Educational Concerns

[Dana]

Homeschooling has concerned me when it comes to education. I have taught at the college level and understand how much training is required to become a teacher. If a parent is willing to go through a teaching certification program and obtain the necessary education and credentials, I am all for home schooling and a big fan of it.

But to be a good teacher, you need to have a lot of training, understand the psychology and process of learning, and you also need practical classroom experience.

This is just my opinion, but I would not send my child to a Dr. that did not have the necessary education and credentials, and I guess I feel the same way about teaching.

[sostinkinhappy]

So...then it would be OK for me to home school my kids when I am done with my Ph.D.? I am one class away from finishing course work. Should I make them call me Dr. Mom while home school is in session?

Don't worry, I ask these questions mostly tongue in cheek. My B.S. was in Psy w/ an emphasis in Behavior and Learning, I have a M.S. in Instructional Technology, and my Ph.D. will be in the same field (dissertation topic: Human Development and the Adult Learner: Implications for the Classroom and Beyond). I, too, have taught at the college level. Classes such as Learning Theory, Cognition and Memory, Motivation and Learning, & History and Systems of Instructional Tech. I have spent plenty o' time learning about the "psychology and process of learning" from the cradle to the grave and can quote learning theorists new and old in my sleep (or at least I know which library in EndNote I have my notes for their works archived).

From my overly-educated point of view, the best learning environment is where the student is in a one-on-one or small group tutoring situation with a mentor/tutor who is attentive, thoughtful, aware of the needs of the learner, and is able to respond in an appropriate and timely manner. (That being said, social cognition theory is another discussion for another post, if you would like). If a good parent isn't all of those things a good mentor/tutor is, then who is? I believe given the right tools, any parent can successfully home school their child (that's the Instructional Technologist in me speaking). Now about the social development part of homeschooling...that takes a bit more work!

School as we know it in the United States is a residual of the industrial era and has little to do with how and when a child learns the best and who is most "qualified" to teach them. Schools today are about classroom management not optimal learning.

Bottom line: No one knows my children's strengths and weaknesses better than I do and no one is better prepared to teach them than I am. Like any other attentive, pro-active mom, I have the skills to successfully teach and mentor these boys into adulthood, with or without the alphabet soup after my name. All I need is the curriculum and by George, I can get that on the Internet for free. As a professional educator, I would rather have a highly motivated & dedicated mother home schooling her children than a burned-out, overworked, and underpaid school teacher* "managing" them in the classroom.

So, did I ruffle your feathers? I tend to do that sometimes, seeing as how I am nearly done with this silly degree, planning a career in academia, and yet I am a staunch supporter of home schooling.


(*Must give a shout out to all my teacher friends who are not this kind of teacher but are the highly motivated and dedicated kind! You folks are some of the ones who make my job the joy that it is! Love to all of you.)

[Dana]

You didn't ruffle my feathers at all. And I don't think we entirely disagree. If a parent has the qualifications to teach, I am also a strong supporter of home schooling. But this will be a FULL TIME job for the parent. They must keep up with the subject matter that other children are learning, they must keep current on that subject matter, and they must be experts in Math, Science, English, Social Studies, etc.

I have taught before, but I would never even attempt to teach Math for instance. I am not an expert in advanced Algebra and Calculus and even though I have practical teaching experience, I would never claim I am qualified to teach mathematics.

[Amy Bass]

I don't agree at all with your statement Dana. I think it is our RIGHT to be able to teach our children. We should not be forced to put them in the public school system if we do not agree with what is being taught. It is part of what keeps us a free nation.

[Dana]

I agree that parents have the right to teach their children at home. But would you send your child to a Doctor that did not have a medical degree?

I think it is a very loving thing for a parent to want to teach a child, and I am in full support of home schooling if the parent has the qualifications to teach.

And Amy--I never said you should be forced to put your children in a public school. All I said is that you should have the necessary teaching qualifications. I think almost all parents wouldn't bring their child to a Doctor who didn't have a medical degree. It takes a lot of schooling, training, education to become a Doctor.

