Hey everyone, In talking with a few members on the board we discovered that we were/are home schooled. This prompted us to wonder how many others on the board were also home schooled. So here it is, give your shout out to being taught at home. Let yourself be counted among the ranks! Comments on what you liked or didn't like about it are welcome, but lets keep any potential debates in other threads I was homeschooled from 5-12th grades. I loved it and it was great for me and my learning style; it really taught me to enjoy learning. I got a GED and later graduated college with a degree in science. I'm still in school; going for another degree and plan on home schooling my kids when they are old enough Who's next?
I was nearly home-schooled when my family moved from Hawai'i to Florida. My mom was appalled at the difference in the school program and the classes that were up for offer. Florida schools have since gotten their act together, but at the time (mid 80's) they were amongst the worst schools in the U.S. In the end family economics made that option not really viable. Mom had to work.
Grades K-10 right here, then I took my California High School Proficiency Exam so I could get a diploma & started going to a community college. No weird religious reasons or anything; my parents opted to home-school because we were living in a really crappy school district at the time and they wanted to make sure my brothers and I got a good education. We later moved, but we stuck with it cuz it was comfortable. I don't think I'd go that route if I had kids, personally; my parents went out of their way to make sure I had extra-curricular activities and made friends, but I was still really weird socially for a long time. Still am, kinda, though my wife and my current job have helped with that. I remember the loneliness of it. Lotta loneliness. It was painful at times. That said, I'm glad I was home-schooled, because it undoubtedly played an enormous role in making me who I am, and frankly I think I turned out pretty okay overall.
I was schooled in public schools, but generally did a lot of studying outside the curriculum as well. Curiosity always drove me further.
I've been homeschooled since I was ten, because my parents weren't happy with the school my siblings and I used to go to. I laugh at people that think it makes me socially inept/awkward or something- I still have a life, I still attend outdoor activities, and because of my many siblings, I'm not lonely at all. There is absolutely nothing that I didn't and don't like about being homeschooled.
I used to feel the same way. However, a good friend of mine was homeschooled for a long time and he turned out very well. Schools can produce idiots and so can homeschooling; it all depends on the individual and the educators (whether they be public school teachers or qualified tutors/parents) That being said, I was schooled in the New York public school system and I wouldn't change it. It made me who I am or contributed at least. The lesson here of course is that if you want a total dick for a child, send them to NYS
I'm not homeschooled. But I am rather suspicious about many of the things that I am taught in schools, especially as the vast majority of new teachers come here fresh from Lowland universities, assuming that we don't have our own political opinions, and that we need someone to tell us how to think. I just see what school teaches me about any controversial issue to be something you write down in the exam, and if you actually want the facts, then you need to do your own research. It's really annoying, but at least I have access to the resources that I need to do my own research at school, and I can talk with friends, which is why I think it's the best option.
I often feel the same way. American education is nowhere near as "elite" as it pretends to be, at least at the secondary level. Even in NYS, one of the "better" states for public schooling, standards are often abysmally low and students (including myself at times) got sterling grades through a modicum of effort. I do feel that my teachers were very good at not shoving political ideologies down my throat for the most part. Which I'm thankful for.
Public schools here. My personal opinion is that homeschooling is fine, granted the parent is well educated and agrees to follow a curiculum set out by the local school board.
Umm, the local school board's curriculum is very often the reason parents opt to home-school in the first place.
You're lucky. Everyone here has an agenda. Of course, so do most of the students. There are only about ten of us, although at least three don't bother to turn up sometimes.
