A Personal Philosophy of Education

I've been asked recently by several people how I plan to educate my own children. This is something (being a teacher) that's been given a lot of thought. My husband and I have many wonderful conversations about how we plan to raise our future children, and their education is a high priority for us.

As a little girl, my parents were highly active in choosing my education. I've attended public and private schools, as well as being home schooled for several years. Having been in all three settings has given me a unique opportunity to see and experiences all sides. That being said, as in all things, there are pros and cons for each side. It is my personal opinion that all three options can be a good or viable means for educating your children depending on where you live. Here are my conclusions:

Public Schools:
The public school system is innately flawed. It is a poorly designed system that continually ends up compromising the education of children. Federal and state mandates, and continual governmental control are poisoning the ability of local school districts to deliver the instructional practices that best fit each community. The end result (for the most part, obviously there are exceptions) is burnt-out teachers and uninterested students.

However, there are many good school districts that despite federal laws work diligently to equip teachers and students with best practices. I happen to work for such a district, although with continual federal involvement I am concerned that it not will be able to stay the tide (but, that's another story.) You will find some of the best, most dedicated, loving teachers in many public elementary schools. I stand in awe of many of these teachers who have stayed teaching in such a broken system and yet remain positive. In a good elementary school, a child could receive a good education and learn how to stand up for their faith from an early age.

I would caution all parents who enroll their children in public schools to personally meet and choose their child's teacher. Also, if at all possible, I would not ever enroll my own child in a public school at the secondary level. Why? To make a long diatribe short: poor teachers + unmotivated students = holding tank that stifles most educational possibilities.

Private Schools:
There are many wonderful private schools in some areas, however there are also many terrible private schools as well. Again, this option all depends on which school you choose. Any school (public or private) should provide children with interactive, hands-on experiences that engage even the youngest learners. A school that uses workbooks (and yes, I don't care if it is a Christian program designed to teach children at their own pace) as the singular teaching method is not a good school in terms of educating children.

However, I would caution parents that sending your child to a private school does not mean that they will not encounter the same experiences that children in public schools encounter. In fact, these experiences will simply happen on a smaller scale. Kids with bad attitudes, disobedient children, and bullies often still reside in private schools. Just because a school is Christian does not mean that your children will be sheltered from the "bad experiences" of public school.

I would love to send my children to a private school if our family can afford it, especially for junior high or high school. Many private schools offer a valuable education to children. The added bonus of private education is that your child can be reinforced outside of the home with Christian teaching and morals. Additionally, private schools are privately funded enabling them to have greater control over educational policies and decisions. It has also been my experience that parents have a greater voice in their children's education at private schools.

Home School:
Home schooling children can be a great option for some families. Parents who home school their children have complete control over their children's education. These same parents have a great responsibility. I would like to commend all the parents out there who take on this challenge and care so deeply about their children's education. Parents who home school have the challenge of training their children, keeping house, as well as choosing good curriculum. My hat is off to all of the homeschooling moms out there. However, I have also seen parents who were unable to juggle the demands of homeschooling to the detriment of their child's education. One of the greatest things about the home schooling option is the ability to tailor each lesson to the individual child, and teach one-on-one. I would love to homeschool my own children and help them learn and grow in areas where the Lord gifts them.

The Importance of Teaching Your Own Children
Regardless of which option we ultimately choose, it is our responsibility to guard and educate our children. Parents should always be involved in their child's classroom life. Parents are in charge of shepherding their children's hearts.

I believe one of the greatest things a parent can teach their child is discernment. Publically, privately, or home-schooled children need to learn from a young age how to live out their beliefs on a daily basis, not simply to blindly follow their parents faith. I believe one of the best times to help children learn to navigate the world is at the elementary age. For example, my mother taught me as early as kindergarten how to request an alternative assignment if a teacher asked me to participate in an activity that I knew was not God glorifying (i.e. write a story about a witch.)

Children need practice from an early age at how to be in the world but not of the world, this type of education can happen in all settings. It is a parents job to help the child learn how to navigate the secular world, not simply shelter them from it until they are older. Please don't take this the wrong way. Of course, I do not mean that children should be able to watch, read, or listen to whatever they want. Parents should absolutely help guard their child's heart and mind. Rather, I am speaking of parents who don't want their children to interact with un-saved friends or encounter beliefs that are contrary to their own. These interactions are some of the best avenues for teaching children how to share and live out their own budding faith.

Our Family's Plans for the Future:
Depending on where we live, we may send our child to public school for elementary school. We reserve the option to homeschool our children if the school or teacher does not meet our standards of education. We would like to send our children to private school for both middle and high school, although we will home school our children if we cannot afford this option.