Changing the Game
by Jamie

“…the American educational system today is an anxiety-producing machine. The alarming message it presents is that there is not enough to go around for everyone to be successful. American schools are functioning in much the same way as our national sports teams; there are inevitable winners and losers.” Jennifer Fox, M.Ed.

I read this statement this week and it greatly impacted my thoughts. It is clear that our government schools to some degree pre-program certain children to lose. How sad… are we robbing children of opportunity? I think we are... and I heartily disagree with it! Yes, I know that children learn at different rates, have different interests, and different strengths, but each child should be treated equally in light of opportunity.
When I taught at a private school I occasionally had students in my classes that were diagnosed with learning disabilities. In a public school, they were in a separate “special ed” class and some of them had files larger than my calculus books. Right or wrong… in my class, I treated these children with the same hope and expectation that I treated the other children. Amazingly, in every situation the “special ed” children blossomed. I gave them the same opportunities, the same encouragement, and the same faith that I had for the other children. Faith that told each of them I thought they could do it, and do it well!
The "anxiety producing machine" is part of the reason why I began to homeschool my children. The "game" aspect of our public schools has taught our children that if they don’t conform to the rules they will be thrown from the game. Yet, I believe it is the rules that need to be changed - maybe even the game itself. Children shouldn't have to conform to OUR predetermined product. Children are who they are created to be, yet we can destroy that by trying to force our expectations upon them.
I believe that each child is a winner. No matter how well they do in a particular subject, there are areas in every child’s life that they are strong in. Just because a child doesn’t do well in one subject, doesn’t mean that he isn’t successful in another. I know we’ve talked about this before, in homeschooling our children we realize that some children do better with paper based materials while others enjoy computer based courses. Some children love math – even online math, while others enjoy working with a science program. The foundation of our children’s success depends on how they are encouraged and given opportunities. It is OUR expectations that can profoundly affect a child’s future. Yet, even those expectations need to be balanced - too high and they will feel like a failure when they don't meet them, and too low will cause them to think they can't do anything. An open ended faith that they can do whatever they have strengths for is what will open all the doors of possibility for them.
This is an ongoing controversy. Now that I have touted my opinion... what's yours?