Homeschool World Forum

[terryv]

Hello all! My name is Terry VanNoy, a classroom teacher of many years (2 from Washington state. I have recently moved to Connecticut, and taken leave out of the classroom to work online with students. I hope I can post some interesting perspectives from the "inside" of a public school classroom and offer ideas, and, more likely, ask some interesting questions of the home school community. I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for parents who take on the challenge of home schooling their kids. What an amazingly tremendous undertaking, but oh so important! I look forward to getting to know many of you in the next few months as I become active on this forum. Thanks for your welcomes! Terry
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Terry VanNoy is a 28-year Math and English classroom teacher. Originally from Washington state, he has recently moved to Connecticut and started an online classroom.

[hollyb]

Terry,
What kind of math do you teach?

I have four kids. Two are still schooling with me and my two high schoolers are at a performing arts charter school. I never planned to send my kids to a school outside my home, but since they've been there, I can see value in classroom learning. It's building skills they will use their whole life like, filtering out noise and distractions to listen to the teacher, following directions (from someone other than Mom,) meeting deadlines (or suffer the consequence,) learning to juggle multiple subjects, be on time, and manange their paperwork.

I've found that having taught them all these years, my high school students still look to me for tutoring and guidance. In many ways I still feel like their teacher!

I'll look forward to reading your thoughts and insights on the forum. Thanks for pouring love, wisdom and enthusiasm into our students.
holly

[terryv]

Hi there; good to hear from you. Wow, you have taken on a very challenging task of educating all of your kids, then sending 2 of them on to an outside school. Pretty scary at first, I'd bet. But I'm glad you see some life lessons out of your older 2 children's experiences.
Being a former public school teacher (high school and middle school math and english) for a lot of years, I am admittedly biased in what I see as the value of public school classrooms. Yes, parents feel a great deal of loss of control over who their kids associate with at school, along with the crowded hallways, social issues, etc.
I think I understand and can think in both worlds, now. There obviously has to be a sense of letting go, letting your birds fall out of the nest and seeing if they can fly, etc. I saw too many of my students flounder in my classroom just because I couldn't give them enough individual attention, or found it hard to stay in communication adequately with parents.
In my online classroom, (www.MathwithMrVonline.com) I hope to change that. Whatever environment my students come from: home school families, military families dealing with transition issues, public school kids needing support and regained confidence . . . I can work with them on a more personal, targeted level.
Again, thanks for responding. I am learning a ton from parents like you who have taken on the supremely important job of educating your children at home. I really admire you for being able to do it!
Take care, and let me know how your older kids are doing; let me know if I can help. Enjoy the rest of the summer.
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Terry VanNoy is a 28-year Math and English classroom teacher. Originally from Washington state, he has recently moved to Connecticut and started an online classroom.