Seewalds 23: Visiting Waco Again

[Coy Koi]

12 hours ago, mpheels said:

When comparing home school vs. traditional classroom settings, it's important to keep in mind that different people learn in different ways. Some people can pick up a text book, read it, and understand right away. Others need to hear a lecture, or see a demonstration. I would never do well in home school - reading is great to reinforce ideas I've already learned, but I have a hard time learning fresh material from reading alone. I need to hear a lecture first. Recorded lectures are OK, but I really need live discussion to thrive (conference calls are OK, but online live chats or discussion boards are not a reasonable substitute for me).

I'm about the opposite. I despise hearing lectures, or worst of all, being read to. I've hated being read to since I was a very young child. I love to read; hate to passively listen to things. When I'm reading, I can control the speed. I'm somewhat okay with watching videos because I can pause whenever I want, which I do VERY often, even if I'm watching a TV show that I love. I just mention TV shows because that's supposed to be pure entertainment, and even that is not something I care to just sit through. A lecture is even worse, even if it's a good lecture on a topic I'm interested in.

But I guess I'm just weird. As an adult, I eventually got diagnosed with ADHD and tried medication and I thought it was going to be some amazing transformation but it wasn't. It helped a bit, but I was still impatient as heck. I did really great all through school, including college, but I hated almost every second of it. I did well more out of perfectionism than anything else (NOT a humblebrag by any means; perfectionism is a flaw that results in more negative outcomes than positive ones. Overall it has held me back a lot).

I've never been homeschooled but my mom did consider it at times. I don't know how it would have gone though, because my mom doesn't really understand my learning style. As I said, I've always hated being read to, and she STILL regularly calls me up wanting to read me some random article she found about hypothyroidism or something, instead of just sending me the link like I always ask. But it may have been better than one-size-better-fit-all Catholic school for me, if she'd gotten proper support. One cool thing she did was put me in computer lessons when I was only three years old, which doesn't sound like a big deal unless you know that was in 1985, and that to this day my mom can't stand technology, but thought it would be a good fit for me (and she was very right).

My mom was heavily into sheltering her kids and raising conformists, but she was also very into trying to do what was best for us as individuals. It's a weird, contradictory combination. So it's really hard to know how homeschooling would have gone with her. She has a high school education and was raised in a family that didn't really value education that much, yet she taught my sister and me to read at age three, taught us number concepts using bundles of 10/100/1000 toothpicks, taught us fractions by making cardboard pie charts, made up mnemonic devices for spelling...all way before we started Kindergarten, and these were all just her own methods, nothing she learned about from anyone else. My mom would have made a freaking amazing early-ed teacher (and she wanted to be one too but her dad discouraged her from going to college!). After that , though, I don't know...

 

[Casserole]

I would actually LOVE to homeschool but I am IN LOVE with my career. Could I make it work doing both? Maybe, but I feel as though both would take some hits without my full attention and I'm not one to half ass anything. I am a big fan of true Montessori schools and if/when the time comes I'll look into those as well as whatever local options I'll have.

I was overall happy with my public school education, but I did struggle a bit socially since I was "only" gifted in one subject; I think I was the only kid in the gifted program they made an exception for one subject for, so the gifted kids saw me as an outcast who wasn't in all of their classes with them and the "regular" kids saw me as an outcast who was "too smart" for them. I did extracurriculars and made "friends" but none were meaningful friendships lasting beyond the sports season. 

[HarryPotterFan]

2 hours ago, Casserole said:

I'm not one to half ass anything.

In the immortal words of Ron Swanson

[nst]

Jessa's was at the conference with Ben at her side signing books 

is there a reason Jana has to hold Henry all the time while Jessa's arms are free. 

Why can't they escape?

[nst]

did no one take one for the team and see them discuss the weather?

 

[just_ordinary]

Honest question: how do you homeschoolers make it work to teach over ten subjects? How do you prepare that much materials in different ways so when you find out one doesn't work you can skip to the next? How do you teach two more languages (besides English) with proper pronunciation and grammar?

I can absolutely see teaching primary school subjects (about 6) with the help of a co-ed group. But what then?

I graduated with a Bachelor of Education (History and Philosophy) (for secondary school: age 10 to A-levels) so I have a good idea how to prepare material but I would be lost if my child would not respond good to how I prepare math or science stuff. And I have now idea how to start children in things like writing and math. 

Homeschooling is illegal where I live, so I have no real life experience with homeschool children. I am sure some will come out of it well equipped. Maybe even many, but I could not see them meeting the standard for German University. 

