Homeschooling?

Question

Me and my mother have considered me being homeschooled because i really want to focus on my education. It seems that in high school I just waste a lot of time sitting there doing nothing and getting done before anyone else.

I didn't mean that to sound vain, but I'm a sophmore in high school and I just generally don't like the education system. I go to a school with 4,000 kids, and it seems when ever I have a question or problem I'm treated as just another student.

I love my friends though, and it would be really hard missing them; but my question is, what do homeschoolers acutually think about homeschooling? What is a normal day like?

Is it easier to learn, and/or faster. Is socialization a problem? Any advice is welcome :D

I'm involved in Art club and French in my school; I'm not 'un-involved.' My problem is sitting around doing busy work in which i learn nothing for a majority of the day.

Answer 1

I don't think it sounds vain at all.

You're right: homeschooling would give you the opportunity to focus on your studies more. Not only that, but if you are focused, you'll finish your work in probably under 5 hours (some high school students don't take more than 4 hours). If you got started at 8am and took an hour break in all, you'd be done for the day by 2pm. You'd have time to volunteer, work, participate in various lessons, community clubs, homeschool activities, etc. The teen homeschoolers I know enjoy the freedom that homeschooling gives them. One I know very well works from 9am-11am, then from 1pm-3pm. She trains for her sport 3 evenings a week, plus pretty much all day Saturday--and doesn't have to worry about homework. A girl she knows did online schooling and did her work from 8am-12pm every day then had the whole afternoon free. A number of teens I know work mainly in the morning and leave the afternoon open for various social activities with other homeschoolers. The variety of situations is endless.

As for your friends, think of it this way: what would you do if you were going to switch schools because you got into a to-die-for program? How would you stay in touch with them? Then do that.

Is it easier to learn? Depends on how much assistance you need and if you have the resources available to give you the assistance. If your mom's a good tutor, then you'll love homeschooling--go your own pace, master the material, have time to follow your interests.

Socialization isn't a problem if you don't make it a problem. Truly.

Admittedly, there can be a transition time when you switch out of public school. Some kids LOVE the switch; others find it a little difficult to adapt. If you are committed to making it work, you'll find ways to make the transition good.

Good luck with your decision!

Answer 2

Well a normal day for me is getting up around 9:30 fixing breakfast and eating doing my after breakfast chores, getting my school work done helping with my little sisters fixing lunch and chores and then bed around 9:30 or 10:00. Socialization is not that big of a problem because I do dance and church. I tend to be very slow so my learning is slow but it really depends on how fast you can learn in homeschooling you can go at your own pace you can finish early or later you can be a grade ahead or behind you get a one on one time with your teacher who can explain stuff and once your done with your school work you can pretty much do anything.

Answer 3

I have a 17 yr old.

As for learning faster, she enjoyed homeschooling for that reason because even though she was bright, she was always bored in schools-- she was able to really focus on her studies and do a lot of creative projects, like writing novels or performing in plays. She took classes over the last few years in things that interested her-- a homeschool group science class taught by a retired school teacher, music and drama lessons and karate at the local community center, joined some teen writing and reading groups at the library. She also spent a lot of time volunteering over her high school years-- she worked at the library, assists teachers in our co-op, and was in a performance troupe that would put on musical shows for local nursing homes and assisted living facilities. When she was 15 she began taking college courses at a jr college and has been doing really well with that, she's enjoyed the challenge of them, and as long as she stays on track with her classes she'll be getting her AA next year when she is 18.

As for the social aspects, of course a lot of her activities I've mentioned are social. She also has a core group of 3 friends who were in school and are now in college; she's the youngest by about a year. When they were in high school she would see them mostly on the weekends because they didn't live close to our area, but like most teens spent a lot of time on the phone with them, had lots of sleep-overs, met up with them for movies or hanging out at the mall, etc., so socialization was never an issue, she has pretty much had a much broader base of socialization than most teens who are in school with the same people every day.

Homeschooling can be a great option; some people love it, some don't, but if you're unhappy w/your situation and your parents are open to it, it's worth considering.

