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Courtney
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| Posted: July 10 2006 at 11:47am | IP Logged
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Everytime someone knows I'm homeschooling, they always ask, "How will you teach courses like chemistry or trig when your child's in high school?"
My first thought is, if my 16 yr old can learn it, why can't I? However, I would like to know how some of you with teenagers respond to this? What do you do to teach courses you don't have experience with? My dc are only 6 and 8, but this question isn't going away. Thanks for your input!
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Courtney in Texas
Wife to Mike since 3/94 
Mom to Candace 10/97 ,Christopher 4/00 and Connor 11/11
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Sarah
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| Posted: July 10 2006 at 3:49pm | IP Logged
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I always get this question, too. Eager to hear from others.
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Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9
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Dawnie
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It seems the question I get the most is "Do you ever plan to send your children to parochial school?" Our diocese has a stewardship program, which means that if you tithe and volunteer in your parish/diocese, you do not have to pay tuition to send your children to Catholic school. Some people find it hard to understand why we would take the time and energy to homeschool when we can send our kids to a private, Catholic school for free. When I get this question, I always reply with "I don't know. Right now, I feel confident that I can teach my kids what they need to know. We reevaluate our homeschooling decision on a yearly basis." I'm basically telling them that I'll cross that bridge when I get to it! I think a similar reply would be appropriate to the question you brought up.
Dawn
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Visit my blog!Water Into Wine:Vino Per Tutto!
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: July 10 2006 at 5:27pm | IP Logged
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Just tell them that any competent adult can understand high school level science and math and pass that understanding on to his/her child. Bat your eyes innocently and add, "After all, you had to pass it once yourself, right?"
If that doesn't do the trick, then explain that there are numerous other ways of going about it including, but not limited to: Co-ops, correspondence courses, online classes, community college classes, DVD courses, and tutors.
I really despise it when non-hsers assume we are idiots.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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ALmom
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| Posted: July 10 2006 at 7:00pm | IP Logged
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We find this a great opportunity to educate others that homeschoolers do not hide away in their own home and never delegate. Now, the courses that most people panic about - math and science, we certainly have some capability to teach (I'm a math major, my dh is an engineer) but when we get to that point, we will delegate anything we feel would be in the best interest of our dc to delegate. In the meantime, we really enjoy learning together! I think it has come as a shock to people that we actually let our dd go to a music camp, etc. I think the view of homeschoolers is often that we are paranoid, never let our dc do anything and would never ever want them out in the world for any reason. By answering the question honestly, they get a more realistic view of homeschooling and homeschoolers in general.
Currently my plan is to have dc duel enroll for chemistry and physics, foreign language (unless we have a very reasonably priced tutor) and any math at the pre-calc level. But it could change due to monetary or other information when my 9th grader actually gets there. We used a tutor with my graduate for Spanish but did the rest on our own - a bit more difficult, but workable
Janet
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Kelly
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| Posted: Sept 05 2006 at 12:46am | IP Logged
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Although we get plenty of those questions too, I find that we've been running into more and more postive comments of late---and the questions we do get are generally based more on plain old curiosity and wonderment, than on skepticism! In the last three weeks, I've had at least three total strangers tell me what a wonderful opportunity homeschooling is, how great it is that my highschoolers have time to pursue their interests, how poised and mature the kids are (well...after a month in the car with the kids, I have a few doubts about that part  ) and so on and so forth. Kindof a nice change!
That being said, we're doing the Dual Enrollment route, too, combined with on-line classes, Mom Classes, once-a-week German school, the odd one or two-day class at the local Computer Tutor school, participation in the history fair, and a private tutor (my brother-the best price in town  ). Anyone who thinks the kids aren't working can go eat fish heads!
Kelly in FL
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: Sept 08 2006 at 8:28pm | IP Logged
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Kelly wrote:
Anyone who thinks the kids aren't working can go eat fish heads!
Kelly in FL |
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I've never heard this phrase and nearly fell off my seat laughing after reading it!
I like to respond, "Oh...our problem isn't how we're going to get something done, it is how we're going to narrow down our endless and fantastic possibilities!" This is truly how we see it 
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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Willa
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Lissa wrote in her blog that she is sometimes tempted to say: "Well, after all, I took chem and trig in high school." Then when the other person says, "So did I but I don't remember any of it,", you say "how can I do worse than that with my kids, then?"
My son somehow managed to learn trig and Latin and Greek and chemistry and physics, and learn them well, without any teaching from me or an outside teacher. SO even if you don't live near a community college or really have any "class" type resources, as we don't, it can be done through books and other home resources.
Angie is right; there are almost too many options nowadays -- honestly! The problem is narrowing it down!
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Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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Chari
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| Posted: Sept 08 2006 at 11:35pm | IP Logged
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Angie Mc wrote:
I like to respond, "Oh...our problem isn't how we're going to get something done, it is how we're going to narrow down our endless and fantastic possibilities!" This is truly how we see it
Love, |
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NO KIDDING, ANGIE!!!!!!!!!
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Chari...Take Up & Read
Dh Marty 27yrs...3 lovely maidens: Anne 24, Sarah 20 & Maddelyn 17 and 3 chivalrous sons: Matthew 22, Garrett 16 & Malachy 11
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ALmom
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| Posted: Sept 08 2006 at 11:52pm | IP Logged
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Willa, love your response - and the reminder that we can probably do no worse than whoever taught us the stuff we no longer remember. Somehow we forget that if our dc were in a school, not every teacher would be a perfect match, super enthused and wonderful - certainly not in every class, for every subject. However, I do have time limits and trouble helping my dc find answers to certain type questions - and whether it is essential or not, by the time your dc hit high school, they sometimes want a different teacher or a chance to work with someone. Depending on where you are and with a bit of creativity, you (or your dc) find a way to do what must be done with or without assistance.
