edumacation I earned my B.A. in English from Ohio University. When I couldn't get a job answering the damn phones at Progressive Insurance in Cleveland, I went back to school for my teaching license. I moved to Georgia and now I teach 12th grade English Literature in an urban, public school. I am currently working toward my master's degree in adult education with a focus on literacy. I would like to work for the non-profit sector of literacy education, a technical school, or perhaps a private school. Public education in the U.S. is well-paying, but dismal at best. Yes; higher education may seem like a scam at times. I often wonder why I am dropping a couple thousand dollars to learn from professors who are not required to have any kind of state certification like I am as a public school teacher. However, higher ed. or technical ed. programs that are focused on training you for a specific line of work are extremely effective. You can learn a lot of information from the public library, but many people are not motivated to do so on their own. Human beings as a whole learn better through interpersonal contact, thus, creating the need for schools and colleges.
It's all about choices and compromise. It's still possible....it's always possible. At every point in time people have thought it's not..but it is. It just depends on what's important to you and making things work. It's not always easy though thats for sure. I was a SAHM for many years...it's the toughest job I've ever had. It's also the best job I've ever done. Being a SAHM certainly does NOT mean that you don't need an education though.
I definitely have a lot of respect for SAHM. It's the most difficult job and the most rewarding one. I don't have any children, but I don't know that I would be able to stay at home all day. My mom stayed at home with 4 kids, and I don't know how she did it. I thank God for it every day though. It was nice to know that she was going to be there when I got off the bus. My dad worked hard so that she didn't have to work, and I'm thankful for that too.
That's so true. I've seen many people lock themselves into a way of life - so much so that they can't fathom living any other way. Sometimes, if it's that important to you, you can choose to change to a way of life that will allow you to stay at home with your children. It may not be easy and you may have to make sacrifices but it might still be possible. If your desire to be a housewife and stay at home mom is that strong, the sacrifices and challenges might well be worth it.
Who taught you that? Sorry, but I'll disagree with that statement. I am a home school graduate, I tested for college entry and was found to be a grade level ahead already. I'm a straight A student. But I learn best, from a book, from being able to research the information on my own, not from "interpersonal contact". Give me a manual and I'll master it, give me hands on experience and I'll excel, but put some idiot in front of me reading or talking about the book I could read, and I'll probably fall asleep. I have worked in many special education programs, and tutoring, I have taught Spanish as a Second Language to High School students, and I home schooled my 4 children at different grade levels. In my experience every person has a unique learning style. Some learn by "interpersonal contact" some learn by reading a book in a very quiet corner, some need hands on experience, some need to hear a lecture, some need visual aids. A really great teacher, or parent for that matter, will find the way a child/student learns and teach that child accordingly. This is not possible in a classroom setting, even in higher education, so for some it is a complete waist of time. I really don't have a problem with people going to school if they are learning and are enjoying it. I have a problem with "higher education" being recognized as the only real/valid education. I've seen too many graduates with degrees that really don't know much at all. I know many people who have vast amounts of knowledge and personal experience and no degree, but I would much rather learn from someone who has the fruit on the tree than someone who is just passing on book knowledge that I could get from a library. I would also rather hire someone with experience and personal knowledge than someone who has a degree, given that choice.
We homeschooled one child from K-7 and when she entered public school she was a straight A student until graduation and is doing great in college and playing basketball. Homeschooling is definitely a good option if you take it seriously, but you don't have to be a genius. My wife was her teacher and only had a HS diploma while doing it.
That's the fable, your wife may very well be a genius, I already know she's lucky. And homeschooling a child from K up is a HUGE challenge. Kudos to her!!:smt023
Thankfully homeschooling is becoming really well recognized and colleges are seeking out homeschoolers now. I homeschooled my older two. Unfortunately, due to life circumstances #3 is now in kindergarten. He happens to really like it and we shall see what life brings for he and his younger sister. My oldest attending one of the top universities in the world. People learn in all sorts of ways. I will say that being in the position of a "displaced homemaker" is not so great though. Like it or not....those papers do carry weight. Unfortunately it can be tough to sell the school of hard knocks. One has to get rather creative when it's been 15 years since you had a *real job* no matter how much volunteer work, etc.
I agree it's the most rewarding.....however, it's one where the rewards often come way down the line and sometimes are not even realized in our lifetime.
You are so right there, having home schooled your kids you should be given an automatic teaching degree if nothing else, especially with a kid in a great university, You my dear, have the "fruit on the tree". You should include that in your resume. I think it's very relevant. My sister actually was preferred for one job she applied for because she was a home school graduate. We were home schooled long before it was popular. I'm 45 and she's 42.
Absolutely. I have many stories about this, of course. One that comes to mind is when one of my exhusband's clients came to pick something up and at my door she went on about how *lucky* I was to be a SAHM and how much she envied me. This woman was a top exec at a power company here and her husband was a top exec for a major computer company. They certainly could have lived VERY well on one of their incomes. They may not have been able to have the best new car every year, or be building the 5000sqft house in the best neighborhood with the well known designers, etc. Luck definitely had NOTHING to do with it. We all like nice things and want the stuff. The stuff comes and goes...we only get one chance at raising our children.
I always love hearing these stories! You definitely were way before it was popular. Even my 20 and 16 year olds were before the popularity. Thanks for the kind words
I guess I should answer the original questions since I jumped into this thread I hold certs in gerontology, physical therapy, psychology, early childhood ed. I'm a CMT, Reiki Master, and hold a few other odd professional certs in rather bizarre areas. Learning is life long. I'm considering going back to school next semester.
It's important to end up with someone who shares the same values as you do. Being a SAHM takes a LOT of support (least of which is financial) so it's important to be with someone who feels it's a very important job and to define your roles. I think the biggest issues for SAHMs is when they are with a man who doesn't see her job as very important and/or resents her in any way. Definitely gather whatever marketable skills you can. You never can tell what you will really end up wanting to do. I never thought I would want to be a SAHM and for many of the years with children I worked. I had friends that thought they really wanted to be SAHMs and then found they weren't cut out for it. It's always best to do what you can to give yourself as many options as possible.
that is the truth, that skill is completely useless...well i guess if i go camping and someone gets a tick i can tell them what they might get...but still! what was i thinking when i enrolled in that course?!? lol