Answer 4

I was in your position when I was in school. I was in third grade when I left, but I literally had a line of kids making me spell stuff for them. It was a major waste of time.

You can't really say what a homeschooler's average day is like, because everyone does it differently.

I like homeschooling because of the freedom it offers. You're not going to find a high school with an Austrian economics class, but that's what I've found is incredibly exciting and interesting. You're not stuck with hours of busywork, and you can learn stuff the way you actually learn. The school setup is designed for bureaucratic convenience, and to make you dependent on authority. It's called the Prussian system. Google it.

I spend 2-3 hours a day on school stuff. I have some science lectures that I listen to, math usually takes a while, and right now I'm making myself go through a US history textbook so I'll get a broad view.

I just read for English.

About two years ago I met my boyfriend of a year. He was really in to Austrian economics and had been following this dude Ron Paul since 1999. (Yes, he was ten years old when he started. He's a nerd, I'm a nerd, it's a perfect match.) I started reading over his shoulder, then checking it out on my own. Now I'm a budding Misesian and am a Ron Paul groupie. I gave $20 to him during the Tea Party, and check him out every day. Whenever I read the news, I check what the government's up to against the Constitution. To a strict constructionalist, it's something of a depressing experience but I think it's pretty exciting. This is getting a bit long-winded, so I'll wrap it up by saying that I couldn't possibly follow this if I was stuck in school for six hours a day, with four hours of homework on top of that.

When speaking about socialization, the main difference between public school and homeschooling is that homeschoolers have to take the initiative. You have to decide what you want to sign up for, what days, and so on. In school, you show up -with the ultimate threat of violence if you don't- and do what you're told, with no choice. Many people who leave the system can't make the change and end up lonely.

Join a sports team. Join a choir. Join an art class. Start a chess club. Do stuff, and people will follow. I'm an introvert, and I have five close friends. My sister is the complete opposite and is a member of the NY Jedi. She couldn't do that if she was in school. She's a martial arts genius, and has about a million friends. They're always IMing, talking, texting...gets a bit annoying when it's 2 AM and you share a room, but that's life. :P

I've got to say this though: There's nothing wrong with spending a day, or even a weekend, alone. People need downtime, some more than others. School breeds something of a herd mentality. "I have to be with other people, doing what they do." I'm not saying that school kids are sheep, but school culture strongly supports that and it's what the Prussian model is designed to do.

'Doing nothing' is underrated. Sometimes you just need some time alone to think about stuff. It doesn't matter what the stuff is. Could be philosophical pondering, could be thinking about Pokemon, could be letting yourself feel weird and alternate between wanting to cry, giggling, and punching pillows.

To me, that has been the greatest benefit of homeschooling. I've been allowed to figure out who I am, because I'm allowed to spend a day with myself.

Answer 5

I'm in my senior year right now, and I've been homeschooled since the fifth grade. I love it! A typical school day for me is about three hours. But a school day can be longer or shorter depending on how the school work is laid out for the year.

I think it's easier to learn, and it's also quicker.

I don't find socialization a problem, I still hang out and talk with all my old public school friends.

Answer 6

I have been homeschooled since 7th grade up through high school. I am now in college and miss being homeschooled. In homeschool I was able to work at my own pace, and focus on what I wanted to learn. I don't recommend going through a homeschool version of public school, though. Those programs are identical to public school except you do the work at home. What's really cool about homeschool is that you don't have to sit in a class room for hours on end getting lectured at then go home and to a bunch more hours of homework. Instead you just do the homework! It is so much more efficient!

I completely agree with your assessment of the education system. It is just another kind of baby-sitter for kids. I think parents should take responsibility of the children, and not let someone else indoctrinate them. And in response to what you said about being treated as another student, to a public-school teacher, you are. But to your mom, you are THE student! She will make sure your question is answered.

I don't think you will lose your friendships, if your friends are really true friends. They will stick by you and probably come over almost every day after school. I had a friend who lived two doors down, she was over at my house everyday after we were done with our school work.

