Today’s educational system has a focus on optimization — getting the most widgets through the process. It isn’t surprising then that frequently the system becomes the point of the exercise, that a grade will declare one educated irrespective of what one knows or what skills one has developed or, unfortunately, failed to develop. This focus on the system carries with it a lack of respect for the individual. What if a student needs extra time to master a concept before moving on? What if another student has already mastered the concept in question and is being held back while waiting for others to catch up? We need a method that allows one-on-one time and attention for each child. That is certainly something mothers are accustomed to providing.
Do children learn best in herds of 30 age-mates? Or in mixed age groupings — family style? … Or do they learn best when tutored individually? When research favors this last arrangement, as it usually does, it has to be brushed aside by school officials because tutoring is financially unattainable in the schools, except for occasional instances.
Dr. Ruth Beechick, The Language Wars and Other Writings for Homeschoolers
Increasingly and particularly in these economic times, companies are looking for individuals who can think critically, think outside the box, and innovate — skills that the system quashes out of most. The graduates of tomorrow will need to be able to add something unique. They will need to have a good start on their future career by having already started developing their talents. And they will need to come equipped with a set of skills most school systems in their current forms are simply not capable of providing.
We have an opportunity to educate the leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs of tomorrow, much like those of the past who were primarily educated outside of the system — Thomas Edison, Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Jefferson, Joseph Pulitzer. We have the advantage of already being outside the system and can leverage this advantage by becoming our child’s tutor and mentor, instead of his classroom teacher. It all starts with educating ourselves.
As a tutor, you have many advantages over classroom teachers. Do not lose that advantage by trying too hard to imitate the classroom….
Dr. Ruth Beechick, The Language Wars and Other Writings for Homeschoolers
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