This whole homeschool thing.
When 1 of 8 asked to come home to school in 1999, I was willing. She wanted to have more time to dance, wanted to be able to take more classes. She wanted more time to read. She wanted more creative time.
We had a great public school experience. Her teachers were loving and supportive. 1 of 8 had lots of dear friends, friends she is still close to today. We didn't make the decision to homeschool based on what was going wrong.
We made the decision to homeschool based on what was going right.
What was going right was 1 of 8's dance experience. What was going right was a strong friendship with another homeschool family and the opportunity to do some traveling with them as part of their family business. What was going right was 1 of 8's creative bent, a creativity that was pushing her to learn more, faster, deeper and farther.
And so she came home.
Now push the fast forward button.
By the time 1 of 8 entered her high school years, homeschooling in general was a far more accepted option than when we had started. But the high school years made me a bit more nervous. It seemed there was more at stake, more paperwork, more of a need to validate all the things she had accomplished.
And there was the daunting question: had this Great Social Experiment actually worked?
1 of 8 entered a major university last week as a sophomore, a sack full of credit hours already earned through a dual credit program with a local college and a smattering of distance learning. She is a double major, in foreign language as a French major and in science as a Neuro-Biology major.
And when her acceptance letter came in the mail, you may have heard me.
It was that big "Whew!"
Because while we knew of 1 of 8's diligence and hard work, we were concerned that those unfamiliar with homeschooling or those philosophically opposed might make the crossing a bit more treacherous.
We needn't have worried.
It's been a delight to see how seamless the transition has been.
1 of 8 has been photo-cataloging her experience and I'll be posting her observations and thoughts here throughout the week. For those of you who homeschool, I'll try to provide answers to the questions I've had throughout the high school years. And for those of you who don't homeschool, perhaps this will provide a peek into how the whole thing works.
But one way or another, it's been exhilarating to watch the process, to see 1 of 8 take command of her education, to find the information, to prep for the tests, to complete the forms and to answer the questions.
And to see our Great Social Experiement come to fruition.
I heard that big whew! I home school some and public school others it's an experiment either way I think. There is no greater joy then seeing our children gain insight into their soul and choose the experiences and education they feel led to.
ReplyDeleteI admire the way you two parent and educate.
I sometimes wonder if universities look at homeschoolers differently, but there were several at the university where I went to school. I also imagine that if the college credit is good, the national test scores are good, and the homeschooler can show that they are dedicated to an art or program (like dance) that it would be fine.
ReplyDeleteI would actually like to home school my kids so that they have more time to really learn. However, they are too young to tell yet if they are very motivated on their own and since their own motivation would determine whether or not it would work I definitely can't make that choice right now.
But I think it can be a very very good choice.
Congratulations to your daughter!
Have been following your blog for a while, but I just wanted to speak up today in support of your homeschooling adventures.
ReplyDeleteI was homeschooled for six years. My brothers were homeschooled for their entire school careers.
I attended a good public university and now have a master's and work as a high-school teacher myself. My brothers are currently graduates and students of the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy, respectively. Both are military officers.
People often considered my mother and father "counter-culture" and sometimes dangerous for pulling us out of school and home-schooling us.
But my parents raised three kids who became successful adults.
I often wonder - as a current high-school teacher - how my brothers and I escaped adolescent-hood relatively unscathed.
But I now see that healthy socialization and homeschooling did wonders for us.
More importantly, it let us tap into who we are and what we are good at.
As a parent, it's terrifying to know if you're making the right choice for your children, to wonder if you're hindering their development and growth into adult-hood.
But I can honestly say, after seeing both sides of the coin now as a teacher, home-schooling is a far better option for a huge percentage of our population. It meets each child where they are at, and that is something no public school can do accurately.
Kudos to you for making this choice for your kids! I'm glad our university systems acknowledge how deserving home-schooled students truly are!
The best way to know if they are ready for college is to see if they can handle doing all the paperwork, etc., it takes to get in!
ReplyDeleteWith my oldest only beginning middle-school this year; I've been a bit nervous about the high school homeschool years to come. The whole situation here has me STILL in a state of flux, but I feel ready to commit to this long-term. Never mind the obvious academic plusses in being able to learn in your own way and in your own time, this is an opportunity for my children to grow into themselves without the pressures of trying to be someone else they may think is cool. Also, they are growing closer as a family and learning to listen to the voice of God. Congratulations on your success with #1, she will go far!
ReplyDeleteSo wonderful to hear!! Go 1 of 8!
ReplyDelete(and go Divine Ms. O!!)
My siblings and I were homeschooled from pre-K through high school graduation.
ReplyDeleteAs the oldest child, I learned to read and write at age three, and my mom (a teacher) was concerned about the schools in our area (near NYC) and afraid that I would be bored out of my mind in kindergarten and end up learning little and just getting into trouble. So she "fell into" homeschooling, having never heard of it, having never even known anyone homeschooling back in the early 80's.
I took community college courses during high school to help "prepare me" for the real thing, and transferred those to my university. I graduated with a B.S. in Accounting, minoring in Journalism. I worked as a CPA for Ernst & Young before becoming a stay-at-home mom.
My sister has loved science & medicine since high school when she volunteered at the hospital and took science courses her senior year at a Christian college near us. She completed college, went on to earn her master's at a physician's assistant school, and completed a one-year surgical residency at Duke University. She is a physician assistant, having worked several years in neurosurgery and now works in orthopedics.
(Ironically my mom had experience in secondary ed, teaching English & civics. She always felt her "weak points" were science and math; these were always subjects in which she enlisted others' help. But my sister and I went on to enjoy successful careers in those fields! My brother just completed his degree in Secondary Education-English, following in mom's footsteps!)
Growing up, we always faced questions, particularly since homeschooling seemed quite radical back then. But I am so grateful for the sacrifices my parents made for our education.
My husband and I are planning to homeschool our children for the early years at least, and then weight each child's needs and gifts and find what option fits best for him/her.
Thank you for this post!
ReplyDeleteI have been told that many universities here love homeschooled kids because they have better self-discipline and independent learning skills which are needed for uni.
I am sure 1 of 8 will have loads of fun and excel at college.
Thanks for this post--and for the supportive comments that come with it!
ReplyDeleteLove the "what was going right" bit.