this is my dilemma right now and i think this remains as one of my major concerns until next year when iñigo is ready for a formal schooling. i should be thankful though and consider myself lucky as i have other options now other than sending my kid to a traditional school. but the downside of having many choices--i can't figure out which one is the best for the little boy and for us too as parents should also be 100% involved in their kid's education.
allow me to tackle these two modes of learning and the potential benefits we're banking on, alongside my concerns and the setbacks i foresee:
homeschooling
it was jude who introduced me to the idea of homeschooling as he was fascinated on how some millionaires in the US homeschool their kids instead of sending them to private schools, which they can greatly afford. i have faint recollection on why i entertained the idea and researched further but it's this link that made me convince that homeschooling is a good, if not, a better option for our son's education:
http://catholicfilipinoacademy.com/cfa/10principles.php
though we are not equipped with 18 units in education, we have what his future teachers lack and that is full knowledge of our son's capacity. i bet it would still take time for them to know that iñigo is more "words smart" than "numbers smart". but more than anything else, my son is "body smart". i am making this assessment because i don't want to end up like the other parents who put pressure on their kids to excel on academics when in fact, their kids really can't because their intelligence doesn't dwell in science or math but in arts or sports. both the parents and the kids just end up frustrated. but hopefully, with the help of homeschooling, i can gauge my son's strengths and weaknesses and try other teaching approach so i can deal with the latter more effectively.
also, i see homeschooling as a medium to discipline me or jude (take note: it's us and not the kid) to set aside real quality time for our kid for two to three full hours a day. that's a lot of real bonding moment for us, don't you think?
and how can i forget... homeschooling is the cheapest as there's only a little tuition, no uniforms, no school bus, no baon, etc. we can have the flexibility on where to put our money for iñigo's development/
my only concern with homeschooling is, "can i do it?" (i will definitely be the teacher here) or do i have the mastery of the subject to teach my son the lessons infallibly. aside from this is my patience is also questionable and i can be really mean to iñigo when he's acting up or becoming extra-naughty. it may just defeat the purpose i have mentioned a while ago and instead of becoming closer to me, iñigo may see me more as the "tyrant mom". hehe.
waldorf school
i learned about waldorf or steiner education from the n@w group as someone brought it out for discussion. i became more interested and followed the thread on this topic. for some of you who are clueless on what's waldorf schooling is all about, here's a little backgrounder i got from wikipedia:
"The Waldorf approach emphasizes the role of the imagination in learning,[3][4][5] developing thinking that includes a creative as well as an analytic component.[6][7] Studies of the education describe its overarching goal as providing young people the basis on which to develop into free, moral[8][9] and integrated individuals,[10][11][3] and to help every child fulfill his or her unique destiny (the existence of which anthroposophy posits).[2][12] Schools and teachers are given considerable freedom to define curricula within collegial structures.[13]
Waldorf schools approach learning in early childhood through imitation and example.[27][28] Extensive time is given for guided free play in a classroom environment that is homelike, includes natural materials and provides examples of productive work in which children can take part;[21] such an environment is considered by Waldorf pedagogues to be supportive of the physical, emotional and intellectual growth of the child through assimilative learning.[28] In Waldorf schools oral language development is addressed through songs, poems and movement games. These include daily story time when a teacher usually tells a fairytale, often by heart.[22] Waldorf kindergartens and lower grades discourage exposure to media influences such as television, computers and recorded music, as they believe these to be harmful to cognitive development in the early years.[24][29]"
what i like best about waldorf education is it doesn't push the kids to learn everything at an early age. it enhances first the kids' love, ar at least the curiosity to learn. the pace of learning is more relaxed than in any other school. i also like it's principle regarding electronic media exposure particularly television and dvds, as i believe that nothing beats the mother-kid interaction when it comes to learning.
now here goes my concerns...
as you can see some of waldorf school's principles seem to be a tall order for us and i don't think we can adjust with the lifestyle it offers. i already visited the waldorf school near our place and i admit everything is ideal--the ambience is so serene, teacher-student ratio is only 1:10 at the most, no tv and other electronic devices for the students, the toys are all made of wood or indigenous products, the clippings in their bulletin board are encouraging the parents to eat non-fat foods and use only organic products in their households--and we are not sure if we have a place on this kind of system.
jude winced on the idea that he can no longer watch tv and eat junkies as we must set an example to our son if he's already enrolled in that school. so there's the question again, "can we do it?" tuition is no longer an issue as we think that the rates of other progressive schools in manila are 50-100% pricier. it's the change in lifestyle that we think we are not yet ready to take.
so which one of these schools? mini mini mini mo... =)
