A graduate is writing her dissertation on home schooling and was looking for someone to help out with some info...
Dear Angela
I am writing in response to your husbands email. Thank you very much for your answer.
As I said before, I am writing on my dissertation about homeschooling. At the moment I am graduating the Fachmittelschule in Altdorf in the kanton Uri. I decided to write my dissertation about homeschooling because I am looking forward to study at teacher training college in September next year.
I am looking for a family who is practicing homeschooling and who is willing to answer a few questions..
Attached, please find the interview in a word-document.
I would be very happy if it would be possible to answer a postal interview.
yours faithfully
R H
My reply to her questions:
Interview with a homeschooling parent
Name and Surname: Angelina S. Butler
Country: Switzerland
Age: 32
1.How many children do you have?
I have five children.
2.How long have you been doing homeschooling?
I grew up learning how to teach as my mother schooled her nine children at home. I helped her out with the younger ones when I finished my daily studies, and then once I finished 10th grade, I began to teach my younger siblings on my own, with supervision.
I had my first child at 20, and started homeschooling my own children right from the start.
I also had experience teaching larger groups of children in coop-homeschooling situations. That is where a few families work together to educate their children with the various subjects being taught by different parents and where the children are grouped in similar grades.
3.What is the reason you chose homeschooling over public school?
I like the close supervision the children receive and the one to one interaction which is not possible in a classroom of 15+ children.
Because each child is different and absorbs what they learn in different ways, are better at some subjects then others, and work at varying speeds, schooling at home enables me to map out their curriculum according to their needs and abilities. They can work at their own pace, and if one gets stuck on something and needs extra attention, I can afford to give it to him and help him thoroughly understand what he is learning. In a large classroom environment, those who are very quick, get bored and the result of that is they cause trouble, and the ones who are slower feel frustrated because they can't keep up, or they get lost in a problem because there was not that extra help needed and the result of that is poorly educated children.
4.What are your experiences concerning your children, their schooling achievement and their social behavior in connection with homeschooling?
As I said above, each child is different, and some of my children were very quick in picking up facts and learning something new, while some took longer. I had made the mistake of expecting my boys to follow the same basic plan as my oldest daughter did, but they did not have that capability so I slowed things down. However, all my children are ahead for their ages and show sufficient aptitude in their studies.
Their social behavior is quite normal. They make friends easily both with children their own age and adults who show interest in them and their lives.
We have currently put them in sports and music classes with the local school, and they had no problem adjusting to the new teachers or a larger group setting, it being a first for them.
5.What are your experiences with the government and teachers? Have they accepted your wish to teach your children on your own or did you have to fight for your idea?
For the most part it has been accepted without problem in the various countries I have lived in. In Switzerland, homeschooling is not very common or popular with the government. I have done homeschooling in three different Cantons, Vallis, Aargau and Zurich. Zurich was the toughest, mainly because they had recently changed the laws which made it difficult for anyone to legally home-school their children.
We have just moved again to Aargau, and the local school board has been very accommodating with our requests. I teach at home and we are able to send our children to extra curricular classes. The main request of the local school officials is that we follow the Aargau curriculum, which is basically the same as what I do, and with a few little adjustments, I will be able to adapt to it easily.
Many officials have the view of home education as workbooks laying around the house, no curriculum or structure, teaching happening anywhere from the kitchen counter to the bedside table, and general disorder, but there are some parents who view being a home educator as a profession and are moving it into a new realm where there is structure, proper locations for schooling with all the equipment needed, schedules, portfolios, a curriculum, and forward planning.
6.What have you experienced in your circle of friends? Did they support you and your family or have there been negative reactions?
The majority of people find home education an intriguing subject and are often interested to see how it is done. I have not yet come across negative reactions from anyone. Neighbors have come to visit to see the classroom, what we teach, what the children do, and many have been impressed with what they have seen.
7.Would you recommend homeschooling to other families? If yes, under which circumstances?
