Last night I couldn’t fall asleep
Aug 24, 2007 Book work, Homeschooling, The Story of My Life, Writing
I thought about all the things that are worrying me, I thought about all the things I wish I’d gotten done yesterday, I thought about all kinds of things I might want to write about on here. Like:
1. When and how I realized that the tracking in school was classist (seventh grade).
In sixth grade there were kids from all three (four?) of our district’s elementary schools in the Talented and Gifted pull-out program. Once a week they bussed us to another school and we did enrichment activities. In seventh grade they started pulling us out for a weekly Dungeons and Dragons playdate (heh) but 1/3 of the original TAG kids were missing and in their places were some of the richer kids. I knew that KB wasn’t all that smart (gifted kids know from other gifted kids) but she was way rich. I knew sure as hell she wasn’t as smart as BT, one of the girls who was gone. I came home and asked my mother what the hell was going on and she said, “Her parents must have called and raised a fuss.” I have no idea if that’s what they did but I do know that KB and the rest of the TAG latecomers were put on the college track and the smart but poor original TAGers were shuffled off to Tech school in tenth grade.
2. How Noah recently said, “I might be thinking about school sometime” meaning he’s thinking about going.
That’s the first time in five years of homeschooling that anything like that has crossed his lips. Next year will be his last chance for awhile because it’ll be his last year of elementary school and there’s no way in hell I’m sending him to middle school as his first public schooling experience. (Although the alternative middle school that just popped up in our district looks great, it seems unfair to send a homeschooler into the melee of hormones that is seventh/eight grade. Talk about setting someone up for disaster!) But you know, for all people doubt this — I think sending him to school sounds WAY more hectic and crazy-making for the family than keeping him home. I wouldn’t try to talk him out of it — he’s of an age where his wants matter an awful lot when it comes to school — I’m going to work hard to prepare him this year so whatever he wants to do he CAN do.
3. How hard it is to get a first draft onto paper (computer screen).
I can take notes for days, do my research, write up outlines but eventually I have to write. The first draft is usually (not always — there are those blessed times) wrenchingly difficult to write because no matter how much preparation I do, I don’t really know what it is I’m going to say. Right now I’m working on my chapter outline because I have to finish it to finish my chapter and this is some hard stuff. Satisfying, mind you, but damn hard. But until I get it done I’m going to feel yucky.
August 24th, 2007 at 11:58 am
When I was writing my thesis I used to get up a 5 a.m. to work on it before starting my work day. It was such a shock to my body to be awake, it’s like I had no choice but to write.
August 24th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
I remember the tracking so well from junior high school; I had to be pretty tenacious to not get stuck in the “business” track rather than the college track, and as it was, the guidance counselor sabotaged my foreign language goals (which haunts me to this day, as speaking Spanish would help me sooo much in my career.)
Also, I agree with homeschooling being less work than sending a kid to school; I have so many more things to keep track of, people to talk to, meetings to attend, etc., than I did as a homeschooling parent, and there’s no chance to shove it aside if we need a mental health day. But yeah, people never believe that, because they just think being home with their kids all day = chaos. I miss it so much :/
August 25th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
7th grade is usually the only place in our school that we have consistent openings. We always have at least one homeschooler (last year it was 2) join our ranks. These kids seem to do really well coming into school as a 12 or 13. The newness of being schooled seems to really appeal into “I want to feel more grown-up.” Socially they seem to make friends as well as everyone else. You couldn’t tell the homeschooled kid apart from the others. We have a really small 7-8 program (52 students) that is unique, but it can work. Maybe your alternative school would work as well, and you could hold Noah off for a few years if you feel it’s the right thing to keep homeschooling.