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MaBelleVie

Fri, Jun 27 2014, 12:23 am

I'm actually seeing an increase in cooperatives. I would love for it to become more mainstream. For now I'm OK with a lot of supplemental education at home (but I consider that part of my natural role as a parent).

zaq

Fri, Jun 27 2014, 12:23 am

sequoia wrote:

Right... as with *everything*, there are pluses and minuses. Who would ever think otherwise?

OP, for one. She seems to feel that universal homeschooling is just one step shy of Moshiach-tzeiten.

Emotional

Fri, Jun 27 2014, 1:54 am

zaq wrote:

Ahem...homeschooling is not an option for households in which two parents work outside the home. Which describes more than 50% of the households in my community.

ETA: And what if a homeschooling parent's style doesn't suit the abilities of the child? What makes you think every parent is capable of teaching? Lo hakapdan melamed, among other things. And what about parents who are dysfunctional in various ways, such as socially? or with extremely narrow or otherwise extremist views? Or extremely poor social skills? Their homeschooled children have no outside influences to balance the parents' skewed instruction. One of the strengths of school is that children have a chance to mingle with others and learn that others can be different and still be ok.

And how about the overwhelmed, exhausted parent who just can't seem to get it together? Can't seem to find 20 minutes during the day to take care of herself? The mother who practically benches gomel if she can throw together a decent supper for her kids?
Tell her to.homeschool. Then bolt out the door really, really fast....

DrMom

Fri, Jun 27 2014, 2:00 am

Homeschooling is great for those who have the energy, talent, and resources. But to assume it's a one-size-fits all magic bullet solution to all frum society's education woes is foolhardly. Consider:

- women who work outside the home, women who are supporting their husbands while they learn, etc., families who need 2 incomes, etc.

- parents who are lousy teachers

- BTs who may not have the resources/background to teach kodesh

- people of all stripes who do not have the resources/background to teach any particular subject. What is both your parents stink at math?

- Women who have little babies at home

- Families with children spanning many different ages. How can you teach them all in parallel with only 1 teacher? There's a reason we don't use one room schoolhouses anymore.

Also, it would only "solve" the shidduch issue if everyone did it. Otherwise, it would just be another source of division.

No system is perfect, but for me, schools offer more advantages than the alternatives do.

HappytoHS

Fri, Jun 27 2014, 3:01 am

DrMom wrote:

Homeschooling is great for those who have the energy, talent, and resources. But to assume it's a one-size-fits all magic bullet solution to all frum society's education woes is foolhardly. Consider:

- women who work outside the home, women who are supporting their husbands while they learn, etc., families who need 2 incomes, etc.

- parents who are lousy teachers

- BTs who may not have the resources/background to teach kodesh

- people of all stripes who do not have the resources/background to teach any particular subject. What is both your parents stink at math?

- Women who have little babies at home

- Families with children spanning many different ages. How can you teach them all in parallel with only 1 teacher? There's a reason we don't use one room schoolhouses anymore.

Also, it would only "solve" the shidduch issue if everyone did it. Otherwise, it would just be another source of division.

No system is perfect, but for me, schools offer more advantages than the alternatives do.

For those families who are considering homeschooling, I wanted to point out that the bolded are by no means impediments to successful homeschooling. Hundreds of frum families worldwide are successfully homeschooling with little babies at home and with a wide age range. My family is just one of many that I personally know.

Actually, very few of the points mentioned are necessarily impediments to successful homeschooling. Homeschooling doesn't have to be and most often isn't school at home with the kids sitting quietly at the dining room table while Mommy teaches. While I don't think homeschooling is for everybody (nothing is for everybody) it is a viable option for many more families than one might initially think.

Ruchel

Fri, Jun 27 2014, 7:29 am

I would send to a mom-educator and contribute what I could if it meant my kids wouldn't be alone. I think kids need kids (their age). Though if everyone homeschooled I bet at least playgrounds wouldn't be deserted after school... and there would be Jewish extra curriculars...

5*Mom

Fri, Jun 27 2014, 10:20 am

zaq wrote:

Ahem...homeschooling is not an option for households in which two parents work outside the home. Which describes more than 50% of the households in my community.