I would recommend homeschooling for any parents who would like to be more in touch with their children's education.
I highly recommend coop-homeschooling, as that gives more flexibility in juggling teaching, house work and everyday things that have to get done. If that is not possible, then it requires a fair bit of forethought as to how to set aside time to focus on the teaching, as well as keep up with home life. How large a family is, how many pre-school aged children there are and how many are being taught at home, plays an important part in determining the feasibility of home schooling, and the needs of all the children should be taken into consideration.
All that aside, however, being a home educator, with all its sacrifices, is well worth it, and has been proven to be a solid alternative to secular schooling. 1
8.Anything you would like to add?
Some advice: have a good plan ahead of time, do home work first and research what the requirements are, what is needed, which curriculum would be used, which text books/workbooks to get, and set down goals for what one would like to accomplish for the year ahead. At the same time, plan for the unexpected, so that any unnecessary stress can be avoided.
Keep a good portfolio. It does not have to look fancy or be complicated, but keeping records, samples of the children's school work, photos of activities or field trips, and art work, helps make home education more credible in the view of the school authorities.
1 http://parenting4dummies.com/home-schooling/homeschooling-versus-public-schools.html
http://www.conservativefront.com/2004/12/03/homeschool-vs-public-school/
Her reply to my answers:
Dear Angela
Thank you for your reply. I was quite fascinated by your answers, I really think they are perfect for my dissertation.
If you don't mind, I would like to ask a few more questions.
You said that you have been raised with homeschooling yourself. This is very interesting and would bring another perspective into the interview.
I know that I have taken your time long enough, but I would be happy if you could answer some questions about your own experiences with being a homeschooling child. I hope you'll understand the questions, as you have sure noticed, English is not my mother-language :-).
Of course I would understand if this is too much to ask.
With kind regards,
R H
I love a good, organized, well set-up classroom. Who wouldn't... :-) On our property is a little summer house, which we turned into a classroom.
Always dreamed of having something like that. And the children love it because they feel like they are actually going to school. It also helps them not get distracted by everyday home life happenings.
Many people, especially here in Switzerland, equate home school with books laying all over the house, teaching around the dining room table, kitchen counter or bedroom floor, with no order or structure, no records...well I am proving them wrong.
I have always believed in having structured, well organized school time, in an environment that exudes education and knowledge. Once that is in place, you can have all the fun in the world.
Homeschool education is a profession and we should show that to the world by being professional in how we educate our children.
We've moved to a new location. Been so busy with that, setting up and starting school I have had no time to post...will get around to something as soon as possible, but a good quote to leave off with till next time...
having a schedule and planner is a must, but don't be afraid to deviate a bit and use inspiration when teaching
example..was reading with my 6, 8 year old a story and it talked about Muslims, so we took a pause googled Muslims, printed a few pertinent pictures and made a simple page to insert in their SS notebooks.
How I put together a simple yet impressive portfolio.
a. I use the 6 week assignment list, with their school to do's written on it, as a school log. I simply readjust it by filling in additional things done and updating, in case they missed something, and then print this out every 6 weeks. At the end of the year I have a 6 page summary of all they did.
b. I fill out a grade score chart, with the scores from the tests they did each week. So on one sheet I have the the scores written out for the whole school year. (I use the 6-marking-periods-of-6-weeks-each school year division.)
c. I collect all their tests, making sure they are graded and corrected.
d. I look through their books, particularly L.A. or writing, looking for any stories they wrote, essays, creative writing etc and set them aside.
e. I gather their art from the folders we saved them in throughout the year. Together we organize it, frame it or arrange it nicely and place it in plastic sheets.
f. I make a one page summary of all they learned that year, such as: adding fractions, N-V sentences, road safety, of course split up into their respective subject frames.
g. Once I have it all set aside, I place everything in a folder. First the diploma/certificate(which the children get after completing school), then the summary, the grade score chart, then each subject following the other etc. along with their art.
h. Lastly I look through our photo archives, taking all photos pertaining to school/projects/activities and make a scrap book style page(s) and put that as well in plastic sheets and in the folders. 
