Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Food for thought

Wow, here is some food for thought if there ever was any (be sure to read all 5 parts). It also proved to me that I need to do some more reading and research if I want to argue the school system more. Which is why my list of books to read and topics to research is every growing. And why I'm more and more convinced that out school system is not something that I support.

The author has a lot of really, really good points and very much sums up much of what I've been trying to tell people ( in real life, haven't gotten to it here, just wait). It also makes me just hate our school system even more and leaves me more and more convinced I will not be working for it. I honestly don't want to have any part in dragging our nation down.

It also makes me very angry to think that there are people who actually have the audacity to attempt to refute that. I'll have to do some more research, but last time I researched the pros and cons of homeschooling and it's effects on children, I couldn't find any cons. Gosh I wonder why?

If you would like to argue with me, please at least do your research too. Nothing beats my college sociology professor. While talking about the institution of education, she decided to bring up homeschooling. I had gotten the sense that she was anti-homeschooling just from some things she had mentioned in the previous weeks. She was a very nice woman and overall I enjoyed her class and respect her, but the woman attempted to bring down homeschooling without doing her research. I of course, do not mind speaking in front of people, and if you are going to threaten views on homeschooling, I most certainly have no problem bringing you down. Now this was not something that I would have done with any professor, but this was late in the semester and I knew she would not threaten my grade for arguing with her (I got an A+).

She starts bringing up all of these reasons why homeschoolers do not benefit from the institution of education because they are homeschooled and do not receive the benefits of the educational system (are these postitive or negative benefits, might I ask?). She brought up every topic under the sun, from socialization, to schoolwork monitoring, the fact that parents are qualified, and on and on. I shot her down on every, single, one. Now I couldn't quote text from studies, but I could at least say "research shows the opposite." HA! Imagine that, a lowly homeschooler shoots down a professor with a Ph. D. Obviously someone had failed to do their research. She eventually just ran out of things to say, or got tired of me, or something, because she eventually just completly moved on to a new subject, very wounded. (Please note, I was not disrespecful in any way, I was brought up to respect those above me. I argured back just as you would if you were properly debating someone).

Some people also really question why I'm going into teaching if I'm not for having others teach my currently non-exsistent kids. It's a good question, and honestly I'm still not sure what I was thinking. I love kids and and I love teaching others, and learning. Maybe I'm just hoping that I'll be able to help just a few kids. I'm not sure. It does seem a bit silly to work for something you are against. I guess at this point I'm really not up to a change of majors considering next year is my senior year, not to consider I'm not sure I would change it to anyways. There is a very good chance that I may never spend a day in the classroom. But I would love to do something with homeschoolers. Tutoring, co-op type classes, maybe?

However, the more time I spend in college learning how to educate and the more time I spend in schools, the more and more I'm conviced this is all just a joke. Most of my three years of college has been a waste of time and money. Much of what I've had to learn isn't needed. Which hopefully will make the homeschool parent feel better about themselves and their ability to teach. Trust me, you do not need a degree to teach your children. I think in the end, there will be less than 10 courses that will have truely had any meaning to me and my teaching. And you could probably just learn that information out of a book.

So homeschool parents, rest assured, you are giving your child the greatest gift they could ever recieve (other than salvation through Jesus Christ, of course). Never doubt your abilities to teach; rest assured that your children are missing nothing. If anything, they are gaining more. Every day I spend in the public schools, I thank my mother even more for being willing to sacrifice 12 years of her life for me.

2 comments:

Lori said...

*many* of the homeschooling parents i know either were or still are teachers (or professors) -- to me, both choices have to do with caring deeply about learning!

Anonymous said...

Like the other commenter, many of the homeschooling parents (or grandparents) that I know are former teachers. Thanks for the encouragement that my kids aren't missing anything (I didn't think they were) and that I am perfectly qualified to teach them (I really thought I was).

Thanks, too, for stopping by my blog and commenting today. If you want to participate in the homeschool grads interview, don't hesitate to email me.