I find it somehow interesting that in 1918 we had a deadly flu pandemic sweep the nation and the world, infecting at least a quarter of the population and taking more lives than the killing machine of the Great War. . . and then we virtually forgot about it.  It seems less a part of our collective memories than even the Black Plague.  Perhaps we had other things on our minds.  Perhaps the censorship played its role.  But life in America hardly went untouched as whole communities fell ill and children played jump rope.

All the while chanting:

I had a little bird
Its name was Enza.
I opened up the window
And in-flu-enza.

Now we have the Great Swine Flu Pandemic of 2009 and it seems all we can talk about.  Twitter is full of people alternately sounding the alarm and mocking the concerned.  My Google Alerts for homeschooling are peppered with articles about the swine flu, and even while waiting five minutes in the office of my infectious disease doctor I listened while the receptionist fielded two calls from other doctors about whether it would be wise to treat all flus with Tamiflu.  (The answer was no for fear of it losing its effectiveness.)

I can’t say I’m scared of this thing at this point, but I’m a long way from mocking.  After all, the 1918 flu was not taken particularly seriously early on and the government continued to encourage huge rallies for the war effort which may have facilitated its spread.  But I still think the intense interest is mostly a diversion from, or indulgence in, our general anxiety about the economy and other issues we are facing as a nation right now.

And I can’t seem to get away from it.

Now the Charter Schools Examiner over at Examiner.com is recommending “In case of swine flu school closures talk to homeschoolers” and I have mixed feelings about the advice.  I’m all for talking to homeschoolers.  In general, we are a pretty enthusiastic and helpful lot.  If you’re stressing about what to do with your kids, a seasoned homeschooler will likely be able to calm you down and keep the situation in perspective while your children exchange germs in the backyard.

But whatever it is a public school family does during a flu-related school closing hardly constitutes homeschooling.  I picture 60,000 students (OK, probably less than half that) fumbling awkwardly through a textbook while mom asks what the teacher normally does before she sends them off to read and answer the questions at the end of the chapter with the encouragement to “just do your best.”  I picture the majority of these families walking away from the experience a little overwhelmed, relieved it’s over and reinforced in the opinion that “I could never homeschool my children.”

Two weeks is a long time to play substitute teacher for your child’s classroom teacher, and without the benefit of lesson plans or even the bag of tricks most substitute teachers acquire over the years.  And isn’t that really all these families are being asked to do:  substitute until the schools reopen?  What other option is there when the goal from the beginning is to put them back in school?

If you’re stuck in that situation, ask all the questions you want.  I’m sure most homeschoolers would be delighted for the opportunity to help you out.  Just don’t call it homeschooling.

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And for the homeschooler in you, a wonderful documentary on the 1918 flu pandemic.  You may want to watch it before sharing it with young children.  Mine watched it, but there is something eerie about mass graves and children playing on coffins.

Photo courtesy Town of Burlington Massachusetts official website

homeschool homeschooling swine flu