Confession: I was Home Schooled

Folk knowledge is defined as anything learned outside of formally established educational institutions. I received most of my elementary education directly in my home. My mother proved to be an excellent teacher.

 I was homeschooled until I entered the fifth grade (when we moved back to the States). My mother had to raise three kids, all of whom she was homeschooling. So, she often had to split her time between us, focusing more on the younger students who needed the constant attention. Part of my curriculum was mandated by the state, hence the tedious workbooks. Every day I would have scheduled workbook pages to complete. I dutifully filled out these never ending worksheets day after day, but I think I learned the most during our one-on-one sessions. The funny thing about learning from my mother was that it never felt like learning. Learning was something that you did on your own, reading books and solving problems. I distinctly remember testing different objects to see if they would float, racing to see who knew their multiplication tables better, and reading out loud to each other. Just living life was a learning experience.

My entrance into public school was a disaster. All of a sudden, being able to verbally express an idea was worthless if I couldn’t turn it into an essay. Test questions no longer allowed for creative answers. I was limited to only a few choices. A, B, C, or D. Worst of all, I was introduced into the competitive world of academic learning. Only an A grade could satisfy my appetite for achievement. I was determined to do all that I could to beat out my classmates. I remember staying up late into the night solving difficult math problems with my dad, so frustrated that I could barely hold back tears but determined not to go to class the next day without the correct answers. Even in the fifth grade, I sacrificed fun and sleep to make the grade and triumph over my peers. I spent hours revising essays written by hand, erasing until I wore holes through the paper and had to start over on a clean sheet. Institutionalized learning was not kind to me.

Eventually I came to better understand the system and could more easily pass written exams, complete group projects and quickly identify “important” information that a teacher could quiz us on. My thirst for knowledge was quenched as learning became an entirely structured activity. Stressful. Rigid. Standardized. For me, my fifth grade year is significant because it is the year that learning became a chore.

Although educational institutions provide incredible opportunities to learn, I think we should rethink the method. If one could simulate in a school the type of education that one receives from his mother, then our children would have a different outlook on life and learning. We could encourage creative thinking, teach moral principles, and invoke a never-ending thirst for knowledge.  I may not currently have the solution, but I definitely want to be a part of it.