opinions on homeschooling

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anonymous

New member
I was homeschooled from 8th grade until I graduated highschool and loved it! It was so much freer and I got to develop other interests I might not have been able to if I was in school.

It also was a lot of fun, some of the projects we did to make what we learning come alive. We got to tailor it to my learning styles and do more advance/indepth stuff because I was ahead in a lot of things. I learn better with hands on stuff and by hearing things than by reading and doing written work.

I'm in SC and its really easy to homeschool here, we were part of a homeschool association which kept records of grades etc(although until 9th grade only attendance records are required) and the other kids my age in the association were my "classmates"...We were given class rank,had a graduation ceremony and party. I met the states requirement of classes for graduation and got a diploma.

We did no standardized testing, something I don't regret and neither does my mom. I chose not to take SAT or ACT and although I am currently taking time off from school found it not to be hard to get into a lot of colleges without those. Homeschoolers are judged on different criteria than public and private schooled kids..

We knew I was above grade level anyway. In 7th grade I had an above college reading level(determined by standardized testing), was in honors math and chosed to take the PSAT early.

It helped because prior to homeschooling I missed a lot of time, spent time on the homeboun program. I was a lot healthier and got over things a lot faster while homeschooling.

Socialization? I took horseback riding lessons,was involved in youth group and the youth drama group at my church, went to camp every summer, had plenty of friends, was involved in a homeschool group,volunteered at the humane society,helped my parents manage their cafe

Siblings? I have an older brother who remained in public school. Was he jealous? I don't think so . My parents theory has always been that kids need different things at different times. I was homeschooled while he was in private school. When he was in middle school he went to a private school and I remained in public elementary school. Whats best for one isn't always best for the other, good parents realize that
 
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anonymous

New member
I didn't like High School. The rest was ok, but HS was hard. I coughed and kids/teachers would make comments, I'd go to school with IV's and kids would say "how gross" (yeah, in HS, oh grow up already!)
It was a real struggle for me and I didn't go to any dances or games. I did have friends but even they weren't understanding of CF. It was really difficult.
I wish I would have had a different option when I was that age!
Good luck!
 
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anonymous

New member
HollyCatherine,

I disagree with you. As the other poster said, curriculum depends on the school district. I am an elementary teacher. In our district, students do get a very good education. They are doing things in elementary that students used to do beginning in Jr. High. In my opinion, our district is getting better with time, not worse. Please don't assume that all districts are the same and label them as such. A lot also depends on the teachers and how dedicated they are! Your experience with homeschooling is most likely the exception to the rule. Not all home schoolers get to experience all the things you did (prom, social events, etc.). I think home schooling has its place, but that doesn't mean that public school is all bad.
 
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Alyssa

New member
Hello everyone. I just joined today. I didn't expect to find a home schooling topic currently going on! Well... a lot has already been said so maybe I can make my post a little shorter.....

I have a 17 year old girl and a 19 year old boy, both with mild variant, a-typical CF. They were both diagnosed in their teens and we had already been home schooling for years, so I cannot say CF played a part in our decision to home school, but I do think it probably helped to cut down on some of the germ exposure.

Everybody's reasons and experiences are different about home schooling there is no "one size fits all" answer to things like "won't they miss out on the prom" or "will the other one feel cheated by not going to school" because you just never know how a kid is going to feel about something. What might bother one kid tremendously, doesn't even enter the mind of another. Do what feels right for you family and make adjustments along the way as situations or problems arise.

I feel home schooling was a wonderful experience for the entire family. If I had to do it over again I would hope for it to play out exactly the same way over again. We got to spend so much quality time with our kids! We were very flexible, we did what we wanted, when we wanted. Don't sweat the small stuff -- people can be goal orientated all they want.....but just remember it's not really about what time you get up in the morning or how much curriculum you get through in a week, etc. Don't loose sight of the big picture.... You are raising your kids .... what's the end result you would like to see? The goals that I wanted (and got) most for my kids were to have/be:

happy, healthy, self-confident, have good self esteem, be caring, compassionate, tolerant, loving, intelligent, free thinking, open minded, self reliant, responsible, capable, reliable, trustworthy, honest, communicative, know oneself, and be driven to their own success.

If they have these things, everything else in their lives will fall into place (yes, they will learn how to read and write as well). These are things that parents help to pass on to their kids, whether they home school or not -- I tend to think home schooling makes it easier to do because you get to spend so much more time with your kids.