Me and my husband sometimes argue about it. He did his A-Levels in England and couldn't study at a regular university here. The only option were universities of applied sciences. I can totally understand why: in his last years of school he only had like 5 subjects! German A-Level equipp you for everything. You can go and pursue every career you want. Medicine- go for it, law- go for it, IT/Education/business administration....  don't want to study but start job training- a lot of people do that. I am very grateful for our system in this regard. Some subjects only became interesting in the last years, some I hated passionately till the end. I still think I have a solid basic  general know even in fields I am not particularly interested in.

There a still big downfalls in our public school system that need work. And it sucks if you and your teacher don't connect (well, nobody can meet 30 individual needs at the same time) or you get bullied by peers or teachers. Some children struggle with the strict timetable. There are lots of options of private but licensed schools. So that might be the route to go. 

[KnittingOwl]

On 6/11/2017 at 3:32 PM, Trynn said:

Around here, August is a hot month. I'd be very surprised to see someone wearing Uggs at that time (Though of course one should do what one is comfortable with.)
 

I do while I'm in the house.  I'm always cold (yay thyroid disease!) and we have wood floors.  Plus, we are in the Pacific Northwest, so it's never really hot hot.  My feet not feeling like ice is worth being called basic.

[CharlieInCharge]

There are a lot of different versions of 'homeschooling' and all are not created equal.  A district in our area does an online program that provides materials, lesson plans and daily online classes with a teacher and other students. There are regular meet-ups, field trips and dances for older kids. I feel like it's the best of both worlds in many ways. 

I had a horrible public school experience despite attending great schools. I was special needs and even though I eventually was mainstreamed into regular classes in elementary school I was never accepted. I went through my whole early academic career with the same group of kids and no one let me forget I was stupid and rode the short bus. I had a first grade teacher tell me to my face I was stupid. My mom immediately removed me from that school, but the scars from those experiences never left. I guess you could say that made me stronger somehow, but if I can prevent my child from going through anything remotely like that until he is old enough to handle it I will do it. Kids fucking suck and are cruel as shit to each other and I say that as someone who spent two years teaching K-3 classes. Bullying is my number one reason to homeschool because no one ever really does anything. There's a feeling that 'oh, that's just part of life' but fuck that. I suffered for over 10 years, my confidence was destroyed and school was a daily nightmare I couldn't escape. My mom did her best, but it's not like the other kids pulled crap in front of teachers, so nothing was every really done. Finally, when I was 16 I was able to take an exit test and get the hell out of there. I had to go to community college because by law I still had to be in school. I thrived there away from all the assholes and I now have a Master's degree.

Public school can be fine if you're 'normal' and accepted, but absolute hell if you're not. I will do anything to keep my child from going through that, so homeschool it is. Obviously I'm not a fundy, I'm an atheist, I have teaching experience and a supportive school system that I can work within. I will make damn sure my kid is prepared for life in every way. I get why people look down on homeschooling or see public/private schools as the only option, but there are tons of parents who just want to be more involved in theirs kids' lives and education and do an awesome job. This site focuses on the absolute worst examples of homeschooling and I think that taints the conversation. 

Sorry about the wall of text, but this is one of my rage issues and I needed to respond. In the end, much like the breast vs. bottles debate (fed is best), a well educated and happy kid is the end goal, right? 

[allthegoodnamesrgone]

@just_ordinary this is why they have so many homeschooling curriculum available to choose from, and purchase.  From what I understand of homeschooling, since you are teaching to, presumably, only a few children it takes significantly less time as you aren't teaching to 30 kids at 5 to 30 different levels of comprehension, and a room full of rowdy kids not paying attention disrupting class, school/state/federal politics. Here in US we have asinine testing standards that severely cut into teaching time, these are standardized tests that all students take and determine the funding and worthiness of a school district. Many schools teach to these tests forgoing a more rounded education, and is the reason the US is lagging so far behind other counties in math and science.  Then you throw in parents who throw fits about kids learning about heathen things like sex and gays  So when you home school, you teach them what YOU want them to know.

I have a couple friends that said school took 2 to 3 hours of formal classroom style work a day, this was with 3 or 4 kids. I know one family that had 9 kids and she did 2 classes 1 from the younger kids and one for the older.  The older kids got class time when the littles napped, and she had someone watching the kids as well so the older kids GOT their education. They lived on a huge pig farm so older kids helped with chores in the mornings and then would help around the house and watch the to young to learns while mom taught.  The oldest is at Iowa State University School of Vet medicine, studding swine (pigs)She wants to take over the business.  2 of the older ones one is at a tech school studding diesel mechanics and the other is in nursing school. They home schooled for religious reasons and are the only ones I know that did it for religious reasons that really took education and ALL their children being self sufficient to be able to financially care for their own families some day.  4 of the 9 so far have gone off to further education/training.  They are odd in the sense that they are deeply devout Christians but are socially and politically liberal, though they are pro life.  It is also why we get along so well, because I am odd in the same way but I'm pro choice. 

