Home Schooling

[Jess]

What do you think of home schooling? It has some bad sides and good sides, give your opinion

I know some good things are that you don't have to wake up so early

[Mzor203]

I know some good things are that you don't have to wake up so early

That can be very wrong. I am homeschooled and my parents get me up just as early as my siblings who go to public school. Homeschooling is not an excuse to laze around, just a means to schooling (a much more efficient one at that).

I think most people here know my thoughts on homeschooling already. Experienced both sides of the fence, homeschooling is by far better if you can maintain some discipline.

[BeautifulDisaster]

If the kid needs home schooling for whatever reason, then it's better than no school at all.
If the parent decides they want to home school their kids, as long as the kid is okay with it, and there are no problems with it happening, then I see no problem with it.
My surrogate dad's niece & nephew get home schooled by their mother, and there are no problems with it, and they seem great at socializing.
Their mother wanted to home school all 3 of her kids, but one of them didn't want to be home schooled, but she made sure he was placed in a private school, she's a very good mother, she wants the best for her kids, and she does the best for them.
All 3 kids are very intelligent too, and they don't laze about or anything, their mother is quite strict with the home schooling routine, so it's done properly.

It can make socializing harder for the kid, but in this day and age, I'd rather not socialize.

[2D]

Well, I'm a normal functioning citizen and I Was homeschooled a lot of my life. There's no problem with it so long as the parents know how to teach and don't attack you. Another thing. I could get a full days schoolwork done in about 2-3 hours depending on how much I focused.

[Scarface]

well the good thing is you get to sleep in a little bit longer, but the bad thing is, is that you will kinda miss out on making friends at school, but homeschooling you work at your own pace and you retain things a little better.

[Whisper]

I think most people here know my thoughts on homeschooling already. Experienced both sides of the fence, homeschooling is by far better if you can maintain some discipline.

Agreed
I was home schooled from 5-12

[Sapphire]

I am rather against home schooling for the reason that I've seen home schooling used successfully to indoctrinate the children.

[Whisper]

I am rather against home schooling for the reason that I've seen home schooling used successfully to indoctrinate the children.

I'm sorry I disagree with that completely, and speaking as someone who has allot of experience in home school, I don't appreciate what you're implying.

Before I go any further though I would like you to explain first of all what you think when someone says "home school"; specifically how do you believe they are taught?
Then I would like you to give me some modern examples of this happening in an AVERAGE FAMILY HOME not in an extremely strict/religious ideology such as the hutterites, or god forbid a cult, but an average run of the mill western family home.

[Sapphire]

Woah!

I was not saying or even implying that the majority of parents use home schooling as an opportunity to indoctrinate their kids.
I simply said that I have seen it used in this way successfully.

I did not anticipate people reading more into that than there actually was.

[ShatteredWings]

Well... it almost worked on me...if I hadn't realized the magic of google and forums, I would be their little clone of a perfect, christan child.
Granted, I don't live in an average american home, but my point still stands. It's not a cult convent, just "another normal family" [that's hiding a few things]

I think home schooling can very easily go very bad.

It's far to easy to not socialize. Public schools don't allow home schooled students to try out for sports or be in clubs, despite they're supposed to. Outside of school programs are non-existant outside of large cities.

The lack of a teacher knowledgeable in the subject. I'm sorry, but your parents DON'T know everything. If they can't answer the question, and the text book doesn't explain it well enough, you're fucked.
As I said in the last thread on this subject
Parents are not teachers. Unless you have a teaching degree, you should not be teaching.

Public/private schools also don't always accept home schooling. When I transfered,I transfered as a freshman. If I had done freshman year in the cyber program, I STILL would have had to transfer as a freshman again, since my program wasn't 'comparable' even when I had the paperback textbooks.


There's no school support, by this I mean guidence dept.
If a parent wants their kid doing something far above or below their capablitlies, they can do it.
In a normal school setting, there's other people intervening, and parents have almost no control of it. Like how it should be, to prevent most helicopter parnts from pushing unreasonable expectations.
Also, there's no way to get *out* of a situation if your home schooled. If your having problems, or being hurt, or whatever, there's NO WHERE to go to start the ball rolling to get hlep.

anyway i'm rambling
http://www.virtualteen.org/forums/showthread.php?t=62694
this thread puts my vies a little more coherently

[Perseus]

I like being able to go to school and being able to talk to my friends, ask teachers questions, because y'know, Google/Bing doesn't know everything. I'm not for or against it, but I wouldn't really want to be homeschooled. I learn fine in public schools, since I'm not with all the retarded jackasses.

