Walking Therein

Homeschool Parents: Teachers or "Well-Meaning Amateurs"?

    I had heard about this article, written by a public school system (pss) custodian, about how parents are unqualified to teach their own children and should give them to the State to be taught by so-called “professionals” before. I had not, however, taken the time to read it. Now that I have done so, I have plenty to say about us “well-meaning”, “untrained‘, “gullible“, “nuts“, “teacher-wannabe“, “Amateurs.”  

    Does that about cover all of the adjectives used by this man with a plethora of elementary school experience as a custodian?  Let's find out:

Experienced Pros   “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.”

Professionals Defined By Whom?

    Can someone tell me why these “professionals” are qualified to teach my children? Is it because some other “professionals” deemed them qualified? Why do you think this meets OUR personal qualifications as parents of who is qualified to teach our children to become mature adults and good citizens of this country?

   What about the mass of teachers who are fresh out of college or in their first five years of teaching? Do they have children? Do they like children? Who says that they are equipped to spend 8-10 hours a day in a classroom of children?  I won’t even go through the list of felons and child molesters , or just complete out-of-control wackos, etc. who are teachers - or the ones who either allow children to be ridiculed and abused or do it themselves.

Training in what?

    Yes, I do believe most people have a tough job teaching their children social, disciplinary and behavioral skills. But, does a tough job mean I have to quit? Is that the message we want children to hear these days?  "Push the Easy Button" for everything?  Children are an investment.  Anything you invest in takes a lot of diligence, be it a bank account, a relationship, your education, or any other goal.

    But, I also believe that, for the most part, when parents leave their child/ren in the care of someone else -usually amongst many other children- for the majority of the day, then are too tired to train them or just give up entirely, knowing their child/ren will just be trained in the same environment tomorrow. This encourages children to misbehave and enables parents to blame someone else for that behavior.

    I ask: what professionalized training do I have to have to teach 1st grade math or even 6th grade math? I went to school, all the way through, and I even graduated. That means, if they taught me well enough - or I can read, I have been through classes that I should now be able to teach my children. Right? And, like the ps teachers... I have the Answer Key!

I am an Intentional Amateur, thank you very much.

    I do not personally know Mr. Arnold, so I won’t make a judgment on his character or knowledge. I think he has done a pretty good job of that himself. I will tell him that he does not know me, and “well-meaning” does describe me a lot of times - but, when it comes to preparing my children for a lifetime in this chaotic, perverse world, I am INTENTIONAL, not well-meaning. Not to mention the fact that I am training the parents of my future grandchildren. That, in itself, is of paramount importance to me.

    I do not, however want a person who works as a custodian - or any other 'profession', for that matter, to deem himself a “professional” when it comes to my credentials at homeschooling my children - unless, they, themselves, are homeschooling their children and have first-hand knowledge of what homeschooling actually is.

I searched a home school Web site. This site contains some statements that REALLY irritate me!

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    Don’t you just love the internet? It seems to give some people the idea that if they search a few sites, they are 'professionals' in that particular area, and should expound on a that subject of which they really have no other experience or knowledge.

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Who Is Creating Social Misfits?

    OK, at this point, I am seriously questioning if this guy is really a pss custodian. Either he's not, or he is a custodian at Shangri-La Elementary School. Does he actually see how these lovely little citizens of “interacting with others their own age” behave?

     Don’t we as parents have enough teaching our children how to be respectful, polite, well-behaving pre-adults, without sending them off to learn what other children’s “well-meaning” parents won’t teach their little public school citizens?

    On a side-note, are all the teachers and custodians this guys' exact age? I mean, he was taught to interact and mingle, trade ideas and thoughts with others his own age, and that is really important for preparing them to live as social adults...so we best keep with that idea.... isn’t that the world he was prepared for?

Will the Real Professionals Please Stand Up?

    I am of the opinion that, since the main profession our children are trying to attain is that of adults and Fathers or Mothers, then they ARE being taught by Professionals.

    Besides that, we are talking about a single person (single, as in 1, not their marital status) teaching math, science, art, writing, history, geography and other subjects to 25 - 30+ children, daily. Are you kidding me? Why is it I am not qualified to teach math, science, art, writing, history and geography to 5 children of elementary school age?

   Is it because I didn’t spend $100,000 or so at a formal school, sitting in lectures, reading books, completing assignments chosen by a teacher, eating in a cafeteria, or going to on- or off- campus parties? Ahhhhhhhhhh - NO.   And, then there's the part about being issued a degree in there. No, I am not belittling teachers who have put forth effort to get said degree - but, I am not going to sit here and let someone unqualified to speak such nonsense belittle parents (usually the mother) who don’t work 8-10 hours a day away from their children or put them into another’s care for the same amount of time by saying we are “well-meaning” and “gullible.”

    I have the experience as a Homeschool Mother. I would suggest that people who can identify with the opinion of the article are listening to media and organizations who are “well-meaning” and mis-guided. I would also suggest that subscribing to this school of thought without facts, but rather, with "well-meaning" opinions, is the definition of “gullible.”

The Proof is in the Pudding

    I cannot wait until my children are grown adults and parents, and I can see the fruit of my labors. I am not naive enough to believe all will be perfect with them, but I am confident that they will be much more prepared than the majority of their ps peers. The pss, on the other hand, proves on a daily basis what kind of chaos they can bring into a child's life.

