Sometimes we don't bother to do the simple "counter argument"or "ignore" thing, and I think that bolsters other people's stupid arguments. Why should we just flip out when someone says something we don't like OR we bow and scrape and tell the news reporter/ blogger/ whatever that we're not like THOSE homeschoolers, boss?
Let an article about socialization and homeschooling come out, and you'd have thought 900 pounds of fresh beef were being plunked into the middle of a school of starving piranhas the way angry homeschoolers all swarm about to comment.
How about an article by a public schoolteacher, concern trolling (well, on his/her own blog) about how homeschoolers don't see enough "diversity," and watch the homeschoolers come jumping in. They are "proud to live in a multiracial and multicultural area" and think "diversity" enriches their lives. Some of their CHILDREN's best friends are black, you know...
I could just barf. It would sicken me if you chose to be my child's friend because he happened to be autistic. Please don't do that to our children.
And friends, we also don't win any arguments with anyone who is actually LISTENING when the speaker is criticising religious homeschooling... and bunches of homeschooling commenters talk about how annoying those Christians are. Thankfully we're not Christian! Nope! Not like *them!*
I also don't see why some of my fellow homeschoolers blog frantic posts about the idea of others inviting journalists and the like into their homeschooling day. Let them. It doesn't mean YOU have to. I think part of the reason that the wackadoodle stereotypes thrive is that 1. some of us are actually a bit strange (but then, there are a good plenty strange people out there who were educated in public and private school... but I don't see journalists bothering to cover them because everyone knows about them and they don't sell copy); and 2. we don't talk to journalists and others, so they do something called "extrapolating data," which is a fancy name for making stuff up and guessing when you don't know the answer; and 3. even when you do invite a journalist over, the bias in the editing process can make things interesting. I also find it odd that articles on homeschooling seem to require some educational expert who comes at things from a public school perspective... but this "balance" never ever happens on a story about a public school event or statistic.
I'm not inviting a journalist over, but I don't think it's necessarily a bad/good thing. I just don't see the need to worry about the image so much.
I guess I'm wondering why we let it matter, why we must defend ourselves to the point that we must look *good.* Really. Am I wrong on this? I live in Missouri and maybe I'm just not feeling that pressure as some of you do in other areas of the world to look *good.* Mind you, I don't want to appear totally incompetent, either. I've been the piranha myself on more than one occasion. :)
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Look Out, Dad!!
My father is the purple dot above the blue weather station. He's juuust outside Milton's evacuation zone. Well! My brother and I jus...
"...which is a fancy name for making stuff up and guessing when you don't know the answer..." [smile]
ReplyDeleteIt's very easy to feel attacked and so lash back in self-defense. Also we don't like it when people say stuff about us that simply isn't true.
But, yeah: There are probably many, many instances where we would do better to just ignore the things written by people who don't know what they are talking about. But that seems very counter-educational...
~Luke
You know those personality doo~das? Well I come up in the bit where only 2% of the population lives ~ 2%. I am always going to be an outsider & I was both public & private school educated. So who would I like to blame? My parents? By all accounts they are both perfectly normal? Everyone else just has to live with me ~ & that's pretty much where I've landed with all the homeschool issues. I've stopped talking about it. I've stopped defending it. I'm busy you know, just doing it. People are free to be both rude & ignorant ~ & usually when they are both nothing I or anyone else says to correct their bias is going to make one iota of difference so why bother?
ReplyDeleteAmen Ganeida! I have to admit that I do too often care what others think of things I do (not so much the media, but people around me). I aspire to a position of simply knowing people are often rude and ignorant and no letting it bother me.
ReplyDeleteAhhh! It's so nice to live in a place where everyone thinks I'm strange, but would never come out and say it. I can just be my weird self, but without all the hassle. :o)
ReplyDeleteAh yes, the horde. I never know which is worse, the ignorance that starts the argument or the frenzy that follows.
ReplyDelete