High School cruiser schooling

[Teknav]

Tellie, I respectfully disagree with you. I am a Pilot, an Electrical Engineer and with a Pharmacy degree/licensed; 13 years of college education and with several earned degrees. While in HS, I was taking college-level classes . I can understand home schooling for pre-HS. No parent is equipped to handle HS coursework. A reliable internet connection for homework/guidance while sailing, is out of the question; a moot topic. Sailing is way too much distraction for HS-age kids. I recommend actual HS structured teaching. Mauritz

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by Tellie

For the most part homeschooled kids are far more "socialized" than public schooled kids.

Please explain.

[GalaxyGirl]

Originally Posted by Tellie

We home schooled and boat schooled our daughter since third grade. She is now going into the her third year at the University of Vienna. She speaks good French and excellent high German. My wife and I speak neither. There are plenty of misconceptions about home schooling, some of which are mentioned above. For the most part homeschooled kids are far more "socialized" than public schooled kids. It's the nature of not being around only one age group 5-7 hours a day. Universities are actively seeking home schooled kids. The last home school convention I attended had recruiters from at least three Ivy league schools. Businesses in my area are constantly putting out ads in the homeschool network in the area I live in seeking homes schooled kids to work for them from part time summer jobs to full time positions because they are finding a greater sucess rate with home schooled kids and their values than many from the local public schools. Every kid learns differently than the next. Structured environmental teaching leaves many kids out of the loop. Home schooling allows you to discovery your kids best method of learning and apply it where you child gets the most out of what they do learn. Home schooled kids are not taught to the test as far too many public schooled kids are and where cheating is becoming more the norm as recently discovered. Even the best teachers, and there are many in the public school system, are becoming more and more disillusioned with the system. Teachers have 30+ kids in the classroom and any individual child would be lucky to get 20 minutes of individual attention on any given day. Home schooled kids get hours a day of individual attention. The best educated and trained teachers are in the public school system yet many private school teachers don't even have a teaching certificate, But comparatively private schooled kids do better as do home schooled kids. I could go on for pages. But understand again no two kids are alike. The learning environment you place them in is only as good as you are willing to make it. You don't need to be a teacher, most home schooling networks are full of people who can help in areas you feel concerned about. In Broward county the public school system is actually very good at assisting home schooled families as are many more schools across the country. Long gone are the days when home schooling was the butt of jokes and ridicule. Now it is growing in popularity by the tens of thousands each year. Your kids will thrive and will more than likey surpass your knowledge and begin a life long process of continual learning as the basis you set for them is how to learn on their own, or learning how to learn for the rest of their lives.

Awesome post! Thanks for the info and encouragement.
My youngest son is almost 4 and he may or may not enter public school, but will most certainly be boat schooled by the time he reaches 4th grade. Although, I am already having a dilemma with him as he has begun reading and our school District will not let him enter kindergarten early. I have been unofficially schooling him at home, just because he took the lead and loves it so much that I had to order materials and internet programs for him. He can't get enough. He will sit for hours if I let him doing online learning. So, I'm not sure what will happen when he turns 5 and qualifies for kindergarten, but is then ready for a 1st grade curriculum. I guess I'll just take it one step at a time and see what happens with him.
I only wish the cruiser kids had a network in place were kids, teens and families could link up and hang out and build long term relationships on a regular basis. I would go out of my way for that. I would love if my oldest son (13) would be able to cruise with us, but his world is his social connection with his land friends. It would be very difficult for me to pull him away.
I do believe that the real life education that boat kids receive is as important and maybe more so for some, than anything that they could get from a classroom. I frequently find myself telling my kids that there's a great big world out there, especially when they get too caught up in theirs.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by Teknav

Tellie, I respectfully disagree with you. I am a Pilot, an Electrical Engineer and with a Pharmacy degree/licensed; 13 years of college education and with several earned degrees. While in HS, I was taking college-level classes . I can understand home schooling for pre-HS. No parent is equipped to handle HS coursework. A reliable internet connection for homework/guidance while sailing, is out of the question; a moot topic. Sailing is way too much distraction for HS-age kids. I recommend actual HS structured teaching. Mauritz

