Am I the only person that actually starts something with good intentions just to a month later give up and stop doing? I hope I'm not. haha. I'm going to start this blogging thing again. This year's start thing is Home School. Lately I have been thinking about home schooling Ambrielle. I've had questions, concerns and doubts about doing it. But I know I can do it. It's just down to sticking to it. That is my issue, I get so excited about doing something then after the "honeymoon" I fizzle out and stop doing it. I then restart a couple months or years later. I'm hoping this homeschooling won't end like that but it might. There is just no way to tell, I'm taking everything a day at a time.
Reasons I want to
Homeschool
1.
First and foremost in my mind, is God. In the
last month or so I have been feeling that He is calling me to do this. I feel
that is his desire and wish for our family. I want Ambrielle to know Him on a
personal level, the way I have yet to know Him. It will not only be for her
benefit but also our families because as I teach her about His love and
greatness I will also being learning about His love and greatness, something I
have yet to really do. I also feel that this is the best way for our family
(Lucas, Ambrielle and I) to become closer and learn to be a family.
2.
Curriculum: I want to be the one in control of
what she learns not some education board that is only looking to please a law
or test on what THEY think is important. Most public schools only teach to the
required state board tests. I know that Kansas is not the worst at this but it
is becoming the norm all across the nation (Common Core Requirements, which
Kansas IS a common core state now).
Most
states will have an emphasis on two subjects: Language Arts and Math. They will
have little emphasis on Science, Social Studies or arts of any kind. I am not
at all implying that Language Arts and Math are not important, what I am
meaning is I feel that all the subjects should be given EQUAL attention and
then let the CHILD decide where they want to learn more on a subject. This is a way she can learn what we feel is
important for her to succeed to be a bright and caring person along with
learning more on things interest or will interest her.
3.
Class Supervision: The teacher is not going to
be around to hear all the conversations going on in the classroom.
In a classroom of 24 students
where a teacher has 6 groups of 4 children, the teacher could be busy assisting
Group A, group B could be busy goofing off and group C could be talking about things
that are inappropriate. The teacher will just tell group B and C to knock it
off and get back to work. There is the chance that the teacher will not guide
group C into knowing why those things are inappropriate. The teacher may only
want the students to stop talking about it and the students will just to
continue the conversation at Recess when the teacher is not around. My issue is
there is no one to “Train up a child in
the way he should go…” – Proverbs 22:6
They will stop them from talking about these things but there won’t be any
meaningful talk about the right and wrong.
Also, in the public school atmosphere the words God, Bible, Amen and
Bless you are frowned upon but it is the norm for the students to talk about inappropriate
things.
4.
Pace of learning: I recently watched a video
from the Common Core Standard Initiative. The video explained that with the
standards a student in LA will be learning the same thing that a student in New
York is learning. It also explains how if the student doesn’t quite grasp the
lesson they will be on a platform until they understand. This is all good in
theory but what about reality?
I will admit I have not been in a classroom since 2009 so it may have
changed in the last 5 years. I may not ever see inside a Common Core class room
either. I can see where it may cause an issue for students that understand the
curriculum immediately. The teacher will have them all do the same assignment
but each student works at their own pace. What happens when a student that
understands the material is ready to move on? Is that student going to have
wait for the class to catch up to them?
Also, I feel that P.S. is mostly a
baby sitter. A child gets done with their work, in a classroom they have to
wait for the rest of the class. In H.S. a child can just move on to the next
subject and be done sooner.
5.
Strangers: Every year she will have to get used
to a new teacher. Each teacher will have a different style. Each teacher is a
human
6.
My own P.S. experience: I would never want to
change everything about the way I grew up but I would want to change some things.
a.
In almost all of my classes I was one of the
first ones done with my assignments. After I put my work into the turn in tray
I would then go back to my seat and read a book.
I have also recently watched a video of a girl that her parents decided
to take her out of P.S. and start to home school. She was like me; she would
turn in the assignment and just have to wait until everyone else was done
before the teacher would move on to the next subject. She talked about how one
day she was able to read the first 200 pages of The Prisoner of Azkaban before
coming home for the day.
b.
I do not want Ambrielle introduced to things too
early for her to cope with. Inappropriate talk from other students and sex
education.
i.
I remember when I was in 4th grade the boys went
to one classroom and the girls to another. There they explained to us the future
changes of our bodies. Yes I know this is a great thing to know but is 4th
grade really the right time for MOST kids to know this? Also in 5th
grade, we started to talk about sex education. The teachers told us about STDs,
STIs, pregnancy and some protection.
ii.
I know that this is all needed for our overly
sexual world but I prefer to be the one to explain the birds and bees to her
not some teacher reading out of a text book. I want her to understand that the
changes she will face are all normal but the sex and the after effects part
should be saved for when she is older.
iii.
I feel that introducing these ideas to kids too
young only makes them more curious and want to explore the topic more. This
could be in research or “research” with themselves or others.
