargic, and, at times, craves the chemicals that are in McDonald's food.
No one would like that situation forced upon them and it is undoubtedly unhealthy. Anyone reading this is probably nodding in agreement with me right now.
Here's where the tough part comes in... where was I on Saturday? I was at he convention for the Home Eductaors Association of Virginia. That's right... we plan to homeschool. This is not an attack, it is another personal choice, I merely wish to cause people to think (as was done to me) and perhaps open up discussion or debate. The lifestyle choice we're choosing to make goes beyond what we do for a living, where we live, and what we eat... it's whole living, back to basics. It's taking responsibility for what goes into our body as well as our minds (and those of our children, whome we view as the most precious commodity we must manage). I am not looking to force my beliefs on anyone, nor do want beliefs forced on me, but, if I am one thing... I am honest. So, here's my point of view...
I see public school as the McDonald's of education. It is cheap, easy, and of low quality. I have reasons for this, which I will get to, but, I'd rather talk about the impact of this if I am right. I see our system as being set up to get children through tests, or shuffle them through. I see the light that has gone out in the eyes of too many teachers. I equate sending my kids to this type of place as a a game of educational Russian Roulette ("this year little Johnny had a good teacher, let's hope he gets one next year." Does that only sound stupid when I say it out loud.) What I don't see is a system dedicated to teaching kids how to learn, how to solve problems, or how to love learning. I have probably attacked a sacred cow to many out there... what did I say in the opening paragraph? "I offer no apologies, these are my opinions". While I offer no apologies, what I do offer is myself, and my own experiences in public school. (I firmly believe myself to be a 'survivor' of the public school system).
I won't go into all the details, and won't lie and say "there was nothing good". But what I will tell you is true. In first grade I had a gym teacher throw me to the floor and threaten me. I was 6, he was probably in his 30's at the time. In 5th grade Mr. Malone took me out in a hallway and pinned me to a wall and threatened me. I have always had bad handwriting, to this day my handwriting looks like a ransom note... but all throughout elementary school I was sent to special classes every week because I was labeled as having a learning disability due to my handwriting. I was basically told I was 'slow'. I stopped caring somewhere throughout all this and started actually believing these people who said I was slow. My grades fell and by the end of eighth grade I should've failed a class which would've kept me back, but one of the teachers just decided to pass me. While I was happy to not be kept back, is this representative of a good system? I was given an assignment once in high school (Mrs. Cahill's English class) and I decided to actually try. I wrote a report on the history of filmmaking. I put everything into that and delivered the very best that I could. She failed me on the suspicion that I had cheated as the work was "far too good for what I was capable of". I was given the option to fail or turn in another assignment (of my 'own' work) in the hopes I could receive a 'D'. Yes, that was the best I could hope for, a 'D'. Does anyone know what that could do to a kid who was earnestly trying to crawl out from under a rock like that? I told her I would not do the report again, and would opt for the F. Were it not for the support of my Mother I would've gotten that F, but, my Mom WATCHED me do all the research and put it together and knew what I had done. I got an 'A'. Mrs. Cahill is in my prayers in the hopes that she has changed her ways and now has a positive impact on students like me. But, my thoughts since then have not always been as such.
I took U.S. Government (Mr.Cook) my junior year, and something about him and his class made me realize I actually enjoyed learning (again). Mind you 6-7 years (of my formative years) had passed since I had given up on myself. I began to turn things around, some of you who know me know that I ended up in honors English the next year. The first day I walked in I think some people thought I must be lost. (Except Liza, who, since first grade has treated everyone with kindness and respect). Many of them were likely skeptical of me until about the time I beat all of them (except Liza) on the SAT's.
Anyone who remembers me from back then may find some of this hard to believe or may think my facts are distorted. Memory does that from time to time. But, one day a few years back I decided to take a challenge I'd been thinking about for the better part of 10 years. I took the MENSA exams (October 18, 2008, I will ALWAYS remember). Needless to say I am a lifetime member. If you know what MENSA is, challenge yourself and take the exams. If you don't, a rough translation is that I am not 'slow'. [ ;-D
So, I offered up myself as one reason why I don't put much faith in the public school system. Your experiences may be different, but, I don't feel like taking the gamble with my 3 kids where they can be thrown to the ground, against walls, labeled as 'slow', passed through an inadequate system, and / or called liars in the hopes that one day they survive all this and maybe rekindle their love of learning. My Wife and I are taking on the responsibility of avoiding Mcdonald's, of all sorts, in our lives.
Having put that out there, I will address the biggest argument against home schooling. "What about socialization?". I follow the sage words of Rick Boyer (he and his Wife have homeschooled 14 kids and he's spoken at the conference the past few years I've been able to attend). What does Rick have to say about socialization? "I'm not looking to raise socialists". = ) . That, and take a walk around the mall on a Saturday, look at the kids who are your kids age. Are they the peple you want your kids to be emulating? That's what we do when we socialize. When asked if he's afraid that his kids won't fit in, Rick has been known to respond with "I am scared to death they WILL fit in".
Then you'll get the one nay-sayer out there who says her boyfriend's sister's best friend saw Ferris Bueller pass out at 31 flavors last night... and a homeschool kid who doesn't quite fit in. (A little Ferris Bueller reference). OOoooooKay... are we going to take that and pretend all the kids at public school fit in? I'm not sure I agree with that logic. The farm classes we go to are run by a couple who home school, their 12 year old (can't be much more than that) is the most polite thing you could meet, very knowledgeable, and runs the farmers stand by herself. When I see her, and I see the kids at the mall, you can see the direction I'm probably leaning.
Our kids will have the opportunity to socialize with children their own age. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Church, Sports, etc... where they will learn valuable life lessons and hopefully be a positive impact on the kids around them. I never had any intention of sending my kids to school to socialize anyway. I'm more interesting in them learning and preparing them for life while at school.
By homeschooling we get to review the curriculum taught. If there's something we don't agree with, we don't teach it. We don't put those unidentified parts of the chicken known as 'McNuggets' in the heads of our kids. I'm not asking you to agree with my curriculum, that's the point the curriculum and family values are ours to teach, we take responsibility for that. I just don't like an anonymous board deciding on the menu for the education of my kids.
Homeschooling is not for everyone, there are certain situations where it could be more difficult (both parents are working, single parent, a whole host of things). I sincerely don't have the answer for that. My Wife and I decided that since we are afforded that opportunity that we'll take advantage of it. But, remember I am actively making adjustments to my lifestyle that are not conducive to a 6 figure salary either. More money doesn't necessarily mean a better quality of life or a better investment in my kids. I haven't become happier the more I've made, I personally haven't had a correlation between more money and a better life. When I was little we did have a pot to piss in, but, we had to rent the window we threw it out of (little humor here), but, my Mom had us doing stuff every weekend, and after school (and she was a single parent). We were happy and that made us rich.
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