School Daze

Today, I’m going to share with you two offerings from my 100 stories about me. Neither one is funny, but if you’ll stick around, I’ll try to make it worth your while.
#56 I was homeschooled for kindergarten.
My mom and three friends formed a co-op and they each took a week teach all four four children.
I loved it. Highlights were reading bootlegged photocopied Dick and Jane books and craft time. I once made a little man out of a twig. He had a top hat. Good times…
The next year my mom enrolled me in public school. Perhaps it wasn’t the same beautiful experience for her? I’ll have to ask her about that…

My daughter’s kindergarten experience was much different.
Everyday she got on the school bus at 9:00am and returned home at 4:00pm. She liked school, though she missed me a lot. I missed her too, but I enjoyed having those seven hours of whatever-I-liked.
I didn’t cry when she got on the bus that first day. I smiled, waved goodbye, and then went for a run.
Her school was a national blue ribbon school. They had dedicated teachers and staff. The kids’ test scores were high. I didn’t worry about her education.
But…it did bother me a little that she had such minimal time for play. They had one recess a day and half an hour for free-play centers. The rest of the time was spent in a structured classroom setting. However, whenever I’d think about it, I’d reassure myself by thinking about what a quality education she was getting.
Last August, after an eight week summer break, Girl Wonder began first grade. She promptly informed me that “first grade is the worst grade” because there was no more free-play.
And she also had homework. At least two worksheets per night, four days a week plus spelling words to memorize. It generally took her a half an hour each night to complete.
Her anxiety soared to an all time high. We added weekly appointments with a therapist. Between school, the homework, therapy, piano practice, dinner, dishes and bedtime there was little to no time for play at home either.
She began to have difficulty sleeping. I started giving her melatonin every night. At times, she still had only four or five hours sleep. I woke her and sent her to school anyway. I even sent her sick. Not with a fever, but with colds that she would have liked to stay home and sleep through.
I felt that I had to because it would be difficult for her to make up missed work. She was already in a special reading group because she was “only on grade-level and not progressing quickly enough.”
It was tough.
Then we moved. Her first grade classroom here has a paint center, toys and a fluffy couch for reading. She has two recesses. I walk to pick her up from school at 3:15 everyday. Her anxiety has receded to the point that we stopped going to therapy. We have more time as a family, but I still don’t think it is enough.
There are things that she wants to learn, things that I want her to lean, that we still don’t have enough time for. She wants to know all about Jesus Christ, dinosaurs, astronauts, Albert Einstien and Harriet Tubman. None of those units are being offered in her class right now. The first one never will be.
She wants to learn to sew, knit, bake, and build a doghouse. She summer just won’t be long enough.
She wants to train for and run a 5k. I think her PE class is working on dodgeball.
She wants me to teach her to read and spell and do math really fast.
And…
(Deep breath)
I’ve agreed.
#76 I’m thinking about homeschooling. I’ve decided to homeschool.
Why are you laughing? That wasn’t supposed to be funny.

Since you are still here and you all seem to like drawings, I’ll share one of Girl Wonder’s.
And an original story to boot.

Please note that I have not disparaged public school in any way, shape or form to her or anyone. Our decision to homeschool should not be taken as a slight against the public educational system or those that dedicate their lives to careers therein. I think that principals and teachers are generally wonderful, under appreciated and underpaid people.
The following story apperars to have been heavily influenced by Captain Underpants and The Teacher From The Black Lagoon.

Once there was an angry mob of children. And the mob of children did not like the principal because she was evil, I tell you! She was evil!
Evil principal!
Evil principal!
The End.

Two children are holding frying pans, complete with eggs. The circles represent the rest of the crowd. Though not pictured I am informed that they are holding lunch trays in a threatening manner. Please note that I do not condone the use of kitchen tools and/or cafeteria items as weapons.

Also please note that though the principal appears to be a nun, Girl Wonder has no idea what a nun is. She said she saw one on tv and liked her clothes. And having not been much acquainted with Catholic education, I do not know if a nun is a fitting choice for an evil principal. Though I do think it is a funny one.