I have a goal this year. (Actually, I have a lot of goals, but I'm only going to talk about one of them right now.) My goal for this year is to decide once and for all if we should become a homeschooling family.
I've thought about homeschooling for years and years, since before Dallin was born. I've read a few books about homeschooling and thought, "Ah, wouldn't that be cool?" Really, homeschooling seems to be just about the only way to create the kind of education I'd like my children to have. There is no single school system or educational method that has everything I think is important in a quality education. Certainly public education doesn't have it all, or even most of it. I highly doubt I could find a private school that would have it, and even then I couldn't afford one. Everyone in our community that is disillusioned with public education just sent their kids to the brand new charter school that opened this year. But the charter school is vastly different than what I would be looking for in a school.
Actually, I'm not disillusioned with public education. Dallin, so far, has had a good experience there. He likes school and is doing well. But there are naturally things that I see lacking. I guess I can't use the term "disillusioned", though, because I don't--and can't--expect public school to fill the things I wish to see happening. I think Dallin's school (or at least his teachers the past few years) is doing quite well at functioning within the philosophy and system of public education, and it would be ludicrous to expect anything else.
Whenever I've thought about homeschooling, I've come to the conclusion that it would just be too much work to pull off, and I've never felt ready to make that leap. Yet for three years I've continued to think, "Wouldn't be cool if my kids could have ________ type of education?" Earlier this summer, I realized that I can either keep thinking this, and keep focusing on what they aren't getting in the current system, or I can be the change I want to see in the world, to borrow someone else's sentiment. Would I want to get 10 or 15 years down the road and regret that I didn't follow my heart, that I didn't do everything in my power to give my children what I really want them to have?
But of course this still isn't enough of an answer for me to say, "OK, that's it, we're homeschooling." This is such a huge decision, with so many important factors and future ramifications. It must be carefully made. So I decided that this is the year. This is the year to think and ponder and research and read and pray and decide. And whatever I decide, we'll go forward with that choice and not look back. Not that the choice can never change, because of course it can. But I need to embrace something.
Of course, James is involved in these decisions too. But I know it's my job to do the legwork, then present him with my feelings and see what he thinks. We've talked about it a bit. He has legitimate concerns, the main one being the fact that all of this would fall to me. I would be the one bearing most of the workload if we homeschooled. He trusts me to make an intelligent decision, and I think he knows that if I set my mind to it, I could do it and do it well.
My first task is to decide on a curriculum or philosophy. Really, this is where it's at for me. I can't begin to envision what homeschooling would be like until I can decide on a method! And the method is primary reason for wanting to homeschool. The main reason I'm interested in teaching my children at home is so that I can provide the style and substance that I think would most benefit them when it comes to education.
Here is where many of the quandaries begin. I have long been interested in a philosophy called Waldorf education. I first heard about this method probably when Dallin was a baby, and it's intrigued me ever since. It's not without controversy. It's a highly creative, arts-integrated method, where children learn reading and math through stories, crafts, etc. But it has a spiritual basis. Rudolph Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education, was what he termed a spiritual philosopher, and his educational method is one outgrowth of his spiritual beliefs. Some of those beliefs may align with my own beliefs, many don't. So the question remains, "Does the method still have worth? If I don't necessarily agree with why something is done a certain way, can I find another reason for doing that thing? Can the what's and the how's still be valid?" I think in many cases they can. But there are still questions.
I'm quite sure I could never send my children to a Waldorf school because of some of these things. (Did you know what Waldorf schools are the largest private school movement in our country outside of parochial schools? While the curriculum has a spiritual base, Waldorf schools are not affiliated with any particular religion.) Of course with homeschooling, the parent has tremendous freedom --all the freedom--to use whatever s/he wants from the curriculum, to change anything, to blend together elements of various methods. Obviously I would do this. But when you change too many things, you can dilute everything that makes a particular method special. Not to mention the fact that it's a lot more work for the parent.
