I have been finally able to do my blog hopping like I use to do. I came across an amazing blog that talking about teaching the average student complete with a thought provoking video. So many things came to mind for me.
I personally homeschool my kids and I love it. However, as I’m dealing with teaching Delbert intensely this year I’m seeing that trying to teach him the same way I did Jimmy is NOT working out at all. Delbert is a VERY hyper child and can’t stand still or stay quiet for any amount of time AT ALL! If he was in a public school, by now I do declare they would have been trying to give him medicine to regulate his excessive energy. Where I’ve found two-three hours of outside time, does wonders with getting him to focus on his school work. If he can’t get outside, then I have to install some way of making his lessons physical.
He’s in first grade and can do fourth grade Math and Science work with complete ease provided someone reads him the material. Yet, he can’t read completely up to his level at this point. I personally feel a lot of the reason why he can’t read up to his level yet is because he can’t focus on reading the words long enough to do it. Now, if I give him a computer program that is a game involving reading he does really well with it. I believe with that being said that he is just utterly bored to death with trying to actually read a book.
My Educational History
That brings me to my point, I’m so utterly mad at the fact that every child is expected to learn at the same pace as everyone else in their classroom. When I went to school, I was in honors classes, and we were learning harder stuff. I loved it and felt challenged in many topics. In the classes where I wasn’t challenged at all, I tended to goof off or go to sleep. I can’t imagine spending my entire educational years in classes that never challenged me. I do believe I would have dropped out or got into serious trouble!
If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It
That makes me wonder why in the world our government is willing to really throw away an estimated 50,000 people’s talent (source: see post I mentioned in the beginning of this post) because they “broke something that didn’t need fixing in the first place.” Let’s look at the facts as I see them, my parents were out on their own physically working and living in their own homes by the time they were in their 20’s. The generation before them were doing it even younger. Now look at my generation, there are many people in their 30’s still living at home with their parents. My husband may work with his parents in a family business, but he is working with them and not relying on them. I’m talking about people who aren’t even able to support themselves if they had to in their 30’s.
Education System Not to Blame
Now some people can say that’s because in the olden days divorce was not an option. Divorce is expensive. I can testify to that fact, I’ve had to pick up the pieces after two failed marriages of my own. I can definitely say that plays a toll in our economy issues. However, I also feel that our lack of allowing our kids to learn at their pace in our classrooms is causing even greater issues.
Fight for Our Kid’s Futures
I think teachers need to have their handcuffs removed. They need to be able to maintain order in their classrooms through timeouts, detentions, embarrassment (Yes, I feel it’s an effective form of punishment and one that doesn’t cause long lasting damage to a child’s self-esteem. NO, I’m not talking about calling a child names, but I am talking about bringing attention to negative behavior in a manner in which everyone knows it’s a NEGATIVE action.), and other creative forms of discipline. I don’t feel an entire class should have to miss recess because a few students are misbehaving. The sad fact, is those kids may be like my son and HAVE to have the recess in order to function right.
I fear for our child’s futures. I honestly and truly wish my kids could go to a public/private school and receive the chance to interact with other kids and other people. I long for my kids to have that social interaction. However, when we’ve tried it, our kids have been bullied to the point that it’s been dangerous. Considering gun shootings are becoming almost the norm in our schools, which just further increases my fear of sending them. Shoot, they have family members teaching them to be little fighters as it is now, and it concerns me.
I won’t even go into the lack of education they’ve received when I’ve tried sending them to school. It was nothing more than a big recess to them all day long. Then when they came home we’d have to do 5-6 hours’ worth of school work and they were exhausted by the time the weekend came. There was little to no time left for outdoor fun or family fun. As an education advocate I couldn’t stand by and continue to subject my kids to that knowing homeschooling was an option for them.
I’d like to know when America is going to wake up and realize we need to FIGHT for a change for our kid’s education. We need to fight to give teachers their rights back. We need to fight to give our kids their keys to their futures. I don’t know about you, but I have no intention of supporting my kids financially when I’m in my 60’s. I’m going to be fighting to survive financially on my own then because I’m willing to bank Social Security will be a part of history (meaning no longer around) by then. The sad fact is, I fear we may have let things get to far gone to fix it properly.
Please tell me your kids go to a good public school. I want to know they do still do really exist and it’s not a figment of my imagination. Defend your school. That honestly and truly would be reading delight for my eyes.
If you homeschool too, tell me, do you believe it’s possible to see your local schools be fixed?
