I usually start my morning with Gifted Homeschoolers Forum, Hoagies‘, Davidson, and a strong cup of coffee. I consider this time, before my children are awake, as my homeschooling professional development.
This morning, GHF posted If We Want Better Students, End the Grading Game, written by Elyse Watkins. Folks, do you ever read an article and see so much of yourself contained therein? I played the grading game throughout my entire schooling. In September, I’d sum up the teacher and class and determine what I needed to do to get that A, and then I’d do that.
And that’s all I would do.
Any teacher would say I was a stellar student. I was in honors level and AP courses and I had excellent grades and conduct. Meanwhile, I daydreamed, doodled in the margins of my notebook, and all too often secretly read something else in the back of the classroom.
Is that learning?
Certainly there were a couple of courses with amazing teachers that stand out in my mind and from which I can recall books read and subjects covered, but this wasn’t the case for the majority of classes. The college I attended had a required four-semester interdisciplinary course, Development of Western Civilization, which met every day. I earned As each semester, but what did I learn? What have I retained?
One of the best parts of homeschooling has been experiencing genuine learning. There is no test looming, no grade to earn. We are exploring what we are interested in and we are all learning together. I am learning alongside Leo and loving it. Throughout our homeschool year, there have been names and dates and terms that ring a bell, somewhere in the recesses of my mind. I can recall having to remember them for a test once, way back when, but I truly couldn’t tell you much about them. I can now, folks! Together, we are learning for learning’s sake. This type of learning goes beyond grades.
What about you guys? What are your experiences with learning and school? Did you play the grade game, or were you able to go beyond and experience in-depth learning? For the homeschoolers out there, do you notice a difference between homeschooling and traditional schooling, with regard to learning? Share here!
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Self-education is, I firmly believe,
the only kind of education there is.
~Isaac Asimov
Yes!! That was so me! (Even through grad school, I’m afraid to say.) Getting away from seeing the “grade as a goal” is one of the things I love about homeschooling. I love that there is no ceiling - no end to what we can learn.
I know! Every now and then I’ll look up what he “should be” learning to make sure we are fine, but it’s something I need to stop doing. He’s obsessed with Story of the World and every now and then I think to myself, “But will he REMEMBER any of this, down the road?” and then I stop and said, “Cait, he’s SIX. He wouldn’t be learning about Alexander the Great in public school. You’re fine!”
Thanks for reading!
Cait Fitz recently posted…Learning for Learning’s Sake: Beyond the Grade
I think it’s sad that both my husband and I always assumed that no one really meets “peers” until they hit their stride in university. The rest-all childhood education-was something that we just had to endure to get to that point. (All I know is that I was a model student-grade accelerated-until I STOPPED smoking weed and realized how horrible the whole game was-dropped out, tested, and went to college…where I made friends who liked to discuss atheist existentialism, too. I can also attest to the fact you can be high and pass AP tests, which is probably not braggable.)
qH recently posted…The enemy of the good
I love this! I had quite a few friends who were probably high when they took the AP test 😉 I agree that you definitely find people more like yourself when you enter high ed.
“One of the best parts of homeschooling has been experiencing genuine learning.” Yes! This is what school should be about! I went to public school and while I was a typical B student, but I hated it. Most teachers wanted you to just sit still, listen, and pass the tests, but there was no encouragement to actually enjoy the process of learning.
Jen @ Fairy Much Fun recently posted…Dare, Dream, Dance!
Exactly! Just muddling through
Cait Fitz recently posted…Today I Threatened to Send Him Back.
Funny I should run across this today. We are on a cruise vacation and my daughter is happily in our room learning chemistry on her laptop. Mind you she loves cruising, but she wants to get ahead next semester in her chem class that she is taking for fun as she is a business major. She has been a unschooler, a homeschooler, attended public and private school, taken a year to learn French as an exchange student and she enjoys it all. Learning is fun for her.
Darleen, I love the image of your daughter, on a cruise, studying chem for fun. That’s such a perfect example of joyful learning for learning’s sake. Best of luck to her in her studies and have a great trip! I’m jealous as we’re FREEZING up here
Thanks! I’m a retired teacher of the gifted. I’m asked periodically what I think of homeschooling. Since I haven’t done it myself personally, I want to be careful about my answer. In my job I saw that it was a very viable alternative for some children, not just identified gifted. I can refer people to articles and blogs like yours. I find myself often drawn to your posts. I usually see them because I love the Gifted Homeschoolers Forum.
Hi Judy,
First, thank you so much for reading our story and sharing your feedback. I’m flattered that you are drawn to my posts, as a gifted educator. Homeschooling was never on my radar when I was a school psychologist and I truly didn’t run into many homeschoolers in the past. It’s funny how life can really throw you a curve ball. It’s been a wonderful learning experience and a blessing. I’m glad I’m on this path although I never would have imagined myself here!
Cait Fitz recently posted…Amazing Creative Writing Prompts: The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
Yep, that was me in school too- desperately waiting to learn something new and cool. I love how I can learn alongside my kids now.
Kathleen recently posted…Living in My Head
Now we can learn all those new and cool things all day long
Thanks for reading, Kathleen!
This is exactly why we homeschool. There are many reasons, but grades and traditional teaching expectations are number one. My husband and I both were “excellent” students that didn’t truly learn. I have three main turning points in my memory about school: 1) As a junior in high school, my science teacher gave me two failing biology students to tutor and challenged me to raise their grades. Even though he was a great teacher (more on this), all I did was teach those two fellow students HOW to take a test. That’s all they needed. I could scan our science book and very intuitively know what the teacher was going to test, and that’s all I memorized. I taught them to do the same. Why learn something, when you really weren’t required too?? And; 2) This same teacher started a Creek Project. We APPLIED science to many aspects of creek, marsh and ocean ecology. It was amazing and is one of my only memories of actually learning something. We got dirty, wet, hiked, caught animals in live traps, submitted our data and kayaked with scientists. Amazing! Oh, and hmmmm, there was only a participation grade. And; 3) In a grad school class, I was studying for a test with my intuitive test taking abilities. I had a sudden, overwhelming sense that “maybe I should learn this subject, since it was what I wanted to do in the job market”. Crazy!
Thanks for a great post!
Emily recently posted…Field Guide Browsing & Study
Hi Emily,
Your post made me smile over here. I think you and I were very similar students. I was always paired with kids who needed to pass the course. It used to stress me out back then but now I understand exactly why the teachers did it. The Creek Project sounds beyond amazing. I would have loved that, too. No wonder you remember it so well years later. Those are the types of learning experiences that all kids need. Thank you so much for sharing your story. I love hearing from others
One of my favorite teachers’, was my world history teacher in H.S.. He was a much older man, due for retirement and always had his thermos filled with coffee. While some of his teaching methods were typical textbook instruction, he did his best to engage with each student and try to make history exciting. Everyone went to his class - meaning, even those that normally would skip class went. He was that good of a teacher. However, when it came to discussing the Nazi Holocaust, he was the best teacher. Sadly, this was because he lived through the holocaust. He even showed us his tattooed identification number. Sometimes, by the end of class, he would have watery eyes due to discussing that time in history and his experience. However, it was all the students’ (even the so called tough ones) that had tears down their face. We were learning on a very deep level. Needless to say, all of us did very well in that class. We were truly learning.
To this day, that teacher of mine has made a lasting impact on my life and my love for and respect of history.
Chills when I read this, Julie. What an amazing experience you all had, listening to those first-hand stories. Chills!