Quite simple, does not take up too much time, but does the trick. School officials who have seen them were very impressed.
However, I am always on the lookout for new and better ways to do things. How do you work your portfolios? Any interesting ideas?
School year ends for us this weekend. Every year we have some form of celebration. The past few years we made a home graduation party. This year will be different. How, I do not know. It is still in the planning stages...I know I am not keeping up here...the boys said they wanted to go camping. We'll see!!
What have you done for your end-of-the-year celebrations?
Made a thank you card today for someone who gave us flowers for our garden. Was planning a simple card with my 4 year old. Ended up a 3 hour job, with some help from my 11 year old as well.
-Get up and look out of the window for one full minute. Look at something so closely that you could describe it in detail.
-Stand and do some stretches.
-Close your eyes and imagine something relaxing or special.
-With your eyes closed, deliberately relax one muscle at a time, starting at the top of your head and finishing at your toes.
-Re-live your greatest achievements.
-Take a walk. The quieter and more attractive the place the better.
-List ten things you would like to do this week, this year or in your lifetime. Keep the list readily available so that you can remind yourself.
-Surround yourself with pleasant things such as flowers and green plants.
-Keep at least one day a week free from work.
-Allow time to switch off before going to bed.
-Relax at lunch time as often as possible.
---From '100 Essential Lists for Teachers' by Duncan Grey
My personal stress busters
-Take a step outside and get some fresh air. Breath deep for a minute or two.
-Stop everything for one minute, and you and the students sit together quietly.
-During bathroom breaks, stay an extra minute to wash your face, drink some water and reflect.
-Look for the positive in your students throughout the day. Especially a tough day.
-While the students are studying on their own, sit, lean back and close your eyes for a minute or two.
1. I get to be with my kids all day.
2. I am the one who sees them read their first word and write their name for the first time.
3. I know what they are being taught and have full say about it.
4. I get to have one on one time with them and help them understand what they are learning.
5. We can improvise and make use of that sunny day in the middle of the week.
6. I get hugs in the middle of school hours.
7. I am able to pace my children and do whatever works best for them to learn.
8. There are no failing grades. Learning is the highest grade.
9. I don't have to worry about my children being abused, beat up, or sold drugs.
10. I get to put my imagination to work at creating interesting learning experiences, and do them.
Here are a few of my favorite pieces of Kay's latest art:
Water colors and acrylics
Pen sketching, colored with pencils
Pastels
The next few are watercolors
Acrylics with PVC to make it shiny
Looking back over my time as a teacher, the number one key to success that comes to mind is: planning ahead. Many homeschool parents have stressed themselves out because of poor planning and not thinking ahead.
This is elementary when it comes to teaching, but it's amazing how many overlook this small, but consequential point.
How I plan ahead:
March/April: order the books needed, gather art and school supplies
April,May: plan out the basic curriculum for each child (I have 4 in school)
June,July: divide the curriculum into periods and weeks
August: ready for school. (In the oft chance that there is an unexpected occurrence, I have a one month buffer.)
The rest of my planning I do throughout the year. I prepare the next period at least 3 weeks before it is due, and I work on the portfolios as soon as the period starts. Great for keeping records up to date and not missing out on any pertinent information, or stressing, which often happens when letting it stack up.
Being a stay-at-home mom who teaches her kids is challenging. I have done it for the past 10 years, starting at baby hood and on into, now, 7th grade.
I have found things that work and things that flop. My teaching methods and 'battle' tactics would either make you smile or make you cry. Progress is sometimes snail like and at other times a galloping horse would be hard pressed to keep up. I am on top of the world or in the bottom of a ditch. But come what may, I would never trade it for anything.
And that's the reason for this blog. A place where I can share my woes and my triumphs, and give a glimpse into the often unseen life of a homeschool mom.