Are/were you home educated?

Question

What do you feel are the advantages and disadvantages of being home educated.

Also what educational philosophy was adopted in your case? (i.e Montessoian, Automonous or other)

Answer 1

You get away from people's unpleasantness.

Answer 2

Advantage: Getting things done quicker, working at my own pace. Not having to be scheduled for everything (example: Lunch, 6th period, before the bell rings), getting to eat when I want, what I want. Getting to learn in different ways, and learn more about each thing. In Science Class, I would only learn a little bit about Marine. But at home, I can take a whole Marine Science course. I can also learn much quicker, and be in college before I turn 13, if I want to. I know a 16 year old home-schooler, who is already in college and working with NASA. When I'm in school, I can only learn a partial bit of information in a certain time period, and then I have to rush to the next class, or lesson.

Disadvantage: Not really having any social. I can always talk to people, but not like I can in school. I also can't be a part of any sort of clubs (which WOULD go well on your college application). I imagine home-schooling like being out in the middle of nowhere. You have nothing to grasp onto, or to show you the way. You do everything you want to, and have nobody to decepline you, or keep you in line. Except for your parents...But teachers make punishments for you to keep you in line. When being homeschooled, your free to do whatever you want, and it can make you lazy, and fall behind.

Homeschooling gets your prepared for college, whereas school doesnt. School only focuses on end of the year tests and stuff, like FCAT. (Florida) in Home-schooling, you can study study study, and you must research A LOT, and write lots of stuff down. Im in 7th grade, and as of now, I am halfway done with 7th grade. I just started in September. I'll finish Language Arts in May, and probably my other classes in January. That means that I can start 8th grade before Summer starts, and finish before Summer ends. Then I will be a grade ahead than my friends.

Answer 3

I'm currently not in school but I'm not being home educated. That terminology is completely inaccurate in my case: my education is not taking place at my kitchen table, and if nothing else the word 'homeschooling' evokes the image of socially deprived little me bent over a textbook from dawn to dusk. Far from the truth.

The advantages:

I'm learning more than my agemates in school, and I'm learning it at a faster pace because my method is more efficient.

I'm free to explore my interests. This has led to what you could either call a spotty education, or a useful one. To backtrack a bit and explain, nobody will deny that when a person has no interest in something, it's very difficult to get him to remember anything about it. My scientific education has been completely interest-led: I understand evolution and how we've calculated the age of the earth. I understand a lot about quantum theory. However, I don't know any chemistry and I have no idea how a cell works, beyond the very basics. Now, I've taken classes in chemistry and biology. I remember a few facts, but ultimately not much. On the other hand, I find history fascinating. I can tell you off the top of my head the Reinhard Heydrich met Joseph Goebbels on Goebbels's chicken farm even though Goebbels had called the meeting off because he was sick. Heydrich showed up and had ten minutes to outline his plan, which he cobbled together from several spy novels -which he read a lot of during his career in the navy- and a lot of quick thinking. No books on history have ever been assigned to me -in third grade, the highest I completed in school, we had 'social studies'. It was sort of an amorphous blob of PC c**p- but I'm still quite the avid reader. Sensibly enough, when a book has been assigned and I know I'm supposed to think about it an assigned way, I lose interest. Yet, if I had to learn chemistry or biology to figure something out or get in to college, I could grab Sparknotes, Google, and learn enough to get by. Besides, how many people in their 30s could do the physics they learned in eleventh grade, or explain acid-base chemistry? People get the education they need for the lives they're going to live. Now, educational neglect is a whole other story and I know it exists, but they're a tiny minority and that's not what I'm advocating. Eduactional neglect would be never taking your kid to a bookstore, not having books around, never putting a documentary on, and so forth. Natural exploration is just no assignments imposed on the kid.

Freedom to think. Assuming your parents aren't overbearing gits this is actually a plus. And, on a side note, anyone who thinks teachers don't teach their opinions is a moron. Having the time and tools at hand to really think about things has led me to depart from my family's opinions. They are socialists who are going to vote Kucinich, and despite my username I'm a libertarian who would vote for Ron Paul if I could. When you're not in school, you don't have endless hours of mindless busywork designed to appease some deified beaurocrat. You get your stuff done and then you have time to process it. You can spend a day wandering around in the woods reading Thoreau, or you can spend a day with your buddies playing video games. You have time to really work out who you are. I think that's the main reason kids who don't go to school generally aren't as in to drugs, s*x, and alcohol: we don't need to escape from anything, and we have enough confidence in ourselves to avoid needing to snatch whatever form of affection we can. I think the current situation school kids are in is sad, and wrong. What kind of people are we, to sit back and let a failed institution do this to our kids? As a side note, it gets me angrier when people blame the kids. A 14-year old drinker who's lost his or her virginity is not a happy person. He or she didn't do that because it's his or her idea of a good time. But, that's another story.

