Why I am Homeschooling
I have realized that most of my family had no idea I was planning on homeschooling starting in August. Since I have made my decision I have been receiving mixed reactions. Strangers think I am weird and instantly tell me my kids are going to have "socialization issues". (So rude by the way.) My friends express admiration and ask if I can homeschool their kids too, and my family is worried for my mental health and the general safety for my children.
Here are a few reasons why I have decided to homeschool:
1. I began to notice my children disliking school and learning in general. It hits around 2nd grade. Around the time when children are required to sit for longer periods of time and are required to keep quiet so as not to disturb a teacher that needs to teach 25+ children a subject that they are "required" to learn at this age. In homeschool, I will be able to teach my children about things they are passionate about. I hope that they will LOVE to learn! The lessons will be short (each lesson no more than 20-30 minutes per subject) and we will be striving for QUALITY not QUANTITY. We'll do every cursive letter perfect and beautiful and then get to put it away. Not do sheets of practice that make both of us cry and wonder why we have to spend an hour on it only to have a teacher write on the page how sloppy it is.
2. In Public School children need to all work at the same pace so no other children get "left behind". If a child starts to get left behind, they cannot receive the kind of individualized attention they need for something they struggle with. Homeschooling can let them learn at the level of their brain, and not require them to learn at their "age level". All children are different...so what if a child doesn't learn to read when they are 5 years old and they are 8 instead. They will STILL KNOW HOW TO READ and will have learned when their brain is ready. I could go on and on about this....
3. HOMEWORK...pretty self-explanatory. In the 4th grade my son was going to school for 6 hours and then coming home with 1 1/2 hours worth of homework. What the heck am I sending him to school for?? He's 9 years old, not earning his college degree! With homeschooling, because of the individualized instruction, until high school we can be done with school by the time lunchtime comes around with no "homework". How awesome is that?? However, because the child will love learning so much, they will probably choose to spend some of their free time learning about things that interest them.
4. Teachers spend more time with my children than I do. The time that I do spend with my children involves me yelling at them to hurry up and get ready so we can get out the door, hurry up and finish their homework, hurry up and get ready for bed.....not a lot of quality time there. I want to reconnect as a family and learn to love my children and truly know them.
5. They can learn without a politically correct agenda in mind. We can say a prayer and read some scripture before starting our subjects. We can learn about christian morals and values without having to be careful about who we are going to offend. An atheist psycho dad cannot get the courts to tell us that we can't say "under God" or sing "Silent Night" at Christmas time, and we never have to say "Happy Holidays."
I could go on and on with this, but just know that I have wanted to do this since Payton hit the 3rd grade but did not have the "guts". I do worry about my sanity, and my abilities to teach my children, but I have decided that if I trust in the Lord that all will be ok. How many of my kids teachers said a prayer before teaching my children that they would teach them effectively?? I'm guessing none of them :) So, with the Lord on my side...they are going to be ok. I may also decide it's too hard and put them back in school by next year. This is ok too. Although my reasons show that I am unhappy with Public School, there are a lot of good things about it (I'll write about my views on socialization another day), and I do not judge anyone who chooses to have their children in Public School. If I do put them back in school, I will change the way I choose to spend my time with them, and never allow them to have a 2nd rate teacher. I spent a lot of time trying to make a certain ADHD child exactly what the school system needed him to be. I called and cried to my mom a lot! I hope that with homeschooling, I can just let him be exactly who he is, and not try to alter the creative, sweet, loving, enthusiastic, energetic boy that he is!
I will need a lot of support as I tackle this endeavor. Shalene and Amber, we will be doing a fieldtrip to RT and seeing how pizzas are made. Terry and Dean, love to learn all about creating and running your own business. Alisha, some hairstyling lessons to me and my girls would be appreciated. Brandon and Scott, Physical fitness and how to intimidate?? Candra, how to kick butt and take names and still look cute doing it. Deb is doing a few science lessons, Mom can help in baking and gardening and teach them how to make a mess and not let it bug them (I will be attending that class too.) Wayne and Jason will be in charge of Outdoorsy stuff and keeping alive the tradition of using terms like "It only got hit in the head by that car. That's perfectly good meat, load it up!"
Here are a few reasons why I have decided to homeschool:
1. I began to notice my children disliking school and learning in general. It hits around 2nd grade. Around the time when children are required to sit for longer periods of time and are required to keep quiet so as not to disturb a teacher that needs to teach 25+ children a subject that they are "required" to learn at this age. In homeschool, I will be able to teach my children about things they are passionate about. I hope that they will LOVE to learn! The lessons will be short (each lesson no more than 20-30 minutes per subject) and we will be striving for QUALITY not QUANTITY. We'll do every cursive letter perfect and beautiful and then get to put it away. Not do sheets of practice that make both of us cry and wonder why we have to spend an hour on it only to have a teacher write on the page how sloppy it is.
