Home Schools Run By Well-Meaning Amateurs (Barf alert!)

There's nothing like having the right person with the right experience, skills and tools to accomplish a specific task. Certain jobs are best left to the pros, such as, formal education.

There are few homeowners who can tackle every aspect of home repair. A few of us might know carpentry, plumbing and, let’s say, cementing. Others may know about electrical work, tiling and roofing. But hardly anyone can do it all.

Same goes for cars. Not many people have the skills and knowledge to perform all repairs on the family car. Even if they do, they probably don’t own the proper tools. Heck, some people have their hands full just knowing how to drive.

So, why would some parents assume they know enough about every academic subject to home-school their children? You would think that they might leave this -- the shaping of their children’s minds, careers, and futures -- to trained professionals. That is, to those who have worked steadily at their profession for 10, 20, 30 years! Teachers!

There’s nothing like having the right person with the right experience, skills and tools to accomplish a specific task. Whether it is window-washing, bricklaying or designing a space station. Certain jobs are best left to the pros. Formal education is one of those jobs.

Of course there are circumstances that might make it necessary for parents to teach their children at home. For example, if the child is severely handicapped and cannot be transported safely to a school, or is bedridden with a serious disease, or lives in such a remote area that attending a public school is near impossible.

The number of parents who could easily send their children to public school but opt for home-schooling instead is on the increase. Several organizations have popped up on the Web to serve these wannabe teachers. These organizations are even running ads on prime time television. After viewing one advertisement, I searched a home school Web site. This site contains some statements that REALLY irritate me!

The “it” is meant to be “teaching.” Let’s face it, teaching children is difficult even for experienced professionals. Wannabes have no idea.

Forget about interacting with others? Are they nuts? Socialization is an important component of getting along in life. You cannot teach it. Children should have the opportunity to interact with others their own age. Without allowing their children to mingle, trade ideas and thoughts with others, these parents are creating social misfits.

If this Web site encouraged home-schooled children to join after-school clubs at the local school, or participate in sports or other community activities, then I might feel different. Maine state laws, for example, require local school districts to allow home-schooled students to participate in their athletic programs. For this Web site to declare, “forget about it,” is bad advice.

When I worked for Wal-Mart more than 20 years ago, Sam Walton once told me: “I can teach Wal-Mart associates how to use a computer, calculator, and how to operate like retailers. But I can’t teach them how to be a teammate when they have never been part of any team.”

Buying a history, science or math book does not mean an adult can automatically instruct others about the book’s content.

Another Web site asks for donations and posts newspaper articles pertaining to problems occurring in public schools.

It’s obvious to me that these organizations are in it for the money. They are involved in the education of children mostly in the hope of profiting at the hands of well-meaning but gullible parents.

This includes parents who home-school their children for reasons that may be linked to religious convictions. One Web site that I visited stated that the best way to combat our nation’s “ungodly” public schools was to remove students from them and teach them at home or at a Christian school.

I’m certainly not opposed to religious schools, or to anyone standing up for what they believe in. I admire anyone who has the strength to stand up against the majority. But in this case, pulling children out of a school is not the best way to fight the laws that govern our education system. No battle has ever been won by retreating!

Don’t most parents have a tough enough job teaching their children social, disciplinary and behavioral skills? They would be wise to help their children and themselves by leaving the responsibility of teaching math, science, art, writing, history, geography and other subjects to those who are knowledgeable, trained and motivated to do the best job possible.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is head custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois.)

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

Wow... Where to start here...

OK, a little background on myself. While my current position is "Senior Compu-Geek" (Senior Systems Engineer) for a very large computer and network system VAR, I did spend 4 1/2 years as an "Educator," teaching people how to setup, run, and troubleshoot network systems. I've been a CompTIA SME (Subject Matter Expert) where I helped write some of the CompTIA tests, like the A+ exam. In college, I worked as both a math tutor (at a junior college level) and a computer TA to EE students at a rather well known engineering and science college.

