Friday, May 6, 2011
Homeschooling?
I think I finally somewhat understand how homeschooling parents feel. We decided to send our 5 year old to a VERY small Lutheran school. It had been going for about 100 years. For various reasons it closed two years ago. It opened last fall again.My husband and I jumped at the chance to send Alair there. We knew the teacher and she had many years of christian school teaching experience. There were 6 kids, grades k-2. People thought it was great that we were sending our daughter there, but it wasn't for them. They just complained about the over crowding of the public school. Now I have nothing against the teachers in the public school. I know almost all of them and they are wonderful. I just don't like the teacher-student ratio and we want Alair to have a Christian education where the teacher can use Bible stories and references when she wants. Anyway, last week a parent of a girl that was with Alair in ECFE last year came up to me in the local grocery store and asked if Alair was coming to public school next year. I said no. This mother looked puzzled and asked how many kids were going there. Well 4 now, more to start in the fall. She said "You like that?" I said yes. She said "You know she has to come into the real world some time." I was shocked and didn't know what to say.Now really, Alair goes to dance and Sunday School. She plays with her nieces several times a week. We have two exchange students living with us this year and have had others she remembers. In her school one of the students is from India. There are Lutherans, a Baptist, and a Catholic going there. How much more diverse can it get? Next year there will be boys, too! For Mother's Day, these girls set a table with table cloth, china, and glass glasses and made name cards, Mother's Day cards, and painted clay pots and planted flowers in them for us mothers. Yesterday they served us breakfast. They pulled out our chairs. The two first graders read a prayer and the two kindergarteners read the menu. Then they took our plates to the kitchen and brought us food. Then they sat down by us to eat also. They got us seconds if we wanted and when we were done they cleared the table and did dishes. Public school? I don't think so. I also don't know how many kindergarten classes are doing three book reports in the last month of school. Alair's is. I think in the end the public school kids are missing out.
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2 comments:
Amen. That woman in the store, I'm afraid, was feeling self conscious. As parents we always want to protect and do what's best for our children, but the public school system tells us to give our kids over and stay out of it. We're supposed to let them teach kids "tolerance" and obedience to the system and the world's way of doing things. So when someone "rocks the boat" so to speak and thinks for themselves...well, it's threatening to some and makes others with less courage and ability to think for themselves worry or feel defensive. But that's just my thoughts ;) That school sounds awesome!
Yes, you did experience what homeschoolers go through. And btw, for your information - it won't stop. I just had someone ask me how my daughters would be prepared to handle college if they hadn't been to high school. When I asked what did they mean, the person responded, they didn't mean academically, but socially. Oh good grief.
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