dec 3rd - undo pressure.......some thoughts on schooling

my boys go to public school. i have many friends who homeschool their children. there are pros and cons to both. part of me really wishes i could homeschool. the other part is glad i don't.

tonite i wished i did.

my oldest is very independent and he is very smart.

he does his work on his own and he gets great grades. we don't put pressure on him to excel - just to do his best and use mistakes as a learning tool.

tonite he showed me some classwork. he had received a check +. the teacher had written some comments basically showing where he could have expanded his answers. he was very upset that he received comments. even though his paper was basically perfect he didn't see it as such.

that upset me - to see him get upset over something that wasn't even wrong.

my youngest son is not so independent. he needs me to sit with him and keep him focused on his work. he is also only 6. i don't blame him for not wanting to sit and do homework....esp on nite's like tonite - when we don't come right home after school. tonite he was pretty tired. he didnt want to do his work. i had to work hard at keeping him focused. he did the bare minimum he had to do.........i was ok with that.

it's nites like tonite where i wish they didn't have the pressure of being a student in the public school system........and in one ranked high to boot. there is plenty of time to experience pressure in one's lifetime. i just hate when its put on young kids....especially when you aren't the one applying it......in a time and an area of their lives where there should be a natural rhythm to learning. its so much more effective to teach children when they want to learn. i'm not against out of the home-schooling by any means. i was a teacher myself and i really enjoyed it. its just that at times i wish i could put them in the system and take them out as needed or when it seems best for the boys.....take little learning breaks throughout the year.

the boys are already over it. they aren't upset anymore. they are playing and watching tv. i think i am over it already too. i do this a lot - the grass is greener thing between homeshooling and public school. nothing really gets resolved b/c is there really anything to resolve? both boys love school. clearly the issue lies within me. that is fine. i actually appreciate moments like this - they remind me of my values and desires for my boys. they renew my energy for teaching - not the book stuff but the life stuff...things that really can only be taught at home