So my main focus for the next few months is to decide to what extent I agree with Waldorf philosophies and teaching methods. If I decide to go for it, what things would I change, and how would that work? And if I decide not to use a Waldorf curriculum (there are several available for purchase), what would I do instead? Nothing else really grabs me in the same way. As I said before, if I'm going to homeschool, the point is to do something really different. If it's too much like regular school, why not just go to regular school? (OK, I know there are many other reasons to homeschool, but again, my main reason is educational philosophy.)
I actually found what I think would be the ideal curriculum. It's called Enki (www.enkieducation.org). It incorporates a lot of Waldorf ideals while leaving out most of the spirituality, but balances things out by bringing in elements of Montessori (especially for math) and traditional Western education (for skill-building practice). It's highly multi-cultural, basing many things on the U.S. International Schools around the world. And there is a huge focus on neurological development and sensory processing, which would be a boon to both of my children. It seems like the best of all worlds! The drawback? It's insanely expensive. And right now it only goes up to second grade. And to come in as a newcomer, you are required to purchase foundational materials not only for the grade you'd be doing, but also for all the grades leading up to it in order to make sure you really understand the philosophy. If I bought a second grade curriculum, I'd also have to purchase foundation guides for early childhood, kindergarten, and first grade. It would cost me $750.
So I'm back to square one. I'm continuing to read Waldorf books and blogs, and I've joined a Waldorf homeschoolers' email group. I plan to purchase some curriculum elements a bit at a time, just to get a feel for what it would really be like. I may have to focus on getting Sariah started in an Enki environment and finding something else for Dallin. But what? And in all of this, I'm not even for sure we should homeschool at all... But I have to find out.
A good website for reading about the basics of Waldorf education: www.waldorfanswers.org A good introductory book is Understanding Waldorf Education: Teaching From the Inside Out, by Jack Petrash. If I had only this book to go on, I'd be doing it in a heartbeat.
I hope to take a few posts in the next little while and explore the things I like about it. I didn't get into much detail here because, well, there is so much!
I've thought about homeschooling for years and years, since before Dallin was born. I've read a few books about homeschooling and thought, "Ah, wouldn't that be cool?" Really, homeschooling seems to be just about the only way to create the kind of education I'd like my children to have. There is no single school system or educational method that has everything I think is important in a quality education. Certainly public education doesn't have it all, or even most of it. I highly doubt I could find a private school that would have it, and even then I couldn't afford one. Everyone in our community that is disillusioned with public education just sent their kids to the brand new charter school that opened this year. But the charter school is vastly different than what I would be looking for in a school.
Actually, I'm not disillusioned with public education. Dallin, so far, has had a good experience there. He likes school and is doing well. But there are naturally things that I see lacking. I guess I can't use the term "disillusioned", though, because I don't--and can't--expect public school to fill the things I wish to see happening. I think Dallin's school (or at least his teachers the past few years) is doing quite well at functioning within the philosophy and system of public education, and it would be ludicrous to expect anything else.
Whenever I've thought about homeschooling, I've come to the conclusion that it would just be too much work to pull off, and I've never felt ready to make that leap. Yet for three years I've continued to think, "Wouldn't be cool if my kids could have ________ type of education?" Earlier this summer, I realized that I can either keep thinking this, and keep focusing on what they aren't getting in the current system, or I can be the change I want to see in the world, to borrow someone else's sentiment. Would I want to get 10 or 15 years down the road and regret that I didn't follow my heart, that I didn't do everything in my power to give my children what I really want them to have?
But of course this still isn't enough of an answer for me to say, "OK, that's it, we're homeschooling." This is such a huge decision, with so many important factors and future ramifications. It must be carefully made. So I decided that this is the year. This is the year to think and ponder and research and read and pray and decide. And whatever I decide, we'll go forward with that choice and not look back. Not that the choice can never change, because of course it can. But I need to embrace something.
Of course, James is involved in these decisions too. But I know it's my job to do the legwork, then present him with my feelings and see what he thinks. We've talked about it a bit. He has legitimate concerns, the main one being the fact that all of this would fall to me. I would be the one bearing most of the workload if we homeschooled. He trusts me to make an intelligent decision, and I think he knows that if I set my mind to it, I could do it and do it well.
