If you previously taught in PS, what curriculum/method do you use now?

[homemama]

I still struggle (after 6 yrs. homeschooling) with bringing public school home, this is the "way" kind of thinking. Of course, I was only there for 9 years!:tongue_smilie:

 

Now, I'm not saying it's necessarily a bad thing to do school at home, if that fits your child. However, mine is definately wiggly and I would "love" to go a different way, but I struggle with the keeping up with public school mentality still. Granted, I have moved on from my trial with Sonlight ;) and I have MFW ECC in hand. I just have a hard time wrapping my brain around letting go of some texts. Anyone, with same issues?? :bigear:

 

 

homemama

[alisoncooks]

I have a hard time wrapping my head around teaching one child and it being OKAY to move along at our own pace (as opposed to the pace given to use in a guide.) :p

 

I started with MFW, but -- being used to doing my own planning -- I got antsy with having everything laid out for me (so backwards, I know). But I *like* planning. We only made it through October of our K year with that sort of complete curriculum...:tongue_smilie:

 

So now we are doing a mish-mash of stuff (for first grade, which is what I taught in PS). Singapore for math, Click N Read & Happy Phonics (games for phonics? blows my mind, haha, but it's what is working for my wiggly worm).

 

We are pretty unstructured at our house, too, which is crazy because I was super-scheduled as a PS teacher.

[homemama]

I know what ya mean! I still feel like the "principal" is going to walk in at any given moment and catch us having too much fun or something.:lol: It's kind of a guilt complex, I guess!

 

I think if you've not previously been in the schools, it's an easier homeschool road!

 

homemama

[MrsBanjoClown]

I taught middle school and high school science for 10 years. My curriculum is in my signature.

[Farrar]

I taught in ps for just a short time - I left to teach in a private school because it wasn't the right fit though. I was always too different and thought their curricula was utter junk. So no lingering issues with bringing ps home... I do sometimes maybe try to recreate small Quaker schools... But that's a little different.

[freeindeed]

I taught ps 4th grade for four years and 3rd grade for two years. Even then, I did several read-alouds a year that were historical fiction, and I used as much literature-based learning as I could. We also did a lot of hands-on learning & science activities and experiments. Since I've been homeschooling, we've continued with that same style. We use Sonlight, but I also add in projects and activities. So I guess you could say that we're literature-based, with hands-on activities, homeschoolers.:)

[Chelli]

I taught 8th grade American history. Even when teaching in the PS system, I loathed the use of a textbook. It seemed to just skim over most things and hit the highlights. I wanted to use real books (now I know they are called "living books") to really have my students make a connection to the people and events we were studying, but there just isn't the time or money for that in the ps.

When I started homeschooling, I knew I wanted to go the living book approach, so we are Charlotte Mason with a bit of Classical.

 

I do agree with a PP though about the benefit of having been a ps teacher. When other homeschoolers find out, they assume that all of my teaching experience is quite helpful, but it really is more of a detriment. I've had to learn to loosen up and not be so tied to schedules and time amounts. This past year (my 3rd year homeschooling), I feel I've really thrown off the ps mindset for good.

[homemama]

Thank you all for sharing! I always wanted to do more and hated many of the texts that I used in PS. You would think after this many years, that I could shake the PS mindset! I guess it is more of a habit than anything else. I want to do more "out of the box" stuff with ds because I think he would really benefit! He's too much hands on and gets bored with too many textbooks.:tongue_smilie:

 

You all are inspiring me! Keep it up!:001_smile:

 

homemama

[NotSoObvious]

I taught for six years, four of which were in an international baccalaureate school. I've kept the values of the IB program but our core materials are more direct instruction because it just works better for my kids. But IB is definitely still the way we live- constructivist, rigorous, and definitely an international emphasis. Having an IB foundation from K-2 taught my girls that I am not the dispenser of knowledge and that there are always different perspectives on issues.

 

Anyhow. I am less and less schooly each year and I just keep thinking I'm going to be SUCH a better ps teacher when I'm done homeschooling! ;)

[Tracy]

My ds is a ps teacher, and at home he is the epitome of an unschooler. But has never bought into state standards and such. He just wants to make learning fun for the kids and teaching fun for himself.

[homemama]

Tracy,

 

Tell your ds to keep it up! We need more teachers like him.:001_smile:

 

homemama

[Tracy]

Tracy,

 

Tell your dh to keep it up! We need more teachers like him.:001_smile:

 

homemama

 

:D I'd like to think so!

[8filltheheart]

The only time I spent teaching in a ps was during my student teaching semester. My experience that semester convinced me that not only could I not ever teach in a ps, I would never, never, never send any future children I had to a ps.

