Jump to content

Menu

Strangest reason I've ever heard not to homeschool


Recommended Posts

This morning I was on another board (not a hs board), but another hs mom was talking about how she hs her kids, but was considering sending her kids to school so they could learn skills she couldn't teach them at home, like making friends and standing in line. :001_huh:

 

I told dh and he said standing in line could be learned at McDonalds. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think a lot of people give reasons like this when what they REALLY mean is, "I just don't want to homeschool." So they pull some ridiculous reason out of the air. I'd rather hear, "I just don't want to homeschool."

 

Reckon I should start following you around and agreeing with you everywhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

considering sending her kids to school so they could learn skills she couldn't teach them at home, like making friends and standing in line. :001_huh:

 

When I was looking at preschools for ds and asking about their philosophy, routines, etc., one of the preschools told me they prepare the kids for kindergarten by teaching them to stand in line.

 

We didn't choose that school.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, now in this woman's defense :)

 

First, walking in a line at some schools is an art form. I remember seeing my boys the first day of school (I had volunteer training that day so when our kids filed past the window, we peeked). I was amazed the one even *could* do that (!) and he looked so darn cute!

 

Second, She probably has a laundry list of reasons and just spouted off a couple. How many times have I forgotten the MAIN thing I wanted to say in a conversation! I kicked myself later. Can you imagine her an hour later saying, "oh goodness, she probably thinks I came from another planet. Walk in line? Why didn't I tell her that it looks like I'm going to have to get a job because hubby is getting laid off again?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have heard this argument before. Then, my daughters started playing basketball in a K-3 league at our church. As I was watching Boo-Boo's team who was supposed to be standing in line waiting for their turn to shoot the ball, Boo-Boo was the only one standing nicely waiting her turn. She was the only homeschooler in the group.

 

My favorite is always, "But, what about prom?". You know, I went to three proms in high school and they were just excuses to get drunk and make out/sleep with your boyfriend. I think it would be OK for my girls to miss out on that. :001_smile:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a friend who had homeschooled then put the kid in our terrible middle school. He got stabbed with a fork during lunch. She proudly told me he is learning what real life is like. I said back that I have never in my real life been stabbed by a fork during lunch. The only real place that happens is prison. She insisted it was good for character building.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My oldest son's girlfriend is a teacher in an inner city charter school. I sometimes laugh about how much time she spends trying to get her students to stand in line so they can go to lunch or recess. We can finish an entire subject in the amount of time they spend standing in line!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My kids get plenty of practice standing in line - like the checkout line at the grocery where they also get a lesson in bullying from the mean checkout lady who makes nasty comments about our family size and homeschooling. :glare:

 

Then there is always the line for the bathroom here. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That one is relatively minor IMHO.

 

As a community college professor, I do see homeschooled students who don't know how to behave in class (another reason I've heard). Oh, and that takes maybe 10 minutes of time with me after class to explain it to them. Definitely not a reason to homeschool...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That one is relatively minor IMHO.

 

As a community college professor, I do see homeschooled students who don't know how to behave in class (another reason I've heard). Oh, and that takes maybe 10 minutes of time with me after class to explain it to them. Definitely not a reason to homeschool...

 

I'm curious what they do in class that shows you they don't know how to behave. In school I was in classes all the time with kids who didn't know how to behave. What is the difference in the behavior from hs students and students who just don't behave?

 

Kelly

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a friend who had homeschooled then put the kid in our terrible middle school. He got stabbed with a fork during lunch. She proudly told me he is learning what real life is like. I said back that I have never in my real life been stabbed by a fork during lunch. The only real place that happens is prison. She insisted it was good for character building.

 

:lol::lol:

 

I started laughing so hard that my children made me read this outloud!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LOL, in their defense, I assume she means that people have to understand waiting their turn and being considerate of the group - which is true. However, I don't think school is the only place people can possibly learn that. One round of Christmas shopping ought to do it for anyone with half a brain.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Second, She probably has a laundry list of reasons and just spouted off a couple. How many times have I forgotten the MAIN thing I wanted to say in a conversation! I kicked myself later. Can you imagine her an hour later saying, "oh goodness, she probably thinks I came from another planet. Walk in line? Why didn't I tell her that it looks like I'm going to have to get a job because hubby is getting laid off again?"

 

Yep.