No problem, I understand many people disagree. Maybe a little background on how we decided to home school. I'll try my best to give the Readers Digest version. First I'm a product of the public school educational system myself. Everyone in my family except myself are all school teachers, Mom, Dad, sisters, grade school, Jr. high, and high school levels, and 80+ years of teaching between them. They have several advanced degrees and three National boards. (I was always sort of the different one). I grew up with teachers as parents and teacher friends of theirs. The dinner table conversations at our house were always filled with conversation about all things teaching. Including the administration. I have a pretty good insight into teaching even though I am not one. I have always held education as extremely important. Before my daughter was born I made sure we were financially set and were able to send her to the best private school we could for her entire primary education and made investments to assure we could afford any college she wished and would qualify to attend.
It was my daughter who first suggested the idea of home schooling. My first reaction was not in her favor at all. Exactly all the points you brought up and many more crossed my mind. My wife was a little more understanding and started to do some research into home schooling. I stood firm...for awhile. But as my wife learned more and I began to listen to her, the advantages she felt our daughter wasn't getting at her school she felt could be better instilled at home. We talked and talked and talked, even argued a bit over this what I perceived as nonsense. But I met several kids and families that were home schooling. I was impressed with several things. The first thing I really noticed was the kids manners and respect not usually found in our friends kids who were in the public and private system. But I knew that didn't mean they were learning. I always thought that there was only one kind of teaching and pretty much one type of curriculum that every kid should be subjected to if they were to be successful in life. (It's taken me many years to understand what "Successful in life" really means. I wish I had learned it much earlier) But finally I softened a bit. I knew at this point that every year there was a Florida home schooling convention. I made a deal with my wife that we would go to this so called convention and that I would talk to these parents that have decided to go this route. I would find out what they had to say. All the while I was really sure all I would find would be a few dozen back wood hicks, anti government radicals, and Christian Bible thumping preaching the evils of the world. What I found instead was several thousand in attendance. The main floor of the convention center was full of hundreds of vendors selling all sorts of curriculum. After all the years of being surrounded by teachers I had no idea of the vast amount of different ways to teach the three "R's" and the amount of different systems. I quickly reaized that it was not the parents that I needed to speak to but rather the kids themselves. I have never witnessed such excitement about learning as I did with the kids that were there. I watched over and over many kids dragging their parents to the different tables saying "This is the Math I want to learn this year", "This is the program I really want to try". These were not the typical kids I knew from friends and neighbors. At the end of the convention they had a graduation ceremony for those home schooled kids that would not have the ability to attend their local schools ceremony. I figured great, Mommy diplomas no university would honor. But there were half a dozen universities represented there including Harvard accepting applications and interviews. As the graduates crossed the stage to receive their Mommy diplomas they gave a quick statement of their future plans. Sure, some were going to beauty school, some would be mechanics, some would attend Junior college. Then there were ones going to universities and colleges all over the country. Some I've never heard of and others I knew well, Columbia, MIT, Duke, John Hopkins, and others, including a few engineering schools.
The point is that even in the best and worst of schools kids will be kids. The cream rises to the top. Some kids will go on to live very normal and ordinary lives and be good people and citizens, some will drop out, some will become criminals and others honest business people, doctors, surgeons and, God forbid, lawyers. But successful (how ever one chooses to define that) kids will usually tell you that behind them all the way were their parents. Homeschooling kids have a distinct advantage over many others in that department.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

Please explain.