The bottom line is that every situation and individual is unique and does best under circumstances specific to their individual make-up. My mother had only a high-school degree and often when I had a problem with math I had to teach her what I was doing before she could 'help' me. Usually what happened is that through the process of explaining it to her I figured out the answer. But lets not get derailed here... Lets hear from some more people about their own experiences
I went to school locally, but I have known someone for a few years now that happened to be home schooled. I'll try and plot my story briefly so that I can get to the point without boring you too much. Now, you homeschoolers won't like this, and i'm sorry, but it's true - he was socially inept. Now I say 'was' because those circumstances have changed, but i'll get to that in a moment. Although he did the usual activities outside of education, he struggled. He was home schooled because he was bullied at an early age, so that might have contributed. Don't hold me to that, though; I know plenty of bullied kids that grew up without issues, or atleast managed to shed those issues and carry on. Anyway, he used to complain to me constantly that he felt he had no real friends, and that worst of all he couldn't get a girlfriend. He didn't know where to meet one. Every suggestion I made just angered him more and more, untill in the end he blew up at me and called me a 'useless c/nt' that 'never understands'. Even though he said this, he would still talk to me, every day, to complain that he didn't have a girlfriend. He ended up having an internet relationship with a girl, for a long time, despite the fact that they lived miles and miles apart and that their circumstances made it impossible for it to ever work out. Of course, these people do convince themselves that just because they want to be with this person, that person must be perfect for them. Well, that ended badly, and he'd wasted a good year or two on a computer, exhausting his emotions for something that wasn't going to work out. Eventually, he went to college, where he made friends and actually got his first girlfriend, who he was with for a few years. He then went to University, made loads more friends, and now has a new girlfriend. He has a good job and he's enjoying life. All I can say is, homeschooling can wreck people socially, I've seen it first-hand. I know it doesn't in all cases, and circumstances/personalities vary, meaning that outcomes will differ considerably. However, I will stand by the point of my (longer than it was meant to be!) post, which is that going to school builds up your confidence and comfort both with yourself and others. It worked wonders for my friend, and I believe that mixing with others on a daily basis, and dealing with threats such as bullying, or general conflict, teaches kids to be resilient. I'm not saying that homeschooling means you won't learn these things, but frankly, I think that being plunged into the deep end as a kid really helped me, and it helped my friend eventually too. That's why, If there aren't any limiting circumstances, I wouldn't homeschool my own children. So, that's my opinion. If you wanna disagree, that's OK. My opinion is only based on what I saw in my friend, and so I cannot speak 'generally' for every homeschooled kid The change in my friend was so immense, anyone could see that college changed him for the better. I hate to think of how he'd be now if he hadn't made that drastic change.
Wow, maybe it is something in the water across the pond. The few homeschooled kids I've met here in the States are generally more well-adjusted than the malcontents that fill our public school systems, frittering away mommy/daddy's tax money through skipped classes and endless bong hits. Though, they do tend to be a bit out there, ya know? My homeschooled friend (Paulie Walnuts. Seriously, that is our name for him) listens to Sonic Youth. And likes it. If that isn't weird, I don't know what is.
^ Lmao. Well, remember, not all state-school kids are deliquents. Being in a state school never hindered my ability to make my own decisions, but the very fact that I witnessed people making the wrong ones (aswell as being educated about other things that I might disagree with in classes) helped me become who I am. Besides, people who act that way never learn. At Uni, the entire ground floor dorm seems to be dedicated to bong-users and druggies. I think it's actually quite funny that these people will continue to be idiots, abusing the system, even when they're paying for it with their own money! (Except we're on loans until we do pay it back. Maybe they haven't looked far enough into the future yet to see what silly mistakes they're making ) Oh, and my friend was just one of many cases like that, and not just in the UK. However, i'm sure many kids managed to be homeschooled without getting issues. I'm not saying homeschooling necessarily makes everybody that way, but I just think that state-schools help kids not to be. Of course, no matter whether you're homeschooled or state schooled, there are gonna be socially inept kids either way. I think that's just life.
