Educating the kids at home

[AndyMate30]

We are educating the kids at home.

This is the reason why.

 

1. Small class size

2. We are in charge of the curriculum and it's level of quality.

3. Interaction with other kids is appropriate instead of confrontational.

 

 

This is the curriculum.

 

Math, Science, English, French, Geography, U.S. History, World History, Civics, Psychology, Art, Home Economics, Wood Shop, Horticulture, Job Skills and Social Skills.

 

 

That sounds fairly ordinary....

Except the fact of the matter is, is that it isn't.

It by itself is far better than the current state issued curriculum at this point in time, and they are far better and higher functioning than their age peers in most schools outside of the home

 

And my kids have a much better relationship with us, their parents.

 

 

In social skills this is what they are learning.

 

*Real acceptance of other people.

*Education about other people.

*Manners

*Etiquette

*Love and affection

*Relationships

*Marriage and how it works.

*Non-Abstinence based sex education

*Anger management

*Self help

*Personal Safety

 

None of which is taught in schools...

What is being taught in school by proxy is how to be a street punk and a bully.

 

And in science, what we are teaching them is the following.

 

Geology, Paleontology, Zoology, Evolution, Ecology, Botany.

Physics, Astronomy, Chemistry, Anatomy and Computer Science.

 

In math we start at basic addition, all the way to Calculus.

 

There isn't a public school in Philly where I am from that is doing nearly what we are doing.

[AndyMate30]

Considering they are of a generation that is being made devoid of social skills, they socially function far more on a par with the baby boomers which is overall amongst the best that America ever had, socially and interactively.

[AndyMate30]

And for gym they get gymnastics classes, they are part of neighborhood sports, they get swimming, they get boxing, karate, tae kwon do, and mma and jiu jitsu, they get strength training and bodybuilding.

Edited August 8, 2017 by AndyMate30

[knabe]

Good for you. Did you have a question?

 

I assume you are a certified teacher

[knabe]

Does your curriculum meet or exceed state and federal standards?

 

Will your children participate in standardized testing?

 

Will their schooling be overseen by any truly accredited agency so that they can be accepted into a college of their choice?

 

Will they be able to take AP exams when the time comes?

 

Will they be able to experiment, dissect, explore, etc?

 

Will they experience diversity on a regular basis?

 

Will they participate in any team sports?

[mikeylo]

Kids need other kids to learn life skills.

[d0nnivain]

Lots of people educate at home. There are tons of resources for homeschoolers these days through the internet. If I ever had kids I hoped I'd be able to do this for them. (I can't have kids)

 

 

Do make sure your kids interact with other kids for socialization purposes: scouts, etc. It sounds like your do have your kids in many things & they are not isolated, which is good.

 

 

 

I am involved with a program that teaches high school kids about the law. The kids are given a set of facts. They have a teacher coach & an attorney coach who instruct them about the law, the operation of the court system & the trial process. Then the kids try the case against other schools. For the past several years there has always been a "home school" team & those kids are extraordinary. The parents enjoying making sure their kids have some more traditional experiences & this collaborative program offers that to them. So do check out the available peer group activities from like minded goal oriented caring parents like you.

[knabe]

Hey, I have no problem with homeschooling. I considered it (I am actually a teacher). My best friend did it.

 

But I believe there should be qualifications and standards in place. I know a woman in TN who had a GED who homeschooled. It was....less than stellar (this was the mid-90's). I also know mom's who use grocery shopping as math class and trips to the mall as economics class, and....well, you get my drift.

 

There need to be standards. And it is possible to homeschool without condescendingly bashing schools. IF you have emotional intelligence.

[stixx]

We are educating the kids at home.

This is the reason why.

 

1. Small class size

2. We are in charge of the curriculum and it's level of quality.

3. Interaction with other kids is appropriate instead of confrontational.

 

 

This is the curriculum.

 

Math, Science, English, French, Geography, U.S. History, World History, Civics, Psychology, Art, Home Economics, Wood Shop, Horticulture, Job Skills and Social Skills.

 

 

That sounds fairly ordinary....

Except the fact of the matter is, is that it isn't.

It by itself is far better than the current state issued curriculum at this point in time, and they are far better and higher functioning than their age peers in most schools outside of the home

 

And my kids have a much better relationship with us, their parents.

 

 

In social skills this is what they are learning.

 

*Real acceptance of other people.

*Education about other people.

*Manners

*Etiquette

*Love and affection

*Relationships

*Marriage and how it works.

*Non-Abstinence based sex education

*Anger management

*Self help

*Personal Safety

 

None of which is taught in schools...

What is being taught in school by proxy is how to be a street punk and a bully.

 

And in science, what we are teaching them is the following.

