Junior Reporter Dispels Myths about Homeschooling
By Elle Rogers -
When most people think about schools in the Geist area, Hamilton Southeastern and Lawrence Township schools usually come to mind. But there is another school that most people don’t know about. My school has only two students and one teacher. Solomon the chocolate lab is the school mascot . The uniform on some days is pajamas, and field trips include such far-off places as Massachusetts, New York and Tennessee.
It’s Brooks School Academy — my family’s home school. Although it may sound foreign to you, homeschooling is a way of life for many families in the Geist area.
There are over 2 million home schoolers in the U.S., and an estimated 30,000 of them live in Indiana. According to Indiana state law, a home school is considered a private school. The only regulation is that home schools must keep attendance records showing 180 days of school.
I am 12 years old, in 7th grade and have been home schooled since kindergarten. My parents chose to home school my sister and I in order to give us a solid foundation. But there are many other reasons families make this decision.
“I like being able to ask questions freely and experience things in the real world,” offered Grace Kisker, age 9, of Geist.
Home schooling also means learning at your own pace. “I like to home school because I get to see my family and friends. I also like the fact that I don’t have to rush in the morning,” says Alecia Snyder, age 10, of Fishers.
Susan Wible of Geist has been home schooling her four children for almost 20 years. When she started, her motivation was to give her children a love of learning.
“Around the time my first born was in fourth grade, I realized that I still enjoyed home schooling, but I also realized that much of home schooling is just plain hard work. My reasons changed a bit then, and I saw the benefit of choosing curriculum and subjects that he found particularly interesting and that were more in line with his particular way of learning,” explained Wible. “I also began to see the benefits of a less harried schedule and increased family time.”
Home school can take place anywhere. While, primarily, it happens at home, sometimes families join together. We did this last year, when three families got together to study science.
Co-operatives and classes also supplement the teaching that takes place at home. At a co-op, parents staff and teach the classes. I currently attend a co-op, ISI in Noblesville, where I take Junior Achievement, science and home economics classes. At a home school class, paid teachers provide instruction. Equip in Fishers and Northpoint Homeschool Classes are nearby examples.
One myth about homeschooling is that home-schooled kids are not normal and have no social life. Nothing could be further from the truth! Just like other kids, homeschoolers have busy social and extra-curricular schedules. For example, during the holiday season, I was busy with musical practice, piano lessons, church activities, volunteer commitments and getting together with family and friends. Sometimes, home schoolers are more social than other-schooled kids!
Another myth is that we don’t work hard. Research has shown that home schoolers generally do better on tests than traditionally-schooled kids.
The truth is, homeschooling works. Just look at this list of famous homeschoolers: Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks, Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson and George Washington, Inventor Thomas Edison, Queen Elizabeth II and University of Florida quarterback and 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.
Home schooling is not for everyone, but it has been a blessing to me, and it can be a good resource for any child.
If you are interested in becoming a junior reporter for atGeist.com, contact Managing Editor Laura Gates at Laura@atGeist.com.
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