    Take my oldest daughter, for instance: at age 16, she has a personal knowledge of  helping to teach and nurture 6 children - from birth. She has attended the birth of 7 children and has been helping with or in the presence of the care of 4 of them ever since. She can manage a household while taking care of 3-4 younger children, doing laundry, dishes, cleaning, and cooking. She is learning to feed her family more efficiently, as we plant a garden and will harvest it and freeze or can the vegetables. She has changed diapers, helped care for sick children, and mediated and helped children with their bad attitudes. She has presented Bible Studies, and taught various elements of every Elementary school subject. She can plan and prepare meals - sometimes with the help of her youngest siblings, teaching them how, and sometimes she does it alone. She makes out the weekly grocery list, keeping it within our budget, and completing the grocery shopping at the 3 stores we shop at... and, she is usually more on top of the other errands needed to be done than I am! That is just in regards to be a full-functioning wife - mother - female adult.

    In regards to skills that most ps children will not experience, she surpasses ps education daily: She lists items for sale on our website and ebay, corresponds to customers via email, and mails their packages at the Post Office, using a Credit Card. We also allow her to handle problems that may arise that are within her ability to handle. She runs her own blog.

    As I am typing this, she is outside with her Dad, replacing spark plugs and shocks on his truck. I know that she could learn that in a ps setting, but why? The reasons not to would be better left to another post! I guess the simple answer is that she is not only learning to relate to people outside of her family, functioning in society, instead of with a bunch of kids her age. She is learning to function within her family.

    Wouldn’t our society be so much better if people could relate better, first and foremost, to those within their own family? It truly does start at home, sir, not in a State Facility.

This post is really not about the teachers, it is about being a Homeschool parent!

Related Posts: Jacque on Cutting and Running, Homeschool Central's Answers to Custodian Dave's Accusations, Links to Related Posts, Mamasmurf's comment on being a teacher

Can You Stomach This? 12 Boys Accused of Sexual Assault of a Second Grader, 2 Teachers Standing 20 Feet From Sexual Attack of 8 Year-old Girl,  High Schools Reported For Not Fully Disclosing Violent Incidents    

Thanks for dropping by my blog!

4:59 AM, Tuesday, May 23, 2006 .. Posted by Somerschool

I'm delighted to see what you've been saying here! Thanks for your passionate prose.

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10:58 AM, Tuesday, May 23, 2006 .. Posted by rachelle

Great thoughts, Jacque! Thanks for sharing. Articles like that man wrote often, in my opinion, prove how unbelievably uneducated the general public is about schooling options.

Ooops!

12:19 PM, Tuesday, May 23, 2006 .. Posted by mamasmurf

Much as I agree with what you are saying about this man's words and thoughts on homeschoolers, Jacque, I can't help but feel rather upset at your thoughts on the "profession" of teaching. Before homeschooling my son, I was a teacher (our Primary/your Elementary level) for about 14 years. I worked hard to get there and like to think that the children in my care were happy, well-taught and safe during their time with me (nothing was ever said to me to prove otherwise).
Our decision to homeschool our boy came from him being in a situation where the total opposite was true - so, yes, there are teachers out there who are "rotten apples", but there are those of us who put the children we teach first. I have to ask, are there not some homeschoolers who are not up to the job?
Please don't take offence at my comments, I just felt I had to stand up for the teachers who are up to their job! :o)

No Offence Taken, MamaS

1:03 PM, Tuesday, May 23, 2006 .. Posted by JacqueDixonSoulRestES

As much as it may compare teachers, my post is really not about the teachers, it is about the parents. I understand that some teachers meet the qualification of Professional, just as some homeschool parents really are not good homeschoolers. I am sorry if it seemed that I was lumping all the apples into the same basket. I thank you for standing up for the teachers who are helping children.

I am not berating those teachers 'who are up to their job' or their efforts. For the most part, I don't think the teachers who are doing their job and are providing for the children are the ones who get outraged that parents have the audacity to think they can better parent or educate their chidren.

I know my belief is not popular, but I do believe it is the parents' responsibility to teach (train) their children, not the State's, and after the parents' it is the Church's (the Body). My sister is an assistant teacher and I know she is doing her best to teach those children. She and I both taught at the Pre-school/Afterschool Program at our church several years ago.

There will always be people who do not know the LORD, so there will always be a need for teachers in a public school setting. I know a lot of Christians who refuse to home educate their children because it is easier not to (or just plain inconvenient to their material lives), rather than even consider it. I met a single Mom this weekend who is homeschooling her young daughter when she is not working. I spoke with her for awhile, and I learned how tough it is for her,and I applaud her for what she is doing.

I am sure that is just another can of worms!!! No, really, I think that, for the most part, people think they are doing what is best - including this man. On the other hand, a lot of times, people don't look past the end of their noses. Thanks for your perspective; it helps me to broaden my own!

Many blessings to you!
Jacque

None taken here, either!

1:22 PM, Tuesday, May 23, 2006 .. Posted by mamasmurf

I was so worried about posting my last comment - I've been agonsing over it ever since!!
When our son was first born, we fully intended to homeschool from the start, then I got too ill to cope. So, when he was of school age, we decided to send him to the "the next best thing" (the school attached to our church at that time). He was fine for a while, but, once he became more confident, it was clear that something was desperately wrong. From my past experience with children, I knew that he was a bright little button, but all that brightness was slowly being snuffed out. He was getting little, if any, Christian education (plenty about the other religions in the community - at one point, he even thought he was a Muslim!). When we also found that he was being ridiculed for praying (he called it "talking to God, his best friend"), it was time to vote with our feet and get him out of there.
We now attend a different church (where he is the only child to attend most Sundays), he is happy, and delighted to be able to "talk to his best friend" wherever and whenever he wants!
God bless you and yours,
Chrissy (mamaS)

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5:39 PM, Tuesday, May 23, 2006 .. Posted by Anonymous

Amen. This article made me crazy.

Blessings,

Anne Basso
http://ourhomeschool.blog-city.com