Both kids are now in community college. They have been attending for over a year now, they "adjusted" to the school setting just fine and are getting very good grades. My daughter started when she was only 16 years old. We had no problems with admission. As a matter of fact, we even found a program that is paying for all their tuition, books, fees, tutors & bus passes! How great is that?

My best advise is to check out some of the home schooling lists (there are a lot of people sharing information out there), dive into the books about home schooling (there is so much available) and make an informed decision that feels right to you.

If you would like to email me off list, let me know. We can go over more details if you are interested.
 
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Lilith

New member
When I was a sophomore, I started getting sick more often and my mom thought it would be a good idea to have me do a sort of "part-time" homeschooling. I went to school on Mondays, Wednsdays, and Fridays. The other two days a teacher from our school district would come over to personally help me with assignments I'd recieved from my teachers. It was kind of nice because I was able to get more rest.

Other than that, it sucked.

I had less social time with my friends, I didn't learn much from the homeschool teacher, and I kind of felt like I was missing out on more valuable learning experiences. So I stopped it after two weeks. Yeah, I had to get up early to do my treatments (5:30 to catch a 7:15 bus ride), and yeah I was ready for a nap by the end of the day, but I felt it was worth it.

I also had a good friend (non-CFer) who did homeschooling most of her life. She started going to public school in 7th and 8th grade, but went back to homeschooling for her freshman and sophomore years. She enjoyed being able to study from home, but she lacked social skills. She decided on her own to go back to high school for her junior and senior years, which helped her 'come out of her shell.'

Consider, too, that social interaction is a very important thing. Homecoming, prom...those are somewhat of a milestone for a teen. If you choose to do homeschooling, your child would miss out on these things.

Just my opinion, of course, but I think public school is the better way to go.
 
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anonymous

New member
Our daughter Brooke (age 7) has CF and we have been homeshooling her since she started school. We made our decision not only because of her health, but because I have big problems with the amount of focus done on state testing in Texas and for the fact that the rooms and desks are not sanitized on a regular basis. My mother was a public school teacher for 32 years and my sister is a 5th grade teacher. My sister will tell you that the TAKS test is all she can teach she was basically told that your kids have to score so high or you may not have a job next year. Public schools are not what they used to be when I graduated in 1994. I was always the one that said I would never homeschool my child and was very critical of the ones that did. My family has been somewhat supportive, but they have all of the concerns I used to have. We socialize my daughter through church activities, sports, dance, and anything else she wants to participate in. She has friends come spend the night at our house just like anyother normal kid does. If it ever comes to a point that she really wants to go to school, it will be a private school. I really enjoy homeschooling though. This year we chose the ABEKA DVD program which I love! That way I know for sure I am not missing anything and she is taught by a real teacher. Again her illness was not the deciding factor for homeschooling, it did have an impact.
 
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anonymous

New member
I am a teacher. Most of the testing issues come from the No Child Left Behind Federal Law. It has changed the way our schools run. If you don't like it, then vote for people who will change it.
 
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LoveShines4Austin

New member
Austin has been home-schooled since the 7th grade. He is a junior now. I never thought I could handle the pressure of being his mother AND his teacher, but when he kept coming home crying because he was being teased, I reconsidered. Kids are so cruel sometimes! They would push him down and sit on his head and just because he had very light hair on his legs, they accused him of shaving his them and called him a fag. He was so afraid to use the bathrooms at school. If he couldn't get a chance to be alone in the restroom, the kids would make fun of him and tell him that he stunk. It was not his fault and the teachers, of course, would not allow a can of air freshener on campus. He finally stopped going at school and the minute he got off the bus, he would run into the house and use the bathroom. He was holding it all day! He was also embarrassed because he had to go to the office before lunch to get his enzymes. For the most part, the teachers understood, but when it came to P.E. there was always a struggle. It just gets too hot here near the end of the school year and he had already gotten heat stroke once. And of course, there is the germ issue. So I gave in and he has been going through a charter school that allows him to do all of his schoolwork on the computer. It's been a big weight off of our shoulders. He doesn't like sports much, so he doesn't miss the team aspects. He only goes to the campus for required testing. I ask him all the time if he thinks he is missing out on high school life and he tells me no. I kind of wish he would have the memories I have of school dances and rallies and football games and dating and flirting and and and *giggles*. But it's his choice and I support him and respect his choices. He has 3 good friends here in the neighborhood that come over and spend time with him...a lot of time. They are good kids and they never tease him.
 
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Alyssa

New member
Well well well.... Laurel.... here we are again... more in common -- see my post from above -- I too homeschooled my kids -- I think you and I are going to have to start our own off list emails :)
 
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