Do the teachers in your life support...

[kwickimom]

your decision to HS? Are they totally against it or do they care either way?

 

 

Both of the teachers in my family were homeschooled their entire lives :) Neither of them have children yet, but they will homeschool when it comes time. They fully support me.

 

My one friend that I have here is a teacher and fully supports me. She wishes she could quit to HS herself.

 

Another thread got me wondering what your experiences are.

[kokotg]

DH is a teacher. He's very supportive :)

[Sue G in PA]

Some are supportive and some are not. I have a friend who is a teacher and was homeschooled herself. My dh was a public school educator and is 100% in board with homeschooling. Others feel threatened I suppose. Why? Not sure. Not like it's b/c of them that we decided to hs, right? Doesn't bother me any, anyway.

[m0mmaBuck]

I have several teachers in my family (3 brothers, 2 nephews, 3 neices, 1 neice-in-law... as well as a school psych, school speech pathologist, a preschool aide, and 2 librarians). They are not supportive but they understand my decision to bring/keep the kids home, if that makes sense.

 

My MIL is a teacher as well. She accepts the choice because she knows it was in DS's best interest, and she sees how happy and well-behaved DS is now which helps a lot. I think she worries more about my sanity than his education!

[Charles Wallace]

your decision to HS? Are they totally against it or do they care either way?

 

 

Both of the teachers in my family were homeschooled their entire lives :) Neither of them have children yet, but they will homeschool when it comes time. They fully support me.

 

My one friend that I have here is a teacher and fully supports me. She wishes she could quit to HS herself.

 

Another thread got me wondering what your experiences are.

 

Nope. It helps that I ~*am*~ a teacher, though, so they can't pull the "You don't know what you're doing, and I do" card, or the "You're being unfairly judgmental of public schools" card.

 

Ha, ha.:D

[Carrie12345]

My great-aunt was a high school English teacher, as were both of her daughters. I think her son taught elementary at one point. She supports homeschooling 100%, and loves to talk about the drawbacks of public education.

 

My cousin's fiance just got her certification. She was homeschooled for a couple of years and has mixed feelings about her own experience, but likes to talk/ask about our homeschool.

 

Two other family members (father-son team) believe homeschooling should be illegal, especially for people without teaching degrees. And that goes double for those without ANY degree. And they know I have no degree.

They also know and admit that my children are all quite bright, but that doesn't seem to matter, since they'll obviously never survive in "the real world".

FTR, Son still lives with Father and Mommy packs his lunch every day. He tried going away to college, but got lonely and didn't "connect" with anyone there. So much for the ps advantage in "the real world".

 

The other teachers in my life don't say much either way.

[Scarlett]

My mom is a retired teacher. She first got me thinking of hs'ling. She has been my greatest cheerleader. I couldn't have done it without her.

[Jean in Newcastle]

My sister is a retired teacher. She wishes that she was able to homeschool her kids and now would love to homeschool her granddaughter.

[ereks mom]

Nope. It helps that I ~*am*~ a teacher, though, so they can't pull the "You don't know what you're doing, and I do" card, or the "You're being unfairly judgmental of public schools" card.

 

Ha, ha.:D

 

People who know me also know my background, and most are extremely supportive. However, these same people are not so supportive of people who do not have an education background.

[dirty ethel rackham]

Okay, I'm a little brain dead today. I read the title as "Do teachers on life support..."

 

And now, back to your original programming.

[jenL]

Some yes, some no. I've found those who truly VALUE education support me whereas it seems the others feel threatened. One friend of mine whom I taught with told me it was "like a slap in the face toward her and her dh" (he teaches) when I first started. I was appalled since I used to be a ps teacher too - we taught the same subject across the hall from each other! Anyway, that friendship has waned since I began this journey 2 years ago... I became tired of educational choice for so long; if she chooses to not accept my choice for my kids, then that is her problem, not mine.