 

I also think people use "stand in line" as a way to refer to an entire host of skills required for group participation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think a lot of people give reasons like this when what they REALLY mean is, "I just don't want to homeschool." So they pull some ridiculous reason out of the air. I'd rather hear, "I just don't want to homeschool."

 

:iagree: and people here don't understand standing in line to save their lives! And homeschooling here is rare. Even my kids have that one down!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Standing line (quietly) also known as "how to handle being bored and not allowed to move.

 

I do find that my children struggle with this, I am positive they would not like having to do it, but COULD.

 

WE have discussed that our children do not know how to be bored. If one is done with a lesson while another is receiving one, they move on to more work, read, play, cook, take care of our pets.... anything but "sit quietly at your desk, until everyone is ready".

 

Sure this could cause them some issues later in life, but I doubt it will!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I seriously doubt that this mom thought kids need to go to school to stand in line. I think there are people who honestly believe that there is a whole group of social behaviors related to functioning in a group that can only be learned if reinforced constantly in a classroom setting.

 

Tara

Link to comment
Share on other sites

WE have discussed that our children do not know how to be bored. If one is done with a lesson while another is receiving one, they move on to more work, read, play, cook, take care of our pets.... anything but "sit quietly at your desk, until everyone is ready".

 

I was not homeschooled and I was bored in school a lot - probably most of the time. I was good at sitting quietly, though. Problem is, that led to an excessive amount of daydreaming and not listening when I actually should have listened. When I was in law school, I couldn't even keep my mind focused during the review lecture before the exams. I came out of there with a paper containing a half page of notes and all the margins and the bottom of the page covered in scribbles. My mind was in the old books section of the library down the street. I did not do well on the exams!

 

Sure, a little time for contemplation is a good thing. But even this needs to be done in moderation!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DH used to amuse himself by teaching 'elevator practice'. He would have the younger kids stand still and stare up at an invisible point above their heads. He insisted to them that this was a valuable skill and they would need it someday.

One day we did indeed encounter an elevator......and dd (now 12) was thrilled that she knew what to do! :lol:

 

I'm going to have to suggest to him that he teach 'standing in line' to the kids next. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kind of like one of my friends once told me that kids needed to learn to raise their hand to be called on. Uh...my DD was doing that by age 2. Don't know where she picked it up-but she STILL does it when she wants to interrupt DH and I.

 

And I think we've got the "Standing in line" thing down, too-after all, we do it every Sunday for Communion :).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Standing line (quietly) also known as "how to handle being bored and not allowed to move.

 

I do find that my children struggle with this, I am positive they would not like having to do it, but COULD.

 

WE have discussed that our children do not know how to be bored. If one is done with a lesson while another is receiving one, they move on to more work, read, play, cook, take care of our pets.... anything but "sit quietly at your desk, until everyone is ready".

 

Sure this could cause them some issues later in life, but I doubt it will!

 

And, really, there are other experiences that come from homeschooling that teach that. For example, my DD ends up going to coordinators meetings with me for the music school. She brings a book or a notepad, sits in the back, and she's literally surprised some of my co-workers when they realize, at the end of the meeting, that she was there. I think that qualifies as "school-level" boredom practice!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This morning I was on another board (not a hs board), but another hs mom was talking about how she hs her kids, but was considering sending her kids to school so they could learn skills she couldn't teach them at home, like making friends and standing in line. :001_huh:

 

I told dh and he said standing in line could be learned at McDonalds. :D

 

She just doesn't have enough kids--I bet the Duggars know how to stand in line! ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And, really, there are other experiences that come from homeschooling that teach that. For example, my DD ends up going to coordinators meetings with me for the music school. She brings a book or a notepad, sits in the back, and she's literally surprised some of my co-workers when they realize, at the end of the meeting, that she was there. I think that qualifies as "school-level" boredom practice!

 

Reminds me of when I took my two four-year-olds to a professional conference I was putting on in DC. They sat quietly for an hour, drawing dinosaurs, while the presenters droned on about tax credits. Most people didn't know they were there, and one guy at their table said (to someone else behind my back) that they were the best behaved four-year-olds he'd ever seen. So no, I don't think they need years in a classroom to teach them to sit patiently.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Reminds me of when I took my two four-year-olds to a professional conference I was putting on in DC. They sat quietly for an hour, drawing dinosaurs, while the presenters droned on about tax credits. Most people didn't know they were there, and one guy at their table said (to someone else behind my back) that they were the best behaved four-year-olds he'd ever seen. So no, I don't think they need years in a classroom to teach them to sit patiently.

