Saturday, August 29, 2009

virtual penny for your thoughts

Dearest Interwebby People,

First off, I don't have enough actual pennies for your thoughts. Cardo and I cashed in our change recently after a couple of years of saving up. So, give me another couple of years and perhaps I'll offer actual pennies. Perhaps not.

So, I wanted to ask about something quasi-taboo and controversial: homeschooling. I say 'quasi-taboo and controversial' because I know that, often, the term brings up terrible, horrible, no good, very bad connotations, or something.

I'm not saying that I'm going into this homeschooling venture, I'm just interested in hearing more about it. I know that it'd be better to ask questions in a broader venue than here at the pond (ha! I'm hi-lar-ious! 'the pond'! I need sleep, stat), but I wanted some feedback from you all first.

Right now, I'm just wondering what your initial thoughts/reactions are? Do you have any stories to share regarding homeschooling? I don't believe that anyone I know to read this here blog has herself (I only know women to read my writing here) been homeschooled, yet I ask.

So, thoughts? Feel free to include thoughts on any other alternatives to public schooling also. It's getting close to the time that Pic will be in school full-time, so I'm starting to obsess about it...more.

Grazie mille,
v

2 comments:

lotsofglue said...

Penny IOU accepted-

On one side I am a champion for homeschooling IF the parent is good about it.

To have my own science projects, art area, field trips, and I can hook up with other homeschooling mom's and kids. And you can speed you child up or take time as they need. The guy who wrote Eragon, was homeschooled and graduated at the age of 15.
Most homeschooling is on the comp now so allot of the more expensive supplies don't have to be bought.
Your child might not have the socializing that other children do BUT that also means s/he will not have the bad influence either. Some of the nicest, thoughtful, smartest people I have ever met were homeschooled.

On the other hand- If the parent is not as into the fun of teaching then you get poor results.
My stepson's best friend is homeschooled because he was tired of getting up in the morning. It takes him a full year to finish a school year's worth of work. He does the absolute basics just to pass.

Plus you need some disipline do this everyday with an active child. And xanex.
I have two years to move to a better school district, if we are not moved then mine will be homeschooled until we can move.
So I have two years to figure out how to have some sort of schedule.
And I am ADD...

The Furie Queene said...

I had a friend in high school whose parents decided to home school her starting her sophomore or junior year. Basically, their decision stemmed from their (correct) fear that she was starting to become too sexually rebellious. (Her family was very, very religious.) While their decision did remove her from most of the "opportunities" she may have had to continue her rebellion, they did not realize that the children of their church friends were just as open to helping her explore, and that they would take advantage of her openness to explore.

Personally, I believe that socialization is a huge part of our education. There are, though, ways to socialize home-schooled children, but the parents have to be proactive about it.