 

Geology, Paleontology, Zoology, Evolution, Ecology, Botany.

Physics, Astronomy, Chemistry, Anatomy and Computer Science.

 

In math we start at basic addition, all the way to Calculus.

 

There isn't a public school in Philly where I am from that is doing nearly what we are doing.

 

Love the job your doing. As someone who in college pursued the education field early in college I believe in home schooling for years and studied Montesori Methods.

 

The US system is broken and I have to say from my personal opinion that it may hold a child back, and may have with the Tracking System Policy.

 

I could be wrong since I do not have children. I was a tracked when I was young and it held me back. I was just a bored student so I got poor grades, but if you Un-Track a classroom that may bring other students down to a lower level of education.

 

No idea. Read the book "Keeping Track" by Jeanie Oaks. Though I am sure you already have.

 

Great job and great parenting! Your doing a wonderful job! Just dont isolate your kids from the outside. Engage them in sports, church, and engage with other children in the area.

 

Your job is to guide you child, not isolate them from the world. You can let them grow with all you listed but without the interaction it can cause problems.

 

This is just an opinion and I am not a professional.

[noelle303]

I have no problem with homeschooling, as long as the parent is educated themself and informed and isn't doing it for indoctrination purposes.

 

The only thing that the parent needs to make sure is that the child is properly socialized through extra-curriculars and/or groups.

 

I actually send my daughter to a really progressive private school and I love the education she is getting there.

[stixx]

I have no problem with homeschooling, as long as the parent is educated themself and informed and isn't doing it for indoctrination purposes.

 

The only thing that the parent needs to make sure is that the child is properly socialized through extra-curriculars and/or groups.

 

I actually send my daughter to a really progressive private school and I love the education she is getting there.

 

Since you just parroted me on a post I have to ask this...

 

What does an educated parent mean? I really curious as to what this statement means.

[JuneL]

I know of a couple (my friend's friends) homeschooling their son. Assuming that your kid spends a few hours at her/his homeschool with the teacher (you) each day, how do you find the time to prepare for teaching? Do you get subsidized by your state financially for this? What qualifications/certificates are required to homeschool your kid? Thanks.

[RecentChange]

I don’t have kids – so I don’t really have a dog in this fight.

 

That said, I think “school” as a lot more to teach a kid than simple English math and science.

 

I kinda disagree that "social skills" are something that can be taught, and not learned through immersion.

 

Humans are social beings, and learning how to interact with our peers and authority figures is invaluable.

 

I know “bullying etc” is a major issue for SOME kids, but honestly, I think most kids should learn how to handle “meanies” how to make friends, how to build alliances, judge character etc, which is difficult to do if most interaction with their peers is controlled and “approved” by adults. I was a fat kid, from the country, going to a huge high school with an extremely diverse population (from silicon valley elite, to kids from crime riddled inner cities). I learned how to stand up for myself when I needed to, and how to make friends with people from different walks of life.

 

I also appreciated having a wide diversity of teachers. Not only did they have different perspective to teach, but I as a student learned how to meet the varied expectations that they had.

 

For me, in my professional life, its not the Chem class which has allowed me to excel in my career, but rather my people skills.

 

I learned how to read people, how to meet expectations, how to build alliances, when to get involved in something, and when to mind my own business. I credit those skills when I was the last “man” standing after the rest of my department was laid off. I credit those skills for my promotions and loyalty my company has shown me. I can relate to people from different walks of life, because I learned that in public school, and I can manage an unreasonable boss, because I had some unreasonable teachers in school as well. I also learned how to be heard, and rise above a crowd, because when you have a huge class – you have to.

 

I understand some kids “sink” in the sink or swim culture of public schools, but certainly not all are “sinkers” and I think its important to recognize the other life skills the social aspect of public school teach.

[noelle303]

Since you just parroted me on a post I have to ask this...

 

What does an educated parent mean? I really curious as to what this statement means.

 

I did what?

 

As far as a parent being educated, I don't necessarily mean that they need to have a teaching degree - to teach math, you should be familiar with it. To teach science, biology, literature, chemistry, physics etc, you should also be familiar with it. I'm saying that because these kids may grow up one day wanting to go to university, possibly study one of these subjects and they need a strong foundation.

[JuneL]

Well said!!!!!

 

 

I don’t have kids – so I don’t really have a dog in this fight.

 

That said, I think “school” as a lot more to teach a kid than simple English math and science.

 

I kinda disagree that "social skills" are something that can be taught, and not learned through immersion.

 

Humans are social beings, and learning how to interact with our peers and authority figures is invaluable.