[Baaaaaabe]

8 hours ago, KnittingOwl said:

I do while I'm in the house.  I'm always cold (yay thyroid disease!) and we have wood floors.  Plus, we are in the Pacific Northwest, so it's never really hot hot.  My feet not feeling like ice is worth being called basic.

I wear boots in June in Ohio! I also regularly wear elbow length fingerless gloves (which I call my bag lady gloves). Yay thyroid disease and Raynaud's! If it's not about 75 or warmer I'm cold, and A/C inevitably means I'll be cold no matter how hot it is.  Sometimes I feel basic, as well...or homeless...but my coworkers have seen my hands and feet turn purple enough that they just leave me alone about it lol. 

[marmalade]

16 hours ago, nst said:

Jessa's was at the conference with Ben at her side signing books 

is there a reason Jana has to hold Henry all the time while Jessa's arms are free. 

Why can't they escape?

@nstWhere did you see this? I haven't seen any pictures from the event. 

[Mayluka]

5 minutes ago, marmalade said:

@nstWhere did you see this? I haven't seen any pictures from the event. 

I haven't seen any pictures of Jana at the conference (and it seems that she was at Silver Dollar City with the Dillards the same day, unless that picture was posted later). However, there are pictures in their tagged section on Instagram of Jessa and Ben signing books from her modesty conference.

 

[nausicaa]

So knees have just been permanently liberated in Duggarville now?

[karen77]

I just DO NOT understand why Ben has to be at every conference thing she does. I get going along to take care of kiddos, but sitting at the table? where are the kids?

[eyerollsforjesus]

10 minutes ago, karen77 said:

I just DO NOT understand why Ben has to be at every conference thing she does. I get going along to take care of kiddos, but sitting at the table? where are the kids?

I don't think this is unreasonable. I'm sure they've gotten a lot of bizarre people come up to them and I wouldn't mind having someone else sitting there. Also I'd imagine part of her speaking contract included childcare during the event or women volunteered to entertain the boys for the hour or two. They do a lot of eyebrow raising things but at least she isn't just begging for money/donations and going to theme parks. 

Also despite myself, and the terrible misguided view he has, I think Ben's signature is adorable. It really shows he's just a kid with that lower case cursive b. Scary that he has two dependents of his own. 

 

[SapphireSlytherin]

2 minutes ago, eyerollsforjesus said:

women volunteered to entertain the boys for the hour or two

I can't imagine EVEN a Duggar allowing some random stranger to watch their kids...

[eyerollsforjesus]

I mean like holding them behind the curtain or in the audience at her talk. They're babies still and this was a like-minded "modesty conference". I don't think the threat of unworldly influence was huge. But honestly I have no idea what they'd do so you could be spot on. 

[fluffernutter]

Maybe she is still nursing and Ben goes along to help with the kiddos. And maybe she hasn't been away from them overnight yet?

[anjulibai]

I don't think it's odd that he's there, but I do think it's odd that he's signing the book she wrote. He wasn't involved with that book at all. 

[Antipatriarch]

"lucky fans"?  

ETA: Do we know who posts on the "19duggarfan" account?

[Shadoewolf]

We used the online K-12 program after Arkansas schools totally screwed over the youngest Wolfie. He was half a year behind when we started. They sent me ALL the materials, lesson plans were provided (I refused to teach him their version of music though) and he had online meetings and tests with a licensed teacher twice a week.  Within 2 months he was all caught up to grade level and soaring past his peers.  I could also tailor some lessons to help him understand better and skip classes for a day altogether if he wasn't up to it. We also got done with a whole day worth of work in about 3 hours. Not hard and it was paid for by the district.

[nst]

3 hours ago, marmalade said:

@nstWhere did you see this? I haven't seen any pictures from the event. 

dedicated to the duggars and duggars tumblr have a picture of jessa and ben with fans and one with Jana in the back holding Henry 

just no one was spilling about the weather 

[QuiverFullofBooks]

They always have whoever is at the signing sign the books. I went to a signing for the older girls' book, and the rest of the family signed too.

[nst]

3 hours ago, nausicaa said:

So knees have just been permanently liberated in Duggarville now?

because Ben said it was ok 

 

2 hours ago, karen77 said:

I just DO NOT understand why Ben has to be at every conference thing she does. I get going along to take care of kiddos, but sitting at the table? where are the kids?

as I mentioned Jana was there - jessa was wearing the same outfit when she posed with Ben, Jessa Jana henry and a humper 

jana is their sister mom 

if I am wrong because something thinks she was with Jill at SDC filming I doubt it - these people post days later sometimes about SDC 

But I could be totally wrong - then yes some random humper has her children which I highly doubt 

[Iamtheway]

9 hours ago, CharlieInCharge said:

a well educated and happy kid is the end goal, right? 

For any normal parent yes.