[Rosie_0801]

My MIL doesn't, but she doesn't approve of me in general so her opinion isn't worth much. ;)

 

Rosie

[Crissy]

Yes. Both the teachers I know personally (friends and my sister's MIL), and the teachers who have worked with my children in a regular school setting. They have all been supportive of our choice to homeschool as well as the personal and academic results of our homeschooling.

[Daisy]

Absolutely yes.

 

Hubby is a public school teacher and he fully supports our homeschooling. Actually it was his idea.

 

He routinely works with 50+ public school teachers. We've only ever had ONE of them give us a rough time about homeschooling and basically that is because that particular teacher is vocally opposed to religion of any kind. She likes to remind hubby of how we are "bucking the system by homeschooling."

 

Hubby's parents were both employees of the public school system and they are both thrilled with our homeschooling also.

 

In general though, we rarely have a problem with public school teachers. Usually it is our fellow christian friends who take the most offense at our homeschooling.

[fhjmom]

Since I am a former public school teacher, I will say I am okay with it. :D

 

I have an aunt that is a retired PS teacher and she disapproves, as does her teacher-daughter-in-law-married-to-a-doctor; but I don't really loose sleep over what they think.

 

We have a family friend that is closer than family and my children's adopted granny that was my own first grade teacher many moons ago. She is very supportive and a great resource since my experience was teaching high school. It's nice having someone I can ask about early elementary things.

[dangermom]

I haven't had any trouble, but one thing I dislike is when a teacher (or anyone else, but IME it's been a teacher I know) says "Well, I know you're great at homeschooling, it's all those other kids I worry about..." :ack2:

[Jean in Newcastle]

I haven't had any trouble, but one thing I dislike is when a teacher (or anyone else, but IME it's been a teacher I know) says "Well, I know you're great at homeschooling, it's all those other kids I worry about..." :ack2:

 

Yeah, I get this one a lot. . .

[elise1mds]

All the ones I know support me. I had one who was skeptical at the beginning. She was older, a life-long teacher, and didn't see the point. However, once I got my son home and she saw results, she came around. I didn't mind her skepticism because it wasn't presented rudely, it was just lack of knowledge.

[mammaruss]

All have been extremely supportive!

[Pretty in Pink]

Most of the teachers I know are opposed to HSing, even if they don't say it to my face. It's usually like, "Oh, I'm not talking about you. I know you are doing a good job HSing your kids, but most people just don't." UGH.

 

I know two women with teaching degrees who homeschool.

[Kirch]

Either supportive or they just don't say anything. :001_smile:

 

I actually sub at the local high school, and I was a little apprehensive about how people would react when word got around that I homeschooled, but I've never gotten any grief about it. A few people have asked curious questions, but nothing rude. Part of it is probably because mine are still so little, though.

[dm379]

A good friend doesn't approve but she's never outright said anything. Her reason is that a lot of times parents don't have as much patience for their own children as somebody else does since they know how to push their parent's buttons. She's not a parent though. She has no concerns acidemically and allows us to go on field trips with her classes and helps in every way possible.

 

My MIL is beyond awesomely supportive. She sent boxes of books and helps as much as she can. She's retired now and has a blast "teaching" them when we go visit. Dh's grandfather is supportive but I know it's only because the kids aren't behind. As soon as they don't understand something I know he'll have something to say.

[Lostinabook]

My parents are both retired teachers and are very supportive. My dad was horrified when I jokingly made some comment about sending dd to K b/c she really wanted to go to school. I also have other relatives & friends who are either retired or former schoolteachers & they are supportive as well.

[Guest Cindie2dds]

My cousin is a teacher and is not supportive. She takes it personally and it actually led to the demise of our relationship. It's sad, but it's her choice.

 

I have several friends who are teachers and they just ask how it's going, and if I need any materials from them or if I have any questions. They are very supportive. They ask me what I'm doing also, just to get ideas for themselves. :)

[Mommyof4ks]

Many of my teacher friends homeschool their kids lol. The teachers in the family were originally against it until my dd started reading very well by Christmas of her Kindy year.

