Thoughts from a former homeschooler

People have started to rethink homeschooling since the pandemic. The hybrid and online learning practices that were incorporated led parents and guardians to spend more time during the school day helping their children learn.

Some parents are reconsidering sending their children back to public school, even as restrictions have lifted and children have been able to return to in-person learning. For some, the idea of homeschooling is appealing. And for others, it's unthinkable.

Parents have the right to choose the education option they believe is best for their children. There are valid concerns that surround every education option. As someone who was homeschooled, I advocate that homeschooling can be a meaningful investment.

My Background

I was homeschooled all the way through to my graduation from high school. Originally, my mom intended to homeschool for a year. She was pregnant with my younger sister, and my older sister was about to go into kindergarten. At the time, I was inseparable from my older sister and less than thrilled about the new baby on the way.

My mom, knowing I would lose my best friend and gain a new sister around the same time, decided to homeschool my older sister through kindergarten. My wonderful mother, a highly intelligent ceramic engineer, took to the challenge and one thing led to another. Okay, so she homeschooled all of us the whole way through.

Say what you will about that choice. I'll let my full four-year scholarship, history of tutoring people in college, and survival of nursing school speak for themselves. I don't pretend to be the smartest in the room. I've found that surrounding yourself with people smarter than you is one of the best ways to learn and grow. This is an area where I have been granted immense privilege over the years. But my point is that I survived fine in higher academia.

The Misconceptions

One of the common misconceptions about homeschoolers is that they are unintelligent or won't be able to keep up with their public-schooled peers. This is not supported by statistics or by my own anecdotal evidence. (Hey, take it with a grain of salt.)

But this is not the most cited concern about homeschooling. The biggest concern is the lack of socialization.

This is a valid concern. Parents who homeschool need to make an effort to make sure their kids are part of social circles and interactions. This active engagement can actually make homeschoolers more outgoing and connected to the community. Homeschooled students further learn how to interact with individuals outside of their own age range, a skill that transfers well to the workplace.

It is dangerous to use umbrella terms. Some homeschoolers are sheltered. Some are not. Some are intelligent and some aren't. For more on the common misconceptions about homeschoolers, check out this great video.

The Benefits of Homeschooling

My time as a homeschooler shaped me and impacted how I performed in college and in the workforce. These are some of the benefits I personally experienced from being homeschooled.

• The ability to tailor study to areas of academic interest. New York State, which is where I grew up, has strict laws when it comes to homeschooling. Parents have to meet strict requirements and utilize curriculum to meet those requirements. But within this framework is the freedom to let children explore areas that interest them. For example, I was required to take biology, chemistry, and physics. With the freedom to choose additional science credits, I chose to take human anatomy. This carried over well when I pursued a nursing degree in college. My sister took a course in marine biology, an area she probably wouldn't have otherwise taken the time to pursue. My mother was able to open up honest discussions about what I found interesting, and I got to play an active role in my educational path.
• Understanding of unique learning styles. Interest in learning styles has increased in recent years. Understanding your own aids in learning and retaining information. The homeschool setting allows children and parents to explore and implement the learning style that works best for them. This tailored approach can help students who are struggling academically, but it can also help high performance students improve their performance even more. This understanding and learning about the self transfers well into the college setting. For example, I learned that I am an auditory learner. I was able to develop study methods in high school that I used in college, like taking recordings of lectures and creating audio recordings of my notes.
• Flexibility in scheduling and increased academic opportunity. Homeschooling is not restricted to the rigid schedule of the "typical" school day. For the most part, my family got up in the morning and worked until around three in the afternoon. But homeschooling allowed us to take advantage of opportunities that occurred during the school year. For example, we would take time to volunteer at our local food pantry. We got involved in community theater. We would schedule in trips to historical sites during the school year based on what we were learning. As a side bonus, we would take snow days when the snow was perfect for making snowmen instead of on the days with blizzards. Sometimes we would start school earlier, so we could take family vacations in the Fall. I also started pursuing college level work while in high school. I do recognize that public schools offer AP classes, so this is not unique to homeschooling. However, I was able to take classes at the local university at a reduced cost. This allowed me to get some college credits and understand college level work and expectations.
• Honing of time management skills and encouragement of independence. Public schoolers are stuck in school until it's over. What's worse is that they have to go home and do homework after that. Homeschooling? You're done when the work is done. This mindset almost immediately cultivates setting goals and time management skills. I learned to work at a pace that focused on completion and how to set my own schedule, so that I could get all of my work done. This transferred well into college, where the structure greatly relies on students being independent and setting aside time to study.

Homeschooling isn't for everyone. But the benefits are there for those who choose to pursue it as an educational option for their kids. I'm concerned that many parents write off the idea of homeschooling because they're afraid of being different, or they are afraid of being unqualified. To those uncertain, may I just note that you are not alone? Yes, it's scary, but it's doable. And as someone who reaped the benefits of homeschooling, I would also suggest that it's worth it.