I'm in Education...
We've all been in the following situation: You're at a party with people you don't know. Maybe it's a work party for your spouse. Maybe you're meeting the other parents in your new neighborhood. Either way, the inevitable question will arise. 'So, what do you do?'
This is usually a simple question to answer. In my previous life, I simply said, 'I'm a Business Analyst for an insurance company.' When people asked, 'What does that mean?' I would usually say, 'It's part of the IT department. I act as a translator between the business users and the programmers.' That was usually enough.
Now, however, it's become a bit more complicated. Yes, the simple answer is, 'I'm a stay-at-home-mom and I homeschool our children.' Sometimes that's what I say. However, the response to that statement is usually less than desirable. Therefore, I'm changing my answer. From now on, I'm going to say, 'I'm in Education.' If they ask, 'Oh, are you a teacher?' I will answer, 'Yes.' If they ask what grade, I will answer, 'Montessori 3-6'. If they ask where I teach, I will say, 'The Donabedian School.'
That should be enough. No one has ever heard of 'The Donabedian School' because it doesn't really exist, at least not in the way people think of school. People don't usually like to appear stupid, so they won't admit that they've never heard of this school and I won't have to tell them that the school exists in my basement and I'm the only teacher for my two children.
It's not that I'm embarrassed or ashamed of our choice to homeschool. Far from it. I'm just so tired of explaining and defending that choice to people who are never going to appreciate or understand it.
So, if you're a homeschooling parent, perhaps you will enjoy using this idea when confronted with the 'What do you do?' question.
This is usually a simple question to answer. In my previous life, I simply said, 'I'm a Business Analyst for an insurance company.' When people asked, 'What does that mean?' I would usually say, 'It's part of the IT department. I act as a translator between the business users and the programmers.' That was usually enough.
Now, however, it's become a bit more complicated. Yes, the simple answer is, 'I'm a stay-at-home-mom and I homeschool our children.' Sometimes that's what I say. However, the response to that statement is usually less than desirable. Therefore, I'm changing my answer. From now on, I'm going to say, 'I'm in Education.' If they ask, 'Oh, are you a teacher?' I will answer, 'Yes.' If they ask what grade, I will answer, 'Montessori 3-6'. If they ask where I teach, I will say, 'The Donabedian School.'
That should be enough. No one has ever heard of 'The Donabedian School' because it doesn't really exist, at least not in the way people think of school. People don't usually like to appear stupid, so they won't admit that they've never heard of this school and I won't have to tell them that the school exists in my basement and I'm the only teacher for my two children.
It's not that I'm embarrassed or ashamed of our choice to homeschool. Far from it. I'm just so tired of explaining and defending that choice to people who are never going to appreciate or understand it.
So, if you're a homeschooling parent, perhaps you will enjoy using this idea when confronted with the 'What do you do?' question.
Comments
Post a Comment