The Student Voice - Thoughts from a Homeschooling Graduate

This month, I'm joining up with Lisa Marie at The Canadian Homeschooler and other wonderful home school moms part of the Canadian Homeschool Blogging Team with the topic of "The Student Voice". The idea was to get your child's or children's opinion about homeschooling. My slant was getting my first, so far, home school graduate to talk about his homeschooling experience. This write up below, is from my oldest son. He graduated from high school in June 2015. The past year he attended Mount Royal University here in Calgary. His aspiration is to be an athletic therapist and find work locally or internationally for a professional sports team ( preferably hockey...his favorite sport). I have no doubt that he will achieve his goals.

My name is Devin Keenan, and I was home-schooled for 12 years.

 Yes, 12 years. From grade 1 to grade 12, I spent my days in the basement school room, my bedroom, at the kitchen table, and the loft doing my schoolwork. Was it easier than “regular” school? Was it fun? Was I social enough? Did homeschooling allow me to get into a good post secondary institution? Well, let me explain.

From grade 1 to grade 9, I did traditional homeschooling. From grade 10 to 12, I did my school online with Saint Paul's Academy which is part of our homeschooling board. Some people may argue that homeschooling is easier than a bricks and mortar school. Well, it’s not. It's different, but being different doesn't make it any easier.  My mom pushed me every day to work my hardest and do my best. She was like a coach to me - always there to help and guide me along the way. Yes, we would take days off to go to the zoo or the science center, or go on other field trips, but these trips weren't just for fun. Every time we went, we learnt something new without knowing it. It may have seemed like it was just for fun at the time, but in retrospect, it was more than that.  My mom also challenged me to learn about things that weren’t in the Alberta curriculum. This broadened my perspectives on the world, and it broadened my education as a whole. By the time I hit grade 10, I had no problem learning the Alberta curriculum online. Grade 10 math was a breeze for me; so was grade 10 English. Grade 10 Social was a challenge at first, but I adapted. Yes, there are always adaptation periods. I found that my biggest one was from grade 6 to grade 7. Puberty was kicking in, I experienced a lack of motivation, and there were other more “important” things than finishing my schoolwork. High school was not easier. I failed tests. I worked hard to get A’s, and I sometimes got B’s. There were final exams where I had my grades drop big time. Was it my mom’s fault? No, it was my own. I wasn’t focused enough. She still kept encouraging me every day to be my best, and I wish I could go back and try as hard as I know I could have.

Homeschooling was also a fun experience. I got to be at home with my family during troubling times, and it created a stronger bond between all of us. Our schedule was flexible, so we could go places and do things when most other kids were in school.  Sometimes, our summer vacation was extended and we'd be camping while others were facing the back to school angst.  If I finished all my schoolwork early, I could get out and play faster because I wouldn’t have to take the bus. What my mom taught me during my elementary and junior high days was what was the most fun. We learned about the Renaissance, Greek civilization, American history, Canadian history, Medieval times, the World Wars, and many other things. This was fun for me. For a lot of these studies, I made scrapbooks instead of just taking notes. It was a ton of fun to do that.

Was I social enough? Yes. Homeschoolers don’t all live in a bubble. I played hockey, I played soccer, I played with the kids on my street, and I have plenty of friends of all ages. I don’t feel socially deprived because I was home-schooled. My school board also offered a ton of events where I got to meet new people; whether it was sports, or other extracurricular activities. Now that I’m in university, I’ve had no trouble making new friends. We go out and have fun together, and I also have no problem speaking up in class, or saying hi to someone in the hallways. I'm also more of an independent learner, and that is what most professors appreciate in my faculty. 

Finally, homeschooling was a great path for me in order to get into a good university. Doing my high school online was helpful, because my diploma grades did not count as 100% of my marks. I had unit tests and quizzes that helped with my grades. I had no problems writing the diplomas, and I am now attending Mount Royal University in Calgary, studying Athletic Therapy. I’m big into sports, especially hockey. Not all homeschoolers are bookworms. I had no trouble adapting to the classroom setting of university, and my grades show it. The first semester of my first year, I remained at a 4.0 GPA, and the second semester, I was at a 3.8. Homeschooling does not create barriers for people who want to go to university. It really opened up many options, probably because my mom didn't "teach inside the box". Most times her teaching style was interest led. 

         I am no different than a kid who spent his days in a bricks and mortar school. I have my own interests, and I have met a lot of people who weren’t home schooled who share the same views. I’m not a weirdo, and if you passed me in the streets, there’s no way you would guess I was home-schooled unless I told you. I’m a normal person. Homeschoolers are normal. I have no regrets for being home-schooled my whole life.

      My name is Devin Keenan, and I am proud to say that I was home-schooled.