Monday, August 18, 2008

Homeschooler Profiling



Unlike the TSA, I am excellent *profiler*. (See my previous post on that. My profiling skills were also on display at the end of this, very old post.)

The other day I was at the playground with my kids. It was 6pm and there weren't many people left. One particular woman there I noticed was discussing with her four children what the overhead clouds were called. Cirrus? Stratus? Definitely not cumulus or nimbus.

Something was going on here. Moms don't frequently have this type of high-brow dialogue with their kids - no less on the playgounds. Usually there they are chatting it up with the other parents, talking on their cellphones, or, if anything, yelling at their kids to share.

After eventually speaking to the young lady, I discovered that she was also a (partial) homeschooler - a very rare animal in Massachusetts.

We had a great discussion while our kids SOCIALIZED in the playground. Her brood was older and she eagerly shared her homeschooling experience and recommendations with me (Singapore Math, Noeo Science, Stanford University's Educated Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY), and Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY).

It's a pretty harsh statement on society that this young lady and her public edification stands out. I myself am always stopping at signs on the street while my son tries to read them. While bystanders always smile and take notice, I have yet to see any other parents doing the same. When is someone going to write a blog post about me?

Just so you know, or, remember:

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

starting to come around. Your posts have influenced me and got me reading and thinking about different things. I don't think we will "homeschool" per se, but we will be taking a different approach with the kids and their education. Actually, I already have been. My wife is going to be staying home come October so that will be the first step. Already our sons daycare is molding him in ways that maybe he, or we, are not necessarily comfortable with.

I would love to say home, but being self employed I don't have that option. Company is not really salable.

Slow out

CaptiousNut said...

I did see some potential in you way back!

My son comes back from *summer camp* all riled up and far crankier than he usually is.