More social time. I'm taking an AP class and have my own nerdly pursuits, but it never takes more than three hours a day to get everything done. History reading unrelated to the class and what I guess you could call English -reading classics- counts as fun to me, though, so I could be off by a bit. Still, I start at 9, finish at noon, and my curfew is 10:30. Plenty of time to live it up. Non-school education's greatest strength is its adaptability: no matter what you need, you can get it. For example, I'm a classic bookworm. Introverted and shy (yes, there is a difference), sensitive to external stimuli and prone to spending hours inside my own head. I need plenty of time to think and process things, and my idea of a good time is three other people, tops. Otherwise I get overwhelmed. Nonschooling works for me because I can get the time to think that I need. Conversely, my sister needs a lot of time with people, doing a lot of things with a lot of stimulation -she's a Jedi Padawan- and a lot of hugging and action stuff. Nonschooling works for her because she can spend all day with other people doing stage combat and martial arts.

The disadvantages are having to constantly explain and defend what's ultimately a relatively meaningless choice, and when exclusion-minded school kids are the majority in a group it can really suck. However, saying that you shouldn't do something because sometimes you'll be the odd man out is just stupid.

People often act as if there's only one way to not go to school. Asking what homeschooling is like is akin to asking what it's like to live in Canada. A stockbroker in urban or suburban Alberta has a life very different from that of a fisherman living in rural Newfoundland. Asking what homeschoolers are like is akin to asking what Canadians are like, and assuming that all Candians are elitist pricks because an a*****e from Toronto responds to your question.

The one thing I hate more than anything else is when people try to say all homeschoolers are like them. I'm not being homeschooled for religious or moral reasons. I don't think that there's a 'homosexual secular agenda bent on destroying traditional family values' or anything like that. For one thing, I'm a secular person and for whatever it's worth -I'm assuming nothing- my best friend since kindergarten is g*y and I just don't care. I'm not doing what I do because my parents don't want me to know what a condom is, or because we think we're better than anyone else, or anything stupid like that. I know I slipped in to saying 'homeschooled' there but it's nearly midnight and I need to go to bed.

Answer 4

advantage- more focus and attention on one

disadvantage- lack of social with people, may not adapt in future if you are back to school

Answer 5

I'm in grade 12 and I've been homeschooled since kindergarten. I think that the advantages are higher academics(although this depends on the curriculm), greater flexibility(last year I was able to work in the mornings and do my school in the afternoon and evening), and not having to live in the subculture of school. Having worked at places with the majority of employees being 13-18, I'm really glad that I didn't have to deal with all the peer pressure and drama in public schools. As for disadvantages, well...I guess it took more effort to make friends than if I went to public school, but that wasn't really a big problem. Ummm...I can't think of any others.

Answer 6

As usual there are only biased people here who don't understand reality and have a false view of education.

Let's start with education, your basic skills for life come in Elementary school and that's where it ends.

Neither a stock clerk, secretary, CEO or auto repair person has any need to use calculus.

Schools don't teach you to fill out job applicatioins, income tax return forms (you home school yourself for that with LArson's book on the subject or you pay a professional to do it for you), bankruptcy forms, they don't teach you to read a voting ballott or to use a voting machine.

There are no LIFE SKILLS taught in schools other than basic reading, writing, numbers and in some isntances a little bit of shop training.

Schools are about getting you ready for more school.  The idea behind school is to get you a MAsters Degree which is the first aspect of INDEPENDENT STUDY.  Until then you're just pushing a pencil MEMORIZING things they deem important to give you skills to get a MAsters Degree.

In high school there are two majors.  College and STudy Hall.  In study hall you take drama, music, PE, english, history and that's it.

If you are NOT a college major or possess high grades you don't get on the student newspaper, the student radio station, the student TV station, you don't get geometry, trig, calculus, statistics, economics and civics.

Today most graduates are below grade level.  Recently ABC news did an expose called STUPID IN AMERICA

Recent high school graudates I know think Denmark is a city in the US and can't do: what is 0.10 of 10.

Now, not all schools are bad.  But many are inadequate.  Some are dangerous and failing miserably.

60% of the entire Los Angeles school district is sub-par and that includes a lot of white students.

30% are doing average work.

