Originally Posted by Bostonian
Originally Posted by Iucounu
I felt so much like "that parent", but I'd had enough. I told DS to always be careful to get the right answer, and not to ever change his answer when a teacher at his school told him differently. I finally told him that the way they approach math learning at his school and in the district is deeply flawed, though he's not to repeat that to anyone there, and that I'm doing my best to solve that problem for him.

Every person, and therefore every teacher, has his quirks. One reason I would be reluctant to homeschool is that being exposed to a variety of adults, each with different expectations, is good preparation for college and the workplace, where the quirks of professors and bosses will need to be handled. If the teacher wants "20 miles" when she asks "how many miles", I'd tell him to answer "20 miles".

Schooling is not just about learning but about credentialing (and day care/warehousing). Having an interesting and well-paying job in the future may require some conformism during the school years.

I never really "got" how beneficial following directions like this can be until a college course. The teacher had very specific expectations and she "fixed" grammar on our essay drafts by adding in many commas. So I learned to add in many commas, met her very strict deadlines, memorized everything she asked us to and did the work exactly as she wanted. I got an A in that class. She was actually an amazing teacher and I really loved that she had high standards and expectations. It was refreshing. At least one other girl fought against all the rules and failed the course. (I did something like that in 11th grade when I refused to do all the prep work and note cards for a big research paper. I failed.)

Learning that lesson about doing things the way someone wants them has helped me in other areas of my life. I'm not too proud to do it their way, even if they might have it wrong.


Edit to add:
I'm actually worried that if I homeschool my daughter she'll be deprived of learning how to handle the system. How to manage a stupid multiple choice test to get the best grade, how to interpret what a higher up wants from you and do it that way, and how to navigate the political stuff.

But letting her have more say in her own education is probably worth it...

Last edited by islandofapples; 10/20/12 08:38 PM.