With so many of you out there with school age children or grandkids confronting the dilemma of school attendance and the pandemic, I was wondering if anyone wanted to comment on their feelings about this part of their lives. If there ever was a time to emotionally feel your control of your child’s education (and everything else) was needing help, I assume this is it. Suggestions? Stories? Hugs?
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I'll certainly second that motion. "In humor, the truth doth out."
In my search for Truth, or at least a pleasant fantasy, there are two reliable secular sources: Dilbert and Pogo. They need to be required reading in any quest for an education and an understanding.
So true. Never assume. Actually, never assume that someone else's parameters of control are what you assume them to be. Ask and clarify, as was needed with your eldest GD. What a horrible thing to have happen! Burn them at the stake! But then, that teacher had misconceptions of what his/her control parameters were--according to state, local, personal standards--so, who goes on the stake first, and what does that accomplish as a way to make changes so this mistake never happens again? It's never simple, is it? But I think asking about parameters of control for all concerned is a way to get information so a rational decision can be made. The problem is that lighting a fire is way more emotionally rewarding... We can only try.
Education of students is a vague theory in many schools in my area of Oregon. My oldest grand-daughter was allowed to sit in the back of the class and continue to fail because the teacher was occupied by other issues. She is three grade levels low in math. The teacher never said anything and we assumed all was well. You know about "assume" and we proved the conjecture. Home schooling removes all doubt about how one is doing. I can rant on educational failures for hours but now I have to keep them from happening in my family. Never assume that it is under " control".
Thanks, David, for sharing your situation. It is helpful in this pandemic to be somewhat naturally isolated and not be buried in the complexities of more of an urban lifestyle. It sounds like a good idea to continue at least some aspect of home-schooling since it seems to be working for you all at present, especially with the investment you already have in it. And time will tell, for sure.
In one of my teaching positions in Alaska (the last five years), I worked in a school that only provided materials and guidance for home-schooled students and their parents. Some were successes for years, some managed to make it through one year OK and that was it, and some were complete disasters--roughly in proportions of a third each. The biggest challenge of my job wasn't the kids, but the parents: convincing them that they had to learn how to be teachers and helping them do that. So many just thought that tossing their kids a book would take care of the job. Well, you know how that would work out. Bravo to everyone in your family for doing their jobs!
I live with my youngest son and his family of eight. The grandchildren range from 11 to one-year-old. We homeschooled four of them for 11months. Social distancing was not an issue because we live in semi-rural Oregon with our nearest neighbor about 1/2 mile down the road. I have great gratitude for the teachers that preceded us with the children. We will probably continue to home-school them for another year or two since we have a considerable investment of time and money in seeing to the education of these children. We don't have many of the problems that seem to be emerging and metastasizing in some school systems. Time will tell how the education process goes with the young minds in our midst. It is a tremendous responsibility...........