Do you homeschool? How do you feel About homeschooling? Do you teach your children your faith?

Question

This is a question for everyone of every faith. How do you feel about homeschooling and do you think children in public schools are getting a good education?

Answer 1

Wow, seeing all the homeschool haters on here really burns me up!. Where do these misconceptions come from? How can people feel so strongly about something it is clear they know next to nothing about?
I homeschool. I'm UU, Pagan, and a Witch. My husband is into Zen and we do include out child in our faiths. That is what families do; they share what is best with each other. Religion is not why we homeschool though. Nor do we seek to over protect her. She is a socially active kid. Is she a little different from most of the kids we meet? Yes! She's more polite, more adventurous, more imaginative and a little smarter than your average bear. I hope simple minded people do find her strange. I would not have it any other way. Right now I'm killing time on YA while hubby gets ready to go. Then we're picking up my little one's best buddy, loading up the dogs and heading for the nearest hiking trail. We are not secluded from the rest of the world. Rather, we don't limit our child to the conventional classroom.
Before homeschool, my child was forced to take an assortment of medications. (Yes, forced. We were threatened by her principle, "A parent who will not medically treat a child with ADD is no different in my eyes from a parent who will not give a diabetic child insulin." This was his response to our inquiry concerning alternatives to medication. We wanted behavior support. He was letting us know quick fast and in a hurry how far he was willing to go not to write our child and IEP. We conceded and hoped the school had our child's best interests at heart. We trusted them to know how to teach our child. We were wrong.) We fought the school for an IEP for four years before we got one. By then, it was too late. She was on uppers in the morning and downers at night. She never learned to read, yet they continued to push her on to the next grade and call for a high dosage of meds. She was gaunt and listless. Her growth has been permanantly stunted. We pulled her out in the third grade. We've never been happier. Homeschooling is the best thing we have ever done for our child. I encourage all those who responded negatively to take the time to REALLY learn about homeschool and stop buying into propaganda and stereotypes.

Answer 2

I think homeschooling and public school both have their places. Yes I taught my child about God and Scripture and faith, but I believe my child taught me more, and this now young adult has freedom of choice and is very balanced and a great peace worker.
I've been involved in both home and public school from the parent end and from the teacher side of it.
Homeschooling:
It isn't just for religious fanatics nor for the difficult ones who've been let go by the 'system'
You would be amazed at the national percentages of how many do homeschool.
Works best when the homeschool has some accreditation and offers a co-op of certified teachers in areas parent-teachers are not proficient in.

I think homeschooling can be tailored to each child, while public and even private schooling has to be broader based to serve the group as a whole. Both of these have their good points and drawbacks, like anything does.

Students will get a good education if they study research and apply themselves, wherever they are. Easier in a calm environment devoid of the myriad distractions going on in a public forum, however, the public forum is not an impossible situation. It could use more money and more parental interactive support at home (public institutions).

How about this bumper sticker I saw the other day:
Imagine what it will look like when schools have all the money they need and the army has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber.

I do feel that in either arena, home or public, school has 'stepped up' and is over pressuring the young folk to perform. A huge shift is beginning to take place and we will just have to watch the outcome.
It saddens me when school children have to be frisked before entering school, and where police have to monitor the hallways. There is a huge shift taking place. And we are all part of it and have impact on it, whether we have children or not.

Answer 3

Concerns about "values", "faith" and the quality of education being given in public schools are the main reasons why some parents opt to home school their children. It is a very huge challenge and a long term commitment. It would be a good idea to talk to some other parents who have been homeschooling their kids and learn about this issue from them. There also websites on homeschooling that you can locate by using google search of "home school".

Answer 4

As a teacher I can see the reasons for home schooling. However, if a person is going to home school a child, it needs to be all the way through. The home school students I have gotten have a hard time making deadlines, following rules, and behaving in a group setting. I know some kids who were home schooled all the way through and are great. However, based on what I've seen, I don't think it's a good idea. If the child pays attention and the parents are involved, then yes, children in public schools can get a good education. I will be the first to admit there are some bad teachers out there, but the vast majority of them are good to superb. However, no matter how great a teacher is the student has to put forth some effort as well. If I had children, yes, I would bring them up in my faith. Yet, if they wanted to check out others, I wouldn't be opposed.

Answer 5

I home school my son, we have a class for learning about the church everyday. I think homeschooled children get a better education than public school children. He is very socialized and has a lot of friends from church that he sees several times a week. Have a great day. Peace be with you.