10% are doing exceptonal work and most of them are Asians or Middle Easterns

As for socialization, look at these posts HERE from those in the Primary and SEcondary education section in brick schools:

I am 15 and a junior in high school...i went to a private school until 8th grade then went to a public school in a different town for 9th grade. i only knew one person at my new school... i still don't really have many friends here. I was popular at my old school but now I just can't relate to the people here..the popular people smoke pot on the weekends and go to parties and drink and stuff but I can't relate to that. I get good grades-my sophomore year i got a 4.17 gpa and this year i am taking 2 honors and 2 AP classes and i play basketball..I am attempting for a 4.8 GPA. but the whole social aspect of school gets me down. im introverted and my friend said she thought I was a "snob" when she first met me in 9th grade..we're ok friends now but she kinda ditched me.anyways is this something to worry about?people at my school still dont know me last week a girl said "are you new i never seen you before"..... anyways im sad all the time about my lack of friends

Honestly, I hate high school...?

It's hard for me to make friends---but the classwork and homework isn't all that bad. But I hate all the gossiping, and other stuff. Can I expect college to be any better? If so, how?

im really depressed right now with school and i think the only way to solve it, is to stay out of it...people at my school hates me and i dont have any friends (its very difficult facing it everyday) ive tried everything to make friends but nothing happened, theyre s****. and mean! i just want to tell my parents that theyre not the one who has to face this everyday for 8 hours...so please help me

As for the teachers:

The teacher, Robert Sperlik Jr., pleaded guilty last year to sexual abuse and kidnapping of more than 20 girls, some as young as 9. Among other things, he told prosecutors that he put rags in the girls' mouths, taped them shut and also bound their hands and feet with duct tape and rope for his own sexual stimulation. According to court documents, he rubbed their inner thighs and shoulders and forced them to sit, while bound, in closets and school storage rooms. At least one girl told prosecutors that when Sperlik stood behind her, she could feel his erect p***s on her back.

He pretended it was a game, gave the girls candy and told them not to tell.

And for a long time, none of them did.

A seven-month Associated Press investigation found stories like these are all too common. AP reporters in every state and the District of Columbia identified 2,570 teachers who were punished for sexual misconduct from 2001 to 2005 alone, for actions that ranged from fondling to viewing child pornography to rape.

We had TWO major US school shootings and the police busted in on one 15 year old who was planning things, had dozens of pellet guns, two real guns, and the makings of homemade bombs and he was threating to do things at school.

The hottest topic today, of course is

BIRTH CONTROL IN MIDDLE SCHOOL

Yes, they are about to dispense condoms and the pill to kids in 7th to 9th grade, that's 13 to 15 years old.

That is your socialization and advocates of school socialization are a part of this problem.

It has been shown GIRLS in ALL GIRLS school, do better than those in co-ed schools.

Most of my school that mattered was brick elementry (public, parchcial and private) and some homeschooling and a lot of unschooling by me at home because school wouldn't teach me becuse I couldn't pass Algebra 1.

You don't pass Algebra 1 with a C or better your education is at an end in the school system.  You are a study hall major.

You take electives to get your 100 credits for a HS diploma.

College majors need 150 credits in select subjects.

So I used to go home at 2 pm from school.  I was taking study hall, PE, English, History.  Home at 2 pm.

Then I went to a local college where I got A's and tutored some of the classes.

But that's all because of unschooling.

I was an observatioinal astromer from age 11 and got published in Sky and Telescope at age 16 and I can thank my 2-5 grade teachers for the basic skills in writing

Plus my mother who homeschooled me at age 6 in touch typing.

I was touch typing since 7 and when I took it in Middle School at the age of 13 I got an instant A from my 5 years experience.

If you want to get instant A's in school,  homeschool behind their backs.

I got A's in science everytime we got into Astronomy.

I unschooled and homeschooled in Music and performed on stage for years making more at nights in music then in my day job as a manager.

I unschooled in photography, filmmaking and audio and my productions have been on TV, international radio, pictured in newspapers, magazines, journals.

Education is wasted on the young who don't understand it.  Those who homeschool are more motivated and tend to grasp things better.

If I had it to do all over again I'd pay more attention in 4th and 5th grade sentence diagraming.  I had a really good teacher in that class, but back then I didn't care much about what a PREDICATE NOMANATIVE was.

I've never seen anyone to this date diagram a sentence like she did and I don't even recall her name, I just remember she was cute.  But she had like 15 labels up on the board for one sentence.

When I got into college I was astounded I qualified for English 101 and more astonished after our first essays that I DIDN'T have to go to the COMPOSITION clinic like half the class did!

Where I did goof was in not knowing SUBJECTIVE vs OBJECTIVE writing which is what the essays were about.  Both contianed elements of both.

