This article popped up in my google alerts. It is actually not about homeschooling, but about virtual charter schools. But this quote jumped out at me:
State Sen. Jimmy Jeffress, (D-Crossett), a member of the Senate Education Committee, said rural school leaders should view distance education as a complement, not a replacement, to their traditional classroom offerings.
“Nothing can ever take the place of that warm, caring, loving teacher who has a presence in the classroom and can put her arm around those elementary kids and snuggle up to them,” Jeffress said during a panel discussion that included state Sen. Kim Hendren, (R-Gravette), state Sen. Steve Bryles, (D-Blytheville), and state Rep. Mark Martin, (R-Prairie Grove).
Obviously, I beg to differ. I would say that a parent can definitely take the place of that warm, caring, loving teacher (not that we don’t want teachers to be warm and caring, of course). And do kids and teachers really snuggle?
I always thought that was one of the advantages of homeschooling…we get to snuggle while we learn…
I thought that (non-parental) teachers weren’t allowed to snuggle anymore. You know, sexual harassment and all?
My mom’s friend’s son quit teaching a few years ago because he COULDN’T snuggle the kids. He taught third grade and if a child tried to hug him he was required to push them away. Female teachers were required to do the same. Another of my mom’s friends has said that 15 years ago it was fine to hug a kid (she teaches first grade). Now she is forbidden. So, yeah, I don’t think teachers are doing any snuggling with the kids at all.
Yeah, I’ve heard them talking about how they have to deflect hugs and snuggles.
Homeschooling is much better.
I don’t recall snuggling any of my teachers, but maybe that’s just me.