I'll give you a sample of the schedule that I used:

Every morning I got up, and did my morning chores (walk the dogs, feed them, feed and water rabbits & chickens, etc.) Then had breakfast, and started school. I did history and English with my mom in the mornings, then I did math, science, and other subjucts by myself in my bedroom. After I finished my school work I had to do afternoon chores, then I could go play with my friends.

I think it is easier to learn, and definitely faster. I am in college now, didn't have to take ANY remedial classes, unlike many of my public-schooled friends. And am an "A" average student.

Socialization is not a problem, at least for most people. I had a job when I was 15 as a scorekeeper, and if that wasn't socialization, I don't know what is! I was in 4-H, very active in my church high school group, and did so many other activities. Also, my public school friends invited me to go to dances, prom, and other events their school had. Homeschoolers really don't miss "normal" socialization opportunities.

I know this is really long, but I hope it helps! Best of luck to you! And I hope you do choose to be homeschooled!

Answer 7

Many people don't consider home schooling thier children, because they are afraid thier children will miss out on socialization. According to the U.S. Department of Education, it is estimated that 1.7 percent of all students participate in a home schooling program. A greater number of parents are turning to home schooling as an option for educating their children.

This concept once only included the idea of parents assuming the responsibility of educating their own children. Today, the modern home school has evolved to include the use of computers and other technically-advanced equipment. Although home schooling has the predominant form of education throughout history, many people consider it to be a new concept.

Why are parents choosing home schooling more and more? There are many benefits. You can customize your curriculum (just as k12 does). Home schooling enables students to participate in a curriculum that is tailored to their needs. They can focus on specific areas of interest or other areas that require extra attention.

You can use different learning methods, so students don't have to sit at a desk all day. They might go on a field trip to a historical place, explore nature at a park, or visit a science camp.

Most home school based curriculum is self-paced, so if students require extra help on an assignment or want additional challenges, they can learn as fast or as slow as they choose. In a traditional school setting , the teacher can't always slow down and go over an area that a few students may not understand as well as the rest of the class. This is how so many kids today "get lost" and are left behind. A situation like this is easily avoided at home.

Having a flexible schedule is a great benefit. Home schooling provides students with more options than a traditional classroom. Students can set their own schedule and learn at any time. If they want to take a test at night, they have the freedom to do so. They are learning on their own terms.

There are fewer social distractions for children at home. Home schooling allows students to learn without the worry or interference of social distractions. They are not faced with the social pressures of regular school. They can focus on their work and not what another kid in the class might be saying or doing. You don't have to worry about bad influences that your child might have at school (drugs, alcohol, the wrong crowd etc). If you teach your child a certain set of morals and values, they will not learn something entirely different as they may have in a traditional school setting.

Home schooling enables students to get one-on-one attention from their teacher. Whether they are learning from a parent or online teacher, they can get immediate attention for all of their educational needs.

A home schooling program can provide students with choices. It gives them an alternative to the traditional classroom. Whether they choose home schooling for academic, safety or social reasons, they can be in charge of their education. It enables them to create an individualized learning experience.

For many children this is definitely a good option. A student needs to be self disciplined enough to do the school work daily. If a student is dedicated to being home schooled and can appreciate it, they can be successful !

Answer 8

I was homeschooled 1st-12th did 6th and 7th grade in one year. what I loved the most about it was the unstructured time that allowed you to breeze through the easy stuff and spend more time on the things that were harder for you. I was usually done with all my work by noon and only had school 3 days a week. plus I finished my senior year in march. I really think it helped for college because you learned to pace yourself and how to work ahead and study for tests

Answer 9

I love homeschooling.

I think homeschooling sounds just right for you!
It is a perfect way to be able to concentrate more on your studies. You can still arrange times to be with your friends after school and on weekends, you just won't be able to pass notes during class disrupting studies ( though I doubt you pass notes anyways so it won't be to much of a difference for you). You can also make lots of new homeschooling friends and have lots of fun while learning SO MUCH!

Answer 10

You might consider going on straight to college. If you're already beyond most of what high school offers, college may be a good option. Talk to your local community college. Many offer early entry (dual enrollment) to exceptional high school students. Since you would remain a public school student, there is no charge to you.