2. In Public School children need to all work at the same pace so no other children get "left behind". If a child starts to get left behind, they cannot receive the kind of individualized attention they need for something they struggle with. Homeschooling can let them learn at the level of their brain, and not require them to learn at their "age level". All children are different...so what if a child doesn't learn to read when they are 5 years old and they are 8 instead. They will STILL KNOW HOW TO READ and will have learned when their brain is ready. I could go on and on about this....
3. HOMEWORK...pretty self-explanatory. In the 4th grade my son was going to school for 6 hours and then coming home with 1 1/2 hours worth of homework. What the heck am I sending him to school for?? He's 9 years old, not earning his college degree! With homeschooling, because of the individualized instruction, until high school we can be done with school by the time lunchtime comes around with no "homework". How awesome is that?? However, because the child will love learning so much, they will probably choose to spend some of their free time learning about things that interest them.
4. Teachers spend more time with my children than I do. The time that I do spend with my children involves me yelling at them to hurry up and get ready so we can get out the door, hurry up and finish their homework, hurry up and get ready for bed.....not a lot of quality time there. I want to reconnect as a family and learn to love my children and truly know them.
5. They can learn without a politically correct agenda in mind. We can say a prayer and read some scripture before starting our subjects. We can learn about christian morals and values without having to be careful about who we are going to offend. An atheist psycho dad cannot get the courts to tell us that we can't say "under God" or sing "Silent Night" at Christmas time, and we never have to say "Happy Holidays."
I could go on and on with this, but just know that I have wanted to do this since Payton hit the 3rd grade but did not have the "guts". I do worry about my sanity, and my abilities to teach my children, but I have decided that if I trust in the Lord that all will be ok. How many of my kids teachers said a prayer before teaching my children that they would teach them effectively?? I'm guessing none of them :) So, with the Lord on my side...they are going to be ok. I may also decide it's too hard and put them back in school by next year. This is ok too. Although my reasons show that I am unhappy with Public School, there are a lot of good things about it (I'll write about my views on socialization another day), and I do not judge anyone who chooses to have their children in Public School. If I do put them back in school, I will change the way I choose to spend my time with them, and never allow them to have a 2nd rate teacher. I spent a lot of time trying to make a certain ADHD child exactly what the school system needed him to be. I called and cried to my mom a lot! I hope that with homeschooling, I can just let him be exactly who he is, and not try to alter the creative, sweet, loving, enthusiastic, energetic boy that he is!
I will need a lot of support as I tackle this endeavor. Shalene and Amber, we will be doing a fieldtrip to RT and seeing how pizzas are made. Terry and Dean, love to learn all about creating and running your own business. Alisha, some hairstyling lessons to me and my girls would be appreciated. Brandon and Scott, Physical fitness and how to intimidate?? Candra, how to kick butt and take names and still look cute doing it. Deb is doing a few science lessons, Mom can help in baking and gardening and teach them how to make a mess and not let it bug them (I will be attending that class too.) Wayne and Jason will be in charge of Outdoorsy stuff and keeping alive the tradition of using terms like "It only got hit in the head by that car. That's perfectly good meat, load it up!"
posted by Huhtala Family at 9:25 AM
15 Comments:
wat is wrog wit publick skule? i wint and turnd ouwt fine?
WEIGH TWO TEL Herr SKOT!
Seriously, I am so excited for you and for your family. You can definitely teach them how to be creative writers also. Any homeschooled kids I have ever met have been exceptional bar none. Question? Who will teach them music? HMM Jo?
Joalea I just have to say that you are an amazing mother and sister and I really admire almost everything that you do. I love you and good luck not killing your kids ;)
If anyone can home school their kids it's you. You're such and awesome mom!
I was home schooled from 3rd grade through 9th grade. When I went back to High School I was one of the smartest students...not that I'm a genius...but the other kids had figured out how to do just enough school work to get a B or a C, then they skipped everything else. I got A's because I did all the work.
I have a lot of fond memories of all the cool field trips we went on. There was also a group of home schoolers that we got together with regularly.
Now I have to worn you...the first 6 months to a year is the hardest. It's just because your kids aren't used to being together all the time so they're going to get in fights and argue etc. But after you get past the hard part they will be so close. I know I'm really close with my family because of home schooling.
There's so many more things your kids can now learn...I'm excited for them.
Don't worry about the social thing either. You know the saying, "I learned everything I needed to learn in Kindergarten." That's were kids pick up most of their social skills. They also still have fun learning in preschool and kindergarten. So put them in school for those years and they'll be fine.
Good Luck!
