It’s funny how things that we do earlier in our lives come to light years later in ways we don’t expect. We have homeschooled for many years and have graduated six of our seven children. Looking back, I can see the roots of home education started in my mind long before we actually started doing it.
When I was a college student (married with a young preschooler) I took a child education course. For me, it was just to fill an elective, but most of the other students in the class planned to enter the teaching profession. In this class, I was the group leader for a project. We were assigned to come up with ten elements of a model school. These were qualities that, ideally, every school should encompass. We suggested that each school should:
- Ensure a low teacher-to-student ratio
- Design lessons specifically for each student
- Teach positive moral values
- Have teachers who truly care about and nurture their students
- Be close to home
- Maximize parental involvement
- Allow students to work at their own pace
- Have a safe and drug-free environment
- Be free from negative peer pressure
- Challenge students to academic excellence
We described each of these qualities in detail and got an A+ on the project. I remember the professor telling us how well thought out our model school was. Then the class got into a discussion about why public schools were missing the mark on many of these things.
After my graduation, our family grew. I kept thinking about education and how I wanted to make things better for my kids. After an unsuccessful run for school board, and a couple years with children in a private preschool, my wife and I realized that we could take our children’s education into our own hands.
Now, after our being seasoned homeschool parents, I pulled out this old college project and looked it over. Every single one of these ten qualities could describe our home education setting. It may look like yours also.
- Low teacher-to-student ratio? Very low. One to five was our highest, but it was usually lower.
- Design lessons for each student? We picked out every curriculum based on each child’s unique learning style.
- Positive moral teaching? We based our teaching on biblical values.
- Truly care about students? Who is better to love and nurture kids than their own parents?
- Close to home? Yes, so close that you can wear your pajamas to school.
- Maximize parental involvement? Check.
- Students work at their own pace? Yes!
- Safe and drug-free? Absolutely.
- Peer pressure? Not a problem.
- Academic excellence? While not the main goal, it was certainly a byproduct.
So, our class that was prepping future public school teachers thought that these ten elements were great. And they perfectly describe homeschooling. Even the professor thought these elements were wonderful. However, I now realize that these are things that can never happen in public schools to the degree that they happen in the home.
Why is that? There are many reasons. One is the environment. The home should always be a safe and trusting place. While there are many good and caring teachers, none can love a child as their own parents and family can. This safety allows for learning to flourish.
The absence of peers, gossip, and pressure to conform allows for children to grow into the person God calls them to be. Knowing each child individually allows the parent to work with each one based on their strengths and weaknesses. In a mass-produced setting of a large public school classroom, the student sinks or swims. Too many sink. Parent-teachers won’t let their children sink. They teach them to swim.
Public school officials don’t have the time or resources to pour into each life that walks through the door. Again, many teachers are called to this profession and do their best with the tools they are given. But I’ve talked to many who are frustrated by the system, the regulations, and the politics. At the end of the day, it is a job. But as a parent-teacher, it is your life.
My list of ten elements is not comprehensive by any means. You could come up with a list of your own, as your homeschool may look different than ours. I would encourage any homeschool parent to develop a list of elements for a model school and see just how close it mirrors what you are doing.
This is not to suggest that you are giving yourself a report card of how well you are homeschooling. It is an exercise to see if what you are practicing is in alignment with your personal philosophy and vision.
(As an aside, I would add one more element to the list—have fun!)
