The longer I am in Public Education...

I know what you're thinking. Two years isn't long to be in public education...

I know teachers who have taught more then 30 years.

But in truth, I've been in public education since I was 6 and entered the big K. Except for a 4 year bout in a private college, public education is all I have known.  

My roles in public education have changed from student to teacher...a small change if you ask me. 

In my 20 years in public education a lot of things have changed.  Discipline, Motivation, Testing, Theories on Learning.

....where is she going with this? Well, after being on the teaching side of public education for two years, I'll tell you what I think...

-More time is wasted redirecting then teaching

-Discipline is a joke, because the administrators are afraid of parent retaliation

-Kids know more now about things that are beyond their years

-Kids are skipped over, either intentionally or unintentionally because of their behavior

-There are hours in my day, where I'm not permitted to teaching because kids are receiving other services

- Learning is put on the back-burner to testing

- Morals don't count for as much as they used to

So this short list, comprised off of the top of my head leads me to have this conversation with my TH. 

Me: Babe, What do you think of homeschooling?

TH: Ugh...those kids are weird.

Me: Why do you think that?

TH: Because they have no social skills

Me: Do you think our kids will have social skills?

TH: Yeah

Me: Do you think they will come from school, or us

TH: Us probably

Me: So, besides social skills, do you have any other opinions

TH: not really, Why?

Me: don't judge me, k? I want to homeschool our kids

TH: Huh?

So this conversation has led to many more. Right now, having kids seems light years away. But when I do have children, I would like to homeschool them (until they are about 8 years old) for various reasons..I can narrow it down to 4 (in order from most important)

1. I want my children to have a solid foundation in reading and math skills

2. I want my children to think of learning as fun and exciting

3. I think I can teach my children most effectively and efficiently 

4. I don't want to be on a rigid 8-4 schedule 5 days a week. I want learning to be woven into our day.

There are quiet a few other reasons...but those are the main four.