Went to an informal homeschool meeting yesterday. I met some very lovely ladies who are considering homeschooling their little ones next year. They had all very good reasons: It's so much better academically; It's a much more efficient way of teaching/learning than the public school; there's so much bad stuff that happens in PS anymore; I don't like the public school schedule, it would run our lives!
I thought to myself, yes these are great reasons! All of them true. Reason enough to home school.
But I was disappointed that I didn't hear anything about the big picture. Maybe no one has ever said anything to this new generation about the big picture.
You see, I really believe you can get a quality education just about anywhere.....if your parents are involved. So why not just send them to public school and work with them when they get home.....be there for them like any decent parent would be. Why make all that effort and sacrifice to homeschool, if you don't have a VISION!!
Homeschooling is a privilege, a big God-given privilege. And it works best (ie you stay motivated and inspired -- most of the time) if you remember who has called you and equipped you. I like to work with the end in mind.
I don't want to homeschool my kids because they will get a better education -- even though they will....
I don't want to homeschool my kids so their schedule will run more efficiently and they can have opportunities that only flexibility can provide -- even though they do.....
I want to homeschool because I don't like the traditional school system. I think it is bankrupt. I don't just want to get my kids through the system so they can get a good job, support a family, and live a comfortable American life -- although i won't be surprised if they do those things either.....
Ithink the traditional school system puts people in an institutional box. It's great if you want cookie cutter kids, but even my four children who come from the same two parents, and were raised in the same environment for their childhood -- ARE SO DIFFERENT -- it's not one size fits all. And I don't want to squeeze them into the mold.
They learn how to do that well enough by going to church and youth ministry.....
I want to be able to launch these young people into the world, as free as possible from the shackles of institutionalism.
It's okay, they know how to wait in line, and how to look like the crowd. Like I said, they have experience in the world. I don't think they will have any trouble conforming where conformity is necessary.
But take those blinders off a child, and watch them think outside the box.
That's one advantage I want my kids to have, and I believe by homeschooling them, I have given them every opportunity to do so.
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It's a fine line we homeschoolers walk. We want to conform them enough to society so that they can be successful, but we want them to shine independently enough so that they can be successful.
A weightlifter, Steve Jeck, recently gave a motivational talk to our cub scout pack. He emphasized that the kids have to do their best at whatever they themselves are talented in. This guy was an amazingly strong man, and his talent was also speaking. He used his gifts for good.
Last night I saw Bobby McFerrin, Chick Corea, and Bela Fleck improvising together on YouTube. Bobby McFerrin is so amazing and his particular talent is so unusual, that he really has invented his own classification, and nobody can touch him. Bela Fleck is the same. Playing the banjo is hard enough, but who else can play jazz and classical music on the banjo?
Homeschooling is so great, in that it neglects to tell people, "That can't be done." Homeschooling kids can go ahead and try those things that older people feel are impossible.
Wagner and Tchaikovsky did that too, with their music. My music appreciation class learned that Wagner wrote music that was "impossible" to play, and Tchaikovsky wrote ballets that were "impossible" to dance. It's good to remember that any good thing is possible.
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