Home-school: Is There a Reason?

In the Fall of 2000, a six year old girl is sitting in her kindergarten classroom waiting for her mom to pick her up. While she waits, she starts cleaning up around her desk and cubbyhole. When her mom come, the teacher gives the girl a hug and the all students waved goodbye, as the girl walk out of the classroom with her mom. This was the girl’s last day of school, public school that is. The girl’s parents pull her out of the public school to homeschool her. Some friends of the parents told them that they started a home school program, and that they should let their daughter join the program before another year of school starts. So the parents ask their daughter if she want to try home schooling. The girl said she would try homeschooling only if she can go back to public school if she does not like being homeschooled. A couple of months after that, the girl started homeschooling.
When you think of Homeschooling, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Do you think of a child being pulled out of public school for bad school environment, such as bullying and negative peer-pressure? Maybe you think of a child with special or personal needs?Or, do you think of a child that would be socially shelter from his/hers peers? For some, these are the first conclusions about homeschoolers, but are any of these conclusions true?
That 6 year old girl was me 12 years ago, and I remember the first day I started home schooling, I was quite unsure how is was going to be. I thought that I would not be around kids anymore, and that I would never have a high school graduation. I know that is a lot for a kindergartener to think about, but that was just how I would think
A few month after I started home schooling, I started the non-profit home school program, and I was surprise to see so many kids. In fact, there were over 120 students, from grades k-12 of all nationally. And I made friends the first day.
After few years went by, the home-school program kept getting better and better. I got to go on so many felid trips. The best trip was when we went to New York City to see The Lion King on Broadway. I got to see Time Square, and the largest Toys R Us. In addition, that was also my first bus trip. When we had our second bus trip, we went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to see where the Declaration of Independents was sign. While we were in. While we were in the museum itself, I got to see my first IMAX show too.
Not all fields’ trips were out of town, a lot trip was right here in Maryland, DC, and Virginia. We did so many trips, so I am just going to name a few. In DC, we went to the Kennedy Center to see an African dance show. In Maryland, we went to the Children’s Museum near the Baltimore Harbor. In addition, we went to Six Flags America at the end of each year.
However, homeschool is not all about fields trip, is still about learning. Most, if not all fields trips we did still had to do with education. Moreover, we did science fairs which are very educational. I remember when I did my science project when I was 8 years old. I use a 9v battery and some wires to make a light bulb light up. (My dad helped me with this project).
Another educational thing we did was workshops. Our workshops can consist of different projects in a more classroom setting. We have done art, card making, culture day, and scrap booking workshops. I remember doing a workshop about the Amazon Rainforest. For that project, the teachers (our parents) taught us about the Rainforest; by having us watch a video. Then they had the students (us homeschoolers) do different work pages, and answer different questions they gave us.
Of course, I could not do activities every single day. I did most of my schoolwork at home. From grades 1-8. I did school work from curriculums that my mom purchase from book stores, library book sales, school supply stores, or she would get the curriculums from other parents. When my mom would get the books, I do the work. During the years of home schooling, the school coordinator from the county of Maryland would come by my house to check my schoolwork. The coordinator told my mom that she approved of the way I was being taught.
Once I finished the 8th grade, my parents decided to sign me up on a high school online program. We did not know what program to choose. I ask some homeschoolers, which online program they use. Just about every student said Penn Foster High School. I told my parents about the program, they look it up on the internet, and sign me up in May 2008.
I have been home school for 12 years, and as I said before, at first I was concern how homeschooling would be. I thought I would not be around kids anymore, which did not happen; I was around plenty of kids my age. I also thought non- homeschooled students would think I was weird. That did not happen either; most kids I talk to said that they wish they could be homeschooled also. In addition, the last thing I thought that I would never have a high school graduation. Well, the S.E.E.K actually does three graduations 6th, 8th and 12th grade This past year I finish my online program, and had an on stage graduation ceremony with the students from the Homeschooled program.
The beginning of this I asked, what is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Homeschoolers? Do you think of a child being pulled out of public school for bad school environment, such as bullying and negative peer-pressure? I was never bullied when I was in public school. Maybe you think of a child with special or personal needs? I didn’t have any type of needs in school either. Or, do you think when that child be homeschool that he/she would be socially shelter from his/hers peers? I can tell you, I was not socially shelter from anyone.?

Now, what is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Home Schooling?