Can a T-Shirt Be Worth $275?

BTW I'm not one of those people who think homeschooling is for everyone and we should abandon universal education. But I do think it is whats right for me and my family.
 
Oh let me add something else. When comparing white children and black children who are homeschooled the education gap disappears. So that is obviously another benefit I see.
 
Believe me, if I find the school system is failing my children they will become home-schooled immediately. Which will suck for them because they'll have to wait for Daddy to come home before they get edumacation!
 
IHateGovernment said:
I tend to look at homeschooling with one eye crooked. Unless the school system is really bad, I don't think a parent (who typically doesn't have an education degree) is going to be nearly as effective as 12 years and over 20 different teachers some of which specialize in subjects. Don't you fear that you're kids are going to miss out on variety? I'm sure you and you're wife are quite capable of the basics or even have you're own specialties, but what if they want to take woodworking or Latin or Italian? Not to mention the learned social skills like networking and such.

Tiana you've been talking to me for some time and I think you have a good feel for by wide and diverse array of knowledge.

My wife does as well in different areas.

Areas that I have a good enough base level of knowledge to instruct a child up to a high school level would be.

History both US and World
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Computer Science
Mathematics
Sociology
Government & Politics
and
Philosophy

My wife has that ability in the areas of
English
Literature
Law
Spanish
French
and
Latin

Also when you homeschool a child much of their time is spent in self education. Most of the various things that I know I have learned on my own time and my wife can say the same. We are avid readers. Homeschooling is done to foster in the child a love of learning and they will teach themselves in what they are most interested in.

We are not completely anti-classroom though. We agreed that if our child was interested in a subject we were not qualified to sufficiently teach such as economics, Mandarin or auto repair we could send them to a community college course for that.

I'm not knocking teachers but in my experience only about 10% that I had I would consider good or exceptional. The rest I can say without arrogance that I can outperform in an environment in which I could focus on my child. Teaching a class to competence is much harder than teaching 2 or 3 children. Your primary concern is to teach them how to learn.

Jefferson and Edison were both home schooled with excellent results. My daughter has already shown signs of being very bright and I fear that school may be stifling for her intellectually. It was for me and my wife when we were children and I tended to misbehave when I was bored. I would only get involved when teachers showed an interest in me and allowed me to work more independently.
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I definitely think you're a smart guy and was not trying to imply in anyway way shape or form that you're intellectual or educational background is in question. You're definitely a smart person and I trust that your wife is as well. However, I don't think that just because you and your wife have excelled at certain things, doesn't mean you're necessarily equipped to teach in that subject. And yes. I too have had bad teachers, but you're talking about 12 years of grade school and at least over 20 education degrees dedicated to teaching your child. I just don't think most people have it in them to really compete with that unless they have done it before. I'm sure they will pass every required class and test that the state mandates, but there is a lot more to education than that. My favorite parts of class were when a teacher went off on a tangent and gave us random information outside of the book. Are you guys really going to be able to give that for every subject for all 12 years of grade school? Also, there are plays, organizations, field trips with friends, dances, etc that they aren't really going to experience. And I'm sure that there is some sort of social organization in your county for homeschooled kids, but come on, its not going to be the same. Also, I thought you're wife was going to be the one homeschooling while you worked. You mean to tell me when you get home in the afternoon after working full time and over time that you're going to be ablel to give them you're 100% every day - I can't believe that. For 12 years.....actually 14, I almost forgot you have one on the way ;)

My point is that I don't even believe that people that are as smart as you two are can really compete with the experience of 20 + of teachers (unless its a bad school system - that's my caveat to the entire debate). Lord know it wasn't fun at times and I wished I was homeschooled for a period, but in the end it made me stronger and I learned a lot of life's lessons. It wasn't always pretty, but it was necessary.
 
the only real problem I have with home schooling is the nuts that use it to keep their children locked in closets, sometimes literally...

Children should be kept in well ventillated cages, not musty closets.
 
uscitizen said:
the only real problem I have with home schooling is the nuts that use it to keep their children locked in closets, sometimes literally...

Children should be kept in well ventillated cages, not musty closets.
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I'm disappointed Lieutinent, you're advocating wasting perfectly good air on kids? We're at war here, soldier up.
 
I got my new paintball gun last week, makes the kids double time past my house after school. Hey I am doing my part here! JAFO sheesh.
 
My favorite parts of class were when a teacher went off on a tangent and gave us random information outside of the book. Are you guys really going to be able to give that for every subject for all 12 years of grade school?

Thats the thing we can do that even more than a teacher in a classroom can do because we aren't pressed for time to move on to the next lesson plan. We can move faster or slower than normal depending on the childs needs and there will be plenty of time to go on tangents and delve deeper into a subject a child is interested in. Many times in school students are forced to move on just when something gets interesting students have to move on to the next lesson.

Also, there are plays, organizations, field trips with friends, dances, etc that they aren't really going to experience.

Not true. I was in a play that was not part of the school once as I did it through a community organization. I definitely would want my children involved in such things. The same for organizations. Field trips will be even better for our children. Kids in school get usually one or two a year. We can do a couple a month if the children wish. There are also homeschool groups who we can get together with to do group activities.

This may be the hardest part. As I'm sure you're aware many homeshoolers do so for religious reasons and many deeply combine religion with their studies. We want to provide a secular education so it will be harder to find like minded people but will probably be easier in this part of the country.

Also, I thought you're wife was going to be the one homeschooling while you worked. You mean to tell me when you get home in the afternoon after working full time and over time that you're going to be ablel to give them you're 100% every day - I can't believe that. For 12 years.....actually 14, I almost forgot you have one on the way

I won't be doing as much as my wife. My wife can competently instruct them in any subject at least at the elementary level. I will provide extra instruction a couple days during the week and on the weekends. Another perk of doing this is the children do not have to take a break on saturday or sunday. They can have their break on Wednesday or something. Also they can be schooled year round so that we don't have to have their memories atrophy for 12 weeks before getting back to learing and having to review for a month.

Lord know it wasn't fun at times and I wished I was homeschooled for a period, but in the end it made me stronger and I learned a lot of life's lessons. It wasn't always pretty, but it was necessary.

I understand I've been there too. But schools are even worse today then when we were kids and I am wary of some of the things kids are exposed to. The thing is homeschooling a child isn't an inescapable committment. If it doesn't work for us we can enroll the child in school.

But I believe we can do it. If it can produce great minds like Jefferson and Edison I believe we can educate an exceptional child as well.
 
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