[BeautifulDisaster]

^^ Retarded means developmentally challenged, and using it in that way is offensive you know.

And it's actually those that are developmentally challenged that are more likely to be home schooled, if you're fine in public schooling, that's great, but some need home schooling, like those who are severely disabled in some way(mentally, developmentally, and physically).

[Marcie]

What do you think of home schooling? It has some bad sides and good sides, give your opinion

I know some good things are that you don't have to wake up so early

Umm I still have to wake up early, granted it's not as early as some of my public school friends but it's still early.
I think Home-schooling is awesome.
Bad side I guess is that I can't see my friends every day. But I do get to see then on a semi regular basis.
right now I'm going to dispel the thought that homeschoolers are shelter people that have no social life. Because that is completely wrong lol. I've got a pretty darn busy social life. lol

[Evermore]

;818614']Well... it almost worked on me...if I hadn't realized the magic of google and forums, I would be their little clone of a perfect, christan child.
Granted, I don't live in an average american home, but my point still stands. It's not a cult convent, just "another normal family" [that's hiding a few things]

I think home schooling can very easily go very bad.

It's far to easy to not socialize. Public schools don't allow home schooled students to try out for sports or be in clubs, despite they're supposed to. Outside of school programs are non-existant outside of large cities.

The lack of a teacher knowledgeable in the subject. I'm sorry, but your parents DON'T know everything. If they can't answer the question, and the text book doesn't explain it well enough, you're fucked.
As I said in the last thread on this subject
Parents are not teachers. Unless you have a teaching degree, you should not be teaching.

Public/private schools also don't always accept home schooling. When I transfered,I transfered as a freshman. If I had done freshman year in the cyber program, I STILL would have had to transfer as a freshman again, since my program wasn't 'comparable' even when I had the paperback textbooks.


There's no school support, by this I mean guidence dept.
If a parent wants their kid doing something far above or below their capablitlies, they can do it.
In a normal school setting, there's other people intervening, and parents have almost no control of it. Like how it should be, to prevent most helicopter parnts from pushing unreasonable expectations.
Also, there's no way to get *out* of a situation if your home schooled. If your having problems, or being hurt, or whatever, there's NO WHERE to go to start the ball rolling to get hlep.

anyway i'm rambling
http://www.virtualteen.org/forums/showthread.php?t=62694
this thread puts my vies a little more coherently

My friend homeschools. He said that if he could go to public school next year(his mom won't let him) that he could just test in.

[Whisper]

K i just wanted to clarify, wasn't sure
Sorry Carole

;818614']Well... it almost worked on me...if I hadn't realized the magic of google and forums, I would be their little clone of a perfect, christan child.
Granted, I don't live in an average american home, but my point still stands. It's not a cult convent, just "another normal family" [that's hiding a few things]

I'm sorry you had a bad experience with it but there are ALLOT of people that had a shit time in the public system as well.
I went to two different home schools, why? because there was a horse humping whore named Joan Coy at the first who my family was sick of dealing with....So my sister and I went to another one. The best school I've ever been a part of and is in fact one of the leading home schooling institutions in the country. Some schools are good, some are bad, c'est la vie.

I think home schooling can very easily go very bad.

It's far to easy to not socialize. Public schools don't allow home schooled students to try out for sports or be in clubs, despite they're supposed to. Outside of school programs are non-existant outside of large cities.
I'd like to stop you right here for a second; there's at least three broad generalizations their.
First of all both institutions I went to allowed me to attend extra circular activities at the local schools if I wished.
They both also had what was called "get-together's" where AT LEAST once a month an area would be picked in a city relatively near by where we would all hang out for the day, we would go swimming, rock climbing, have picnics, camp outs, etc...
My old homeschool actually has trips to areas all over Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, etc... where you go with fellow students of all ages with volunteer shaparons and teachers
As for if programs in your area exist at all or not is COMPLETELY subjective, that all depends on where you are exactly and is completely out of the control of the institution.