Sure. I don't usually speak about my family here but this is a subject I know a little about.
Unlike a public or private schooled child, most home schooled kids will be around all different age groups during their educational week. Because of the ability to arrange the hours of their education to meet the needs of the program intended, home schooled kids parents are able to take advantage of time and things that no structured schooled kid can. For example, My wife did most of the teaching of our daughter while I worked. I always looked for opportunities whenever possible for my daughter to take advantage of. Many times in my business affairs I would simply ask the people I did business with if they would mind if my daughter came by and saw how things were done. I can't tell you how many times people said "Sure bring her by now" I would call my wife who might be in the middle of a History lesson and tell her to bring our daughter down to meet these people and have her learn something new and different. People were usually very fascinated with the concept of home schooling and would ask her more questions about that than she would about what they did and she would patiently answer all their questions. The age groups she was exposed to and the experience levels of those she met were all over the board. She just could never get that kind of interaction with a structured school environment with a group of 30 other kids that were her own age. She visited factories that made Credit Cards, Dog food, Industrial chemicals, boat yards, electronic stores, a carpet factory, Law offices, Burger King college, etc. (go ahead and laugh, BK is more than flipping burgers, it's a billion dollar industry as she found out) Many times these were personal one on one tours of the places she visited. At the CC factory, a 80,000 sf facility, what was to be a 20-30 minute tour turned into a four hour tour of the factory and hands on the machinery and then a few hours in the offices speaking with the company owner, manager, and several secretaries who were mad at me for making her wrap up her conversation with them. My daughter loved to go to these impromptu chance field trips. She might not get home until five O'clock but her History lesson was still there waiting for her to complete. As she got older, about 14yrs old, she was offered a voluntary position at a vets office Tuesdays and Thursdays, during what is regular school hours for others, where she would not only learn to take care of the animals but allowed to watch the surgery's and operations and ask questions. She was more than willing to substitute her free Saturdays off to work there. She did that for the agreed upon time of six months and then bartered on her own, without our pre-knowledge, with the doctor for free shots and medical care for her dog. Our neighbor was a PA at our local hospital and he took her to work with him to watch an open heart surgery during the middle of the week. She was able to speak with the doctors directly after the procedure and was invited back. As far as the boat, when I contracted a job on Ambergris Cay in Belize for two months for a resort there my daughter went to school for about five weeks of that time with the local Belize children. She was invited to the homes of several of the children there and learned a bit of Spanish and local culture. She knew more kids on Bimini from our frequent trips there than I thought existed on that Island. Though she didn't always share my love for sailing she was at home on the boat and could out dive most men she met. She can teach you change your diesels oil, filters, raw water impeller, and set your valve timing while explaining how to trouble shoot minor electrical issues on your boat. As she got older the entrepreneurial side of her started to emerge. She started her own dog walking and car wash business in our neighborhood when she was 15yrs old. Half way through that she announced that she was saving her money to go to France for a three month program offered young students to learn to speak French. She was teaching herself French after her regular studies were done. When I offered to pay for half of the trip she simply said no Dad I'll take care of the cost. She did and she went.
Is she socialized? It's almost scary.

[bobconnie]

We boat schooled all 4 of our kids, untill high school came around! then we marinaed it till high school was done. All 3 girls went on to collages, our boy went in the service. All 3 girls have finished collage. 2 of them are RN's like there mother, and one of them is in Marine Engineering. So if we could do it with snail mail, and some SSB work, most any family can do it with the Internet in to days world!! Connie and I feel we did not hurt the kids by raiseing them from almost birth till late teens cruiseing on a boat ! They are happy pretty well adjusted adults! I think it depends on what the parents think is important! We thought education was important, so we sorta led them to believe it was really there idea ! LOL it worked for us !

[Pyrate]

As a product of the public school system, and with many family members that are teachers, I don't think there is really any one right answer. I graduated the US Coast Guard Academy and have a few classmates that I know of that were home schooled. So, as far as being able to be accepted to a college, I'd say that there should be no problem. I'm sure that other factors would play a big role in the acceptance (essays, SAT/ACT scores, etc.). Also, while performing the duties of skipper, cook, engineer, etc. takes away from 'traditional' teaching time, it can also be great teaching material. When I graduated high school, I had very little idea how an engine worked, and absolutely zero diesel experience. Now, that's a lot of what I do. The same could be said about voyage planning. There's plenty of math in calculating tides and currents, ETAs, and necessary water/food/fuel. Not to mention, if it's incorporated into the lesson plans, letting a high schooler plan a voyage and see how his planning affects the entire family/crew could be more of a leadership learning experience than anything taught in high school. If everyone's living on crackers and limited water for two days, they might realize that next time they should pay closer attention to details. Obviously, close adult supervision should be applied...

