patron-saint-of-smart-asses:

kyak:

patron-saint-of-smart-asses:

I really like that homeschooling is being more accepted as a choice of schooling, but I really get irked when the only way to show homeschooliing in a good light is to prove how many “elite” students they produce, or somehow showing its better than any public/private school ever.

No child should be pushed to be “elite” if they don’t want to.  They should learn to push themselves and to desire learning, but getting the best grades and the most advance classes should not be a priority.  I don’t care how they are educated: they need to be encouraged to learn and prepare themselves for their future lives, not be trained as perfect student pets.

Some kids in homeschooling?  They are average, or below their grade level.  Maybe Jane is great at science and math, but she has a hard time with grammar and writing. Joe has a speech impediment that makes him shy around other people and needs time to know someone.  Robin has a physical disability that prevents him from traveling easily but he loves reading.

But because these kids are homeschooled, they can use their own curriculum to support their strengths and overcome their weaknesses.  Jane can move up a grade or two with her sciences and mathematics but still have a lower grade language arts program to help her understand it more.  Joe gains confidence at home and with his therapist as he learns at his own pace and by the time he meets the neighbor kids to play, or meets with fellow students at a homeschooling co-op, he can work with others just fine.  Robin is stuck at home for most of his classes, but because he can finish his work early he and his parents have extra time to go visit a museum or library or even a movie theater.

Homeschooling should be about encouraging individuality in learning styles and flexibility, whether the child is an A+ student or struggling just to keep up.

The point is that whether its homeschooling, private school, public school, or a mix of the three over the course of the child’s life, our focus should be on, “what is best for this individual child?” not “Which method will make my kid look better than the others?”

Holy shit, yes.

I still love this post. Kids deserve better than what we give them.