Comment by DoreenMichele
7 years ago
Well, unfortunately, I think that is sometimes due in part to people in authoritative positions having no respect for their "lessers," whether that is children, women, people of color, poor people, underlings at work or some other category. So a lot of things that get framed as "instruction" or "education" is really about enforcing an unhealthy pecking order that is actively harmful to whomever is framed as "lesser."
There are no easy solutions for that situation. But I think it starts with having a high degree of respect for individuals and their right to choose, even under circumstances where it is challenging to feel real respect for them. Or, perhaps, especially at such times.
For what it's worth, I'm a university drop-out so I have no personal dog in any credentialing fight. :-)
But despite what I'd like to believe is a generously well-rounded upbringing in a university family, I have serious doubts about my ability to home-school my son to anywhere near the same effect as an average public school—and that's bearing in mind the variation in quality among them. I wouldn't dare try.
Then there's the sheer effort and energy involved in juggling multiple subjects. My knowledge on certain subjects doubtless exceeds that of most public school teachers, but certainly not all the core subjects! And knowledge alone doesn't translate into effective teaching ability or experience with presenting information in effective and compelling ways to kids.
:-)
One parent went and surveyed what their child did all day in school. They concluded that most of the school day was spent changing classes, queing up, calling roll, etc. They estimated that only one to two hours a day was spent actually learning.
California laws allow for tutors as a valid education option. They specify 3 hours a day, not 8. One-on-one teaching is much more intense, relevant and information dense than a one-to-many teaching situation. Most teaching in school relies heavily on the kids reading the material provided. A homeschool parent can similarly provide good materials.
Learning comes more naturally than teaching. ;)
Anyway, it isn't intended to try to convince you to homeschool. It is only intended to say that lots of parents have felt the same way and then found it was more do-able than they expected.
I tried to enroll my son in college when he was 13 to get him out of my hair. His knowledge of some subjects has long been over my head. That did not work out and I had to woman up and figure out how to keep being a resource for him. So I am no stranger to feeling like "This is something I am not qualified for." But a parent with a sincere interest in supporting their child's education can be an excellent resource, even when they can offer no further instruction.