[Guest Cindie2dds]

My MIL doesn't, but she doesn't approve of me in general so her opinion isn't worth much. ;)

 

Rosie

 

 

:lol::lol::lol:

 

I forgot about MIL! Hmm, she's not openly hostile anymore; does that count?

[Daisy]

I haven't had any trouble, but one thing I dislike is when a teacher (or anyone else, but IME it's been a teacher I know) says "Well, I know you're great at homeschooling, it's all those other kids I worry about..." :ack2:

 

Ahhh, this doesn't faze me.

 

I know what those teachers are talking about. I think we have to remember that many public school teachers experience the homeschooling failures. The kids who so often return to public school because mom couldn't deal with them anymore or school just didn't get done or junior just won't listen...

 

I just remind the teacher that just as a doctor shouldn't assume every person on the planet is sick just because they see sick people all day long, neither should a public school teacher assume that all homeschooled children are academically behind and socially inept just because that has been their personal experience.

[Forget-Me-Not]

My MIL is beyond awesomely supportive. She sent boxes of books and helps as much as she can. She's retired now and has a blast "teaching" them when we go visit.

 

This is my MIL too. She's a retired teacher who considered HSing herself. The kids get educational gifts from her all the time.

 

I have a friend who is a teacher though who does NOT support my decision and became nearly openly hostile when I told her my plans. It's sort of just become the-thing-we-don't-discuss.

[Guest]

Some are genuinely supportive; others disapprove in general but make an exception when they hear my daughter has Asperger's: "Oh, well, then. Special needs kids are different."

 

What is most interesting to me, though, is that the psychologists we've worked with almost unanimously oppose homeschooling even though they all talk about how unhappy Aspie kids are in school and how many are bullied. So I have no clue why they think school is the place for my daughter to learn social skills and find friends.

 

The psychologist who specialized in autism spectrum disorders who first diagnosed my daughter is the only one who thought it was a great idea to homeschool, and thought most of her patients would be so much less anxious and unhappy if they had that chance.

[sassenach]

Most are quite supportive, at least to my face! One (a neighbor) was extremely critical, so I just stopped discussing it with her. I don't have any teachers in my family, just a couple of friends.

[Parrothead]

My dad taught at elementary - college level and he is supportive. My mom on the other hand, with no teaching experience, thinks dd needs more socialization. She also thinks I need to go out and get a job.

[WishboneDawn]

I have a lot of friends who are older or retired teachers (I have a lot of friends that are several decades my senior. :)) and all of them are supportive and generally enthusiastic. More so then then the non-teachers I know!

[Carrie12345]

Some are genuinely supportive; others disapprove in general but make an exception when they hear my daughter has Asperger's: "Oh, well, then. Special needs kids are different."

 

What is most interesting to me, though, is that the psychologists we've worked with almost unanimously oppose homeschooling even though they all talk about how unhappy Aspie kids are in school and how many are bullied. So I have no clue why they think school is the place for my daughter to learn social skills and find friends.

 

The psychologist who specialized in autism spectrum disorders who first diagnosed my daughter is the only one who thought it was a great idea to homeschool, and thought most of her patients would be so much less anxious and unhappy if they had that chance.

 

Ds's occupational therapist was one of my biggest supporters. His psychologist, not so much. @@

I'm seriously considering making an appointment with that psychologist, just to show her how insane his progress has been in the past 2 years!

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

The vast majority of teachers I know are either now homeschooling their own children or are the fathers of homeschooled children. The one lady I know who is actively teaching in PS (her own children are grown) is totally for homeschooling. I love talking to her. She is very supportive and encouraging both as a mother and a teacher. I am not sure if she homeschooled her own children (who are a little older than me) or not though.

[Peela]

My maternal grandparents were both teachers (and both are still alive at 90 and 95).

 

When my grandmother still had her marbles, she thought it was great that I was homeschooling my son, because she recognised his learning difficulties- and she gave me good advice too.

