Carnival of Homeschooling
The 8th week of the Carnival of Homeschooling is up--be sure and check out the post on teacher's unions and John Stossel's recent report on the state of schools.
posted by Helen at 10:04 AM
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
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11 Comments:
Thanks for the link. You have a great blog!
Steve,
You're welcome--I liked your post.
Well I am a teacher in public schools and I do have a couple of bones to pick in regards to these articles. I know it isn't meant as criticism of all teachers but they do seem to come across as that. I agree that teachers unions, especially in large cities and the coasts are a detriment to educating the students but that is how nearly all unions in those areas operate. As I recall, Helen has had membership in groups she had issues with also. (I am not in a union by the way.. small school, great administration, there is just no need for one... and even if there was a need, I probably wouldn't be in one) So please bear in mind there are a lot of great teachers out there. Plus there are a lot of average teachers out there.. but then that is what average is, isn't it. You would be surprised at how many teachers out there are actually pretty conservative in their personal views... but we are humans too. Too often, it seems like we are being blamed for societies problems. It is not our fault that kids act the way they do, or their parents support them when they are in the wrong. And yes, it does seem like I am generalizing myself now. I could easily do without some extra money in exchange for a change in attitude amongst some students and parents, and society in general.
As to homeschooling, I think done properly, it can be a great thing. Just remember, homeschoolers are just like teachers... bad apples make the good ones look terrible. There are parents out there who are just letting their kids hang out at home and not actually learning anything. We do get kids in high school who have been "homeschooled" up till then and are reading at 2nd grade level. And we get some who are a joy to work with.
The problems in education mirror some of the same problems in society. And it is going to be just as hard to correct these problems in education as it is in society. But I do have hope for the future. As much as we complain about our kids (parents and teachers alike), there are a LOT of great kids out there who are going all out to be good people and good citizens. So remember them too.
P.S. I know this is sort of a rambling monologue but I am watching Olympics too so am not fully concentrating.
P.P.S. An entirely irrelevant and illogical thought Helen.. I really hate this small, narrow comment box I have to type in... wish it was wider.
Bert
Hi Bert,
I know this is Helen's blog, but I did want to clear one thing up.
I agree that teachers shoulder too much of the blame, especially when they work hard to inspire and motivate their students. I know there are a lot of hard-working teachers in the government-funded school system. I know that some are conservative. The problem is that teachers are working within a system that is flawed, especially when you compare it to home education. If you are interested in specifics, please come to my blog and contribute your thoughts.
I also find that there are problems that are mostly beyond individual teachers’ control. Nevertheless, parents are taking their kids out of the school system to avoid those problems. My concern is that the NEA and other unions will use their power to remove the alternatives that homeschoolers have worked so hard to put in place.
Regardless of where children are educated, the consensus seems to be that parents have to be involved in most cases for education to be successful. Unfortunately, this is a minority, and this is where the government-funded school systems struggle the most. Home education doesn’t suffer the same problem, because, for the most part, parents are the ones doing the educating. Some do it better than others, but home educated students on average placed in the high 80’s and low 90’s of the government school student average. They’re winning national spelling bees and science fairs. They’re blowing the doors off the government school system and the teachers unions know it.
Parents are also waking up to this fact, and some are making the lifestyle changes like we did to give our children a better shot at the future.
Steve
Anonymous teacher - I'd just like to point out, there's as many below average teachers as above average teachers. The difference between the teaching profession and all other (non-unionized) professions is that most industries reward the above average and do not reward (or may even sack) the below average.
Hey shady, I agree... that is why I have always opposed unions of any type... they try to slow people down to the abilities of the worst workers. As to the NEA, well they rank slightly below the stuff I accidentally stepped in the other day that the dog left behind.