So, why am I blowing my own horn? Because nowhere in those accomplishments will you find a degree from a school of education. Did I get some training in "teaching?" Well, yes. IIRC, I attended a 1 hour lecture before becoming a math tutor, and before I was able to teach classes for Novell, I had to attend a 2 day class on effective teaching techniques, and read a short manual (less than 20 pages, IIRC). That's about it.

On the other hand, I've been in classes taught by people who had all sorts of teaching credentials, who didn't have the faintest clue about the subject they were supposed to be teaching. I've also been in college classes taught by some people who were brilliant in their fields, but wouldn't have been able to teach an eskimo how to make a snow ball.

The simple fact is that there are some people who can teach, and some who can't. Just because you've got the credentials to do so doesn't mean you will be an effective teacher. And the old saying of, "Those who can, do; Those who can't, teach" is only true for really ineffective teachers. The best teachers are those who know their material inside and out, and really want to pass on that knowledge to others.

So, why do I bring this up? Well, ask yourself, "Who's more motivated to do a good job teaching my kids?" Is it the school teacher, who has to deal with lots of students, and may or may not acutally know something about what they're supposed to be teaching. Or might it be the parent, who's actually got a reason and motivation to pass on the knowledge to his or her child. And it's a really wonderful experience to be able to learn with your parents. While I've never been home schooled, for a very short time I took music lessons from my father who was a professional musician and music teacher. It was really cool learning from him.

This whole artical is a bunch of BS. You don't have to have an MA in education to teach math to a child, any more than you need an MS or Phd in Math. All you need is a good book, a place to call for help if you ever get stuck (and you will) and the motivation to be a good teacher. Not everyone is cut out to be an "educator," but it really is a wonderful job, and I really miss it, after being away from it for more than 7 years.

Mark

I had a conversation with a friend's 12 year old daughter this last Friday night about how she was doing in school. I was particularly interested in how she was doing in math and science. She's convinced that she's no good at either one, and she's now worried that she's never going to be able to become a whale trainer (she loves Seaworld, and wants to train killer whales, having gotten to "pet" one at Seaworld). She realizes that if she wants to work with whales, she's going to have to become a marine biologist.

I hope that I got through to her that the main reason that people have problems with math and science is that their teachers are no good! I told her that if she wants to become something... Anything, then there isn't any reason that she can't accomplish it, provided she works hard, always trying her best. I told her that if she doesn't understand something in math or science, then she needs to find someone who does, so they can explain it so she understands. I really hope I got through to her.

