" Mom, what does syzygy mean?"....." Look it up son"....
We have been a homeschooling household for 14 years now. I remember reading Hardtimes in Paradise by Micki and Dave Colfax and thinking.." this is it"... Chris read the book in one evening and the very next week we decided to take the plunge. I can honestly say it was the best thing we have ever done! Despite the fact that every year around this time I get antsy about testing and college and if we're doing enough, the truth is, our boys that have graduated have proven my husbands theory " a bad day at homeschool is better then a good day in our public schools". Neither one of us would say ALL public schools are bad, but the truth is, most public schools do not promote Connecting the dots... the day to day living that teaches a person how to ask the questions... and find the answers. By making learning a day to day experience, our boys have learned to question, they have the tools to find the answers and apply those answers to their lives....
Take Jeremy,the school system told us he was brilliant in math but learning disabled in reading... the structure of the tiny country school system didn't have an IEP to make sure he could advance in math but get help with reading....the answer? We could. By age 14 he had whisked through Algebra books and we found out he could read technical manuels with no problems and apply the knowledge he needed. He was a great writer, but chose not to read the fluff stories being presented to him tagged as a slow reader. So he spent his days doing what he loved best at home... computers... He built them, sold them, networked them, built websites, wrote programs ...after a few computer classes at the community college, at 24, he is now the Director of Technology at a fairly large company. He proved himself to be an asset by knowing how to obtain the information he needed, and by applying what he had learned over the years...
and Josh.... our little school system said he was ADD... hmmm.... not so much that a total kinectic learning program couldn't help and total organization on his part... he liked to work, he liked movement . The best way to read a book in his mind was while jogging.... and he did. War stories, crime stories, mysteries...Then 911 happened and he had the opportunity at age 15 to travel and help serve meals to volunteers and firefighters sifting thorugh the still smoldering rubble at Ground Zero. Some officer( who will remain nameless) took such a liking to this kid he gave him his NYPD jacket, complete with patches. The whole experince confirmes what Josh had been leaning towards any way.... he wanted to be a cop. So when he turned 16, he dual enrolled at the community college in Criminal Justice. He even took it one step further and enrolled to serve our country in the Guard.....to protect and defend.... His experiences and high energy made his career choice a perfect match.... the dots connected...
.... we're still watching Christopher connect his dots.... he likes to write.... he likes sports.... he likes stats.... who knows what patterns his dots will make....
... but one thing I know.... they'll make something.... and it will be the right choice for him.... he has the tools.....
...............now go find out what syzygy means yourself!!!
....and have a fine day... all day long!
Wow that's great that you decided to homeschool your boys. I honestly believe that homeschooling in this day and age is the way to go. I am glad my girls are grown and I don't have to worry about that. I do however have grandchildren that I wonder about. All but 1 of their teachers seem to be very discontent in the classroom, and they do not go out of their way to put time in with the children. Is that what teaching is coming too? Three cheers for you, sounds as if you could stear a lot of parents in the right direction.
Posted by: Wanda Kay | January 28, 2007 at 04:13 PM