As a homeschool mom of 13 years, I hate grading. I really hate grading. I got to thinking about why I hate it so much. I was talking to my 16-year old about her grades and it dawned on me why grading is so terrible.
It does not reflect a student’s education, but only their schooling.
“Wait, aren’t those things the same?” you might say.
No, they are not the same. Schooling is part of education but only a small part.
Schooling is facts and memorizing information. Things that can be tested or evaluated by true or false, multiple-choice or even long answers.
Many homeschool parents fall into the trap of emphasizing schooling. Workbooks, tests, dates, leaders, locations, vocabulary words are all one-sided dishing out of information. This is schooling.
“South America is a continent under Central America. Nazi Germany was led by Hitler. Four times six is twenty-four.”
Do not get me wrong. Schooling is important. Schooling is a part of education.
However, it is not ALL of it, nor should be the emphasis. Education is the depth and richness of all parts of learning. For example, classical education says definition, circumstances, authority and relationship are some of the tools of learning.
“If there is conflict in South America, how does that affect Central America? What would lead a group of people to think imprisoning their neighbors is acceptable? How does dividing compare to multiplying?”
Education asks the student to contemplate and seek perspective about information. Education leads to the student to ask questions and draw conclusions. I have noticed that when the emphasis is on education the schooling takes care of itself.
But emphasis only on schooling leads to burnt out teachers and students. This occurs even in a homeschool. I have watched homeschool parents toss education in exchange for schooling. I compare that to tossing a fancy steak dinner in exchange for McDonald’s. McDonald’s is okay once in a while, but does not result in quality nutrition in the long term. The same could be said of choosing schooling over education.
Want to cultivate great thinkers? Ask questions. Allow room for discussion. Go for depth rather than a shallow Happy Meal.
Kathy Davis is a mom of four who began her homeschool journey in 2006 when her oldest started pre-school. In May 2021, she graduated her oldest. She is passionate about helping moms stay the homeschooling course while not losing themselves in the process. She mentors burn-out moms and helps them not only survive but thrive! In April 2020, she launched kathyjilldavis.com and started working with Amare Global to offer practical support, solutions, and community for moms who don’t want to lose their dreams and passions during motherhood. Feel free to email her HERE.
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