Homeschooling, a Hot Debate
Posted on February 19, 2010 - Filed Under Homeschool, Kids, Personal, Simple Life, Uncategorized | 12 Comments
I just read a post that Mark put up on his blog about why he and his wife homeschool their children and found it interesting, but even more interesting were the comments! Homeschooling is SUCH a hot topic for people. When I told my friend (who was a teacher by profession) that I was going to homeschool my children, back when Dorian was a tiny baby, she was horrified. Others have shaken their heads and said, “How could you? Kids need socialization. They need to be taught by professionals.”
Well, first of all, I’m living proof that kids don’t need school in order to make it in the world. I was homeschooled right from first grade through to the end. Now, some could argue that I’m anything but normal (you know, moving to a 3rd world country, having kids there and, GASP, homeschooling them, too!), but the fact of the matter is that I’m living the life that I chose to live, in a country where I love to be (98% of the time) and have a job that is pretty kick-ass, if you ask me. Now, I can’t say that wouldn’t have happened if I’d gone to school, but I do know that the way I was raised had a big impact on who I am now.
So, why do I homeschool? There are many reasons . . .
- Schools here suck. Irving worked in public schools, I worked in private and let me tell you, they are NOT places I would send my child for an education.
- I want them to go to university anywhere. I don’t know if being schooled in Guatemala will have an adverse effect on getting into a North American university, but I don’t really want to take that chance. If the boys want to further their education, I want them to have options and I feel that homeschooling gives them that.
- We need flexibility. If we were doing things normally, Dorian would be in his second year of private school here. Which means we would be stuck adhering to the schedule of the school. At the moment, that’s not a big issue, but at some point, I really want to start traveling with the boys and having to deal with school schedules is NOT something I want.
- I feel schools cramp children’s natural learning styles. Not all kids end up this way, but I’ve seen entirely too many kids lose interest in learning through school. When you’re forced to sit at a desk and do designated work all day without the chance to explore the areas that really interest you, I think that kills the learning spirit. I’m not saying kids should be left to their own devices, but if, during the course of the school day, your kid becomes fascinated with a specific area of science, for example, why not take advantage of that and dive headfirst into it? Schools don’t allow that flexibility.
- School isn’t life. While I think an education is important, I think it is far more important to live. With that in mind, my boys are learning skills that they will use forever on top of the regular math and reading. While schools in Guatemala only require half days, in North America you’re looking at very long days spent in school. I think that’s a waste! I would much rather my kids spend a few hours learning the basics, then the rest of the time being able to play, garden, read, cook and do chores that will teach them life skills.
- We can work as fast or slow as we like. Dorian is very into reading. He read his first sentence today and he’s been trying to sound out words on signs, in magazines and on the television screen. Dante couldn’t care less about letters. He’s completely uninterested in reading unless I’m doing it at bedtime. And that’s great! We have no pressures to force him to read and Dorian can go as fast as he wants because he’s not held back by the class average or a curriculum.
- We’re raising our own children. For me, this is big. I have a very hard time understanding why someone would have a child and not want to raise them. Now, I’m not saying that putting your kids in school is giving up raising them, but you have to admit that you’re turning a large piece of them over to someone else. I want to be there when Dorian’s face lights up as he realizes he can read. I want to listen to Dante singing songs to me at lunch. I LIKE my kids and I love being with them and I really don’t want to give that up, particularly this early on.
Now, this doesn’t mean that I think everyone should be homeschooling. Someone made a very good point in the comments on Mark’s blog that some people aren’t teachers. While I do think that many parents are better teachers than they give themselves credit for, not everyone SHOULD homeschool. Some people are just not cut out for it. Some people can’t handle frustrated little people all day. And the truth is that homeschooling is hard and it’s time consuming. You have to know how to separate the teacher from the parent and you have to be able to stick to it.
I’m very lucky in that I have a flexible job, so I work nights and have the time to homeschool. For those who have to work all day, that’s just not going to be possible. And that’s ok. One thing I’ve learned as a parent is that there’s no one right choice. Everyone says breastfeeding is best, for example, and I’m sure it is, but I wasn’t able to breastfeed Dorian and guess what? Despite everyone saying he was going to grow up sick and messed up, he’s a very strong, healthy and smart little guy! So I know firsthand that what is “best” isn’t always best for everyone. Maybe homeschooling provides a better education for my boys, but it’s not the best option for someone else.
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12 Responses to “Homeschooling, a Hot Debate”
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I worried about school when my kids were little, but I worked, so they started out in daycare and a Montessori school. They liked it, LOVED it, and thrived. When we first landed at our last post, (they were 3yo and 18mos) all I heard from BOTH of them was “When do we go to school?!” We hadn’t even figured out getting to work or out to get groceries, and they were begging for school! This summer, in between moves, they were very excited to go see their new school. They still love school and it works. If this were not the case, I’d pull them out and homeschool in a heartbeat, for all the reasons you mention. You have to do what works for your children, and public or private schools, do not always ‘fit’.
I really admire you for homeschooling your kids Genesis. Now, I’m a very good teacher, for high school kids, and I’ve even done some teaching at a college level. But I don’t have the patience to deal with my kids being frustrated, and I know this only from helping out with homework. Also, I have a full time job that would not allow me to homeschool.