That being said, my dd in college recently had a conversation with her next sis. She was trying to convince the dc to convince me to let her skip high school altogether and go straight to college. According to the college age dd - college is much easier than mom teaching anyways (mostly cause I just wouldn't buy the lame excuses or cons because I knew them too well and what they were truely capable of and didn't accept sliding). This dd math course made me cringe - it was spoon fed to the max, my dd did not have to work hardly at all (she did her weeks worth of homework in one day) and never made below a 99. They didn't do any of the word problems (for a pre-calculus course) and as she said, the teacher skipped all the hard ones. I tried to convince my dd to do them anyways - and she did agree to at least ask about a few of them - just to see that the teacher really knew how to do them. The teacher did, btw. My dd was shocked that the students were complaining because the teacher did not put the formulas on the board for them for the test (evidently this is what they did in the previous level class). It sure made me reconsider the Junior College option. Anyways this was supposed to be an intensive summer course covering a college semester's worth of math in 5 weeks. My dd was sure glad she did the 5 week version as she would have been really bored to tears with a whole semester. She just about fell out of her chair laughing when another student asked her if she was going to be an engineering major.
I think I'm hanging on to the Math a bit longer than I had envisioned this time last year. . I sure did better than that class simply by giving a book and making the dc rework the problems till they got them right. Even if I hadn't been able to explain a thing, she would have learned more than at this junior college.
The other thing I'll tell you is that my dd Spanish class at college (supposed to be an intensive review and give credits for Spanish I and II) is all on-line except one class that the students and teacher simply have to talk (grade based on participation). None of the grammar or vocabulary is being taught by the teacher - it is all on-line. Now, how is that better than what we do at home? Yes, my dd is thouroughly enjoying the opportunity to speak in Spanish (but had she worked to create that opportunity she would have found it easily by simply volunteering with migrant workers, in CCD programs for Hispanics, etc. while in high school). As far as class instruction goes, however, she got much more from the tutor we hired for high school. I'm sure the various CDs would have been just as good - or a Seton correspondence course in terms of other instruction. It sort of irks me that she is paying quite a bit of money and she still doesn't have a "teacher". I think she will be at a tremendous advantage in this class (though right now she is nervous as her grades have not come back from the on-line portion that is supposed to be graded by the teacher - she has the on-line quizz grades but the quizzes are open book and can be taken as many times as she wants, so obviously she takes them until she has 100%. The on-line portion can only be done on one day - this is my dd main complaint as she would like to do the on-line stuff ahead of time and then just take the book and really learn and study it - sounds like she prefers the homeschool way to me) simply because she has already learned to teach herself. I always envisioned college as more intense than high school. The corps courses are simply public high school all over again (even the advanced honor courses). Now her music courses are great and she is thrilled she only has to do a few of these silly academic courses.
I will say that this dd college experience is renewing my confidence again. I really thought I was a lousy teacher (and fretted over how little help I was in many cases - due to ignorance sometimes, but often simply to having to work with other dc and time constraints) - now my dd said I didn't prepare her for college, I prepared her for graduate school. I'm not sure how true that is, but I know what we have done hasn't hurt her. So don't sweat it. Enjoy your children and learning. You'll find what you need to find to support your dc interests and needs.
I know it is sometimes unsettling to get the what are you going to do questions - but there really are so many options and they are growing every year. It is certainly fair to say there are plenty of ways to get support if your dc so needs it, but it is amazing what we are capable of doing for ourselves if we give ourselves the time and space - and don't panic. If your dc are only 8 or so, you've got plenty of teaching to go before you hit the chemistry "wall". You may find your dc is teaching you !
Janet
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Kelly
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| Posted: Sept 09 2006 at 4:23am | IP Logged
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Well put, Janet!
And I couldn't agree more about there being TOO MANY choices for homeschoolers, now. I worry more about Butterfly Syndrome than Gapitis
Which brings me back to my favorite quote about hsing highschoolers---or any age, for that matter. When asked about their socialization opportunities (WHY does that seem to weigh so heavily in so many peoples' minds???) , I always say "They have a great social life...*I* have no social life!!!" 
Kelly in FL
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ALmom
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| Posted: Sept 09 2006 at 10:29pm | IP Logged
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Kelly, well said! I was rofl from the truth of it.
And dc does not have to have experience in huge crowds and classrooms to function just fine in a very large college. We socialized in the family until this dd was 13, then she was primarily involved in structured activities around her passion of music - never much free for all and sometimes she felt lonely in high school - But she has had no overwhelming homesickness, keeps in touch, is having a great time, doing well in classes and in no way intimidated by the 30,000 freshman at college. Now, I wish all those people who tried to convince me that we were stifling our dd by homeschooling her, by not letting her participate in the teen hangout things (what was available to us was, in our opinion, poorly supervised, involved inappropriate movies, and in general, not an appropriate activity), etc. could be a fly on the wall now. Actually, I wish I could have seen ahead those years ago when the questions would sometimes bring doubt to my heart.
What our children really need is to develop a sense of confidence because they are really learning and really growing. I have yet to figure out how teens just hanging out is supposed to be a great socialization activity. It seems to foster insecurity to be yourself if your tastes don't happen to mirror the pack. (I'm not talking about the opportunity for teens to get together and do something real - service, music, sports, art, etc. and in the process end with a bit of pizza or something. This fills a certain need to branch out, though if need be it can be filled in different ways).
Janet
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4Real Forums : High School Years and Beyond
Topic: Answering "those" questions form non-hs
