A few weeks ago, "Why I Homeschool" was the topic for the Homeschool Hop. Here's the link if you want to read other posts on this topic. I missed it because I was taking a needed break from blogging. So, for those interested, here’s my post why I homeschool!
First of all, let me say that I have an elementary teaching degree, and I have experience as a teacher (4 years), a teacher’s aide (1 ½ years), and a substitute teacher (4 years). I also worked 3 years in a very small Christian school. Even before I studied to be a teacher, I was pretty certain that I did not want my children to go to public school. At the time, my reasons were primarily 1) that I wanted my children to learn from a Biblical view, not a state-sponsored education that left God out or taught things contrary to our beliefs and 2) that I did not want my children to be influenced or bullied by other children who were not well-behaved and/or who had bad attitudes toward learning or toward their parents and siblings. These reasons were based on what I experienced when I attended public school AND what I observed daily as a teacher.
By the time I got married (at age 28), I had become much more aware of homeschooling, and I had somehow started receiving catalogs from several homeschool companies. I already had experience in both public and private schools, and I quickly decided that homeschooling was what I wanted to do. I’m not anti-public (or private) school. I have many teacher friends both in the US and here in the UK. My sister teaches 1st grade, and my dad is a retired high school science teacher. I know many children who successfully completed their schooling in public schools who are happy, smart, and still serve the Lord. However, I have several reasons why I am committed to homeschooling my children (all the way) and why I feel it’s the best for our family. These reasons are in no particular order—just the order in which I am thinking them!
1. I want my children to learn from a Christian, rather than secular, viewpoint.
2. I want to instill our family values into their hearts. I certainly don’t want the state to instill their values into my children.
3. I want to know their friends and have some say in who they’re hanging out with.
4. I want my children to learn social skills that will prepare them for real life. I feel that being in an institution with a teacher and a roomful of children all the same age is not helpful.
5. I want to build strong family relationships. I want to get to know my children and develop my relationship with them. I want them to have relationships with each other. I feel that this is difficult to do when children are apart from the rest of the family for most of the day.
6. I want my children to enjoy and value learning. Though I know many wonderful teachers who make learning exciting, I can’t always guarantee which teacher or which group of students my children will be placed with if they’re in regular schools. I once observed a group of kindergarten children who began their year with such excitement, thrilled that they were getting to go to school for the first time. Within a month, most of them hated school. What happened? I blame the fact that they had worksheet after worksheet after worksheet slapped onto their desks…learning became a dreary chore instead of a joy.
7. I want to choose my own curriculum. I know from experience that it’s more convenient to use textbook/workbook/worksheets when you have a classroom full of children (and often it’s what the school requires you to use), but I personally believe there are much better options in curriculum. We were taught in college that each teacher has a teaching method that works better for him/her, and also that children have different learning styles. In practice, it’s not easy to implement those different styles in a classroom setting. In teaching my children at home and choosing my own curriculum, I’m able to see which methods and programs work best for me and my children. I know my children better than anyone else!
8. I want my children to function in society as individuals. I want them to know it’s okay to be unique—to be the person God created them to be. I want them to know they can enjoy life and have friendships without having to feel like they have to mimic the crowd to be a part of the crowd. I want to help them find the gifts and callings that God has for them, and then give them the opportunities they need to help them grow in those areas. I think learning at home is the best place to learn to be an individual. It really is difficult for a child to deal with peer pressure, and I want my children to learn and mature without that pressure.
9. More freedom: to create own classroom environment, to have school outside on a nice day or anywhere else we want, to design our own schedule, to take as many field trips as we want, to pursue interests, and to give my children opportunities to develop their God-given skills and talents...
10. At home, we can integrate life skills into our school day. Most of the time, these opportunities just arise on their own. Not only can our children learn important life skills by doing, but they also get to observe us (the parents) in many different tasks, including cleaning, fixing things, caring for a baby, talking on the phone, paying bills, shopping, etc.
11. I can teach each child at his/her own pace. If they don’t understand a concept, I can spend more time working with them on that concept so that they don’t miss out. If they learn a concept quickly, I can move on without holding them back unnecessarily. If I feel my child isn’t ready for a particular concept (or for regular schooling), I can wait until she/he is ready.
12. Studies have shown that GENERALLY speaking, homeschooled children are better prepared for college and/or the work force. They tend to be more motivated, more mature, and more confident. Of course I realize that there are exceptions to this—I’m only going by what I have read in studies.
13. I know my children are safe. I don't have to worry about my children being victims of school violence.
14. I can’t leave out the fact that I homeschool because I love to teach...but I prefer teaching my own children. Though I love other children, I don’t enjoy teaching children who are rude, disrespectful, difficult, or who have a bad attitude toward learning. That’s just me. I highly respect teachers who are brilliant at doing that! Also, I don’t enjoy all the paperwork and requirements that a teacher is under in a public or private school. I like the freedom to teach how I want with the material I choose. I like the freedom to design my own classroom space and arrange my own schedule, without having to conform to what everyone else is doing. I'm not perfect, as my children could testify. I do have days when I need to be more laid back because I tend to be a perfectionist. But I really strive to not allow my perfectionism to bring frustration to my children. I'm too determined that they enjoy school. When I can tell they're not enjoying it, I have to re-evaluate what I'm doing. Otherwise, it's no longer fun for any of us. However, I feel that my children can tell that I love to teach them, and I can tell that they love being taught at home.
I'm sure I'll think of 20 more reasons after this is posted, but these are probably the main ones!