On the other hand, it’s such an incredible feeling when you take them to the market and their face lights up when they understand what multiplication tables are for, they learn biology by seeing parts of animals being sold at the butcher shops, they learn names of fruits and vegetables and where they come from (just by seeing the ladies’ typical clothing), when they understand fractions by helping out with a recipe, learn about recycling by walking past a contaminated river, and in general, learn common sense and useful stuff from day to day interactions within their community.
And like you said, everyone has to find out what is best for themselves. If you have the choice of homeschooling and in fact, are a good teacher, that is one of the best things you can do for your child. As for socializing, your kids probably have plenty of cousins and neighbors that help out in that area! Keep up the good work and congratulations for being able to give your kids a good education!
It’s a definite advantage for kids who live here, Cristina, since they only study half days! So you get to spend time with them. In Canada, I knew kids who left the house at 6:30 am and weren’t home til 5pm! The practical side of life is so very important, I think. You might not remember all the historical dates, but if you can cook, count money and earn it, you’re probably going to be just fine.
I think that is exactly it. Mark´s post made it seem as if there is just one way of doing things–homeschooling–and parent’s who don’t are raising their kids to be idiots. In his words. And it just depends on the parents, the schooling available, the children’s personalities, etc. There are many different ways of providing a good education, but public schools in the US and Latin America, I believe, are not one of them. And a great many of private schools aren’t either. Is homeshooling always good quality? No, it isn’t always good quality. Some homeschooled kids won’t get into a college, and others will be amazingly well-educated. I have taught university and college for many years, so believe me, you see it all. Parents who are very involved in their children’s education can send them to school and have them do well, become critical and discerning thinkers, supplement was is given at school (or not). A good friend of mine homeschools her children and they seem to be flourishing, so I wouldn’t worry. Sounds like you are doing a fantastic job. Sounds like an adventure, as well. And that is exactly what life should be, an adventure.
Trudy, when I was growing up, we knew a family that did “unschooling”, which I think can work under certain situations, but they let the kids choose what they wanted to learn. They wanted to learn music. They were AMAZING musicians, but three out of four couldn’t even read by the time they were 16. In the end, the oldest hit the stae where he didn’t want to be around his family, so he went off to work on a farm and was so stunned that the rest of the world wasn’t going to let him do whatever he wanted that he ended up heading home again, frustrated and confused. It did not turn out well for any of them . . . so there are definitely people who should NOT homeschool!
That being said, a friend told me today that they just discovered that her 6 year old son has been sexually abused at the private school where he is studying. They don’t know yet if it’s other kids or a teacher, he’s not talking, despite overwhelming physical evidence. I realized yet again that our decision to keep our kids home is definitely a good one.
I am heartbroken to hear of your friend’s child being abused. I have had friends who were abused as children and though they are survivors, they never forget the hurt. However, I have had several colleagues who work with abused children and they all assure me that most sexual abuse, sadly, occurs at home and by somebody close to the family. Secondarily, somebody at school or church. I don’t think keeping a child from school will necessarily protect that child from abuse, as much as a good awareness education and lots of communication with the child. I am also fascinated by the story you told me about “unschooling” … how interesting. Perhaps a good solution would be that there is some educational entity that would ensure that homeschooled children are meeting the minimum requirements for literacy and math? I don’t know. Sounds to me, however, that it is a case-by-case basis. My children went to private school in elementary and middle school, and an excellent international baccalaureate magnet in public school for high school, and I did a lot of supplementary education at home as well. They all went into college with several college courses already under their belt and lots of academic scholarships, so I did a mix that worked for me. Because me, forget it, I’d go bonkers in a week if I had to homeschool little kids all day long, every day. Just not happening. So good for you, that you love it and I am sure your children will love it too. Good luck!
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Hi,
would like to know the legalities of home schooling in Guatemala.
I don’t like what school is doing to my childs self steem. Victoria
I think homeschooling is great. Some kids really flourish. It is legal in Guatemala, kids will need to take examen por suficiencia at the end of highschool. If anyone needs help with certain subjects, , I teach individual students who homeschool, different subject. Elementary and middle school mostly. Find me in facebook. DYTUTORIAS
I homeschooled my daughter, and she can handle just about anything you throw at her. I agree with everything you said about parents turning their kids over to others. I sent my other daughter to a private school.
The things we believe, our ideals, that’s who we are. If we hand our kids over to a system that has completely different ideals than we do, we’ve lost our kids.
I just don’t see it. You are doing the exact right thing. You are an example of what all parents should be to their kids. If there’s other people like you living in Guatemala, that would be reason enough for me to want to relocate there.
Uruguay, I understand, won’t let parents homeschool their kids, and they also force you to vaccinate your kids. Man, to think I had Uruguay at the top of my list of countries to relocate to.
I’m glad I found the website Panamalaw, a site of a bunch of lawyers in Guatemala, who opened my eyes on Panama and some other countries, that Guatemala is probably the best place in South Ameraica to live.
Is it true that housing is not too expensive there?
Cheryl, the housing really depends on where you want to live. In Antigua proper, it can get pretty expensive, but I know people who are renting pretty decent houses on the edges of Antigua for $400-500 a month.
And you are very right about homeschooling, you have total control over what your children learn, which I think is important.
Hi I am living in Guatemala, near the capital and am looking to meet other homeschoolers. My daughter is 6 years old. What activities, classes etc… have you tried and would recommend?
thanks
Hi,
I loved reading your experience. I wanted to ask you how your kids get tested. We are going to be moving to Guatemala for a few years and might not be able to come to the US at all and I would to homeschool them, but I have no idea how that would work. Any help will be greatly appreciated.