At the same time, the social interaction that occurs in high school can help shape the social interaction that occurs in college. So, if you're living on a boat to get away from others and separate yourself from society, then that will follow them to college. However, if you have a very active social life in each port you visit and develop good cruising friendships, then that's what they'll take. I think many of the home schooled kids that don't adjust well socially are a product of parents that don't engage in or allow much diversity of social interaction.

To sum up, I've seen it go both ways with home schooling (and I really haven't seen much difference between cruising or living on land). Use your gut, and determine what experience you want you kids to have. Also look at how good the school district is, and be very realistic about your own abilities, both academically and time-wise.

Good luck, whichever way you choose.

[goboatingnow]

My wife is a teacher and I have no experience of homeschooling. I think two things come to mind. If home schooling is being done in the belief it can bring a better and different education , and the parents are capable , then I see no objection.

However I have concerns that on a boat, homeschooling is being done to facilitate the parents cruising plans. Now I begin to become a skeptic.


One cannot compare homeschooling like Tellie has , which is am organised home based activity obviously carried out by dedicated and capable people and two parent just doing it on a boat , so they can cruise with the kids ( not say the OP falls into either category by the way )


Dave

[Boatguy30]

It seems there are some super negative social interactions in HS these days. Of course you have to join the real world some day, perhaps best to do when everyone has matured a bit.

the other concerning thing about home schooling in general is all the evangelicals not wanting to expose their children to the liberal school system. even in upstate SC we have relatives concerned with this! While this may not be a majority of homeschoolers it is mainly the far right politicians that most openly support homeschooling. In my mind they are teaching there kids to be exactly as radical as the extreme Muslims they fear so much.

[jgbrown]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

Is this about them, or you?

While cruising with your parents is a cool experience, so is going to high school.

Lol. I think few enjoy high school. Most would have preferred cruising. Every family I know that has traveled the kids appreciated it more.

I tried everything I could to get my parents to go traveling with me. No such luck, then I tried every strategy to get out of high school.
Unless high schools have radically changed in the last 7 years for the better, they teach little of any use.

I think a good structured curriculum from a correspondence based school would be much better as a base, with parents additions on top Here we have SIDES.
Google kids can travel too(new Zealand family travelogue). Or pm me and I'll forward you some others who have been home schooled, and parents who traveled with their kids.

[GalaxyGirl]

This is an interesting thread. I have considered all of the points made and still considering. Initially, my plan was to wait until my kids finished, but then I started thinking that it was unfortunate that I would be depriving them of such a great experience. They will graduate be off to college and have their busy lives. I think I would like to give them a taste of the great big world before that happens. I think it will greatly influence their character development and open their eyes to so many cultural aspects that you just cannot get from a textbook.
I have also considered the cons. Mostly, static longterm relationships with peers. I also think that HS is a great time to to get a taste of real life conflicts and challenges without mommy and daddy being there to guide you and kiss and make it better. In HS you begin to develop your layer of tough skin. There is also the outtings and prom, yearbook, clubs, sports etc. All important in my opinion.
I guess it boils down to what is the most important. There are trade offs for everything in life. Everyone is different and what fits for one may not fit for another. Not an easy decision.

[letsgetsailing3]

It does appear that you have the right considerations in mind.

[Mimsy]

GalaxyGirl, you can always change your mind! Give it a shot for 6 months then have a family pow wow and see how everyone feels about continuing to homeschool/cruise. It does not have to be an all or nothing scenario and public schools will let you reenroll your kids if you choose to go back.

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by Mimsy

GalaxyGirl, you can always change your mind! Give it a shot for 6 months then have a family pow wow and see how everyone feels about continuing to homeschool/cruise. It does not have to be an all or nothing scenario and public schools will let you reenroll your kids if you choose to go back.

At that point, the effects have been felt in their social and academic lives.

I think the argument can be made either way, but that either approach is superior to a muddled one, which is infinitely more stressful on all parties.

It's worth doing the research up front, and committing to an approach.

[goboatingnow]

but then I started thinking that it was unfortunate that I would be depriving them of such a great experience. They will graduate be off to college and have their busy lives. I think I would like to give them a taste of the great big world before that happens.

Perhaps they might prefer to 'taste the great big world' on their own, rather then their parents 'idea' of that.

Dave