Answer 7

I have been home schooled all my life. I am not sure about the "philosophy" behind my parents' decision, but I'm sure glad they did decide to.

   Disadvantages: None. Home schoolers tend to score higher on tests than those in public/private schools, can participate in just as many activities, and are often so busy they wonder why people call them home schoolers - they're never home! Socialization has never been a problem.

   Advantages: More one-on-one time with the teacher - it's  always important to have a great relationship with your Mom. More time to do what you're good at: if you happen to excel at say, an instrument, you can devote a lot more time to practicing/theory and improve much faster. Curriculum: you get to pick what you teach. Though most state have requirements there's always room to expand, and again, you can pick things you enjoy doing!

   I could say so much more! I know that this seems a little biased, especially because I've been home schooled all my life, but these are all so true. Ask any home schooler.

Answer 8

Hi! I'm currently being homeschooled- however we have a building where everyone can come, take classes and meet people. You can go there all day if you want or stay home all day if you want- it's basically a support system. You use it to your advantage.

Anyway,

I think the advantages, for me, would be a couple things.

I've opened my mind more to a lot of new things, new views, and finally I've pretty much overcome that feeling of insecurity and 'not popular enough' feeling that I would say 80% of all highschool students feel!

I also have plenty of time to write, read, ride horses (Which I'm going to college for) and just goof-off on the computer- I see nothing wrong with having leisure during the day! None of my daily stresses come from work or 'school' anymore, which, before I got used to the feeling, was like a huge burden lifted from my shoulders! Basically I love having time for things I wouldn't normally have time for- taking photographs, riding horses, taking walks, going online, watching tv, etc. When I was in school I couldn't do any of that, honestly- because I had so much homework. I'd wakeup, go to school, come home, eat something, and then do homework until 9:30, and since my mom got up really early- I'd have to be off the phone, computer, and tv at 10:00 because it kept her up. So yea. Those were my days before homeschooling.

I'd say the disadvantages would be.... not seeing people everyday. There have been a few times when I really, really really wanted to hangout- and I couldn't because they're in school. And I haven't really made any friends at the homeschool, a couple of people have been sorta mean, while others just don't really talk to me... so I really miss my in-school friends whom I don't get to see that much. So, yep! That's it. :)

edit: I believe if homeschoolers feel like they need more social interaction, it's based on the person. I am naturally shy and held back. An outgoing, talkative person would have no trouble getting out there and making more and new friends. It's harder for me because I'm shy, quiet, and people tend to think I'm stuck up- when I'm just shy!

Answer 9

The lack of social contact with others would be a big disadvantage !!  also you will hear only one view on all that you are taught , as when in class you will hear a more wide response through the involvement of the other pupils.

My own view of education is that attending school is  where you get taught on the necessities of life , i.e reading , writing , arithmetic . This is then coloured as you go through to more senior school with geography , history and more specialised subjects.

In the home your parents should be giving you guidance on right from wrong and how to behave as a decent citizen in society . I think the home part is very much neglected in many areas where parents just look to schools to bring up their offspring.

Schooling also gives you more access to extra curricular activities like sport , music etc .

Answer 10

My three kids have never been to school. We tell people that they are home-schooled but actually they are not really schooled at all. I have very seldom set them work, and when I do set work it is always on a subject of interest to the particular child. The only exception is maths, which I do my best to teach - against all odds....

Last winter the older two (14 and 15) decided that they wanted to take some GCSEs. These are supposed to take 2 years of study, but the kids had only 41/2 months before the exams. Each took 5 exams. They got A grades in all but one.

Homeschooling allows the child to study what he wants to study, when he wants to study, at his own pace.

Meeting friends of the same age is a problem for us - but only because we are travelling around. if you stay in one place (especially if it's the UK or S.Africa) you find lots of other home-schoolers.

Answer 11

i have been home schooled since 5th grade i am in 10th  now and i like that i get to pace my self but i do not have many friends  all my friends are online lol

Answer 12

I am a homeschool grad (1996). The advantages of homeschooling were

1) The ability to study college level in high school and the ability to study any subject I wanted.

(Astronomy, Microbiology, A and P , World religions, just to name a few)

2) Having more time to spend with family and doing things that really matter - not being cooped up in a schoolroom all day.

3) Scholarship offers to every college I applied to and the ability to choose among several good schools. (my friends in public school were not so fortunate)

4) Graduating with great self confidence and superb life skills.

As for disadvantages -- there were none for me.

I am now starting to homeschool my own son and look forward to giving him all these great advantages as well.