It also takes schooling, training, and education to become a teacher.

[Annette Jensen]

I would like to add something to this conversation. I home taught my children for many years, and NO, I do not have a degree in teaching, I was just a mom who was disappointed in the education system, the struggles I saw and the wasted amount of time with what was at that time, a dual language program. My children, became far advanced in their education just by my teaching them alone. We learned from the classics, and yes, I even taught them Algebra while they were still in elementary school.

I put my daughter back in school in the 6th grade, but she was so far advanced, and had tested ahead of the other students, she was advanced into the 7th grade. My son was tested in the 7th grade and showed his history knowledge was Senior high school level, and 2nd year college in Science. He was in high school level in math, the funny thing...he had learning disabilities and was failing in the public school. I would not even compare someone teaching you over someone cutting you open for surgery. To compare the two is absurd. I have heard all the "slogans" against homeschooling and that is one of them.

I still have two more children that I do have in the public school system as I do not have the time to commit in teaching. I will say that it is a full time commitment and there is a lot of preparation and self-discipline involved. I started a program while I was homeschooling, working with the public school system. I set it up where parents were able to use school supplies, library, stencils, etc...as well as public school books. This was a program where the student was part of the district, the school was funded for this student, but the parent had the freedom and choice of educating them at home.

I have seen many parents without a degree in teaching successfully teach their children who have grown into very successful businessmen and women. I respect your role as an educator, as this is true calling. We all have the right to teach our children how we see fit, as we are all blessed with the inspiration and guidance by God as to what is best for our individual child. My oldest while in Special Ed, was not flourishing, matter of fact, his teacher told me that he would never read...but they were wrong. He is now working for Dell computers as their Tech Support...and he, yes...was home taught from that point on.

[Dana]

Annette,

I think it is awsome that your children did so well with home schooling. It sounds like you were very dedicated, worked at it very hard, and did what ever you needed to do, such as getting the public school system involved. I am really happy for you and your children and it sounds like you had great success.

I think some people may have taken my initial post the wrong way. I have nothing against home schooling. What I am concerned about is the logic in just assuming that one can be a teacher without any training. I will admit there are some who have this natural talent. But following this train of logic, if I can call myself a teacher without any training:

Can't I walk into an Accounting Office and announce I am a book keeper even though I have never done one balance sheet?

or walk into a garage and call myself a mechanic even though I have never had the training or any practical experience in fixing an engine?

or walk into the Human Resources Department of a major airline and tell them I am a pilot even though I have never taken any flight instruction?

I am not trying to belittle anyone or say anything against home schooling at all. All I am saying is no one here would treat their child if they broke an arm unless they were a qualified Doctor. At least I hope they would not. And I think wanting to teach our children is a very loving and wonderful thing. But if we want a Doctor with the proper qualifications, don't we also want a teacher who has the proper qualifications as well?

I'll admit, there are some wonderful parents out there who have had great success like Annette. And I think it is so wonderful what she was able to accomplish. But there are many, many home schooled children out there who are not receiving a proper education because their parents do not know what they are doing. It's not a mean or intentional thing. It is simply that these parents do not have the necessary training and skills to be a sucessful educator. It's well meaning and it's loving for parents to want to do this. And I imagine we all want the best for our children.

So is it wrong for me to say that we want the best educated instructors to teach our children, even if that person is ourselves? I am only suggesting that if you want to teach your children at home, you should educate youself and in turn, you can give your child the best education possible.

Just picking up a curriculum and assuming you are a teacher is the same logic as picking up a medical book and saying you can treat your child's broken arm.

And again Annette, I am not trying to belittle anything you did. I admire the dedication you put in and I am so psyched that you had such wonderful results. I'm not against what you did. In fact I applaud it.

What I am concerned about is none of us would call ourselves a Doctor, Mechanic, Nurse, Accountant, etc. without the proper training, education, and experience.