But she was very concerned about my bright dd and for quite a while, whenever I saw her, she would ask me" when is Gen going to highschool? " over and over, as if this homeschooling thing was ok up to a point, but I couldnt even be considering it for highschool (which is year 8 where I live). But she repeated herself because she was at the beginning of her Alzheimers back then and probably never remembered my answers- which were that she wasnt going to highschool. Over and over.

 

Grandad- they are divorced- checked on my kids a few years back by asking them a few maths questions and asked who Helen Keller was (phew, we had just read a book on her!) and seemed pretty satisfied they were ok. Hes a character at 95- 93 back then- and he gave them $20 bucks each and that was that! I certinaly didnt get any lecture of bad vibes.

 

My teacher neighbour did tell me highschool kids needed the socialisation of school, so I didnt discuss homeschooling with him again!

 

My dad is/was a PhD university lecturer...he's just proud of me for homeschooling and wanted me to know it recently so he wrote me a letter. He has cancer and I tihnk he just really wanted me to have on paper how proud he is of me...he is not generally an expressive person at all.

 

Basically, the way I communicate doesn't usually leave me open to people's opinions- I dont actually invite them or in any way suggest I am asking for their approval. So I rarely get negative comments.

[ladydusk]

My (step) mom is a retired teacher (and teaches at a private preschool) and is adamantly opposed.

 

My (maternal) grandmother is a retired 5th grade teacher and she is adamantly opposed.

 

They hate each other with a passion, but have more in common than they realize.

 

My MIL is an ESL teacher, homeschooled her third child in middle school, and is incredibly supportive.

[lollie010]

DH is a teacher. He's very supportive :)

 

Mine, too. Anytime I think of trying something different--he brings me back to reality. He wants the kiddos to homeschool even if he has to do it. He teaches high school and has seen too much to ever feel comfortable.

[LibraryLover]

Some of our greatest supporters have been in education. I think it makes sense...they see the difficulties. Some of the most public hsing figures were teachers, after all. John Gatto, John Holt, Jessie Wise, SWB (albeit at the college level).

[TXMomof4]

My mom and MIL both are teachers and are both behind me 110%. In fact, when I was debating whether to continue this year, they were both devastated. My SIL is a teacher and thinks it's "not the best". We don't disagree outloud about our different philosophies, but I know she doesn't think I'm doing right, and I wouldn't put my kids in her local schools for all the money around. We've just agreed to disagree.

[angela in ohio]

We have a lot of teachers in our life. Dh is a principal, and my girls volunteer in the school. We are around teachers all the time. My sil is a teacher.

 

Many of them get it, most are supportive, especially those who know us and our dc well. My wil thinks we ar ruining them, I'm sure, but rarely comments. For her, I think she is more worried about them missing the "fun" of cliques, prom, etc.

[MamaT]

My sister and three neices are ps teachers. They are all very supportive of my homeschooling. In fact, it was my sister who encouraged me to begin with. Her daughter, also a teacher, is on leave from teaching with her littles. She is considering homeschooling when they reach school age.

[momof3sofar]

The teachers who are in my life directly are supportive, my older DDs kindergarten teacher from PS has offered us so many things and always tells us what fun we are going to have together. I've run into retired school employees (from teachers to administrators) at the store in the middle of the day who ask why DD isn't in school and when I tell them I HS they get all quiet look around and say "good for you" or something similar like if they say it out loud someone will come get them or something. :lol:

 

The place I have found the most resistance is my dad. He lives 2 states away but comes here or calls often, his step-daughter (I've only met her twice) is a teacher and is VERY against my homeschooling so in turn my father is against my homeschooling. He asked my dd the other night if she was going to school next year and she said yes (she's 6) but she didn't understand the question fully because I realized when he got all giddy that he thought she meant public school......won't he be dissapointed when he learns the truth. UGH. Another place I've found resistance is in our pastor. There is only 1 other homeschooling family in our church and even though he loves them and knows they are doing great he is not happy with our choices. Oh well.