 

Exactly. My dc learned this before they were old enough to go to school anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When on an outing, my sister's kids and mine (the 7 oldest) were waiting to ride a train. The adults were talking and watching the babies. When we finally noticed the kids, we saw that they were patiently waiting in a single file line - oldest to youngest - tickets in hand. They have always been homeschooled.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a friend who had homeschooled then put the kid in our terrible middle school. He got stabbed with a fork during lunch. She proudly told me he is learning what real life is like. I said back that I have never in my real life been stabbed by a fork during lunch. The only real place that happens is prison. She insisted it was good for character building.

 

:001_huh:

 

Wendi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was at a local indoor pool that offers homeschool swimming classes on Tuesday mornings. The first day of the session the teachers divided everyone up in three classes. The one with the youngest class was nearest to where the moms were sitting. She stood up and said "Ok, everyone, get in a straight line!" The kids scrambled around starting a few different lines then moving to other lines. The moms sat there shaking their heads and laughing quietly. One of the women sitting near me said, "Yep, it's a homeschool class." :)

 

I seriously doubt, after witnessing first hand the deficient line-making skills of our children, any of us was rushing out for public school registration papers. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Problem solved--during school hours use only one bathroom at predetermined times. Make all family members and any guests stand in line for their turn.

 

 

Just kidding, of course.

 

We have only one bathroom, and we sometimes have to do this. We then get to cut in line depending on need, and how 'long' you will take in the bathroom.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm curious what they do in class that shows you they don't know how to behave. In school I was in classes all the time with kids who didn't know how to behave. What is the difference in the behavior from hs students and students who just don't behave?

 

Kelly

 

I should have been more specific there.

 

I have two problems with homeschool students that affect how the class runs. Not every homeschooled student of course, but I see it enough that I will call them out after class if this happens. This last semester I had two that I had to meet with, and two others that do just fine.

 

The first is that they will actually "hog" the floor with a constant flow of comments and questions, some of which are not related to the material. They're polite about it, but I explain that I have the floor and that they should only comment if I ask for comments and only ask questions if they are on-topic. I give them some examples, and also tell them that I'm glad to meet with them at the break to discuss any non-class topics.

 

The other issue I see is the belief that I will track them down to get assignments and will give in to excuses for late work. Again, I explain that in college you are expected to handle the due dates and that interrupting class to ask for more time because of your recent strep throat is not appropriate. So I educate them that college requires more independence, and that shifts in due dates are based on class policy, not a one-on-one choice.

 

It isn't really a big deal to me. They are used to a more one-on-one experience, and I'm educating them on a situation where certain group behaviors are expected. My professor friends struggle with the same thing, and I've helped several figure out how to work with homeschooled students who were making the classroom situation difficult. I can't think of a situation where a non-homeschooled student was consistently off-topic in class. That's a biggie...

Edited by GVA
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The first is that they will actually "hog" the floor with a constant flow of comments and questions, some of which are not related to the material. They're polite about it, but I explain that I have the floor and that they should only comment if I ask for comments and only ask questions if they are on-topic. I give them some examples, and also tell them that I'm glad to meet with them at the break to discuss any non-class topics.

 

This is the problem I get in classes with homeschoolers. I always have several who are trying to co-teach with me, and it gets really difficult to get through material. I have taken to reminding my own dc over and over before they take outside classes, "there will be twenty other students in class with you who have an equal right to be taught; you are not special ;)."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are people so dumb that they can't figure out how to handle "school culture" (which includes standing in line)? I don't mean come into what is essentially a new culture knowing immediately how to fit in, but after maybe a month to get used to it, then picking up that culture's norms? I'm assuming someone who does not have a problem which makes it hard or impossible for them to pick up social cues or at least rules.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is the problem I get in classes with homeschoolers. I always have several who are trying to co-teach with me, and it gets really difficult to get through material. I have taken to reminding my own dc over and over before they take outside classes, "there will be twenty other students in class with you who have an equal right to be taught; you are not special ;)."

 

I've seen this with my oldest. She doesn't think she's special, she just thought she was participating. It took one mild correction from the teacher, one quick explanation by the parents after class, and now she knows. Easy peasy, shampoo squeezy! But I did feel sort of bad that I hadn't taught her this before--for some reason it never came up. :lol: Homeschool fails again! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...