[Pamela]

I would call myself Mother without a degree and believe that parenting properly in and of itself is far more challenging than teaching is.

Your arguments about accountants, mechanics, etc do not apply to HOME TEACHING. There are fundamental differences between teaching classrooms full of students and teaching your own children that you seem to not understand.

You also seem to equate a degree or credentials with qualifications. That is such a faulty assumption to make. Just because an accountant passed a test doesn't mean he is really qualified. Just because a teacher has a certificate doesn't mean that teacher is an effective instructor. Just means they test well and know how to jump through hoops. Oh, wait. I forgot. That's what public education does - teaches how to take tests. And still the numbers from those tests are dismal.

Parents who educate their children do educate themselves. They don't get degrees in public education though in order to do so. They read and talk to others and go to seminars and read some more and talk to others and read some more.

You wrote, "But there are many, many home schooled children out there who are not receiving a proper education because their parents do not know what they are doing. It's not a mean or intentional thing. It is simply that these parents do not have the necessary training and skills to be a sucessful educator."

Just because a teacher has a piece of paper, does that mean they have the necessary skills to be successful? Actually, that isn't the question. No piece of paper can evaluate a person's heart and motivation and those are the things that will truly make a successful educator, whether in the public government schools or at home. Your arguments seem to assume that children in public schools are receiving superior educations and that anybody with an education degree is qualified to teach. Your arguments also imply by default that the teachers in public schools are doing a stellar job. That is so false. Our public schools are foundering, failing to educate our children and becoming more and more of an embarrassment and waste of taxes. Far more children are hurt by teachers who are there only for the paycheck than by homeschooling parents who don't hold a piece of paper that you say would qualify them to teach.

[Ian]

Our sons were homeschooled for many years. Homeschooling is an excellent tool is done correctly. For example in Virginia (My State) the person must have a High School Diploma, and enroll the child in a nationally recognized and certified homeschool program, OR have a college degree in education. Each year you are then required to submit the proof of educational benchmarks to the local school district.

For both our children homeschool stopped being a vaible option as one child has a Speech language disorder, and was diagnosed with an axiety disorder. He needed special services that we could not provide at home. The other wanted to attend public schools, as he is a very social child.

I think homeschooling is very valualbe when done right. But I also think you have to look at the child and their needs when making the decision. Our older child with the more specialized needs has gone futher in the special education program that we ever could have taken him.

[Dana]

Ian,

I totally agree with you. I also think homeschooling is very valuable when done right. And I think it is awsome that Virginia requires that the child be enrolled in a nationally recognized and certified homeschool program, or that the parent have a college degree in education. I also really like that each year, you are then required to submit the proof of educational benchmarks to the local school district. It really sounds like Virginia is doing a lot to ensure quality home education.

Hope you don't mind me quoting some of what you wrote. You said it very well.

[Amy Bass]

Dana, Why did you join the homeschooling group? To tell parents they shouldn't teach their own children? I am angry about your posts because you are in support of a socialist government.

This is NOT about if a parent is as great as a teacher as a 'trained' teacher. It is that you are proposing that government take away our constitutional RIGHT to choose what is best for OUR children. Once you say, the government should have control of our parental rights, you go down a slippery slope my friend, real quick.

I do not fight saying that every parent will make a perfect teacher, but I fight for the RIGHT of every parent to CHOOSE to homeschool or not.

I do NOT support any government interference what so ever... they have no place in my living room.

[Annette Jensen]

I have to agree with Amy...we need to protect our rights to teach our children if that is what we choose to do. We should not have to bend to the will of the government. NO, I would never try to fix a broken arm of another child, nor would I attempt to teach someone else's children without the proper education and license, but this is NOT about teaching other children, this is about teaching our OWN children, which we should have the freedom to do.

[Dana]

I agree Annette. I totally do. I think all parents should have the right to home school. All I am saying is that it generally takes a lot of education and experience to be a good educator, just as it does to be a Dr., a Lawyer, an Accountant, etc.