Inspiration way passed midnight.
I have some random questions in my mind which I have been thinking about.
Why do kids say they are not good in anything?
Why do kids feel they are bad at certain things?
Why do kids get bored easily?
Can kids be motivated to learn?
When I tell them I took my son out of school to homeschool at P5.
People either say: "wow.. You can la! I can never teach my own. I will vomit blood."
OR
"Wah, you must be very good in all subjects huh?"
OR
"You mean its possible? Is it legal?"
OR
Some might probably think that I am crazy and I am ruining his life!
There is so much so much misconception of how children learn and how children are actually naturally curious and want to learn. It is us.. and our one size fit all system that put this fire out for the kids.
I homeschool my boys, but I don't teach my boy much. You must be wondering. Then how does he learn?
Children naturally want to learn! So if we do not interfere with nature, they will learn even without me teaching.
My role is more like a facilitator and a manager. I plan and manage his curriculum in collaboration with him and his needs and interest. I help to organise educational experience that will feed this interest and further develop his skill and ability. I support their learning. It is only this year where we prepare for the national exam that I had to step in to teach the specific skills and knowledge needed to pass the examination. And some I engaged good tutors to assist. Yes homeschool kids can go tuition and they can take classes from others beside their mom. But in Singapore, a child who is a citizen, cannot enrol their child in a private full time institution like a private school.
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| A visit to Victoria Concert Hall. (Picture taken before Pandemic.) |
So... Point is education can be twitched to fit the child. And homeschooling provide the space and time for my boy to grow and learn holistically. And through this, he is discovering himself, his interest, his passion, strength and knows what he want to do in life. And also he knows his family well and though we sometimes argue but we have a good talking relationship. Very rare to be on good talking terms with tweens or teens these days.
Did you know what you wanted to do when you finish secondary school?
We are asked to follow and we are being fitted into the standardised good student that anything outside the standard means we are not good, not smart or not successful. We dont have much time to explore our interest because we have fixed program that we have to attend, heaps of homework to do and lots of after school tuition. We are being dictated what to do. In the end when we do conform and fit in.. We loose ourselves. No wonder most are clueless of their strength and what they want to do in life. Because the formative years are being used to accessively push the child towards academic success, which is the accepted norm of what success look like. Anything outside is considered a failure.
Further into life we see graduates who are placed into their fields because of society expectations and of motivation for monetary gains instead of truly realising their strengths and potential and really loving what they do and knowing what they do best. This is when fulfillment is very low and we end up having high rate of depression.
This is a very vicious cycle... And it needs to begin with a good, balanced education that respects the child as an individual. To see the future through the eyes of each and every unique child, each having some amazing to contribute to the whole. Instead of having a system who filters the kids who do not fit in and decide their life for them from a very young age.
God willing we will be able to recognise this and move towards a greater ever advancing civilisation with the right kind, true kind of education which will unleashed the latent powers of our children for the betterment of the world.
-->Will write about the other questions another day.
--> And stay tuned... I will be updating on my 2year journey of Homeschooling a P5-P6, PSLE kid in Singapore.
-->Our chapter for Homeschooling in the primary years will be closing soon. But homeschooling a 2.5yr old will begin soon!
#HomeschoolSG
#HomeschoolingSG
#FreeToLearn
#UnleashPotential
#BettermentOfTheWorld
#EverAdvancingCivilization
