Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Labels: Carnival of Homeschooling

|

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

The Carnival of Homeschooling Week 61 will be posted this afternoon at 3pm. Thanks for visiting!

|

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Labels: Carnival of Homeschooling

|

My first-grader knows how to multiply. I'm not exactly sure where he learned this — not from me — but I heard him happily reciting math problems to his grandmother last time we visited. "You have such a good teacher," my mother said, looking directly at me as I walked into the kitchen.

At first I didn't know if she was offering me a true compliment or veiled criticism, but the self-doubt I carry about being responsible for my children's education didn't last more than a few seconds. My mother is many things, and coy is not one of them.

She taught P.E. in a small-town public school for 25 years before her ailing health forced her retirement. My sister is a teacher, three aunts are teachers, two cousins are teachers. Of my small circle of childhood friends, I can name six who grew up to be teachers, most in the same schools we attended all those years ago. You might say being an advocate for public education was part of my upbringing.

Still, I don't think my family was surprised when I announced that I was going to home school; it's not the first time I've chosen to veer from the mainstream in my parenting. I do think they are surprised at how well it seems to be working, how well-behaved and content my children are, and how determined I am not to quit.

I've been thinking a lot lately about why I home school, why I feel so strongly that this is the right choice for us. And then I look at my gentle, sensitive son and think about the man — the caring husband, the loving father, the responsible citizen — that I hope he will be... and I just know.

|

Monday, February 19, 2007

View Mississippi Superintendent of Education Hank Bounds' dropout prevention program here. Parents, teachers and interested others are invited to e-mail comments to prevention office director Sheril R. Smith . After public comment, it will be discussed at the state Board of Education's March 15-16 meeting, and could be adopted later this year.

Labels: "dropouts", compulsory attendance law, Hank Bounds, MDE

|

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

This weeks COH is being hosted by the Nerd Family. Join them in the kitchen for a snack and check out the post.


One of my favourite bloggers will be hosting next weeks COH. Shannon blogs at Phat Mommy as well as Homeschool Hacks, she'll be hosting the COH at Homeschool Hacks.


Don't forget February 27th Natalie will be hosting the COH here at The Homeschool Cafe , be sure to send her a post. Click here for directions on how to submit a post.

Labels: Carnival of Homeschooling

|

Monday, February 12, 2007

Scott Powell has put together a list of history books he recommends, additionally there is a gallery of history and art that's worth a visit.

Be sure to drop by Home~Schoolers Rule to read my interview with Scott Powell, and my American History Resource post. I will also be posting new American History material at Alasandra in the future.

Labels: homeschooling resources

|

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Today's COH is hosted at About Homeschool by Beverly Hernandez, she is using the theme Celebrating New Life.



Next weeks carnival will be hosted by Nerd Family. Click here to find out how to submit a post.

February 27th will find the COH here at the Cafe, so please be thinking up a wonderful post to submit to Natalie.

Labels: Carnival of Homeschooling

|

Monday, February 05, 2007

A homeschooler mentioned how she was approached by someone at the grocery store to find out why her three children weren't in school (don't you just love noisy people?). She explained that they were a homeschool family and the woman promptly replied, "Where are the rest of your kids, you people have BIG families". Homeschool Mom was of course upset about her family being referred to as "you people" but also astounded that she was expected to have a big family just because she homeschooled.

Apparently the general public has some really weird ideas about homeschoolers and refuses to acknowledge that homeschoolers are as diverse a bunch as public school families. Some homeschool families only have one or two kids, others may have 3 or 4 kids and yes their are some really large families that homeschool but having a lot of kids is not a requirement of homeschooling.

Some other myths about homeschoolers

• Homeschoolers don't teach evolution. Certainly some do not, but there are many homeschool familes that embrace science and do teach evolution.
• Homeschoolers are all Christian Fundamentalist. Certainly some are, but there are also Atheist, Pagan, Agnostic ect. homeschoolers.
• Homeschooled children are social misfits. Most homeschooled children have no problem interacting with their peers. Read my post They are so Normal at Home~schoolers Rule, to find out how I dealt with one Soccer Mom's comments about homeschoolers being social misfits.
• Homeschoolers all know each other. Do all public school parents know each other? Then why would all homeschoolers know each other?
• Homeschoolers are poor.
• Homeschoolers are rich. (It seems that sometimes "they" can't make up their mind we are either all living off welfare and breeding social leeches or we are filthy rich and too elitist to send our children to public schools. Truthfully most homeschoolers are middle class.)
• Homeschoolers don't go to college. Patently untrue and more and more colleges are actively recruiting homeschoolers.

You can probably think of more outrageous statements you have heard made about homeschoolers. While the sheer ignorance about homeschooling can be disheartening at times, try to keep in mind that most of these erroneous statements are made out of ignorance. It's up to us to get the word out that we are a diverse bunch and that we don't deserve to be lump together as "you people".

Labels: evolution, homeschooling trials, science, socialization

|