Many of these families might not need 2 working parents if they didn't have to pay day school tuition.

browser

Fri, Jun 27 2014, 11:14 am

I think it would be great if there were more options available. Homeschooling, smaller programs, etc. Keeping things smaller and more personal means more of a student based approach, as well as accountability
When things are too big there is bureaucracy, one size fits all, and a top down approach.

monseychick

Fri, Jun 27 2014, 2:14 pm

http://imamother.com/forum/vie.....unnel

Blue jay

Fri, Jun 27 2014, 2:41 pm

I would homeschool, gosh, I would even set up a school in my house (I have a teaching license). but My kids going to Yeshiva, is really the only opportunity for Jewish socialization that they have.

Where does all that tuition money go?
Teacher salary, supporting staff, the huge building.

Gitch

Fri, Jun 27 2014, 3:46 pm

Onisa wrote:

To stop teachers pedophiles
Strange tznius laws in schools
Social pressure where society says .. I wont let you to our schools
Otd problems
School tuition
Bad teachers and lacking of some material for ur child
Bulling

And most everything that is discussed on this forum.
The whole jewish religious world is threatened by schools and shiduchim and shiduchim usually based on schools.
So hear we are - homoschool!
You will educate urself and ur kids as much as u wish, in whatever maner u wish and ect. And Im sure the whole community, pressure, standards will leave ( and Moshiah will come).
Those mothers who work can send their children to succsesful mother-educators, sign them for online courses. Im sure that jewish education market will change rapidly to meet the new, true and sincere demands.

It is just crazy how people pay tons of money for ongoing touture, trying to fit in.. And ect.

.

I've been homeschooling for several years now and you are absolutely right! I feel such a freedom that I can educate my child in a way that works best for my family. I raise my children, not the school or the community.
We join community/shul programs that fit with our hashkafa, without having to do things that we don't agree with, because the schools mandated that we do.
Interestingly enough, as a result of this, my hashkafa, my connection to Torah and Mitzvot and my feelings of connection to Hashem have been greatly strengthened. Because I have to figure out where we stand on certain issues, I have to answer hashkafic and halachic etc. etc. it has forced to me to become more real in my yiddishkeit and not rely on the schools to dictate what my family does, and I coast along on that.

Gitch

Fri, Jun 27 2014, 4:05 pm

DrMom wrote:

Homeschooling is great for those who have the energy, talent, and resources. But to assume it's a one-size-fits all magic bullet solution to all frum society's education woes is foolhardly.

You're right, its not a solution for everyone, but it can help lots of people who at this point aren't even thinking of homeschooling as a viable option. That's a shame.

Consider:

- women who work outside the home, women who are supporting their husbands while they learn, etc., families who need 2 incomes, etc.

While it might not work for every situation, there are plenty of families who do homeschool with two parents working, especially if one works only part time.

- parents who are lousy teachers

There are many book and online resources/ tutors/ online classrooms where a child can learn from someone other than their parent. The parent doesn't have to be the primary teacher for every subject.

- BTs who may not have the resources/background to teach kodesh

See above.

- people of all stripes who do not have the resources/background to teach any particular subject. What is both your parents stink at math?

see above.

- Women who have little babies at home

I've done it as well as hundreds of other families. It is doable!

- Families with children spanning many different ages. How can you teach them all in parallel with only 1 teacher? There's a reason we don't use one room schoolhouses anymore.

Homeschooling is very different than doing school at home. I did not recreate school at my house. We don't learn behind desks for 8 hours a day. Some subjects can be taught to different age groups at the same time, some can be learned independently by the child with minimal input from a parent. The older child can do most of his work independently. I have multiple ages (preschool to middle school) and I have made it work. Once you are out of the school mindset, there are millions of possibilities of how to arrange your teaching.

No system is perfect, but for me, schools offer more advantages than the alternatives do.

