“I would never be homeschooled.” Or that’s what I thought before March 2020. In a blink of an eye everything changed. First, we were told that we had two weeks off school. I remember thinking, “Are you kidding me? That’s amazing! Right? I’m still going to get my 8th grade graduation. Right? I’m still going on that field trip. Right?”
Turns out, all of that didn’t go as planned…
What came afterwards was a new idea of what school could be.
When the time came to make a decision on what I would do for the following four years of my schooling, I was faced with a challenge: Should I go to school and deal with having to do it virtually? Should I go in person and wear a mask? Should I get homeschooled and continue in basically the same way as I had been for the past few months?
I ended up doing what I proclaimed I would never do, be homeschooled. Turns out I wasn’t the only one who chose that route.
“Before COVID, we had 12,000 students; the year COVID hit, it went up to 20,000,” said Draper Warren, director of admissions at Seton Home Study School.
Seton went from having everything under control to struggling to get books to their students. “It was really hard,” Warren said. “Getting physical materials was the hardest part.”
But what I kept asking myself was, why did students and families make that change? Was it because of COVID itself? Was it the curriculum that was being taught? Or was it a window of opportunity to take that jump into something new?
As Sarah Hernholm writes in Forbes, “In 2019, prior to remote learning, approximately 2.5 million students were homeschooled in the United States. This number has risen significantly, with estimates indicating that almost 4 million students are being homeschooled nationwide.”
A survey conducted by the National Home Education Research Institute showed the motives for the change, Hernholm writes: “Families cite concerns over the quality of education in traditional schools, dissatisfaction with the school environment and a desire for customized learning experiences tailored to individual student needs.”
Some parents cite concerns about sending their kids to school, such as students not being shown useful life skills that will be used in the real world.
“A lot of them said, ‘Oh, we’ve been thinking about doing this for so long and we just never pulled the trigger and gave it a try,” Warren said.
In my four years with Seton, I learned things not only about myself, but also about the impact schooling has on someone.
I learned that I loved history and I loved the freedom of going at my own pace. I wasn’t comparing myself to anyone; it was just me.
Living under the same roof as my two younger siblings, I’ve seen the growth in both of them as well. My sister is in fifth grade but mainly in sixth grade courses. I’ve seen her fly through classes like it’s nothing!
There’s often the misconception that homeschoolers have no life or they aren’t socially well-adjusted, but at the end of the day, children will learn by example.
“Homeschooled children often develop strong social skills and meaningful relationships across diverse age groups,” Hernhole writes.
She goes on to say parents don’t need to worry about lack of socialization. Due to the growth in homeschooling, a wide variety of options such as co-op classes and extracurricular activities are available.
I noticed during COVID that kids were different, closed off, almost as if they were scared of life. On the other hand, you would see homeschoolers that most times would be ready for a new adventure and would feel free to ask questions and take leaps of faith.
During a lecture, neuropsychologist Russell Barkley points out, “You do not design your children”; instead, they represent a “unique combination of traits that run in your family line.”
The longer I was homeschooled, the more I got to spend time with my family. The more time spent with them, the more I noticed shared qualities that were present in me and my siblings.
My mom calls us her three musketeers. If one of us is gone, things feels wrong. A few months ago, we were all in Mexico visiting family and I had to come home early. My mom kept saying that things felt off and that my younger siblings seemed down all the time because of it.
Homeschooling has strengthened our bond, making us grow closer each day, though I’d be lying if I said we didn’t get on each other’s nerves.
Another benefit of homeschooling is that it prevents students from comparing themselves to others. Insecurities aren’t created, meaning students get to remain kids for longer.
At the end of the day it’s about what is going to benefit your child the most. If your child is smart and you feel they are being held back from their full potential, homeschooling gives your child the opportunity to advance in school.
As Dr. Barkley says, “I would rather that you stop thinking of yourself as an engineer and step back and say, ‘I am a shepherd to a unique individual.’”
Velocity 
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