No Curriculum Needed
Quiddity again poses some interesting thoughts:
I’m not suggesting that we abandon the use of all published curricula and teaching manuals, but perhaps we should think twice about using them as a default first option. Should we not seek to embody the ideals of education ourselves, making the published curricula and manuals obsolete or at least so inadequate next to the mastery that dwells within our communities of scholarship that they are no longer necessary or desirable?
I do believe the best strength of a specialized-teacher, divided-labor classroom setting is the availability of a teacher who is comfortable presenting information, explaining it, and answering questions independant of a textbook. If the teacher is only regurgitating the book or only enforcing completion of the assignments, the class is worth next to nothing. If that is all that is accomplished in the classroom, it can be more efficiently done at home and the only benefit is peer-pressure (yes, I believe that can be a benefit). In such a class parents are probably enrolling their students so they don’t have to think about that subject (I have had several parents over the years who thought that driving their student to the class was their only responsibility — they didn’t even know whether or not their child was doing his work or what grades he was getting); in such cases, the parents are paying for convenience, and it is a convenience that is possibly not healthy.
A teacher that is worth anything will use a textbook as a launching point, but will know his material beyond the textbook, be interested in it, do extra reading, and will present the information to his students in different language than the book with original examples and illustrations. In such a setting, the textbook is merely a reference or review-book come testing-time that attentive, note-taking students may not need. Such a class is worth rubies, and books read in isolation at home cannot compare to interacting with the information with peers and a knowledgable instructor who will guide discussion, be able to follow and get excited about rabbit trails, and keep his students engaged. A godly teacher, in a God-honoring setting, who knows his stuff is way better than any textbook or boxed curriculum and to be preferred when he is to be had.
That being said, and all firmly held by myself, the post is near-irrelevant to homeschooling. One person cannot be master of all subjects — especially not while also being a wife and mother (her primary roles and responsibilities), cook, janitor, nurse, and laundry-maid. Curriculums in a homeschool setting are essential. However, one should never to be slave to a textbook or curriculum. Encourage, perhaps demand, reading beyond it from the student whenever possible. A mother-teacher is still the schoolmistress, even if she is not a mistress of the subjects; the curriculum should not rule.
You’re very deep, Mystie. :-) I was wondering though – your description of the purpose and value of a teacher sounds really good – especially for older students. I’m not sure that a person with a doctorate in physics would necessarily be any better at doing 5th grade science that somebody else with much less training – it might even be a disadvantage. Little kids don’t need to hate their schoolwork, but it isn’t really necessary that they absolutely love and are thrilled about spelling or handwriting. But for high school students and college students it seems more important – things like Literature and Chemistry that would be much more meaningful with a teacher.
I don’t think a doctorate is necessary for any teacher. For teachers I would count “mastery” as having a proficiency several grades above the level taught (so a 5th grade biology teacher should find Biology 101 a cake-walk, 3rd grade biology teacher should have the competency to test out of high school biology, etc) and, most importantly, a love of the subject. Even if the love isn’t imparted (I don’t think anyone could make me love science), it gives enthusiasm and interest to the lessons and makes them easier to learn. That enthusiasm and interest is important no matter the grade level of the student.
Personally, I would put the importance of a qualified teacher at a lower grade – perhaps 6th, definitely 7th. 6th & 7th grade is where I see laziness and carelessness become rooted habits because not enough is expected of them, then they have to unlearn their bad habits and sloppiness whenever they enter a classroom setting.
I think real deadlines need to be a factor by 11 or 12 along with expectations of neat work; I just don’t know how it would really work in a homeschool setting. We gotta face it, mom does not inspire the same awe in a student as an outside, non-personal teacher. I don’t want my own children to have that same reaction to me, either. That’s why I think there are advantages to having a different person be the primary teacher — beginning at around 3rd grade (9 years old) if I had my ideal setting.
Ahh, the voice of experience. :-) I barely remember being 11 or 12. I remember doing a report on the Spanish Armada – blood, sweat and tears. My mother would take a red pen to it, and I didn’t take that very well. You can see why she wasn’t too inclined to assign too many big writing projects! Yes, a mother can’t necessarily inspire the same awe, or maybe wouldn’t want to – I’ve known a few people who’s mothers did, but I’m not sure I’d want to. I’ve always thought that I’d assign pushups as penance though. “Late deadline? – 200 pushups by tomorrow evening!” That way, if your son can’t write, at least he’d be really built! “Do it right or do it over” appeals to me – exept that that could become an excellent way to extend deadlines until whenever. Hmm… unfortunately, having absolutely no experience home schooling or teaching as yet means that all I’ve got are untried theories (and cloudy memories of being home schooled!). :-)
As far as mastery is concerned, your definition makes sense. Unfortunately, even if one had “mastery” in a particular subject area (say Accounting), it might have all turned to mush by the time you had someone old enough to teach it to!! LOL!
I like the push-ups idea! :)
The doing it until it’s right thing sounds good, but in stuff like writing when do you stop? Writing can always be better, and should perfection be the goal? Perfectly executed math problems are possible, but perfectly grammatical sentences can be poor sentences and high-styled sentences are often grammatically questionable. So I don’t think I’d want to expect perfection or teach that perfection is attainable…or have the headache of trying to decide if the upteenth repetition is finally enough! :) I have also seen students (ok, actually only one, and a few that were close) that are brought to tears if -.5 is taken from their 5-page paper — I don’t want one of those, either!