Got a Key?

Let me just start by saying that I have the utmost respect for teachers. Regardless of the age or grade they teach, these are truly special people. It takes someone with the right personality and temperament to be put into a room with anywhere between 10-40 kids/teenagers/adolescents. Who am I kidding? It takes a special person to be able to teach 1. It takes a super hero to teach more than that, more than once.

I did home-school my two kids for a while when they were younger. My daughter was in K-4 when my son was born. When I decided to stay home instead of returning to work, I did not see any sense in paying for the private school fees.

Let's pause here. The question many are asking is, "Well, why didn't you send her to public school?" I hear you. That is a valid question. I am a product of public schools. I am a strong advocate of our public school systems. The area that I happen to live in just did not have a good public school at the time. I did not feel like it was a good environment for my precious first born. Besides, I am a college graduate. I am perfectly capable of teaching the alphabet and such.

Back to my story: So, I home-schooled my daughter for K5, 1st, 2nd, & 3rd grade. I taught my son K4. The reason I stopped was...well honestly...one of us was going to die and the other go to prison! I'll let you sit with that a moment and figure out who was not coming out alive in that situation.

I decided that my daughter would benefit from being in a real classroom with other people and another adult in charge. She is someone that needs that daily interaction. She also was giving me mom/daughter attitude. I knew she would not do that with someone else. I did keep them involved in outside groups and sports, but it wasn't enough. My son was someone who benefits from a strict schedule an seeing that everyone has to write a U like a U and not like an O because he wants to. Yes, that is a real fight that I had with a 4 year old.

As many parents know, schools send work home to be completed and sent back. Usually, the teachers grade this work. It is also beneficial for your kids to do it correctly so they will 1. learn and 2. pass the test.

Here is where the problem arises. Yes, I graduated high school and college. I made a good score on my ACT. But, does that mean I have the mental capacity to check my first grader's 100 problem addition/subtraction/division sheet at the end of a long day...everyday? Or, as they got older and into Geometry and Algebra, the formulas and graphs? If we are being honest, fractions throw me off some times too.

For any high schooler that is reading this, I have not used Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, College Algebra, or the Finite math class I had to have for my business degree in any aspect of my adult life. Just Sayin'!

I know teachers have a lot on their plate. I know resources are scarce in many of our schools. Can I just pay you a fee to give me the answer key to their homework so I can check my kid's work? Can I buy the teacher book with the instructions and answers? I promise you, I will not let him or anyone he knows get a hold of it. I will lock that sucker away in my safe like I do with my good chocolates!

For all that is good and holy in this world, we parents need a little help. I can't remember what I ate for lunch two days ago. I sure the heck can not remember how to do math that I learned over 25 years ago! I want my kids to learn the things they need to. I am not one of those parents that do papers and projects for them. I did my time. It's theirs. I just want to help them unlock the potential for an amazing future. Momma just needs a key!