Post by Charity on Feb 17, 2005 11:36:05 GMT -5
Greetings homeschoolers and future homeschoolers. This is a first post ever for me so please be patient as I form my style. I thought it would be a great idea to have an ongoing discussion about matters of homeschooling. I have decided to call this the Happy Homeschooling Scrolls. First, let me introduce myself. I have homeschooled for six years now. I am the coordinator of a homeschool support/activity group in Georgia. I love homeschooling with a great passion. Ok, enough about me. What I would like to do is tell some stories of past events that I think would benefit other homeschoolers and those who are thinking about do it. This will be called "Scroll #1".
First of all when it comes to homeschooling, it is more than just "schooling". It is a way of life. When a family decides to homeschool, this decision should be well thought out. The whole family should agree to it, in order to make it the best it can be. When we began our adventure, I must say that first year was not easy. We were in unknown territory and we had to feel our way through. The public school officials not only know very little to tell you, since it is out of their league, but they also know that when you leave the public school system, they lose money and therefor will try to discourage you. Do your homework before you make the choice. Seek out a local support group in your area. They will be more than glad to help answer any questions you might have. Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states. You can find out a lot by going to www.hslda.org Click on your state and tons of information will come up. Some states have different rules for homeschooling. I live in Georgia which is a pretty homeschool friendly state. Some states have no mandates and some have many. I have heard that New York is not a good state because of all the red tape, but it is still legal there. Before you start your homeschool, there are things you must take into consideration. First of all, you HAVE to enjoy the company of your children. This is a must! The next thing to consider is getting your proverbial ducks in a row. Here is my story in short. My son Cody attended a Christian school up to grade 3. Money got tight that year. We reluctantly decided to at least "try" public school. It was awful! The school had a constant foul odor, the teachers were badly in need of many things (I am being nice). There was a drug a factor and so much more. We were simply overwhelmed with sadness at how bad the schools had gotten. They taught things that went against our Faith, and good patriotism. What was I to do? Then I started looking into homeschooling. I made my choice in April of that year. Then, very soon after, Columbine happened. I was more and more sure of myself as I watched what was happening in the world. I knew I could do a better job, and I started my adventure. I have never looked back. First my family prayed about it. Then I started exploring all the wonderful curriculum out there just for homeschooling. I called the state homeschooling association and they were so much help. I found other homeschoolers who helped out so much. I never thought years ago that I would be doing this, but here I am. You know what? It is the best choice I ever made. I say that in all truth. My son is now just turned 14 years old. He tests every year on standardized tests and always does great. He is an excellent son and student. He has taken 6 correspondence college courses and aced them all. He just got his black belt in karate. Plays on a baseball league, competes in track and is quite a little politics lover. I know that in our school, he can excel without limits. He has tons of friends both homeschooled and in public schools. All his public school pals wish they were homeschooled too. They think he is a little genius which makes me laugh, because it's not that he is THAT smart, it's that he learns on multi-levels and is not limited to one grade level. He also knows how to learn and enjoys learning and finding information. It is hard work, but it so worth it. Our children are only young for a short time. They are worth our time. You may have to live on one income. You can do it. You would be surprised at how unimportant some material things are in the long run. You can also afford it. Some people spend very little on supplies and others, like me, spend a lot. I am a curriculum junkie so to speak. I can't get enough. Some people think they cannot do this. I would venture to say that 75% can do it and do it well. It has been proven that you do not have to have a degree to be a good teacher. You have to be willing to learn in order to teach. Many Americans are going back to more traditional ways of life. The homeschool world is growing exponentially. Patriotism is growing as a great side effect. This frightens organizations like NEA and ACLU, and it should. We must preserve the American spirit in this country lest we loose it altogether. Because we homeschoolers have such a love of God and our country, we pose the biggest threat to liberals. I have to tell you that most homeschoolers that I know are also politically active. We are the thorn in the side of liberalism. If you have wondered why we homeschoolers do not say "home schoolers", but rather we run the word together, it is because we choose to. Someone once asked me when I started to homeschool, "why do you want to swim upstream"? My reply was this:THE CREAM WILL ALWAYS RISE TO THE TOP". My children do not wish to be another brick in the wall. They would rather sit at the top instead.
