I have never home schooled before, and I dont know very much about how to do it. I have had to ask a lot of questions and do a lot of investigating. I have noticed that there seem to be a lot of different ways to think about schooling, and they sort of seem to fall into two different camps. I think of them as Pro-school and Un-school.
When I was asking questions of a lot (but not all) of teachers and school administrators I run into the Pro-school ideas. There is this assumption that school is a very important part of growing up in a society. I get the feeling that curriculum is king, and that it is imperriative that kids meet all the learning outcomes.
As my children have gone through all the testing, I see that they evaluate weather or not a child needs assistance based on the percentile system. In other words, if they are not at the same place in their learning as most of the kids their age, then they probably have a learning disability and are probably going to be taken out of class and put into a group of other learning disabled students so that they can be given extra help.
If school is really too hard for them, either academically or because of health or mental health issues the children may have access to an Individualized Education Plan, which the support staff will help them draw up. This plan is used to make every effort to help the child meet their learning outcomes, being it access to a calculator during tests, to the freedom to take as much time as needed, to alternate work spaces when the classroom is just too over stimulating.
The Pro-schoolers overall believe in the system, and seem to understand that it isn't perfect. Many people seem excited about the new curriculum where each student will have more of a choice and a voice in their own learning. Just like all kinds of thinking this comes in a spectrum from people who are upset that there aren't more school days in a year and more challenging course work, to people who see a broken system and want to be a part of a change.
In my questioning of other homeschool families I have noticed some profoundly different ideas about learning. First of all, a lot of people have recommended to me that before we even try to start learning anything we should have a period of de-schooling. Months of just allowing my children to be and play and pursue whatever interests them. A lot of people tell me that this is an essential step to take us (yes, me too) out of the schooling mindset so that we can begin to understand how each of us learn and what actually interests us (I think). The idea of de-schooling and how it works is so similar to some other things I'm learning on my parenting journey.. I'm very interested to see what happens.
There is a a really cool article on de-schooling right here
Un-school thinkers believe that learning is a natural process that will happen for each child in the method and time frame that is right for them. So, no comparing them to other kids! Curriculum is whatever the children are passionate about or interested in, and creative ways are found to meet learning outcomes. Children learn that they can learn, that they are capable and that there are no limits.
The Un-school thinking spectrum is vast, starting with distance education people who literally just take school and do the work at home, to people who believe in complete unschooling, as in, no formal learning takes place unless initiated by the child (or something like that). I have met quite a few of the last kind, both in adult and in child form, and they strike me as extremely intelligent, curious, outgoing, self aware people.
We are choosing homeschooling because, despite everyone's best efforts, the quality of school life and learning for the girls continues to suffer, and it spills out into everyday life. This alternative way of doing things feels like a necessity for us, not just a option. If we are going to do this, we are going all in. I am ready to listen to the people who have done this before, and not miss any steps.
We have picked our school and registered, and even they recommend a period of de-schooling. Tomorrow is the last day of public school. The day after that is a mystery to me.
Exciting!