Amy was home schooled last year and made great fiends going once a week to the class room. My kids make friends with neighbors and after school activities. I would love to have nina homeschooled can she come live with you.(shes the one who cant read still)
i dont know why i come up as nikki but its me shalene
Whatever Nikki, quit trying to act all grown up.
People like you make us mom's that send our kids to public school look bad! STOP it already! ;-)
Ditto and AMEN, sista!!!
FYI, not all of "us teachers" are evil people out to get your children. Most of us are trying to make a difference and spend countless, sleepless, tearful hours agonizing over how to help our students. Anyway, I'm getting all emotional and starting to cry so I better stop. I just wish parents could see behind the scenes and realize how much each child is loved. And, for the record, many of us do spend hours in prayer over our students as well. Our school even has a teacher prayer group that meets once a week. I wish you the best of luck. Your children are lucky to have such a mother! You will do an amazing job.
Donna, I was trying in my post to be sure that I did not say that Public School and it's teachers were BAD. I'm sorry if it came across that way. As I said, if I were to have my kids in public school I would do everything I could to make sure they did not have "2nd rate" teachers again. In other words, if I sensed that the teacher and child were not a good match, I would do my best to work it out, but I would never again leave my child in a class just because it's too hard to change and "suffer" through the year. As I said, I am in no way looking down on people who choose public school. I think it's really interesting how many people have said that they think I'm looking down on them or judging them now because they keep their kids in school. I am absolutely CRAZY for doing this and will most likely fail miserably! But I strongly feel it is going to benefit my family, even if it's only for a small period of our lives, and we one day return to public schools.
My kids have had some AWESOME teachers, but this post was not about that...it was about why I made the decision I did. I just feel so blessed to have options, and the "one size fits all" education just wasn't working for one of my children in particular. I know that teachers do their best but you can't individualize for every child when you have 30+ kids in the higher grades.
Also, you are completely right in that some teachers do pray to teach their students effectively...I was just speaking about my kids teachers specifically but again, I am judging, and I apologize for that. I actually meant more that I was praying for my children specifically, by name, and that I doubted any of my kids teachers could focus so much on just one child.
I hope I haven't hurt your feelings! I LOVE teachers and I am amazed at what they do day in and day out. It is such an awesome thing to educate children, and I am excited that I get to have a turn!
Can't wait to hear how you're going! Have you started yet?
Hey, just a random stranger commenting on your blog! Actually, I am a friend of Shannon's, and randomly clicked on your blog link, immediately noticing a post about homeschooling.
You are not alone in your feelings! I finally got up the guts to homeschool my 2nd grader this year and it's going GREAT. I can't believe I was such a chicken for so long and didn't follow my gut feeling to pull her out of school, love her and teach her. My older daughter is still in school, which suits her needs well (although I am amazed at how close my homeschooled daughter and I have become in only a month and I think my older daughter feels left out). I have two young children as well, which is one of the reasons why I was so nervous to take this responsibility on. But it's been such a relief to do it. I am busy, but at peace in my decision.
Yes, people--strangers!--can be exceptionally rude, making comments, etc. Even people I am close to have said things like, "oh, homeschooled kids turn out so weird." Nice support! I was homeschooled for two years and loved almost every minute, didn't really miss friends (I was 13-15 yrs) and became so close to my sister and mom.
So, kudos to you for following your heart, and following what the Lord sees fit for you and your family. We, too, might be back in school next year, but I know there is a reason we are where we are today.
Congrats. You are the mom, afterall, and you know best. Way to stick to your guns!
Hi Jacqui! Thanks for your comment :)
I have actually considered putting one of my children (who does exceptionally well in public school) back in and just focusing on the one child that is struggling. Although homeschooling is the most difficult and challenging sacrifice (on my free time) I have ever had to make, I am so glad that I did. The quality time that we have already spent learning together has been such a blessing in our lives.
I would love to swap the joys (and pain) of homeschooling with you! I have a homeschooling blog that I created at www.huhtalahomeschoolers.blogspot.com
Do you have a blog? You can email me at joaleah@hotmail.com
Hey Joelea,
Just stopped by your blog and was totally suprised by this news....in a good way. I can definately see you as a homeschool mom....you were always so organized!! Not sure if you knew or not but I was homeschooled for all but four years of my schooling k-12. I loved it because it was a fit for me as I totally hated school and had some learning disabilities that weren't being taken care of or even helped by any of my teachers. I totally agree that some teachers are better than others...just like in any job! That doesn't mean teachers are bad it just stinks when you get one that isn't as commited as others. What charter school are you under? I am just finishing my teaching credential and have seriously been considering applying with the charter schools around this area that are over homeschooers. Mostly because of my background but also because I feel like it would be a good fit for me. We should talk some time so that I can get a feel of what you think of yours and such. Email me - karinehopkins@gmail.com and hopefully we can chat again soon! I'm excited for you!
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