Please note: about half of my friends homeschool. We all respect each others' decisions for educating our children, and the majority of my friends are pros at it, but there are a small handful who act as if homeschooolers rule and public schoolers drool, and I just want to set the record straight.
Dear Homeschooling Friends,
I love you very much and I value our friendship. I have learned so much about homeschooling from you and I truly understand that you have different reasons for homeschooling, but please stop acting like you do things that public schools do not! I taught for 15 years and in 3 different districts. I can assure you that public school children are not sitting in their desks from 8 until 3. Most teachers have a plethora of songs and dances to do between lessons so that the children will get their juices flowing. Children move to Computers, Art, Music, or PE where their experienced teachers give them experiences I can not at home. They use tools and instruments I do not have at home. They learn songs I never learned and art techniques their teachers have mastered. My kids get to go to PE where they no longer to jumping jacks, push-ups, and dodge ball, no, they learn games they can play at home. My kids get to go to computers where their teacher has attended training on the latest and greatest educational games and websites. They have enough computers for every child. My home does not.
They also get to go to recess and play with hundreds of other children. Yes, they may hear some bad words, but they can hear those same things playing at public parks! They might also make good choices about friends with the same values, or better yet, they may be the one who helps children who do not have good home experiences. They just might be Jesus to someone else. I just love hearing those types of stories from my kids' teachers.
Also, most schools have gardens, some even have vegetable gardens. My 3rd grader has shared many stories with me about helping plant, water, prune, and grow. Some schools even have butterfly gardens with so many caterpillars crossing that you have to watch where you step when outside.
School children get to have "water day", "field day", "snow day", etc... They have guest speakers like astronauts, Aggie sports players, book authors, and local restaurant owners. They go on field trips to zoos, museums, tree farms, Texas A&M, The George Bush Presidential Library, and more, so please don't talk about how school children are missing out.
When you say you love homeschooling because there is no schedule and your kids can go to bed alte and get up at 10 am, please realize that children need structure. Children need routine and thrive on that. Yes, there are some children with special needs who do better in unstructured environments, but that is a small percentage. Children will need to know these procedures when they enter college. Then, they will definitely need structure when they enter the workforce, so routines, schedules, and structure are important.
When you post on Facebook that you LOVE homeschooling because your children get to be outside when schooled children are inside, you are just upsetting those of us who know the truth. That's all for now.
Thank you,
Proud Public School Educator and Parent of Intelligent Public School Children
