Fun article on Homeschoolers - Lois & Clark Fanfic Message Boards

http://www.familyhack.com/2007/11/09/homeschooler-rant/

I know quite a bit of you homeschool or have homeschooled at one point. I thought you would all get a kick out of this article. ^__^

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If spending at least twelve years in the kind of chew-it-up-and-spit-it-out educational facility we call public school left me with so little information in my memory banks that I can’t teach the basics of an elementary education to my nearest and dearest, maybe there’s a reason I’m so reluctant to send my child to school.

I've been thinking about homeschooling my youngest for the last three years. The public system in crappy blue state I live in is not going to be happy teaching my child until I put her on drugs (mind you, if they could force me to do it, they would) At any rate, I wish my hubby made enough for me to home school. Would love to give our crappy system a big old righteous poke in the eye when she becomes an espionage specialist for the US government and hacks kim jong il's myspace page.

TEEEEEJ

I totally want to send that woman flowers. Or coffee. Or chocolate. Or whatever would make her happiest

. Thanks so much for sharing, Jojo. That just absolutely made my day!

C.

Wow . . . I can't believe I read that whole thing (I mean all the comments, not the article itself--which was relatively short)!

I even replied to a comment another poster made--I'll paste the text of my reply comment below:

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dr.zaeus, I’ve seen you comment that “Any parent who allows their child to graduate from collge before reaching the legal drinking age is committing child abuse.” at least twice now, but you don’t explain it.

Exactly WHAT aspect(s) of “allowing” (personally, I think a better word would be “encouraging”) one’s child to graduate from college during his/her teenage years is/are abusive? If the child WANTS to graduate early and has the intelligence and drive to do so, then it would be far more harmful, in my opinion, to hold him/her back until he/she was of the “normal” college age.

It would be like saying to him or her, “It’s far more important for you to be around people your own age, who may or may not have substance abuse and violence/behavior problems (and therefore would be bad examples for you to follow), than for you to realize your full academic (and after that, career and life) potential at the pace YOU want to go.”

Basically, holding a child back who wants to go forward is more evidence of the absolutely *** -backward mentality that comes from public schools (I know, I spent my whole education–Kindergarten through my current college career–in public schools) that it’s “uncool” to want to learn.

THAT, dr.zaeus, is abuse–neglecting to nurture a child’s passion just because they’re, in your eyes, too young to get the level of education that they want.

Okay, what on earth does this comment *mean*?

First, let me say that I *loved* the article, JoJo. I was homeschooled and yes, I've gotten some of those questions (in hindsight, as people ask about my growing up years). Fortunately, I've gotten more admiring/interested questions, or the wow, I couldn't do that, but kudos to your mom.

However, then I read the comments. {roll eyes} I must say that these attitudes bother me more than the things brought up in the original article. I should know better than to reply, I should, I should...

Someone posted a comment:

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A coworker homeschools.

We hear all about how good thwy do, how much they learn.

I asked about biology labs, couldn’t imagine a lab rat dissection at thekithen table.

Sure enough, we use software for that.

Came time for college.

Finally found a school that would let the little tike in without remedial classes and extensive testing.

6 months later, he’s gathering carts at Wal-Mart.

3 years later, same same.

Yep, homeschooling worked for him.

(all original typos - I simply copied and pasted) (And, for the record, I used computer software for my frog dissection in a public high school.)

Yes, I was dumb, I responded. (sorry for blatant bragging)

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And I was homeschooled, graduated summa cum laude from undergrad, was chosen to give the commencement speech, earned awards from my major departments and the honors college, and got a full ride scholarship plus stipend to law school.

A child’s success during homeschooling and afterwards is *TOTALLY* dependent on the parents and how well they are taught. If the parents do a piss-poor job, then it’s no surprise the kid fails at life. If the parents actually bother to teach their kids (*how* to learn, not just the facts for the test), then those kids will take those skills to every arena they ever enter - and succeed.

And got this reply, from the same person DSDragon was talking about:

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How many homeschooled lawyers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

None, because their mommy and daddy forgot to tell them how.

Can I just say, WHAT THE HECK?!?!? How on earth does that reply to my comment? And, actually, sorry to burst your bubble, dodobrain, but my mother *DID* tell me how to screw in a lightbulb. She just wouldn't let me do it at the top of the stairs because she was sure I'd fall down them if I got on a stepstool there (she's right - I'm a supreme klutz). And even if she didn't, she taught me how to *learn* - so I can certainly figure out how to do the things that we didn't actually learn as children.

Sorry, rant over. But I did like the original article, Jojo!

PS I think what bothered me about all the (negative) comments is that they seemed to completely miss the point that the list was intended as *humour*. What does that say about their intelligence levels?

Sorry, was that snarky?

Bethy

LAWYERS aren't homeschooled. The teenagers who become lawyers may have been but Lawyers... I may be showing some ignorance here, do you HAVE to go to law school or just pass the Bar [with law school being the way most people are taught what they need to know to pass the Bar]?

Carol

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Originally posted by Bethy:
P

Sorry, was that snarky?

Bethy

Bethy? Snarky? Never

.
Carol

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PS I think what bothered me about all the (negative) comments is that they seemed to completely miss the point that the list was intended as *humour*. What does that say about their intelligence levels?

I totally agree, Bethy. I thought it was hilarious, mostly because I've actually heard most of those comments at one time or another and secretly wished I could make some of those same snarky responses.

This one, in particular, cracked me up:

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If my kid’s only six and you ask me with a straight face how I can possibly teach him what he’d learn in school, please understand that you’re calling me an idiot. Don’t act shocked if I decide to respond in kind.

And I remember when we first started homeschooling - my kids were 4 & 5 at the time - people were forever asking me things like, "but how are you going to teach calculus?" I wanted to say, "OMG, they're kindergartners! I have a decade or more to figure out what I'm going to do about calculus. Right now I'm trying to teach them to tie their shoes."

I didn't bother trolling through all the comments, negative or otherwise. I seriously doubt there's much there I haven't heard before, and I was too busy planning the next school day, frankly.

Caroline

I've been looking for a place to post a link to one of my favorite comedians. Look's like you guys win! Tim Hawkins--A Homeschool Family

Seriously, I can't tell you how many times I have been asked how I planned ______ to teach my children. I always respond, "Are you considered that I haven't mastered kindergarten-level _____?" since it tends to get the conversation back on a reasonable track.

Elisabeth

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people were forever asking me things like, "but how are you going to teach calculus?" I wanted to say, "OMG, they're kindergartners! I have a decade or more to figure out what I'm going to do about calculus

When I attended public high school (in a time long ago) we had the option NOT to take calculus. Is that still not an option? Can you just NOT teach calculus? If that's the case the people asking you were asking you a totally irrelevant question and deserve all the snark you care to give them.

'just saying...
TEEEEEJ

I loved the article. Even if it was humorous, there was enough information in it to make it educational - especially if you're from a country where homeschooling is not permitted.

The rules on homeschooling vary depending on where you live. Of course, I already knew that it was illegal in Germany because it's been in the news over the last few months--at least in the homeschool news. Where I live, you don't have to teach calculus. You just have to teach "arithmetic." However, many high schoolers want to go to college, so it's important that your transcript is up to snuff.

Elisabeth