Answer 6

I did not homeschool, but I taught science (real science) to homeschooled children for 15 years.

I've seen homeschooling done well,and not so well, just like any type of education.

And some public school systems are a joke, and others are great. All the places we've lived had decent schools but one, and that was just one year. The place we "settled" has great schools. I believe my kids have and are receiving a good education.

In the places I've lived and taught, there are good homeschool support groups and co-ops and the kids receive lots of socializing.

I've worked with many styles of home schoolers, hippie types, unschoolers, Christian types, pagan types, over protective and anything goes types.

Basically the kids are not automatically different from public schooled kids, they are not all geniouses, perfectly behaved, or sheltered, etc. Stereotypes just don't fit. People home school for all types of reasons...I had some students that couldn't attend public school because of sever immune system deficiencies...

I've worked in public schools too...again...stereotypes just don't work.

Answer 7

Homeschooling is like anything else. It has its pros and its cons.

Homeschoolers do tend to received a better education. They get more individualized attention suited to their particular needs. Public schooled children do not.

Parents tend to feel that their children are safer being homeschooled rather than at public school as well.

One downside is that children do not get the social interaction that they would at the public school.

Another downside is that some kids drive their parents crazy if they are there all day. Kids need to be around other kids, and parents need that time of separation as well.

Answer 8

Have graduated 3 of my 4 children from homeschool. They are very well adjusted, productive adults. The 1st got her BS at 21 and was already employed in her field when she graduated as Outstanding Senior in her major. Is now Senior Design Specialist at her media company. She was very shy, and did not do well at all in school. They insisted she learn not to be shy, I brought her home and insisted she learn to be HER.

#2 is Production Supervisor at a media company. Opted to go straight to the workforce at graduation, and take classes part time at a community college. She pretty much runs the office, and is very secure and capable at 21 years old.

#3 is heading to college as a music major. He auditioned and was awarded a guitar scholarship for the college of his choice. He also passed the theory test at 17 yo, when many majors don't and have to do remedial theory. This with private guitar instruction and homeschool band. Though he graduated at 17, he plans to wait until 18 to attend college.

#4 is still having a ball, and a very good writer. She plans to write for a career, but hasn't chosen which part of the field.

If you ask any of them, they wouldn't trade homeschooling for public school on even the toughest days. They love having their time as their own. They love learning about things they are interested in. They love being a family.

Yes, we teach them our faith. That is an integral part of who we are and why we do what we do. It wouldn't be a complete education without it. Morality, responsibility and dependability are are wrapped up in our faith. So is our trust that we are loved and honored.

Kids in public school? Well, some are, some aren't, but I can guarantee they are all learning pretty much the same things and not necessarily where they would thrive and learn to become who they really want to be. Unfortunately, that is too often saved for a college decision, which many struggle with. I do think that the system is broken and not serving the masses well, but it is not the fault of those who truly are sold on the system, but the system itself. The motives of teachers are pure, the methods and tools they are given are lacking.

As for socialization, the public school system is a fraud. In no other part of your life will you be cast into a room where you have to ask permission to pee, only interact with one other age person, and are subject to the discipline of your age only peers. Homeschooling provides a much more rounded view of community and life, as homeschoolers come in go in the real world, learn to communicate with people of all ages, and are not afraid to talk to someone years older or years younger.

A great site for how homeschoolers are fairing http://www.nheri.org

Answer 9

LOL! I tried to seek out anything like this a while in the past and would no longer. K it used to be after I e-mailed the "you already know you're a heartmum while..." list to quite often every character i do know...If any one this is and needs a first-rate chuckle on the daft issues they are trying this, to them, are perfectly typical behaviours. Reading the Homeschoolers want record, I specially adored the bit that is going: "i don't see plenty change among bossing my little one round academically and bossing him circular the best way wherein I do approximately the complete factor else". ROFLMAO! *THAT* could have so effectively been written through my mum - except, bizarrely for her, institution is the only and most effective component, over which, she does not concern bossing us approximately.

Answer 10

I was not homeschooled but I think it is a great option. Our public schools are among the worst in the world. I talked to a man that came to college here in the states from Africa and he knew 3 languages, and had to take Chinese and American History in high school in Africa. Here we pass kids so we dont make them feel bad not because they learned what they were suppose to. Some high school graduates cant even read and write. Its pathetic. Kids can get social interaction from sports, church and other social setting not just from school.