Home Schooling and Raising Chickens

[AccidentalFarm]

Chelly-
All I can say is WOW...those are just horrible things. I like to think that my kids have a greater appreciation and respect for people and things. I'd hate to think my kids would involve themselves in those type situations, but I guess if they grew up surrounded by kids that would..peer pressure could very possibly win out. Just one more reason I love home schooling...I know my kids oh so much better than I would if they spent the majority of their days away from home.

Honestly, the only drawback to home schooling that I see (and struggle with) is the guilt from knowing my kids don't have as many friends as they would in a public school setting. They don't lack for friends, but I guess being a product of public schools myself, I can remember knowing just oodles and oodles of other kids.

 

[Chelly]

I think the friends thing might be a problem for us (when we move) its a tiny little town, not even sure there are very many kids there at all.
I didn't have tons of friends at school, just one or two - and I'm still mostly like that today, I know lots of people, but only stick to a couple of good friends.
I just hope there is a way for my kids to connect when we get there.... perhaps an email buddy or two could also kinda fill in the gap.

 

[AccidentalFarm]

How old are your kids? I've kind of been thinking the same thing for my two. My daughter is 9 and my son is 15 in July. Email pen pals would be great for them.

 

[Chelly]

Mine are younger....

My son is 7 my daughter is 3....

My son can handle a computer and type (VERY SLOWLY - like his dad

)

 

[carla]

We have been homeschooling for ten years now. Our oldest just went to 10th grade at the local Catholic HS this year. He had abs. no trouble jumping in and doing work. He had all honors classes and one AP history class. In fact, he is disapointed at the lack of enthusiasm (putting it mildly) of the other students.

We do not actually "use" the chickens in homeschooling, but homeschooling takes place all the time, not just "school hours". The kids learn by helping with the chores, watching what a healthy chicken acts like, marveling at a fresh laid warm moist egg..... We did study birds this year, and I based some of our study on chickens - since we can get up close and personal. We raised out thanksgiving turkey this past holiday, and just brought home 6 ducklings - so it was neat to compare and contrast.

We also have rabbits and 2 pot belly pigs, plus the gardens. So science is our whole life somedays.

Carla

 

[65browneyes]

I've just gotten home from what I consider to be a lynching by my middle school son's teachers who assure me "they've done their job" this past year. HOWEVER, my straight A honor roll student is failing his classes. Not because his grades have fallen, but because he has missing assignments from as far back as April. (I went there thinking I was meeting just his homeroom teacher and principal, but all 5 teachers and principal were there. DH would have gone too, had we known.)

I've been in contact with his teachers, his principal, etc, all year asking that they, PLEASE, watch him, watch for ANYTHING out of the ordinary, and please let me know. I've gotten NOTHING from them, with exception of one phone call early this school year. I've seen the teachers throughout the year, asked how he was doing. "Oh, he's great, what a great kid." is what they've said. No reflection of problems on report cards, progress reports, etc.

Until now. Now, when I express taking issue with the fact they didn't think these missing reports and "F"s warranted a phone call, all they can say is "we've done our job".

In all fairness, we've had a heck of a year with illnesses, cancer scares, both grandma's facing possible death, grandpa's death in January, my oldest son (the 22 yr old) being assaulted, robbed and left for dead in February. That's why I've been on the teachers (or thought I was, anyway) to watch the 13 yr old.

After this meeting, I feel confident that homeschooling is the ONLY option for my child. He'll not return for 8th grade there next year, and my daughter will NOT go there at all. This is the only public middle school in the area, and the other, smaller, charter-type public schools are not options to us.

I just had to vent. Sorry, but thanks for letting me let it out. I'm glad to read all the positive experiences regarding homeschool, and I may well tap into any or all information I can get from all of you.

 

[hipmarye]

If y'all don't mind I love to post (and see others post) sites that helpful for homeschooling or is that too off topic?

 

[Chelly]

I guess its a little OT - but so many of us are getting such useful tips, and its seems there are a lot of "chicken farmers" homeschooling their children!