First of all when it comes to homeschooling, it is more than just "schooling". It is a way of life. When a family decides to homeschool, this decision should be well thought out. The whole family should agree to it, in order to make it the best it can be. When we began our adventure, I must say that first year was not easy. We were in unknown territory and we had to feel our way through. The public school officials not only know very little to tell you, since it is out of their league, but they also know that when you leave the public school system, they lose money and therefor will try to discourage you. Do your homework before you make the choice. Seek out a local support group in your area. They will be more than glad to help answer any questions you might have. Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states. You can find out a lot by going to www.hslda.org Click on your state and tons of information will come up. Some states have different rules for homeschooling. I live in Georgia which is a pretty homeschool friendly state. Some states have no mandates and some have many. I have heard that New York is not a good state because of all the red tape, but it is still legal there. Before you start your homeschool, there are things you must take into consideration. First of all, you HAVE to enjoy the company of your children. This is a must! The next thing to consider is getting your proverbial ducks in a row. Here is my story in short. My son Cody attended a Christian school up to grade 3. Money got tight that year. We reluctantly decided to at least "try" public school. It was awful! The school had a constant foul odor, the teachers were badly in need of many things (I am being nice). There was a drug a factor and so much more. We were simply overwhelmed with sadness at how bad the schools had gotten. They taught things that went against our Faith, and good patriotism. What was I to do? Then I started looking into homeschooling. I made my choice in April of that year. Then, very soon after, Columbine happened. I was more and more sure of myself as I watched what was happening in the world. I knew I could do a better job, and I started my adventure. I have never looked back. First my family prayed about it. Then I started exploring all the wonderful curriculum out there just for homeschooling. I called the state homeschooling association and they were so much help. I found other homeschoolers who helped out so much. I never thought years ago that I would be doing this, but here I am. You know what? It is the best choice I ever made. I say that in all truth. My son is now just turned 14 years old. He tests every year on standardized tests and always does great. He is an excellent son and student. He has taken 6 correspondence college courses and aced them all. He just got his black belt in karate. Plays on a baseball league, competes in track and is quite a little politics lover. I know that in our school, he can excel without limits. He has tons of friends both homeschooled and in public schools. All his public school pals wish they were homeschooled too. They think he is a little genius which makes me laugh, because it's not that he is THAT smart, it's that he learns on multi-levels and is not limited to one grade level. He also knows how to learn and enjoys learning and finding information. It is hard work, but it so worth it. Our children are only young for a short time. They are worth our time. You may have to live on one income. You can do it. You would be surprised at how unimportant some material things are in the long run. You can also afford it. Some people spend very little on supplies and others, like me, spend a lot. I am a curriculum junkie so to speak. I can't get enough. Some people think they cannot do this. I would venture to say that 75% can do it and do it well. It has been proven that you do not have to have a degree to be a good teacher. You have to be willing to learn in order to teach. Many Americans are going back to more traditional ways of life. The homeschool world is growing exponentially. Patriotism is growing as a great side effect. This frightens organizations like NEA and ACLU, and it should. We must preserve the American spirit in this country lest we loose it altogether. Because we homeschoolers have such a love of God and our country, we pose the biggest threat to liberals. I have to tell you that most homeschoolers that I know are also politically active. We are the thorn in the side of liberalism. If you have wondered why we homeschoolers do not say "home schoolers", but rather we run the word together, it is because we choose to. Someone once asked me when I started to homeschool, "why do you want to swim upstream"? My reply was this:THE CREAM WILL ALWAYS RISE TO THE TOP". My children do not wish to be another brick in the wall. They would rather sit at the top instead.
