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When I have kids I will definitely be thinking seriously about home educating them...

Fizzy Izzy, that speaks more about the 'system' than a lot of postings I have heard, considering you are/were a teacher yourself

Quite a large percentage of home edders I know, are qualified teachers... some actually consider that a disadvantage! Becoming educated is very different to being taught...

baldowrie wrote:

When I have kids I will definitely be thinking seriously about home educating them...

Fizzy Izzy, that speaks more about the 'system' than a lot of postings I have heard, considering you are/were a teacher yourself

I agree, the system is obviously in a state, if teachers wouldn't send their kids to school...that's really quite sad.

Magpie, I am really surprised that you know so many ex-teacher, home-edders.

Most teachers I have spoken too are, polite, but obviously against home educating. I think that too many teachers see it as the flakey option, and don't understand that it is because our childrens education is so important to us.

Yes, unfortunately I see how little real learning goes on the classroom - it's just impossible to effectively teach 30 very different, restless human beings at the same time! Of course I try my best, and I hope I succeed some of the time.

I'm just a new teacher, it's my first year, but already feeling very disillusioned...

Good luck to all those Home Edding - your kids are very lucky to get such a personal education!

Annpan wrote: Magpie, I am really surprised that you know so many ex-teacher, home-edders.

Most teachers I have spoken too are, polite, but obviously against home educating. I think that too many teachers see it as the flakey option, and don't understand that it is because our childrens education is so important to us.

I think it depends who you talk to - some of the 'old school' teachers hae the attitude that only they should do the educating - you can tell cos they leave you out of all the decisions regarding your child!! others see it as a viable alternative, and some again are disillusioned.. like Fizzy...
I have 2 good friends who are retired teachers - they are both behind me very much so in my choice to home ed my son.

each child is different, but it was definitely one of my better decisions - my son wont be returning... and we are having a great time.

fizzy

it's just impossible to effectively teach 30 very different, restless human beings at the same time!

Absolutely bang on!

Then add into that mix a child with extra or special educational needs that has no additional support behind them and that child learns very little..especially when the teacher fails to understand why they are behaving they way they are.

Good quote I saw the other day

'from a child's perception, unmet needs could result in extreme behaviour'

Red I would have to agree with you, each time i have mentioned home ed in front of my lads teachers they 'stiffen'

Hi,
I am a trainee art teacher and I too would definately consider home-ed for if/when I have kids. It is quite right that a class full of 30 kids who would probable rather be running around outside cant possible get all the attention they need from one person.
My vision of the future (which I know would be impossible but still I can dream!) would be where all children are home educated by their parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles. They would also meet up in groups for other activities, like going to the park for a game of football, or going to the woods to explore, create some environmental art, discover the creatures etc. They would learn through doing, and each child could develop their own stregnths.
I could ramble on for ages about my fantast but I wont bore you. There are really some big issues wiht this country.
So why am I becoming a teacher? well maybe I can make some small changes, show understanding to the one child who never gets any, inspire another to continue with art, and maybe help another find their neiche.

Can I join you in your perfect world please... idilic... We can all dream

I am seriously thinking about Home Ed for when I have kids....

The bizarrest thing is that I have mentioned the idea to my own mum (50 +) and my OH's grandparents (80 +) and they both think that it's a great idea....

I thought they'd be dead against it, but their attitude is that both myself and my OH are degree-level educated and rather sensible people, so we could probably teach our children a lot more useful and practical stuff than they will learn in a traditional school environment...

I'd consider home-ed-ing. I'm highly 'educated' and Mr. QB is actually Doctor QB. But over the last couple of years we've noticed that there are mamouth gaps in what we know about. It's as if we've been following a narrow thread for all these years where we were coached to answer a very limited range of questions. We haven't really learnt very much

My mums neighbours are very religious and home-ed their four children. One thing which is in their favour, and I think is essential, is that they have a very wide social network. There are contantly people round at their place, young and old. It's really important for any child to come into contact with lots of, and different types of people. Home-ed-ing is not good if you're an insular family.

I can remember a couple of children, who had previously been home educated, joined our class in the 6th form at school. Needless to say they always got the best grades. They were also far more mature and seemed to be much more knowledgeable than the rest of us. Of course it might just be coincidence but listening to you all, probably not.

Cheers
Zoe

QuakerBear wrote:I'd consider home-ed-ing. I'm highly 'educated' and Mr. QB is actually Doctor QB. But over the last couple of years we've noticed that there are mamouth gaps in what we know about. It's as if we've been following a narrow thread for all these years where we were coached to answer a very limited range of questions. We haven't really learnt very much .

but that should not put you off.. you learn together. And Its great - I love learning. I only recently discovered, thanks to watching a series on The Nile, that there are pyramids in Sudan as well as Egypt, and that Ethiopia is a green and beautiful place (unless the rains don't come....). Perhaps everyone else already knew that.. but it was news to me.
I am sure anything I need to teach but dont know about.. I can find out! - and there is no reason why you cannot lean on the knowledge of others too.
Remember, teachers dont know everything either, they use guidelines and ready made homework packs etc. and whilst they might have had training in 'how to teach' you will be the world expert on your own kids.

Dear Red,

My institutionalized education hasn't put me off learning at all. Rather, now that I'm out of the system I've re-discovered the excitement and 'can't get enough' feeling that I used to have as a little girl when my Granddad would tell me all about the Cradle of Civilisation, and I've learnt to read novels for joy not to be critical of them for a project.

There's so much interesting stuff out there, and now I've got the time to explore it.

If you're interested in the ancient civilisations of Ethiopia look up Axum and Lallibella (not sure I've got the right number of 'l's in the latter so read it phoneticaly)

In Alan Thomas' book Educating Children at Home", he studied 100 UK and Australian families, 29 of whom had at least 1 parent who was a teacher.

Great book, by the way, one of the most thorough research documents into HE that I think there is.

Talking with my partner today about how I want to homeschool my (currently 2y/o) daughter (when she is older of course) and he is the first r/l person to support me on this. He has a "learning difficulty" which made his school years a living hell and he was made to feel like he was stupid (but given a reader writer he has proven that he is very intelligent). I may just have to marry this guy

Sadly the NZ education system is still going downhill. Theoretically it's perfect but when you throw in real live people with emotions and histories and "baggage" etc it all gets horribly messy really quickly dispite best efforts and best intentions.

Even some of my old teachers are promoting homeschooling for most of the reasons already mentioned in this thread.