One School Vs. Another (part 3)

...or What is the Big Difference Between Private and Public Schools (and what about Homeschooling)?

Part 3

This post is part of a series you can read here: Part 1, Part 2.

Schooling from the Home
When I was growing up I never heard of families homeschooling their children. I do remember a child breaking a leg (or something like that) and having a teacher come to his home to tutor him.  Basically the child was out of school for a month and did his work at home with his mom and the help of a tutor.  But the first time I heard about homeschooling was when I had my music studio business many years ago.

Many of the families at the studio were homeschooling their children.  Some of the children were very socially awkward, but there were two families who completely opened my eyes to the brilliant possibilities of homeschooling.  Both families were very active in groups of other homeschooled children, and their children were extremely well adjusted and academically amazing.  

One family in particular sticks out as being (what I would consider) the poster family for homeschooling: The Crombez Family.  Their three daughters have excelled and bloomed in the homeschooling environment.  on occasion the girls would attend a traditional school for "specials", but they always came back to their home learning.  I really think homeschooling can be a fabulous way of educating your child, IF you do it right.  And just like in private schools or public schools, everything is determined by the teacher.  In homeschooling that teacher is YOU.

Me as the Teacher

And even though I do see the benefits of homeschooling, I do not believe I could live up to the family I hold as the poster family.  I know, I know, this is not a reason for not homeschooling, but for me it truly is.  I cannot imagine having the energy to provide my girls with the proper education they deserve.  I also feel my personality and Zoebug's personality are not conducive to working together.  

However, I recently became aware of certified teachers who work with students in a "one room schoolhouse" atmosphere, and get paid to homeschool.  The one I am in contact with also adds the Bible to the curriculum.  To me, this seems perfect.  My girls would be together, and with a group of other children around their ages.  They would get the benefits of homeschooling, without ME being the teacher.  I would still have control of what curriculum is taught, but I would not have to execute the instruction.  

So here are the Pros and Cons of Homeschooling as I see them:

Pros

Smaller class sizes

Freedom to learn 

Less time spent doing "classwork" 

More time for unique learning experiences

Focus on students' individual needs/learning 

Christian focused (for our professional homeschool teacher experience)

Ability to have influence and choice in curriculum my children learn

Cons

Tuition and book fees (for our professional homeschool teacher experience) 

Team Sports

Music/Art/Foreign Language/Physical Education outlets must be found in addition