Friday, 02 January 2009

• What Type of Schooling Fits Your Child Best?

  Guest post submitted by princess_deidre
  

  I hope this will help anyone trying to make the decision between public, private, and home schooling!
  
  I was reading another Momaroo blog by a mom trying to decide which type of education was right for her children, and I responded with the pros and cons of each. I tried to give the best information I have based on my education (I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education), as well as my own experiences.
  
  First, a little background about my experiences: I am a first year teacher in a private/Christian, two-days-a-week preschool program. I went to public school from Kindergarten through Senior Year, and graduated from a private Christian college. My husband was home schooled and has attended a state college and a private Christian college.
  

  Okay, here goes!

  Public School
  

  PROS: Your child learns to deal with many issues. In being introduced to many more cultures than at most private schools, your child will learn to how to respect others' differences and stand in their faith while not in a 'spiritual zone'. I know some kids freak when they hit the 'real world' culture after they have lived in a world where everyone shares their faith and beliefs.
  

  CONS: While learning to defend their faith and beliefs, your child may be bullied or made fun of, or they may follow the lead of kids who have undesirable behaviors such as drug/alcohol use, disrespect of adults, greediness/rudeness, etc. Remember though, these can be learning experiences. Also, public school classes tend to be larger in class size and less focused on the individual than private ones. This varies greatly according to each school district, so do your homework there.

  Private School

  PROS: Class sizes are usually smaller, meaning children aren't afraid to ask questions and share a positive close knit relationship with their teachers (again, this varies greatly, so check them out!) and the program is usually able to service the individual, meaning your child is less likely to get left behind in a subject (a lot of this depends on the teacher, but usually private school teachers tend to have the ability to do this more than public school teachers).

  Your child will probably not be as affected by the No Child Left Behind statutes since most of the laws affect government funded schools. This could mean that they aren't constantly taking standardized tests (I actually enjoyed taking them in public school and it taught me good test taking skills, which came in handy on the ACT).

  Private schools have more ability to cater to the student and parent needs than public schools as a general rule. Again, I have seen public schools that are better at this than private schools, but it's rare because of all the stresses the government has placed on public school teachers. That said, I plan to teach in public school next year if there is an opening in my area.
  

  CONS: First of all, the cost is an issue. If this isn't an issue for you, that's great, but I know it was hard for me to attend a private college knowing I would be getting paid to go to a state school and I was taking out loans to be able to attend the private one (I don't regret this because I knew it was where I would get a better education, and it was where I thought God wanted me to be).

  Sometimes that close student-teacher relationship can be tough because you feel more accountable to your teachers and they may be genuinely disappointed in you if you don't perform to their expectations. Many times, the professors at my college expected a lot more from their students than those at public school, too.

  Also, since the studies tend to be more in-depth at private schools, the work load may be hard to handle at first. Then again, this depends on the grade level of your child. I think that teaching them how to manage their time when they are young will be a good thing for them, though, because many kids don't know how to do that when they get to college and it can be a hard adjustment.

  Home Schooling
  

  PROS: You know exactly what is going on with your child's learning. You and your child will have a closer relationship (this isn't guaranteed, you have to work on your relationship with your child every day). You aren't restricted by a rigid schedule-- you can take a day trip to a local educational venue without feeling like your child missed something at school and without having to do make up work. Your children will be closer to their siblings (I have seen this as a positive in every case of home schooling I've seen).

  There are many home school resources and groups out there, so please find them and use them to your advantage! You can also use church groups for social interactions, but try not to make this the only group setting for your child to learn how to get along with others. Try your best to help your child develop their social skills in as many situations as possible.

  I am so sick of the misconception that all home schoolers are socially backwards, but there are those who add to this myth because they keep their children ultra-sheltered (this is probably to do with the controlling aspect I mention below).

  CONS: You may tend to overlook your child's weaknesses rather than address them (I don't think anyone does this on purpose, but I have seen it happen). Some people use home schooling as a means of control (I've met parents who cannot stand to be out of control of even one aspect of their childrens' lives)-- if you think you may have this motive, even a little bit, steer clear! Some parents fail to include their children in extra-curricular activities and groups, which is a huge mistake (see above).

  My husband and his six siblings were homeschooled, and so far they have all turned out as awesome, well-balanced, creative, easy to get along with human beings. Their mom was super at it and kept them involved in church groups, sports, and occassionaly home school groups. She has three left to graduate high school, and four have attended/graduated college and have successful careers. None of them fit the stereotype of the maladjusted homeschooler (which sadly does exist-- I met several in college).

  I am still deciding whether or not to homeschool my children. As a teacher, I feel I am well qualified to do so. However, I think I'd like them to get all the experiences associated with school. Then again, I don't want my kids to get away with things just because I teach at their school.... There are a lot of factors to consider and I still have a lot of time before I have to decide. It will probably have a lot to do with where we are in our lives when the time comes.

  That said, you are your child's most important teacher. You can make any experience a learning experience. Don't just drop them off at school and expect the teacher to tell them everything they need to know about life in those few hours. They probably have too much information to give them about their subjects already! I have had a few parents who think they are not responsible for their child's learning at all, and it is very frustrating. If you are reading this, you probably don't have this problem, which is awesome!

  Now it's your turn!

  How were you educated? How will you educate your children? Will you do the same method or a different one and why?

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