The lack of a teacher knowledgeable in the subject. I'm sorry, but your parents DON'T know everything. If they can't answer the question, and the text book doesn't explain it well enough, you're fucked.
As I said in the last thread on this subject
Parents are not teachers. Unless you have a teaching degree, you should not be teaching.
Again, I’m gonna have to stop you riiiiight there.
Both schools I attended had full time teachers who hailed from all over western Canada, allot of my teachers actually had a masters and extensive experience. My biology and chemistry teach for example had over 22yrs under his belt before I even came along (I`m only 22yrs old NOW this was in grade 10)
My parents helped me ALLOT especially my mum in regards to getting my work done and handed in just like any active parent should show interest in a childs homework. But I assure you I had legitimate teachers whom I was in contact with on a daily basis through email, instant messaging, phone, etc...

So again that argument is mute, sorry

Public/private schools also don't always accept home schooling. When I transfered,I transfered as a freshman. If I had done freshman year in the cyber program, I STILL would have had to transfer as a freshman again, since my program wasn't 'comparable' even when I had the paperback textbooks.
Again this is a problem with YOUR institution it is not reflective of others or in my experience the majority.
I looked at allot of schools and transferability was never a problem. If anything what I was taught was more intense.
I know in Canada curriculum standards vary province to province, Alberta for example is rated as having the most difficult, in grade 12 I was covering university level material without the extra credit (that no Alberta HS is allowed to offer for those courses!)
When i was in the public system and transfered from BC to Alberta they held me back a yr because British Columbia is so far behind.

There's no school support, by this I mean guidence dept.
Again I had a guidance counselor who I saw at my local school once a week for 2hrs for both grades 11 and 12. My school as a whole all the teachers, the counselor, the vice-principle and principle ALL bent over backwards for me to help make sure I'd graduate. They ALWAYS treated me as an equal, there was no yes sir no sir three bags full sir. I was treated as an equal, my voice was respected, encouraged and appreciated

If a parent wants their kid doing something far above or below their capablitlies, they can do it.
I disagree with that, if this is your experience maybe you just need to apply yourself....ALL parents try to push their child, they want you to succeed and sometimes that requires them to be "mean"
they're your parent not your friend
they want whats best not whats easiest

In a normal school setting, there's other people intervening, and parents have almost no control of it. Like how it should be, to prevent most helicopter parnts from pushing unreasonable expectations.
I'm sorry but, thats bullshit.
There are allot of teachers out there that make students lives an utter living hell, I know, i've delt with a few.
As far as the parentals that again has NOTHING to do with the institution itself, personally my parents kick ass, do they have problems ya everybody does, i'm sure as shit not perfect and I doubt you are either, NOBODY is.
But a universal constant remains that parents want what is best for their children. My entire life I was treated as "a little person" NOT a child, my sister and I would even have a voice in what house to buy, like everything, we had a say because were part of the family. Just like when I went to my parents and asked them to let Rudi move in, I told them I needed to do this and I needed their help, they trust me (something I had to earn earlier on) so when the time came, when the song was sung, they answered the call. 3yrs later Rudi's graduated from that exact same school I went to and he IS family. But again this has NOTHING to do with the institution, this is Dependant on family dynamics.

Also, there's no way to get *out* of a situation if your home schooled. If your having problems, or being hurt, or whatever, there's NO WHERE to go to start the ball rolling to get hlep.
Thats COMPLETELY untrue, unfounded
If a child is being hurt or abused in anyway there are a THOUSAND different people they could go to
Police
Fire depot
Hospital
Church (even if you aren't religious and don't belong to said church, they will help)
community outreach programs
local schools in the area
the list goes on
and on
and on



anyway i'm rambling
http://www.virtualteen.org/forums/showthread.php?t=62694
this thread puts my vies a little more coherently

I'm not gonna do a back history into another thread for this debate, sorry



Is it perfect? No...god no.
But neither is the public, catholic or private educational system
they all have pros and cons

[INFERNO]

I've never been home-schooled but from what I've read and talked to others who were, I think it's just like public or private schools in the sense that you need to have self-discipline and need good teachers. The argument of not having a lot of social contact with the same age peer group is a pretty weak argument because although you may be unable to have peers "in class", outside the school you can have friends just as easily. There is a risk of religious indoctrination but I think those are the rarer, more extreme cases and not the majority. It seems to be very similar to public or private schooling with reduced peers during classes, which is both good and bad.

My biggest concern though would be the teachers themselves being one's parents who may not know a whole lot. The easy way around this is simply to hire a home-school teacher who is a proficient teacher.

It's not without its flaws but then again public and private schools have flaws also, so I think home-schooling can be good.