 

I know “bullying etc” is a major issue for SOME kids, but honestly, I think most kids should learn how to handle “meanies” how to make friends, how to build alliances, judge character etc, which is difficult to do if most interaction with their peers is controlled and “approved” by adults. I was a fat kid, from the country, going to a huge high school with an extremely diverse population (from silicon valley elite, to kids from crime riddled inner cities). I learned how to stand up for myself when I needed to, and how to make friends with people from different walks of life.

 

I also appreciated having a wide diversity of teachers. Not only did they have different perspective to teach, but I as a student learned how to meet the varied expectations that they had.

 

For me, in my professional life, its not the Chem class which has allowed me to excel in my career, but rather my people skills.

 

I learned how to read people, how to meet expectations, how to build alliances, when to get involved in something, and when to mind my own business. I credit those skills when I was the last “man” standing after the rest of my department was laid off. I credit those skills for my promotions and loyalty my company has shown me. I can relate to people from different walks of life, because I learned that in public school, and I can manage an unreasonable boss, because I had some unreasonable teachers in school as well. I also learned how to be heard, and rise above a crowd, because when you have a huge class – you have to.

 

I understand some kids “sink” in the sink or swim culture of public schools, but certainly not all are “sinkers” and I think its important to recognize the other life skills the social aspect of public school teach.

 

Not only that, and those adults are actually your parents.

[stixx]

I did what?

 

As far as a parent being educated, I don't necessarily mean that they need to have a teaching degree - to teach math, you should be familiar with it. To teach science, biology, literature, chemistry, physics etc, you should also be familiar with it. I'm saying that because these kids may grow up one day wanting to go to university, possibly study one of these subjects and they need a strong foundation.

 

Since I cant PM you on this vB setup for some reason I will explain.

 

Parroting is a mimic, a copy or a reproduction in manner.

 

Hope this helps. ok.

[noelle303]

Since I cant PM you on this vB setup for some reason I will explain.

 

Parroting is a mimic, a copy or a reproduction in manner.

 

Hope this helps. ok.

 

Ok, I don't really know why you'd think I copied you? We may have similar opinions, but rest assured, I didn't even fully read your post.

[AndyMate30]

Yes my kids are tested by the state.

[basil67]

In social skills this is what they are learning.

 

*Real acceptance of other people.

*Education about other people.

*Manners

*Etiquette

*Love and affection

*Relationships

*Marriage and how it works.

*Non-Abstinence based sex education

*Anger management

*Self help

*Personal Safety

 

None of which is taught in schools...

 

You're right and wrong. A lot of this IS taught in schools. And the stuff which isn't taught in schools should be coming from a child's parents anyway. So home school or not, your children would still be receiving the same information. No advantage to home schooling in this list.

[basil67]

I chose public schooling for many of the reasons you don't want it.

 

I strongly believe in not protecting children from the world. I want them to experience the world and learn to deal with different types of people. I want them to learn resilience. How do they improve their social skills if they don't get the opportunity to socialise with people from diverse backgrounds and different levels of motivation? How can they function at university or in their workplace if they haven't learned to block out the noise and power through their work?

 

I find it ironic that you think you can teach real acceptance of others when you also talk about public schools breeding punks and bullies. If this is how you view public school kids, it sounds like you have minimal acceptance of others. You're being a very poor role model.

[AndyMate30]

You're right and wrong. A lot of this IS taught in schools. And the stuff which isn't taught in schools should be coming from a child's parents anyway. So home school or not, your children would still be receiving the same information. No advantage to home schooling in this list.

 

No I don't tolerate or accept street punks and bullies

[RecentChange]

No I don't tolerate or accept street punks and bullies

 

But leaning how to deal with them is a life skill.

 

And not all public school kids are "street punks and bullies"! The majority are good kids who become good people.

[basil67]

No I don't tolerate or accept street punks and bullies

 

But you seem to equate punks and bullies with schools. Do you teach your kids that most kids in regular public or private schools aren't punks or bullies?

 

I agree with RC that learning how to deal with bullies is a life skill. What will your kids do when they meet the first bully in university or work and they've had no practice in dealing with them?

 

What is your experience with the restorative justice programs used in many schools to combat bullying? How effective do you find it?

[amaysngrace]

I pulled my daughter out of high school due to being bullied there and she finished up while being taught at home. While I agree that school may be an unsafe environment at times, realistically you can't protect your children forever.

 

Why you are instilling fear of others their own age is beyond me.

[thefooloftheyear]

No I don't tolerate or accept street punks and bullies

 

 

They may as well learn to deal with it, than hide from it....Real adult life has punks and bullies as well....at work, the store, everywhere...

 

You can direct them and lead them, show them the good and bad about life,. but sheltering won't do a damn bit of any good..Unless they never plan to leave the house..

 

TFY