Another reason I homeschool

Lists - I love lists.  Lists are not always good.  Life is often too complicated to contain on a list.  But lists can be very efficient.  Here are two contrasting lists.  

The first is what is often taught on "the conveyor belt" of public education:

• Do the bare minimum
• Learning means pleasing the authority figure.
• Learning, schooling and studying are no fun.
• Playing is when you don't have to learn
• To be a good student I have to study somebody else's interests.
• My own interestes must be pursued on my own time, and they aren't as valuable as the "accepted' topics of study.
• If nobody is making me study, I'd rather be entertained than learn.

Here is the second list.  This is how I feel about learning and how I am attempting to inspire my children to feel about it, too.

• There is SO MUCH to learn and it is SO EXCITING!!!
• Learning is more fun than almost anything
• I can learn on my own, in a group, or with help from a teacher or parent
• All I need is a book and I can learn
• In fact, I can learn even without a book
• I love learning!
• I am passionately interested in (fill in the blank - ie: homebirth, child development, volleyball, nature, the scriptures)
• If I do more than is assigned, I'll learn more and have more fun.  The assignments are just minimums
• My thoughts and ideas are as valuable as anybody else's.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE learning - this is the greatest lifestyle ever :)