[Whisper]

no i'm not sure you guys understand allot of homeschools now aren't like that. Its not just some random parent teaching their child in their home.
Both of the ones i went to are online you use a special program like we used LotusNotes at one and FirstClass
At the beginning of every year we were given a school computer that would be returned at the end of the school term personally I had a REALLY old style mac (it was new then LOL) then a blue imac, then an ibook, then a dell inspirion, then my parents bought me my first comp and i just used that instead.
I would do assignments in each course every week, at my first one I was given the entire year right from the start so I could work as far ahead as I wanted too (I finished grade 7 in March).
The school I went to after only released them on a weekly basis unless you made a special deal to get a few additional assignments for special circumstances (like a vacation).
You would do your work, you could talk to a teacher through email or instant message at any point in time or you could ask them to call your house so you wouldn't be charged and they would call ASAP.

Not only that but they were EXTREMLY flexible, I would hand in assignments months late with no penalty because they knew me, they knew my family, and they knew I was going through a REALLY hard time then. Normally a semester has 18 weeks okay so that equals out to 18 assignments per course, in my Bio30 (Grade 12 academic biology) I probly only did a handful IF that but I was REALLY good in biology cause i liked it. My professor said fuck it and pushed all my mark weighting to my exams instead of my weekly assignments, I got a B-, thats including my diploma examination, I knew the material I was just extremely depressed.


I traveled all over with my parents and brought my laptop with me
I would sleep in and work on my stuff at 3am nobody would care
When I was in and out of the hospital for the suicide attempts, or the "self mutilation" observation crap, it didn't matter cause I could easily catch up.

My parents have always owned our own business's so having this flexibility was EXTREMELY beneficial because I could help them out.
We went to a conference in Anchorage Alaska for 2 weeks once, Rudi just worked ahead and then had a 2 week vacation (long fuckin drive man!)

Was there a religious aspect? Yes, the first school i went to operated within the public sphere but had massive problems so we switched to the catholic version. My family is agnostic AT BEST and I made it clear that I respected their beliefs but I don't share them, they were COMPLETELY okay with that over half their students weren't religious, they didn't care.


By a weird coincidence the principle for the school when I was attending lived right in my home town (I had teachers spanning three provinces).
I used to go to his house with my sister and a bunch of kids from town to party with his kids, we'd have huge fires in the back yard or go quading all over
I remember drinking all his Baileys one night LOL it was so good oommmmggg

It was one of the best things that could have ever happened to me
and the one I attended was an extremely well done set up
they arent all like that
but allot of schools period vary from institution to institution

[Ryhanna]

I was homeschooled for half of last year.
It wasn't all that different than normal schooling. I still had to do my work, assignments and homework. The best thing about being homeschooled is that I didn't have to share my teacher. If I was struggling I got as much help as I needed. But at school, the teacher is runnign around trying to help everyone as much as they can.
Both have their good and bad sides. Bad being that I missed my friends and learning with other kids. Good being that I learnt way more than I would have at school.

[Perseus]

^^ Retarded means developmentally challenged, and using it in that way is offensive you know.

And it's actually those that are developmentally challenged that are more likely to be home schooled, if you're fine in public schooling, that's great, but some need home schooling, like those who are severely disabled in some way(mentally, developmentally, and physically).

I'm sorry my slang offends you, miss perfect.

[BeautifulDisaster]

Grow up please.

[Perseus]

Grow up please.

I'm not going to get into an argument with you, but you're the one who called me out for saying "retarded".

[BeautifulDisaster]

Because you used it as an offensive term, I've been in a special educational needs school before & take great offense to it because I know people who are developmentally challenged, it's disgusting to use those words offensively.

[ShatteredWings]

I'd like to point out that I'm arguing from personal experience with spending my last year of elementary school and ALL of middle school out of the school system
So that's four years.
It almost was eight.

I'd like to stop you right here for a second; there's at least three broad generalizations their. First of all both institutions I went to allowed me to attend extra circular activities at the local schools if I wished.
That's canada.
In the US that does NOT happen.
Ever. I WANTED to do sports, but the school district wouldn't let me because "you are not a student at *middle school*"

They both also had what was called "get-together's" where AT LEAST once a month an area would be picked in a city relatively near by where we would all hang out for the day, we would go swimming, rock climbing, have picnics, camp outs, etc...
Once a month
With a group of brainwashed religious kids.