Mark

Skoos Wif Good Skoo marms Is Best-Suited t'Shape Yo'ng Minds By Abner Ole Jeb Thar's nothin' like havin' th' right varmint wif th' right experience, skills an' tools t'accomplish a specific tax. Sartin jobs is bess lef' t'th' pros, sech as, fo'mal ejoocayshun. Thar is few homeownys who kin tackle ev'ry aspeck of home repair. A few of us might knows carpentry, plumbin' an', let’s say, cementin'. Others may knows about eleckrical wawk, tilin' an' roofin'. But hardly ennyone kin does it all, ah reckon. Same goes fo' cars. Not menny varmints haf th' skills an' smarts t'perfo'm all repairs on th' fambly car. Even eff'n they does, they probably don’t own th' right tools. Heck, some varmints haf their han's full jest knowin' how t'drive. So, whuffo''d some parents assoom they knows 'nuff about ev'ry academic subjeck t'home-skoo their chillun? Yo''d reckon thet they might leave this hyar -- th' shapin' of their chillun’s minds, careers, an' futures -- t'trained professhunals. Thet is, t'them who haf wawked steadily at their professhun fo' 10, 20, 30 years! Skoo marms! Experienced Pros Thar’s nothin' like havin' th' right varmint wif th' right experience, skills an' tools t'accomplish a specific tax. Whether it is window-warshin', bricklayin' o' designin' a space stashun. Sartin jobs is bess lef' t'th' pros. Fo'mal ejoocayshun is one of them jobs. Of course thar is circumstances thet might make it necessary fo' parents t'larn their chillun at home. Fo' example, eff'n th' chile is sevahely han'icapped an' kinnot be transpo'ted safely t'a skoo, o' is bedridden wif a serious disease, o' lives in sech a remote area thet attendin' a public skoo is near impostible. Wal-Meanin' Amateurs Th' number of parents who c'd easily send their chillun t'public skoo but opp fo' home-skooin' instead is on th' increase. Sevahal o'ganizashuns haf popped up on th' Web t'sarve these wannabe skoo marms. These o'ganizashuns is even runnin' ads on prime time tellyvishun. Af'er viewin' one advahtisement, ah searched a home skoo Web site. This hyar site corntains some statements thet REALLY irritate me! * “It’s not as difficult as it looks.” Th' “it” is meant t'be “larnin'.” Let’s face it, larnin' chillun is difficult even fo' experienced professhunals. Wannabes haf no idea. * “Whut in tarnation about socializashun? Fo'git about it! Fry mah hide!” Fo'git about interackin' wif others? Is they nuts? Socializashun is an impo'tant component of gittin' along in life. Yo' kinnot larn it. Chillun sh'd haf th' oppo'tunity t'interack wif others their own age. Wifout allerin' their chillun t'min'le, trade ideas an' thunks wif others, these parents is creatin' social misfits. Eff'n this hyar Web site incouraged home-skooed chillun t'join af'er-skoo clubs at th' local skoo, o' participate in spo'ts o' other community ackivities, then ah might feel diffrunt. Jawja state laws, fo' example, require local skoo districks t'aller home-skooed students t'participate in their athletic programs. Fo' this hyar Web site t'declare, “fo'git about it,” is bad advice. When ah wawked fo' Wal-Mart mo'e than 20 years ago, Zephaniah Walton once told me: “ah can larn Wal-Mart assosheeates how t'use a computer, calculato', an' how t'operate like retailers. But ah can’t larn them how t'be a teammate when they haf nevah been part of enny team, dawgone it.” * “Viset our online booksto'e.” Buyin' a histo'y, science o' math book does not mean an adult kin autymatically instruck others about th' book’s corntent. Gullible Parents T'other Web site axs fo' donashuns an' posts noospaper articles pertainin' t'problems occurrin' in public skoos. It’s obvious t'me thet these o'ganizashuns is in it fo' th' money. They is involved in th' ejoocayshun of chillun mostly in th' hope of profitin' at th' han's of fine-meanin' but gullible parents. This hyar includes parents who home-skoo their chillun fo' reasons thet may be linked t'religious cornvickshuns. One Web site thet ah visited stated thet th' bess way t'combat our nashun’s “ungodly” public skoos was t'remove students fum them an' larn them at home o' at a Jedtian skoo. I’m sartinly not opposed t'religious skoos, o' t'ennyone stan'in' up fo' whut they believe in, as enny fool kin plainly see. ah admire ennyone who has th' stren'th t'stan' up aginst th' majo'ity. But in this hyar case, pullin' chillun outta skoo is not th' bess way t'fight th' laws thet govahn our ejoocayshun system, dawgone it. No battle has evah been won by retreatin'! Fry mah hide! No Trainin' Don’t most parents haf a tough inough job larnin' their chillun social, disciplinary an' behavio'al skills? They'd be wise t'he'p their chillun an' themselves by leavin' th' responsibility of larnin' math, science, art, writin', histo'y, geography an' other subjecks t'them who is smart, trained an' motivated t'do th' bess job postible. (Abner Ole Jeb, a member of th' Illinois Ejoocayshun Associashun, is haid cestodian at Brownstown Elementary Skoo in Southern Illinois.) Th' views expressed in this hyar column is them of th' autho' an' does not necessarily refleck th' views of th' NEA o' its affiliates.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.