Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Schooling: Home or Public?

I currently have no kids and not even married. The pace of life moves quickly and before I know it, both will be upon me. Among all the major decisions you have to make, the choice of home schooling or public/private school is the one I've been thinking about the most.

I personally went to public school. It was what everyone had ever done, as homeschooling wasn't as big as it is now. Public school is a good way to learn social skills and team building I feel. The children can find leaders in their teachers as well. On the negative side, the class moves only as quickly as the bottom 25% of the class. I have been in classes where whole sections were left out because students were struggling with certain areas. Also, the motivation is not there I feel. There were very few competitive assignments. I believe that competition is a good thing as you experience it everyday. Being able to not only compete with people who are better than you, but also accepting wins or loses like a good sport is important.

Home schooling appeals to me because the student has all of your attention. This not only helps them get the help where they need, but the student can also identify their weak points and hone study/learning methods to improve. It seems like you can learn a lot more than in public schools. It also helps the parent learn as well as the student. The down side has a lot to do with the social aspect and the team building that I like from the public schooling. The parent also needs to be able to grasp what they are teaching so that everyone knows what is going on.

Just had to vent some of my thoughts on this situation. I'm leaning more towards public because of the dedication needed on our side, which might not be possible being a middle class couple with both of us working. What are your thoughts on this situation?

Quote: "A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." -Albert Einstein

7 comments:

  1. This is a big issue in my family. We have Private shoolers, public schoolers (my little guy), homeschoolers and UNschoolers which makes for VERY interesting if not dangerous Thanksgiving dinner conversations/shoutouts.
    My personal thoughts on the matter are choose what feels right as parents...as your child progresses, go with what would be the best way for the way your children learn. Do whatever you need to do to let them thrive. No one way is better for every single child. You have to go with what works.
    *steps off soapbox*

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  2. I couldn't handle home schooling my kids (if/when I have them), plus I would want them to have the social interaction and experience of going to school. My husband went to private school and got a great education, so I think if we can afford it, that is what we would do for our kids. This isn't an option for everyone though, so maybe an option is to try to follow what your kids are learning in public school and supplement that at home? Maybe that's a little too idealistic ;)

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  3. My daughter is in public school and our district is great. Home schooling is not something you see done very much around here. From what I hear, the state of NY makes it extremely hard. And I know I would not have the patience for it. Everyone has their talents, and the teachers my daughter has had have been amazing. I think I would be doing my children a serious disservice by not sending them to school.

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  4. PUBLIC SCHOOLING ALL THE WAY! :D

    No kid would want to miss out on all the friends they would make in school, the amazing, life-altering teachers they'd meet, and the wide variety of courses. Public schooling was established for a reason. Otherwise, we could all sit at home teaching our kids.

    Plus, public school teaches social skills. Kids that I know who were homeschooled were just too shy and quiet and didn't talk around other kids. School builds necessary social skills!

    Anyway, hope you come to a decision :)

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  5. I really do think the social skills are very important, although I think there are a lot of homeschooling groups that give kids that same experience. Still...just the experience of school is very important, I think. Looking back, I wouldn't have wanted to miss proms and homecoming games and friends...even though there were bad things about it too. It's just such a part of who I've become.

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  6. I agree that home schooling can have certain benefits but to me the negatives out weigh the positives. Children need that experience with other peers and they can always be put in advanced classes if they are learning quicker than others. Social experiences effect everything from our perception of the world around us to our choice of career. Without public schooling I think kids could miss out on much of the social experience that is necessary for everyday perception and socialization.

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  7. Personally I'm very glad that I take part in public schooling. I feel that I've learned a lot from the experience even if I haven't always had the best teachers, education, etc.
    Home schooling has no appeal to me, mainly due to the people I've met that have been home schooled. It seems like they are always behind in some way. I'm sure it's not bad in many ways, but I feel that homeschooling makes lives very difficult to balance.
    It may not always be the best option to go with "what everyone is doing" and rely on public schooling, but that's where personal needs come in. Just becuase your child takes public schooling doesn't mean they can't learn at home too, sometimes tutoring is nice if they take education very seriously. It's important to just learn in general.
    Thankfully I don't think that decision will ever have to be one or the other. =)
    If you want the best for your child, then I'm sure you'll do the right thing no matter what.

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Thanks for stopping by. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on my, well, thoughts.