 

I have another adoptive mom friend who teaches and she is very supportive of our choice to homeschool. I think its because more than anything she understands our anxious attachment issues better.

[TXMary2]

I have some teachers in my Sunday school class and my Bunco group - they seem to be supportive of me but has a disdain for homeschooling in general. The comments they make to me are along the lines of, "Well, I know you are doing a good job because ......... but there are a lot of homeschoolers out there that just aren't doing it right." Whatever that means.

[AuntPol]

My Aunt (middle school resource teacher) is not supportive. She doesn't outright give me a hard time and we don't see each other often enough for it to be a problem but she doesn't like it. When I ask her for advice or her opinion, she doesn't want to give it. I find it very funny that she complains about her job everytime I see her (how bad the other teachers are, how they can't think and how they don't prepare the kids for what they need to know, the bad behavior of the students, lack of discipline in the schools, the gangs, etc) and then I discuss how my 3rd grader covered everything that she was complaining the 6th grade teachers didn't do but were supposed to, she doesn't acknowledge it and skips to her next complaint.

 

The teachers in my Bible study group are supportive. One worked at the school I pulled my kids out of and she knows it was not the best environment for my kids and knows my kids need more than what our county can provide.

 

My SIL (Middle school English Teacher) hasn't said either way. We only see her once a year at most so we rarely talk about it, except for when I ask her opinion on the appropriateness of a literature selection. I have a feeling, she doesn't totally approve though -I think she's had some homeschoolers who re-entered the system that were behind. DH's mother and siblings don't approve of anything I do but they have finally learned to keep quiet in order to keep the peace LOL.

 

DH's business partner's wife is a former K teacher (Now SAHM). Neither approved when we started but the husband is now supportive because of the behavioral changes and high test scores. I have no idea of what she thinks.

 

Most people don't outright say anything to me. It is quite obvious my kids are bright and my daughter is highly social and my son does well socially considering he has Aspergers and is male lol. I live in the South too, so most people would never say anything negative to my face, they would just bless my heart to everyone else.

[lionfamily1999]

The teachers I know are all pretty supportive. It's ironic, they're much more interested in what we are actually doing, unlike non-teachers that seem to want to pick apart my curriculum. My new neighbor is a 5th grade math teacher, together we salivate over Singapore :D

[lynn]

At first my best friend who is a teacher told me out right that "homeschooling is for people who wanted to be teachers but did not take the time to get their degree" I was a little hurt at first but I did not comment back. Years later she discovered that one of her children had minor add and had comprehension issues and she commented that she now understands how hsing could benefit some children and if she did not have to work she'd be hsing her ds.

 

The few other teacher friends I have supported me and offered help whenever I needed it. {assessing essays, helping with math or science issues etc.)

[Lightly Salted]

Mixed bag here:

 

My Mom is a retired PS teacher and is my number two HS supporter (after DH)

My cousin (former PS teacher) is now homeschooling her own kids and supports me, of course

 

Our aunt (current PS teacher) thinks it's abhorrent and wrong (and every other negative word you can think of)

a friend at church (also current PS teacher) thinks the same but if you MUST HS, thinks you should use the online PS option

[CatMomof3]

My SIL has been a private school teacher for 7 years, she fully supports us homeschooling. She actually is applying at charter schools to become an ES.

[Jugglin'5]

My MIL is VERY supportive. She was hesitant at first, though she tried to keep her opinion to herself (she's a great mother-in-law). Over the years she has gone from tolerant to one of our biggest supporters. Her daughter, who is also a teacher, is outwardly supportive, but I think she is just trying to be polite and a good sil. I am glad she does, but I suspect she privately disapproves.

[kewb]

My 2 friends who are teachers support me.

SIL 1 -does not support our decision at all and we do not talk about it. As I say to my dh, she is young, single, and childless. We thought we knew everything then, too.

SIL 2 -will not give me her opinion unless I ask for it. Love her. She may very well support my decision but we respectfully do not discuss it all.