PERSONAL
Coaching & Mentoring
Assessment & Development
Communication & Leadership
Public Speaking & Presentations
BUSINESS
Growth Engineering
Motivational Speaking
Executive Development
Management Consulting
Organizational Restructuring
Communication & Leadership
Advertising & Satisfaction Surveys
Organzational & Employee Development
|
Personal & Professional Development Engine...and More
|
ORGANIZATIONAL AND
EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT
GROWTH ENGINEERING
QUALITY MANAGEMENT
|
Innovative Strategies...Visionary Methodology...Endless Possibilities
The Essential Directions eZine
|
THE HOME-SCHOOLING DILEMMA
Every year, hundreds of parents are being added to the rolls of opting for home-schooling. A primary reason seems to be the lack of confidence in public school teachers - an subject widely debated on national television in the last month. Another viable concern is the rampant drugs & violence in public schools (although we must point out the first fatal school shooting in the U.S. was at a private christian academy in SE Virginia). Those issues notwithstanding, parents are desiring a better education for their children, so here's some good dialogue on the issue:
Many parents swear by home schooling their children, and many children receive a very thorough education with this technique. However, home schooling is not for everyone, and before you make this important decision, it's wise to determine whether you and your child will receive greater benefit from being home schooled rather than attending school in the traditional classroom environment. You'll first want to consider the ways that home schooling will affect your child. Many parents choose not to home school their children because they feel that by doing so, they are isolating their children from other children. Equally, though, it can be argued that children who are home schooled still play and interact with others after school and on weekends. One of the primary questions, therefore, is whether your child will learn better alone or among other children who are learning the same material. As long as your child continues to enjoy a significant amount of social time with other children at or near his or her age, you may find that by home schooling, you'll have the chance to interact together in a way that wouldn't otherwise be possible. Furthermore, your child will receive a learning experience that can cater specifically to his or her learning needs, and you can offer your child greater insight into various topics than a classroom-bound education could accomplish. One of the main struggles faced by parents and children who take part in home schooling is motivation. There are many distractions in a house that are not present in a classroom, such as a television, the Internet, video games, toys, and younger siblings. You need to be able to keep yourself and your child on the right learning track. You must also remember that you will be the teacher, thus, you need to be absolutely certain that you can instruct following standards set by local school authorities, or if in fact it is LEGAL to do so in your state. You should explore this with your local school board - don't expect them to be pleased or overly assitive as they perceive you are threatening their existence in society. Keep cool, be nice and keep asking for the information. Many families find that home schooling can allow for good, effective and stimulating format for children to gain an education. In fact, recent statistics have shown that there has been a substantial increase in the number of families who have chosen to home school their children. That being said, there has also been an increase in the number of children who begin their education as home schooled students, and then move into state education full-time. This doesn't at all mean that home schooling is not effective, but it means that it is not for every child, and sometimes it's impossible to know whether it's right for your family until you give it a try. Before deciding to home school your children 1) Do your research. * Again, check if home schooling is legal in your state or county (it still ins't approved in many jurisdictions) - this is step one! * Talk to your local public education representatives for advice. Guidance from education experts can ensure that you are covering the same curriculum as children who are learning in the classroom. Also, see if you are qualified to teach your children (or if not, what the standards are and how to obtain the credentials). * Explore various online resources that are both in favor of and against the technique. * Talk to other parents that are currently (or previously were) home schooling their children. Learn from their trials and tribulations before making the big decision. 2) Speak to your child or children about what home schooling will entail - are they for it, or will you be getting resistance from day one? 3) Check into home school support groups. Join them or simply attend a session or two to ask questions and get feedback. Home schooling is a viable alternative to traditional academic education, similar to Life Experience Degrees vs. bricks-and-morter institutions. Kudos to those desiring to remove the social stigmas, overcoming the objections and boldly going where only a few have dared. We're in the New Millennium - if we continue what was done in the past without exploring new frontiers, we'll never evolve or improve on life. If you do your homework, you'll discover the best way for your kids to do theirs.
DISCLAIMER: This article is intended to provide good faith information, experienced advice and personal opinions to our readers. Any information contained in this article is not to be considered or construed as specific legal opinions, legal advice or other professional directions, indications or directives for conduct of others. The principals of Essential Directions.com shall not be held accountale for misinformation, errors or omissions, or other liability related to or derived from any information or opinions in this article. Some information may have been taken from other articles, editorials or excerpts of reports in nationally-published periodicals or other media, including the Internet and the Alumni Newsletter of Almeda University. Essential Directions.com may offer seminars on this and other subjects - please call or email us for a program for more information!
|
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE...
Spring has sprung! Winter is over - the flowers and trees are beginning to bloom! So are the vineyards ripening their grapes - as wine lovers ourselves, here is some "vintage" humor to compliment same:
Famous quotes from world-renown wine enthusiasts, past & present:
"A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine (so there, Anita Bryant!), except on a day without sunshine you can still get drunk!" - Lee Entrekin
"I always cook with wine...sometimes I even add it to the food!" - Leslie Duncan
On one occasion someone put a very little wine into a glass, and said it was sixteen years old. 'It is very small for it's age', said Gnathaena." - Athenaeus
"If all vine rows in Austraila were laid end-to-end, they would reach nearly to the moon...but then, how would we pick the grapes?" - John Wilson
"I'm so holy when I drink wine, it turns into water. - Aga Kahn III
I made wine out of raisins so I wouldn't have to wait for them to age." - Steven Wright
-------------------------------------------
A wine tasting group that met once a week acquired a reputation for having wild meetings. A local over-zealous police officer dcecided h ecould make points with the chief by making some serious arrests from this club, so he set us a stake-out on the next meeting night.
Determined to arrest the participant that was the most drunk, the officer waited and assessed each member leaving the party.
The first person exiting appeared rather tipsy - falling down the stairs, getting up and stumbling into a tree then fumbling with his keys and eventually passed out on the lawn. The next person coming out also appeared tipsy, follwed by several others in the same condition, but none quite as bad as the first guy. The officer decided to wait for the first guy, who was awake again and trying his keys in every car in the lot.
After everyone had departed, the first guy finally got into his car, started the engine and drove off. As he exited the driveway, the officer pulled him over and promptly advised the drunk he was under arrest for DUI.
The man insisted upon a Breathalyzer on the spot, to which the officer readily complied. To the officer's amazement, the man blew a 0% BAC. The officer figured he was good at this, so he ordered the man to blow again. Incredulously, the result was the same.
Furious, the officer asked him how he could be so drunk and yet pass the breathalyzer test?
The man strightened his tie, tucked in his shirt and calmly said, "Because, my good Officer Oswald, tonight I'm the Designated Decoy."
--------------------------------------------
Privacy Policy
EssentialDirections.com sincerely respects the privacy of our website visitors, inquiries, prospective and current clients. It is our policy all information of same shall remain strictly confidential and never be sold or otherwise disseminated, in whole or part thereof, to any outside parties or entities, nor shall be used internally as a mechanism for unwarranted communication and/or unreasonable solicitation to parties making inquiries related to our services. Furthermore, any inquiries for services are under no terms of obligation, whatsoever. EssentialDirections.com shall be bound by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia and applicable statutes governing U.S. trade.
|
Visitor #
|
Copyright 2008, EssentialDirections.com - all rights reserved. Website by Domain Name Sanity
|
|