My first task is to decide on a curriculum or philosophy. Really, this is where it's at for me. I can't begin to envision what homeschooling would be like until I can decide on a method! And the method is primary reason for wanting to homeschool. The main reason I'm interested in teaching my children at home is so that I can provide the style and substance that I think would most benefit them when it comes to education.
Here is where many of the quandaries begin. I have long been interested in a philosophy called Waldorf education. I first heard about this method probably when Dallin was a baby, and it's intrigued me ever since. It's not without controversy. It's a highly creative, arts-integrated method, where children learn reading and math through stories, crafts, etc. But it has a spiritual basis. Rudolph Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education, was what he termed a spiritual philosopher, and his educational method is one outgrowth of his spiritual beliefs. Some of those beliefs may align with my own beliefs, many don't. So the question remains, "Does the method still have worth? If I don't necessarily agree with why something is done a certain way, can I find another reason for doing that thing? Can the what's and the how's still be valid?" I think in many cases they can. But there are still questions.
I'm quite sure I could never send my children to a Waldorf school because of some of these things. (Did you know what Waldorf schools are the largest private school movement in our country outside of parochial schools? While the curriculum has a spiritual base, Waldorf schools are not affiliated with any particular religion.) Of course with homeschooling, the parent has tremendous freedom --all the freedom--to use whatever s/he wants from the curriculum, to change anything, to blend together elements of various methods. Obviously I would do this. But when you change too many things, you can dilute everything that makes a particular method special. Not to mention the fact that it's a lot more work for the parent.
So my main focus for the next few months is to decide to what extent I agree with Waldorf philosophies and teaching methods. If I decide to go for it, what things would I change, and how would that work? And if I decide not to use a Waldorf curriculum (there are several available for purchase), what would I do instead? Nothing else really grabs me in the same way. As I said before, if I'm going to homeschool, the point is to do something really different. If it's too much like regular school, why not just go to regular school? (OK, I know there are many other reasons to homeschool, but again, my main reason is educational philosophy.)
I actually found what I think would be the ideal curriculum. It's called Enki (www.enkieducation.org). It incorporates a lot of Waldorf ideals while leaving out most of the spirituality, but balances things out by bringing in elements of Montessori (especially for math) and traditional Western education (for skill-building practice). It's highly multi-cultural, basing many things on the U.S. International Schools around the world. And there is a huge focus on neurological development and sensory processing, which would be a boon to both of my children. It seems like the best of all worlds! The drawback? It's insanely expensive. And right now it only goes up to second grade. And to come in as a newcomer, you are required to purchase foundational materials not only for the grade you'd be doing, but also for all the grades leading up to it in order to make sure you really understand the philosophy. If I bought a second grade curriculum, I'd also have to purchase foundation guides for early childhood, kindergarten, and first grade. It would cost me $750.
So I'm back to square one. I'm continuing to read Waldorf books and blogs, and I've joined a Waldorf homeschoolers' email group. I plan to purchase some curriculum elements a bit at a time, just to get a feel for what it would really be like. I may have to focus on getting Sariah started in an Enki environment and finding something else for Dallin. But what? And in all of this, I'm not even for sure we should homeschool at all... But I have to find out.
A good website for reading about the basics of Waldorf education: www.waldorfanswers.org A good introductory book is Understanding Waldorf Education: Teaching From the Inside Out, by Jack Petrash. If I had only this book to go on, I'd be doing it in a heartbeat.
I hope to take a few posts in the next little while and explore the things I like about it. I didn't get into much detail here because, well, there is so much!
Comments
I am not ready to make any decisions yet, but it is making its way onto my radar.
One thought I had was if you bought the expensive stuff for Dallin, you could use the younger stuff for Sariah.
I know what you mean about hating having them gone but also loving it. I realized that I like having one-on-one time with my kids. It's when they get together and start fighting that I want to pull out my hair. I also realized that I really like being with my own kids, it's the neighbor kids that drive me crazy. I realized that my biggest stress this past summer was not having my kids home all day, it was having neighbor kids over all day. But if I homeschooled, they wouldn't be there!