Can a child be smart without a teacher?

Question

Is it critical that a student learn the K-12 basics from a teacher that holds a college degree? Or can a student in fact learn just as much studying at home with Mom or Dad at the helm? Or better yet.. is it possible that a student can successfully self-teach and excel? Intelligence is one thing but willingness to work is another. Is *smart* dependent on having a certified teacher? I knew plenty of intelligent children in public school that were also so disruptive that they ruined the learning environment for the entire classroom.

Many homeschoolers are discovering that self-teaching is a very practical method of learning. My daughter taught herself math from age 4 through age 19. She independently completed algebra 2 and advanced math and had also begun calculus when she started college. Her first college math course was a breeze and she often found herself correcting the instructor.. go figure.

www.home-school.org
www.geocities.com/bsawfamly/..
www.nheri.org

Dear Ne11,
Cool! I'm curious to know when appendectomies became a part of K-12 education!? I've been out of the public-school-loop for a few years. That is an amazing development..... JK

Answer 1

What a shame that people are not actually answering the question or not paying attention to it, like the response about the appendectomy.

You asked if it was critical that a student learn the K-12 basics from a teacher that holds a college degree. The answer is no. Elementary level teachers do not have core subject specializations especially since programs can change every 5-10 years. Their training consists of how to present information to 30 different kids, keep them interested and in line, how to set up evaluations needed for 30 kids, etc. Besides, most parents can probably do just fine with elementary math and language arts and everything else is just extra.

For junior high and high school, thinking back to my own school experiences, I can honestly say that the best teachers were not the ones who knew the most about their subject matter but were the best at getting us to think. That was a personality trait on their part or something they picked up from somewhere, not something covered in teacher training. I actually did most of my learning straight from textbooks or found that what was in our textbooks was exactly what the teacher had presented to us. I honestly questioned the need for a teacher at that level because if they're not going to tell us any more than what is in the textbook, what was the point of having the teacher present anything to us?

The worst was my last year of high school math. Our teacher thoroughly confused me and a few others although I had always had top marks in math. Late in the semester, I finally began tuning out in class and just relied on the textbook, which our teacher had said wasn't very good and we shouldn't look at their explanations, to learn the material. On the final exam, I was able to get my mark up to what I was happy with instead of the lower mark I'd struggled with trying to rely on my teacher.

So, in my experience, a definite no. And I went through public school from K-12.

I think I also addressed in there that a student can successfully self-teach for the K-12 basics, and theoretically a student, depending on talent, could learn from an even wider range of subjects. Thomas Edison was self-taught in science. There are prodigees in music who were self-taught. Plus anybody who knows anything, not just has their own opinions but has actually studied it, about how people learn knows that those who are able to get the answers for themselves have better retention and understanding than those who rely on someone to present everything to them. The reason is this: a person who is self-teaching knows exactly what doesn't make sense and will seek out an answer for it right away instead of having a teacher telling them to do a page of questions and the student just trying to get done what the teacher said. Ultimately, the difference in the two is the self-taught student's desire is to learn whereas many regular students are just trying to get the work done. It is active learning vs. passive learning, a topic that is hot today in some educational circles with teachers having in-services or workshops on the topic so that they can help their students become active learners. It is hard to help a student become an active learner when the specific content to be learned and the pace of the learning is decided for him. Sure a senior high student may have to learn some specific content for credits, but the difference is the chance for a self-taught learner to switch resources at the drop of a hat, when needed, whereas in a classroom, it's not exactly encouraged for a student to get up and go find a different resource. They are expected to do the work assigned to them and any additional seeking has to be on their own time.

Answer 2

The love of learning is the greatest gift a teacher can give a child.

My children attended public school in their early elementary years, and they both had good and bad experiences and good and bad teachers. I worked at the school that they attended and saw some awesome teachers who were honestly very dedicated to their profession and their students. However, I also witnessed many teachers that should not have even been given a salary for baby-sitting since they paid very little attention to their classroom or students.

One reason that I chose to homeschool my children was that the public school's system and state mandates were killing their love for learning. Certain programs at our school catered to one small group of children and the rest were left by the wayside. I realize that not all children's needs can be met, but an even distribution of money and assets should have been applied to "all" students, not a select few. Luckily, by homeschooling, I solved that problem, and now my children's love for learning has returned.

Therefore, I personally think that it doesn't require a certified teaching degree for someone to instill the love of learning in a child. I had already instilled that in both of my children well before they entered the public school setting. They were self-learners, and luckily, still are.

