More than a million U.S. kids call teachers Mom or Dad

KRT Wire | 05/17/2005 | More than a million U.S. kids call teachers Mom or Dad: "WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - (KRT) - It doesn't get more exclusive than Berkeley, Calif.'s Treehorn School.
With an enviable 1:1 teacher-student ratio, this unorthodox private school blends anthropology lessons with math, history and plenty of baseball. It's no use salivating: Unless Lucy Kuntz is your mom, you won't get in.
Kuntz homeschools her 7-year-old son, Aaron, using one of four education options allowed under California law. She started her own private school, with its own homegrown curriculum. Friday included a jaunt into Richmond, Calif., for an evolution workshop, followed by batting practice.
'I'm an unschooler,' said Kuntz. 'We don't have a typical day.'"

This was an encouraging article. I was especially pleased that parents aren't shying away from declaring themselves "unschoolers." As each of our family members begins to venture into their favorite direction more and more, I'm becoming increasingly comfortable telling people that we don't "do" grade levels (Why would we? We only have five students!) and we don't follow a set curriculum. "We're eclectic," I say, and people just accept that, sometimes even become truly interested instead of throwing out test questions.

It was nice, too, to recognize a name in the article--Ann Zeise from A-Z Home's Cool. If you haven't taken time to explore Ann's site, go for it. Just don't overdose one it! There's a ton of rabbit trails you can take there. When my kids come to me with a question about some interest, Ann's site is one of the first I consult.

The one thing that bothered me about the piece (other than the banal, "What about socialization???") was that the journalist insisted on noting that Zeise is a certified teacher but didn't bother to label the other moms. Somehow, there's always this--what is it? Justification? I don't know-- when someone is tagged as a certified teacher. I think it could discourage others who are tossing around the idea of homeschooling. That title seems to jump out at you, and I can't even remember how many times people have responded to my declaration of homeschooling with, "Oh, don't you have to be a teacher to do that?" I don't want people to feel intimidated, feel that they have to have some degree in order to teach their own. I want to encourage homelearners, potential and current, to teach and learn in their own way, with what works best for them, is most fulfilling and satisfying, does not discourage them from learning or drive them absolutely nuts.

It has taken me fifteen years to begin to feel comfortable in my homelearning skin. After reading the aforementioned article, I'm thrilled to see that others are comfortable in theirs, too.

Are you comfortable in yours?