 

I was so excited about teaching. My uni experience was all about approaching the individual child to assist him in making connections and moving the individual up through the taxonomy of cognitive development, etc. My student teaching experience, however, was all about conformity, school politics, and school bureaucracy. Just one example........every time I attempted to do a project or cross curriculum activities I was told that that was not how they taught in that school. What it boiled down to was that conformity amg teachers/classrooms w/in the school was a "must" and what that resembled was ditto sheet education (read a textbook, use worksheets, repeat)

 

I started homeschooling completely by accident. I had never even heard of homeschooling. Our oldest has a late summer birthday and originally we had enrolled him in a private Catholic K. During the summer prior to K, we made the decision that starting K was probably not in his best interests, so we withdrew his name from their enrollment. Late Sept/early Oct ds told me that he really wanted to learn to read. (this shocked me coming from my little guy that didn't want to sit still for 2 mins. ;) ) Anyway, I called our dept of ed and talked to them. I told them that I had a degree in elementary ed and wanted to know if it would be possible for me to teach him K at home and have it count as K in order to have him placed in 1st grade the next yr. The irony is that it was actually through that office that I first heard of homeschooling and homeschooling laws. (They were incredibly helpful and encouraging.) There were only 5 homeschooling families in our entire county (which was the 2nd largest in the state.)

 

So, duplicating ps knowledge-based education was absolutely NOT something I ever wanted to replicate in any shape or form. (I think that part of the reason that I rebelled against what I witnessed in the ps is that I didn't earn my education degree in a normal way. My actual degree was in psy and I loved my cognitive psy/development courses. My education courses were "tack on" courses for a double major.) I love educating my children in complete freedom and being limited only by my choices!!!

Edited August 19, 2012 by 8FillTheHeart
Jeepers....I'm not as good at multi-tasking as I used to be!!

[GoVanGogh]

 

I think if you've not previously been in the schools, it's an easier homeschool road!

I am not a former school teacher, but our local homeschool group's membership is about 50% former teachers, plus one former principal. They have all said they think their ps experience hinders their homeschooling as it is too hard to break out of that mindset.

[Momof2littles]

I'm starting my 1st year of homeschooling. I taught for 5 years in ps, 1st and 3rd grades.

 

I having a hard time with homeschooling and I haven't even really started. I think my problem is that I know too much and there are so many good curriculum choices. But I also know too little about homeschooling!

 

I don't want to be bossed around by curriculum but I don't want hours of planning either!

 

Teaching 22 kids is a breeze but teaching 1 or 2 of my own is kinda scary! What a huge responsibility! Teaching in ps is a big responsibility but they weren't my own personal children!

 

It is also very hard to shake the "school" mindset, but I always taught using read aloud/think aloud and less paper and busywork. I'm searching for those types of curriculums!

[homemama]

8Filltheheart, thanks for sharing. I can relate in some ways with your story. I have seen/heard lots of horror stories during my 9 years! There were some good events, but the bad usually outweighed the good.:tongue_smilie:

 

One thing I can truly say is that some kids are mistreated. I have taught special ed. and regular ed. The regular ed. teachers usually do not want those sped kids in their classes. When I say, "not in their class," I mean not even for recess or holiday parties and etc. I'm positive that this kind of treatment still goes on, as it did the whole time I taught. Sometimes a teacher would be very kind and understanding, but most would not. I could go on and on and on about this, so I better stop.

 

Suzanne, :iagree: The mindset is more like a brainwash!:lol:

 

Thanks for sharing ya'll!

 

homemama

[homemama]

Momof2littles, I guess we were typing at the same time.:001_smile:

 

:iagree: It is much easier to teach 22 (or in my case one year 32!) kids that are not yours.However, it always bugged me that I couldn't individualize for all of those kids in my class!

 

Keep reading here and customizing your plans, is all the advice I can give.

 

homemama

[Momof2littles]

8Filltheheart, thanks for sharing. I can relate in some ways with your story. I have seen/heard lots of horror stories during my 9 years! There were some good events, but the bad usually outweighed the good.:tongue_smilie:

 

One thing I can truly say is that some kids are mistreated. I have taught special ed. and regular ed. The regular ed. teachers usually do not want those sped kids in their classes. When I say, "not in their class," I mean not even for recess or holiday parties and etc. I'm positive that this kind of treatment still goes on, as it did the whole time I taught. Sometimes a teacher would be very kind and understanding, but most would not. I could go on and on and on about this, so I better stop.

 

Suzanne, :iagree: The mindset is more like a brainwash!:lol:

 

Thanks for sharing ya'll!

 

homemama

 

I agree!! Totally!!

 

I happened to be the teacher that liked teaching sped and I had 6 kids with IEPs in my classroom at one time, my last year of teaching. I was personal friends with my principal and she had a low functioning autistic daughter. She obviously had a heart for special needs students as did I and she knew I was okay with sped students in my classroom. I think there are wonderful lessons for "regular" Ed students to learn from sped students.

 

But you are absolutely right, there is a lot of mistreatment of students...even mistreatment of regular Ed students! Some people, who happen to be ps teachers, are really, really mean to children.

[homemama]

:iagree::iagree: Momof2littles!

 

Not only are some mean to certain kids, but the same teachers are some of the friendliest to parents at open house and etc. It all gets swept under a rug!!! I've seen it time and time again. Maybe, we need to all get together and write a book on this subject!

 

homemama

Edited August 19, 2012 by homemama