As a former army kid and now expat, I've met lots of home-schoolers. My brother and sister were taught at home with a British organisation named PNEU for two years when they were 8-9 and 9-10 yrs old. They had lots of outside 'schooltime' activities to keep them socially integrated, sports, dance, and in the second year they attended the German school part-time. I've known some kids who were great with this system and a few real weirdos. However, they've tended to be the kids of missionaries. No offence, some are nice people, but a few of these Americans (who are coming to a Muslim country financed by obscure Christian sects, with loads of dollars at their disposal, the women giving birth to minimum 6 kids and growing their hair down to their waists) are really strange. Turkey is a pretty tolerant country when you think of it. My mother tried it with me but it only worked out a week. I needed to get out of the house, and I didn't like my mother being my teacher as well. I also liked to compete against others too much to be satisfied with my own company all the time even though I liked studying alone as well. And I argued and asked too many questions. Come to think of it, I was fairly obnoxious...
I lived in a rough-isolated mining town for 14 and a half years, and I attended public school throughout that entire time. The schooling system wasn't exactly on par with national standards, but I've always been a hard worker so my desire to extend myself beyond the set expectations prepared me for when I moved to Perth when I was 15. Again, in Perth, I attended a public school for my 2 and half remaining years - my Mother received alot of harsh judgment from her side of the family who insisted that going to a private school (all my cousins attend private schools, go figure) would be the only way I'd have a chance at getting into university. Of course, they were wrong, not only did I get into university, but I got into the university of my first choice, and upon my first application. Also, as icing on the cake, only one of my seven cousins has gotten into university upon their first application thus far. Of course, with all this said, it's important to factor in the fact my Mother was a teacher and she, to an extent, home schooled me throughout my earlier years. She taught me to read and write from a very early age, and maintained high academic expectations for me up until her death last year. So yeah, basically I hold her responsible for the latter of my successes as a student - after all she was the one who made me believe I had the capacity to achieve whatever I desired as long as I worked hard enough at it.
We have those in America too. It's odd. People don't seem to understand that you can be ridiculously religious AND have social skills at the same time. Ultimately, though, I don't think it's where you were schooled that makes the difference as to whether or not you're socially inept. I think it has more to do with the depth of experiences that you have. I've met a number of public school kids who have very few social skills because A) there aren't really any "diverse" people in our school, and only a few people who might have beliefs that are different than theirs and B) they've hung out with the same 4 friends since birth and therefore have never really made new friends.
That's why I think it's really important for kids to go on to college and University, Em'. It forces them to break out of their comfort zone and meet new people, make new friends. That way, they'll (ideally) benefit from social diversity, whether they were homeschooled or not. Like I said, it worked wonders for the friend I spoke about.
I am homeschooled. There is a vast variety of methods of homeschooling, and there is a vast variety of parents who try to homeschool their children. I have a mother who is a teacher by training and who got a masters degree in math, so there is no trouble with her qualifications. We are not the homeschoolers who give the group a bad name. It works well for us, but I realize it's not always the best idea. We're not all social introverts who can't read, though, that being most of what I'm trying to say. Sorry about how disjointed that all is. Three cheers for homeschooling when it's done properly, and negative three cheers for the stereotypes that say "Wow, you're weird" to homeschoolers. And Such.
I dunno, dude, I was home-schooled, and I'm pretty freakin' weird. I still keep in touch with the friends I made from home-schooling circles as a kid, and the majority of them were and still are introverts, but is there a stereotype about not being able to read? In general the home-schooled people I've met have been more intelligent than their average public-schooled counterparts, and reading has never been a problem with any of them.
^The answer to both the introvert thing and the reading thing: people exist on both sides. I've been handed both stereotypes, and I know people (am a person) who overturn both. Besides, who ever was normal? I wouldn't even try to be for the world. All right, for the world I would. But I wouldn't manage for long.
And that's the point. Mommy and Daddy's fanatic views should not be allowed to push out the basics of education. If they want to keep their kids home, fine, but they still need to teach their kids the same stuff they would learn in school. And it should be monitored infrequently to make sure they actually are learning these things. Creationism, survivalism, racism, or whatever -ism the parents might have in mind to keep their kids apart from a normal upbrining, they should not be allowed to keep basic math, science, history, and language skills from their children. Fill their heads full of whatever elsel, but those things must come first.
