Last week's conversation was really good and I enjoyed hearing everyone's thoughts on it. Education is a huge topic and just gets more personal when you're talking about your progeny. Many others gave some of their schooling background, so here's my context.
For first and second grade, I went to Eakin Elementary. It's the age I was when I filmed this. Because I was young and not as socially adept, I did second grade again at Woodmont Elementary (there's a park there now). We then moved to the Green Hills area and I went to Glendale Elementary from third to sixth grade. I then went to JT Moore Middle for two weeks and then transfered to Caldwell Middle Magnet (now Meigs). And for high school, Hume Fogg Academic.
I then wanted a fairly small college and one that had a Christian orientation (and honestly, I thought God wanted me to show all the Pharisaical hypocrites in the Church of Christ how to be a real Christian), so I went to Lipscomb University. And on one hand, I really pitied people that I called K through Life, people that went from Kindergarten through college. My feeling was that when "they" got out into the "real world," they were in for a terrible shock. This is also another reason that I'm not thrilled with the idea of the kids in a private school.
Now the consideration could be made that I wasn't either. Not only did I go to academic magnet schools from 7-12 grades, I went to a private school for college, and then taught in an academic magnet school for six years. I never really experienced "real life" until I got into the business world. And honestly, I think Sheryl and I would be very, very happy with our kids in a magnet school setting. I got a lot out of it myself.
Well, that's a lot more rambling, and perhaps more than you wanted to know about my educational background. Hopefully some video next week of Connor taking some steps...
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4 comments:
Phil, I was out of town last week and am just catching up on your education conversations. IMHO, education is a very personal decision for each child in each family. I know you all are praying about it--because it really is a huge decision. I don't believe there's any one perfect answer--all alternatives have issues.
We sent all 3 of our children through public school. We believed that was what God wanted for them. Their high school had gangs in it--but I believe God protected them. PH and I believed that academic education is just a part of the education we wanted for our children--we wanted them to love all kinds of people--even the ones quite different from themselves. We didn't want them to feel better than anyone--and ready to share God's love with all.
I think it's very important to stay super involved with their education wherever they go to school.
I could write more--but this is YOUR blog!
Bottom line, if you end up homeschooling or using private school--I would support and encourage you. What bothers me is when Christians decide their way of educating their children is the only way. I think we should all support each other in the way God leads us for our children--trusting He knows the best for each of them.
Blessings!
So, are you saying you are more socially adept now?
I know your dilemma. We love Chloe's school but we are thinking of holding her out and home-schooling her rather than yanking her out a few weeks in to move.
Hey everybody, Phil had the game-winning hit in the bottom of the last inning last night in our softball tournament to propel us into the finals.
"Clutch" continued his hitting flurry in the finals, but it wasn't enough to make up for the rest of our dismal bats, and we fell in the finals. Way to go Phil!
Daren
~Public K in Goodlettsville(Goodpasture didn't have K at the time)
~Private 1st
~Then back to Goodlettsville Elem for 2nd - 4th
~5th grade and Caldwell Magnet! (Same year you started there, although you don't think you met me until four years later.)
I loved that there were people like me there (culturally and socioeconomically different, but they GOT me, you know.)
When I went back to the "regular" public school mid-sophomore year, it was complete culture shock. Clothes and hair really mattered there. It was easy to make A's there. It was HARD to make friends there. It took two years before I really felt I had good friends, and then it was almost time to graduate.
Wish I'd stayed at the Frog. But then I wouldn't have followed the boyfriend to Tenn. Tech, and I wouldn't have met Rob, and my life would have taken some other path -- I just can't imagine what it would have been.
Our kids are in private school, as Rob said last week; but more important than the type of schooling they have is that they have friends who "get" them, that they're in an environment where clothes are NOT the most important thing, that they know how to handle themselves in out-of-school settings as well as in-school, and that they are surrounded by leadership that will aid us as parents in our goals of laying the strongest foundation of faith for them that we can.
We don't expend a lot of energy in the process of sheltering. Julianne and Joey are getting to the age where they hear words, phrases, or concepts that I'd be satisfied for them not to know; however, when they ask to have those things explained, we do it. Yes, their school is run on Christian teachers and only employs Christians, but many of the students do not come from church-going families or do not hold the same values that we do.
Even when it's difficult, I'm thankful for issues that come up now that we can help them think through. We only have so long.
I'll stop my novel now.
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