By YahnaiJah
Most of the time when I tell people that I’m homeschooled, they instantly become an arsenal, sending a barrage of rapid-fire questions my way.
I’ve been homeschooled off and on my entire life, starting at third grade. I began going to a public school again in fourth grade, but began to homeschool again until seventh grade, where I only stayed for half a year because I was bullied so badly that my parents had to take me out. I didn’t go back to a public school until my freshman year. I am now back in the homeschool system, attending a charter program that pays me $800 a year for taking classes. While most schools start around 8, I wake up every morning at 8:30 and begin to get ready for the day. Around 9:30 I begin my school day with a walk to my living room, where my teachers live. Unlike most students, my teachers “live” inside a computer. I almost never see my teachers, but I can always know when they’re there by the little green dot next to their name that tells me they’re online. As far as lunch, I usually just eat whenever and whatever I want. My school day is usually from 9:30-3:30, which is just a little shorter than most schools. After my work is done, I still hang out with my friends that I’ve made from my old schools.
Homeschooling is still a new concept. Only 3.4% of the school-age of students in America are homeschooled, but the number is growing fast.
One thing I’ve noticed about the homeschool community is that we are hugely mis-represented. Due to the high number of parents un-qualified to homeschool their kids, homeschoolers like me as seen as uneducated and under-socialized. While it’s true that we don’t get to socialize as much as the normal student, we aren’t supposed to be caged inside the house 24/7. It is the home-schooling parent or guardian’s responsibility to provide their children with social activities such as sports or other recreational activities. I think that while homeschooling is supposed to mainly focus on supplementing the academic aspect of school, the balance of both the books and social life should be taken into just as much consideration.