What you said about parents is so true.. it is so much better when we have a parent who is willing to work with us. But even then, there is a tendency to place blame on parents too much at times too. There are a lot of good parents out there who are going nuts trying to figure out how to get their kid to do better. There are so many factors out there affecting these kids that sometimes we just don't know where to start. I think homeschooling is an attempt to control as many of these factors as possible, which to me is a good idea. The best thing all of us can do is keep promoting personal integrity and responsiblity. That is what will really help these kids.
Bert
"An entirely irrelevant and illogical thought Helen.. I really hate this small, narrow comment box I have to type in... wish it was wider."
If I have a long comment, I'll often copy it into notepad or Microsoft Word. There I can see more and have it spell checked. When I am happy with it, I'll copy it back in the comment box.
Henry.. that makes way too much sense to do that.
Bert
I'd like to see more articles like this one. Do you know where I can find them?
adhd blog
adhd blog
Children with ADHD
There is a perplexing state of affairs in today's society, there lies a strong correlation between the affluence of a society and the amount of disease that is present. There is also another correlation that troubles many a people and that is with affluence comes disease at an Earlier age.
Working with children and the parents of these children I often get asked the question, 'Why are Children with ADHD on the increase?'
The answer as you shall find is one that is both interesting and challenging.
Children of today are really no more different from the children of yesterday in terms of genetic makeup. However, if you examine the issue more closely you will tend to find that many children today have been given labels. For example, 'Oh, those are children with ADHD' or 'Those are the children who can't sit still.' Or 'That is the kid that always gets into trouble.'
These labels are not only destructive but also become a self fulfilling prophecy as it is repeated adnauseum.
So as a 21st century parent or a parent with a child with ADHD or a parent with children with ADHD, what knowledge framework do you need to equip yourself with to ensure your children live out their true potential?
Here is a quick reference list for thinking about ADHD
? ADHD is a source of great frustration because it is misunderstood
? ADHD medications are a great short term time buying device and should be avoided long term
? The above point goes for any sort of drug consumption. Think about it for a minute. Unless you have a biochemical deficiency in your body like Type 1 diabetes where your body fails to produce enough insulin or any at all, why would you take an external drug? A body that is in balance is totally healthy. It is only when the body is out of balance that dis-ease symptoms start to creep up.
? ADHD is a biochemical imbalance of the mind and body.
? The Head of Psychiatry in Harvard states that drugs for ADHD simply mask the effects of ADHD. It does not cure ADHD. This is an important point because a cure implies never to have to take the medication. This means that once you start on medication you will have to be on it for the rest of your life i.e. you have medically acquired a dependency for a biochemical imbalance. That is like stuffing all your rubbish (problematic behaviors) into a closet (medication) where no one can see it. But if you continue to stuff more rubbish into that closet, one day you will not have enough space and need to do one of two things. You either empty the rubbish (the natural conclusion) or you get a bigger closet (i.e. change to stronger medication to control the symptoms). The choice is obvious but sometimes when you don't have the necessary tools to deal with ADHD you tend to think the bigger closet is the only option.
? ADHD children are super sensitive to the emotions around them. Often they pick up emotional cues from their parents without realizing. Many parents come home frustrated or annoyed from work, the child with ADHD picks this up and starts to 'cause trouble' by becoming restless. Parents frustration increase because they just want some peace and quiet. They get angry which in turn is picked up by the child who then intensifies their activity. Things get way out of hand and some sort of punishment is handed down to the child who has no idea what just happened. The cycle repeats itself every so often.
? Our brains are wired emotionally. Positive praise is interpreted as an analytical/thinking exercise. Negative criticism including scolding, name calling, physical punishment all go directly to the emotional brain of children with ADHD. This means in order to ensure you get your message across in the most optimal way, you need to learn how to communicate with your ADHD children the way they like to be communicated with.
? Every negative comment requires 16 positive comments to neutralize the emotion. Save yourself the frustration and agitation by practicing positive communication.
The list is by no means complete. In dealing with children with ADHD there are a certain set of behavioural principles to follow. I will detail these steps in the coming weeks. I'll also build on the list as you continue to learn about what appears to be a mystical disorder known as 'Children with ADHD'
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