Answer 3

Practically all historical figures achieved success that way, and, that explains why brilliant scientists etc are all 'scoffed' by teachers for their novel theories- they didn't learn it from a teacher in the classroom. People who make waves are those whose thinking is original and expands beyond the set current boundaries- boundaries which teachers arent set up to exceed or allowed to exceed, or even have interest to. Not bashing here, but saying it how I see it. A teachers job is to lay down basics. But a person with a driven and curious mind can tinker with those basics and step above them with great results. Often times curiosity is scalded. :(
There used to not be compulsory education. And we seemed to have a greater number of brilliant minds back then, too... but many things play into that-- no distraction from tv and games, and cars, -- a book and an active mind were most preval;ent in a persons day. Oh the joy that must be!! I would love to be in a quiet world of my own mind. Sadly, while I'm attending a University, I feel that I am no longer able to teach myself and thus am 'losing my edge'. I have to spend all of my time reading things I have to read, rather than teach myself things I'd like to learn. It upsets me. So from personal eperience, there's nothing more productive, rewarding, stresss-free, and well-retained and understood than teaching the self in sharp contrast to the stressor of 'memorizing something because you have to'. That's not learning....and its not accomplishing anything besides 'making a grade'. That shouldnt have ot be the purpose of reading a book, but that's what it becomes. It becomes right or wrong -to study or not study- rather than interest or pleasure, or tools for use. There is a HUGE difference!
I'm rambling... :)

Answer 4

Do you think if I taught myself how to do an appendectomy, you would let me operate on your kid? I hope the answer is NO!

Why do you think you are more qualified to teach your child than a certified, college educated teacher? Students lose out when they do not learn how to interact with other people. Most home schooled students do not have that interaction.

The problem with education today is everyone thinks they are an expert.

Answer 5

Intelligence and Knowledge are 2 different things. And Wisdom is yet another. You can't learn to be Intelligent, but you can learn to think Intelligently. Knowledge can be obtained by research - books, internet, other people's experiences, your own experiences. Wisdom comes by learning from your mistakes. You don't need a certified, college educated teacher to gain any of these things.

Answer 6

Yes,a person has in himself intelligence without having to step in a school.That explains the IQ of each individuals.I have a nephew whose intelligence is that of a university lad and he's just in his cognitive years literally as he's just 5yrs old when he gets that recognition from people around him.Like your daughter,he was into solving algebra and logarithms too.At age 3yrs,he was able to memorize all the flags in the world which i find really amazing!Developments and encouragements are showered from the outside world.A young genius I suppose.Teachers, books,social awareness,personal experiences are just all means and ways to further enhance that knowledge.A lot of tools all around us that adds up to that quotient of intelligence.Curiousity and the will to learn further develops the hunger for need to know more.Depending on exposure, our state of minds can go from stale to hyperactivity.Just like a knife,the more you use it,all the more it gets sharpened.
You are lucky your daughter inherited such good genes,it will make her future a lot more brighter than most of us.
:-)

Answer 7

I think if you still put your child in sports and community activities any child can socialize just fine...take my sons school the teacher call the kids names and are very rude to the kids so their marks have dropped...I live in a small town and my son went to the school in our town to gr. 6 then they are bused to another town for Jr.high then they come back to the same school as he spent his elementary years for high school...so i will not put my child in gr, nine this year so I am trying virtual schooling for one yr.then he will attend public school here again and there are alot of parents that do this here because their children are not taught properly and their marks rise so i don't think it's a bad thing and I don't think our children need teachers to teach them disrespect etc...

Answer 8

i may sound like im bragging, but i went into school knowing almost everything for the first few years. as a little kid i loved to read nd i did it as much as i could. i had to be thought the math procedures, but that was about it. but i also learn fast so that my have a lot to do with it. i think its possible for kids to educate themselves and to know facts, but they need someone, not necessarily a licensed teacher, to teach them procedures (addition, equations, etc)

and i agree with the koala dude, Mary k, stfu. public schools do the job just fine. i went to a chartered school for my entire middle school and it SUCKED, plain and simple. i was so happy to get beck into public schools, where there was normal people and it wasnt that important (it was important, but not THAT important) to have brand name crap and 20 cellphones and ipods. i like my terrible public school.

TROJAN MAN (my school mascot is a Trojan...why they choose that, i dont know. the Trojans were owned and their city burned to the ground. not really a thing to look up to...but whatever :P)

Answer 9

Yes they can. But you have to work at it like in public school, don't just sit around doing nothing and not pay attention. I'm in pre-cal in 10th grade and I homeschool. I did above average on the SATs.

Answer 10

i went to university with home schooled kids (i went to private school) and they seemed to be more focused, better educated (that is more well rounded), and noticeably more productive than a lot of other students. if that was because they were exceptionally bright or that they were home-schooled or perhaps a combination of both, it's been my experience that they seem to do extremely well at the university + level.