No system is perfect and it might not work for you, but it is a shame that so many people write off homeschooling without really knowing much about it. Speak to someone who actually homeschools and see if they can address your concerns, without relying on what you think you know about homeschooling.

sequoia

Fri, Jun 27 2014, 4:10 pm

Aviva (Happy Mom) home schools and has homeschooled her 10 children spanning all ages! And I know other families like this as well. One family has 15 kids, all homeschooled.

It's doable, clearly.

zaq

Fri, Jun 27 2014, 6:00 pm

Sure, it's doable, and yiyshar kocheich to anyone who does a good job of it. But OP's premise is that homeschooling is a panacea for everything that plagues the frum community, from molestation to the shidduch crisis, which is, WADR, OP, a fantasy.

sequoia

Fri, Jun 27 2014, 6:30 pm

zaq wrote:

Right. Could we discuss homeschooling as A solution? A POSSIBLE solution for SOME families? Is that impossible, for some reason??? We can ONLY discuss things that work for EVERYBODY? Time to shut this forum down, in that case.

DrMom

Sat, Jun 28 2014, 3:23 pm

zaq wrote:

Yes exactly. I have no issue with homeschooling (although it's not for me). But it's not the solution for all of frum society's ills.

Onisa

Sat, Jun 28 2014, 4:25 pm

I post thet in chit-chat for a reason. But although Im really happy for that discussion.
I for sure dont think that everybody should homeschool. ( my second post is about how I didnt want my mother to homeschool). Now Ill be more serious.

I feel that parents should be more resposible for children's upbringing and stop others explaining him how to teach their kids. Ive never heard all our teachers are the best, it is alwYs so e good fit and some not. Why are you paying for a package with rotten vegetables inside. Better to pick them youself, no? So.. If tomorrow parents stop being dependent on school and let it go this will happen.

Some will homeschool fully. Leave job and do it, or explain their child that they are now more in charge of their education.

Some ( usually rich) will hire tutors, teachers, rabbies and ect. Some will do both.
Grand parents are welcomed to pitch in also.

Schools will understand that now parents are dictating the rules and not vice verca. They will provide exactly what is in need not some decided "should".
Small classes, extracuriculums, after school, instead of school classes for all tastes.
LIKE ANY OTHER BUISENESS in America.
Just as example cleaning service, you can clean yourself, hire help,hire help from company, ask members of your familly to help ect.

Based on my experience with homeshooling famillies ( I know many of them ). Children usually more self-motivated than their peers. ( not always ).

In my humble opinion, soviet union happend in Russia because people liked the idea of being totally not responsible for their lives and gave it to the gouverment.
I feel that education is the place where jewish community gave their responsibility and also their rights to decide. Communal decision on anything is always a bad decision on an individual level. The education of a child is one of the most important thing in life of a family.
Yes, it my idea doesnt seem easy, you have to live work, or be educated yourself, or find teachers for every subject and motivate ur child yourself always be on too of things. But Im sure the day people will drop of school, the new market will appear serving all homeschoolers needs ( or maybe lets name it individual oriented education). And today sending to schools isnt easy-peasy either. Carpool, morning hours, school rules, lunches....

granolamom

Sun, Jun 29 2014, 12:21 pm

Bruria wrote:

But, getting back to homeschooling, I think the ones who do it are so brave! It really must be super cool to create this awesome curriculum for your kids, and everyone happy around a table studying while eating cookies or learning montessori -style,no tuition issues, no morah issues, just learning through their own pace and exploring their interests sounds amazing!

yeah, thats exactly how my homeschooling day goes...in my fantasy!! the reality is that there is more sibling stuff and parenting stuff to deal with. different than when theyre in school because they dont come home all stressed out, but they do need to learn to get along with each other all day long. and as a mom, well, its not always easy to have your parenting hat on all day long either. I do have super cool curricula (for some subjects, and endless guilt about the others) and we do eat loads of cookies while reading poetry (when the kids arent fighting over whose turn it is or rolling their eyes at me). I am liking the tuition savings although my boys rebbeim are far from free.
learning at their own pace and exploring their own interests really is as amazing as it sounds. I do believe I've done right by my kids by homeschooling. and I do believe that its not for every kid, nor for every family.

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