 

[Grace Boyer]

'Honestly, the only drawback to home schooling that I see (and struggle with) is the guilt from knowing my kids don't have as many friends as they would in a public school setting. They don't lack for friends, but I guess being a product of public schools myself, I can remember knowing just oodles and oodles of other kids.'[/quote

AccidentalFarm,
Don't worry about the friends issue. When they're at home you have so much more freedom to choose who your kids spend time with than just whoever happens to be in their class.
I don't have 'oodles' of friends, as I might have in school-although I am somewhat shy, so I might not have a lot anyway-but the ones I have are good ones, and you know you can trust them.
We had a neighbor girl a few years ago that went to the public school, and she once told me ''All my friends are brats.'' The way I see it, the church is a much better place to make friends than school. Plus, with homeschooling, there's the added benefit of being able to make friends of different ages than your own.

 

[TitiBebbs]

OKAY! I've read every single post in this thread and as a single mom of a 10 y/o boy and a full-time fifth grade teacher, I have to say, I am envious of all of you who CAN homeschool. This year, ds and I moved to a small rural town 400 miles from where I grew up in So. Florida. I had such high hopes when placing him in a SMALL school of 200 children (PK - 5) since we came from schools of 1,200 - 1,800 children. I figures (incorrectly) that he'd get more personal attention from the small class and added benefit of switching teachers for math and science would allow him (a very active yet not ADHD boy) the chance NOT to annoy his teacher all day. My boy has always been top of the class, first one done accurately with work. The teachers and I had arrangements for extra work for Andrew and so on. See, I "Homeschool" him over the summers and he's just always been ahead of his peers.

As mentioned I teach. I teach in the same district as my son attends but at a different school. I try to keep ds at a separate school for 2 reasons. First, I don't want a "staff kid." This is the child who teachers feel obligated to report on just because you are there. and Second, I try to teach at schools where I am most needed; those schools with children who need my style of VERY FIRM, VERY STRICT, VERY INTENSIVE teaching and discipline. Those schools most don't "want" their children to attend but sometimes have to. This school serves ALL the middle school students (except private and of course homeschooled) and elementary students (1,600 in total) in the county. back on topic: I teach my class as loosely as possible with 22 children, but I incorporate many of the homeschooling strategies as feasible, like topic based-whole learning lessons. Small groups of children working together to assist one another freeing me up to meet with smaller groups and/or individual students, etc.

Boy was I mistaken! First, I heard from the teachers once in Dec. via a note stating that he was spending his 'pocket-change' on candy at the school's holiday store then eating it AT LUNCH and bouncing off the walls for the 20 minutes before going to PE/recess. I handled this and felt confident that all was well, since I heard nothing more. In Jan. I took a day off to do something and when I called the school to arrange to pick Andrew up a little early, I was told he was in Internal Suspension for 2 days because he'd been acting up. When I got to the school and spoke to the principal and the sub (friend) for whom he'd acted up that morning, I learned that his teacher had been having problems with him for several days and he'd been warned that AM to behave or else he'd get a referral. HELLO? Where was the phone call telling me there was a problem?!?!? OH but that's not all. I called and wrote and NOTHING. Ds has complained about his teacher saying things/bullying him as well as other kids at the school and though I told him to work it out, it continued. Again I called and tried to make contact, but . . . Finally I wrote to the superintendent and guess what! I heard from the teacher today-after I already put in for a school transfer (he'll be coming to my school and in my class if I have my way) and she gave me attitude because I believed my son. I mean after months of the same complaints to which I DID NOT give him encouragement, I think it is safe to believe at least some of his claims. OH I AM LIVID! In addition to all this, his academic performance has decreased dramatically.

So, backj to the original topic, HS and fowl. I've read every post and took many notes. I start summer homeschooling in 6 days adn you know I will be chicken schooling my boy and possibly his "twin cousin" this summer and boy do I have my work cut out for me-well at least until July when Dad and new wife take him on vacation to NYC. I've got to get him caught up to where he was and then ahead to where he should be. I've gotten so much great information on this one thread and again I am super envious of all of you who can homeschool full-time.

Hope I didn't go on for TOO long, I had to vent and don't have many adult friends up here yet.

beth