Or at least my experiences with home school groups.
My old homeschool actually has trips to areas all over Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, etc... where you go with fellow students of all ages with volunteer shaparons and teachers
You're shitting me, riighht?

Both schools I attended had full time teachers who hailed from all over western Canada, allot of my teachers actually had a masters and extensive experience. My biology and chemistry teach for example had over 22yrs under his belt before I even came along (I`m only 22yrs old NOW this was in grade 10)
I'm assuming this is cyber. Makes more sense anyway.
Most of the time, the 'classes' are once a week, at MOST [my history, in 8th grade, for example, was the second Tuesday of the month, and that was it.]

My parents helped me ALLOT especially my mum in regards to getting my work done and handed in just like any active parent should show interest in a childs homework. But I assure you I had legitimate teachers whom I was in contact with on a daily basis through email, instant messaging, phone, etc...
Your parents are an exception. Most parents couldn't give a fuck about if their kids got their homework done, except for the ones who are doing homeschooling so they have complete control over their child

Again this is a problem with YOUR institution it is not reflective of others or in my experience the majority.
I looked at allot of schools and transferability was never a problem. If anything what I was taught was more intense.
No, it's a problem with the school. ANY homeschool transfer had to start over unless they could prove their program was "good enough", which you couldn't do.

Again I had a guidance counselor who I saw at my local school once a week for 2hrs for both grades 11 and 12. My school as a whole all the teachers, the counselor, the vice-principle and principle ALL bent over backwards for me to help make sure I'd graduate. They ALWAYS treated me as an equal, there was no yes sir no sir three bags full sir. I was treated as an equal, my voice was respected, encouraged and appreciated
At the local public school
Where home schooled kids don't have access to in the US...

they want you to succeed and sometimes that requires them to be "mean"
they're your parent not your friend
they want whats best not whats easiest
There's a difference between wanting someone to do their best, and pushing your child who struggles with writing to be an author
There's a difference between wanting them to do their best, and wanting them to be the next genius when it's quite clear they aren't.


As far as the parentals that again has NOTHING to do with the institution itself, personally my parents kick ass, do they have problems ya everybody does, i'm sure as shit not perfect and I doubt you are either, NOBODY is.
I mean except that they're supposed to be 'teaching you', right?

Thats COMPLETELY untrue, unfounded
If a child is being hurt or abused in anyway there are a THOUSAND different people they could go to
Police
Fire depot
Hospital
Church (even if you aren't religious and don't belong to said church, they will help)
community outreach programs
local schools in the area
the list goes on
and on
and on
if they listened to kids, it would help.
Every. Time. I have tried to report ANYTHING, it gets pushed away.
They don't care




I'm not gonna do a back history into another thread for this debate, sorry
Didn't expect ya to. Just posting it for clarity, since apparently I'm still a little messed up atm.

[Jove]

Is home schooling good or bad:

Can be used well, can also be abused.

It goes both ways, end of discussion.

[Jamie]

It's nice how simple questions turn into debates so quickly.

I myself, think homeschooling is an effective means for an alternative. Some parts of homeschooling are down-sided. Like mentioned earlier... the lack of interaction between yourself and peers. To the upsides though, I'd say that not having to learn skills that you would never use in life. Such as if you went to a mainstream school you would learn of many more studies that you'll actually have no use for later in life.

[ShatteredWings]

It's nice how simple questions turn into debates so quickly.


Forum Description
A place to debate and discuss your ideas

Yeah, the intention is to debate.

[Mzor203]

I'd like to point out that when I lived in california (yes, US, not Canada), I attended a homeschool center which had quite a lot of what Kodie is describing.

You had a bad experience with homeschooling Gwyn. That sucks. guess what? I had an absolutely horrible experience with public school and a fantastic experience with homeschooling both in the U.S. and Canada.

Whatever you did in your schooling, you (or the one teaching you) did it wrong. About not being able to attend sports? Sometimes you have to fight for the right.If you raise enough shit the schools will let you, you just gotta know how to push some buttons.

[Ryhanna]

Because you used it as an offensive term, I've been in a special educational needs school before & take great offense to it because I know people who are developmentally challenged, it's disgusting to use those words offensively.

I don't think he meant it in that respect. I think he was using the slang variation of "retard" which basically means stupid, foolish. The same as gay does. He wasn't meaning to offend anyone who has mental disablities.