What do you think about homeschool kid?

Question

I'm just asking because I'm happen to be homeschooled, been since 5th grade(I'm a freshman now) and whenever i tell someone that I'm homeschooled I want to know what their thinking, like "wow thats weird" or"is she retarded?" or are they thinking something good. so my question is, what would you think if I told you that I'm homeschooled?

Answer 1

Since my children were/are home schooled, and are very articulate, full of life, independent, and capable (see the mom coming out) I would say wonderful, you have the privilege of having a head start on life, and parents who made it their priority to make sure you had the best opportunities possible.

To all others who know little or nothing about the home school way of life, let you example speak volumes..

Blessings.

Answer 2

Get used to the looks!  And get ready to answer all the questions that come after that.  I was homeschooled as well, I graduated 2 years ago.  My 3 younger siblings are homeschooled as well and some people just think my mom's nuts for doing it.  Haha.  I think that most people are just interested.  The most common question I got was, "do you have friends?" "how do you socialize?" "how long does it take you to do school?"  I don't think that people think that we're retarded.  I've heard more and more kids are being homeschooled now a days.  But I've learned that a lot of homeschooled kids are better off.  You don't have the peer pressure to do stupid stuff, you can still have friends and do things, you can still go to prom (I did!) and do everything else that other kids do.  Except you could go to school everyday in your pj's if you wanted to.  ;-)

Answer 3

I would think you are smart, interesting, well educated, etc.  

I just began homeschooling my son in November 2006, and even before I began homeschooling him, I had an extremely positive opinion about homeschooling and homeschoolers.

Answer 4

I just became homeschooled this year, [I'm a sophmore] and I remember thinking that homeschool kids were lucky, before I became homeschooled.

Now I see how much work it is!

Answer 5

I think kids are kids. Most of them are wonderful, regardless of their educational background, and I'd have to get to know you before I could say what I think about you.

I have seven homeschooled kids, and I happen to think they are wonderful. Most people who meet them think they are bright, witty, fun people to be with, I think that homeschooled kids tend to be that way because they are more self-empowered than public school kids.

Answer 6

I think meeting someone who is actually homeschooled changes people's minds.  

They may have one pre-concieved notion as to what homeschoolers are like and then they meet someone like you who seems very articulate and smart and they have to back track.

So, yes, at first some (and I do mean a few)  might think that you would be "socially ackward" but they'll change their minds quickly.

We have that all the time when people meet our kids.  When they find out we get this "Oh, um, really?"  sort of stammering and then we get normal conversation after that.  

I think you are probably a great 'advertisement' for homeschooling.   *grin*

Answer 7

Homeschooling has generally a bad rap due to narrow minded parents, teachers, school officials and unions who fear losing their clout.

You see homeschooling has jumped from less than 1% in 1970 to over 20% today and studies are showing a 2-3 grade improvement in test scores over public schools students.

While a lot of homeschoolers do it for religious reason (most of the courses are religiously based and only a minority of homschool students are secular) there is also a lot of flack from the secular and Atheists who view the education as bogus, forgetting that the entire American Public School system came from the Congregationalists and Presbyterians who mandated in 1660 that all towns must have a free school and all children must go to that school and that the first seat of higher learning in the US was put together by the Clergy and named the Harvard School, which eventually was granted College status by Europe and then when more colleges were established on the campus became a University.  Most of the Ivy League and private Universities are religious in nature (Duke and USC are MEthodist, that's George Bush's religion).

The science programs, while teaching from a creationist point of view, do tackel the same materials that college will want to see.

Not all programs are this way, however, there are some out of a box non-committal programs and virtual on line schools from the Secular state run Eduational System that awards full diplomas (Florida and I think Arizona are two examples).

With all the violence and crime, drugs and s*x going on in the public schools one can expect to see homeschooling reach 35-40% by 2050

Some homeschooling programs (often termed by me as school in a box) are quite difficult.  The Penn Foster programs in Math and Science for example usually are above the heads of many students.  People cry for cheat sheets and no one provides them.  You don't hear that with other programs like A Beka.

Those who can do the PEnn Foster work and master it are probably way over the heads of public schoolers.

Of course colleges are now offering it too!  I mean real colleges!  It's a way for a Cornell or Yale or Stanford to bring their educational system to the masses as only a few hundred can be admitted to the brick school.

The college offerings are colled Long Distance Education, but it's a form of virtual homeschool earning college credits are REAL (not Phoenix type) state and private universities in a variety of studies.

It should be noted that Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin were both homeschools and more recently Dr. Condoleze Rice was homeschooled for the first 8 years of her education.  Then she went to private Catholic High School and College (Notre Dame).  I believe her parents are Baptists and she was homeschooled in the Black Baptist church along with a few other students.  Actually an undeground school taught by the parents.

Answer 8

About 90% of the people that we tell my daughter is homeschooled too think positive thoughts and are really eager to either convers about it or learn more about it.

The other 10% that think negative thoughts are either narrow minded because they have dug in their heals oir have had a bad experience with a single homeschooled child and refuse to realize that not everyone is trying to get away with something.

Answer 9

I think more people are understanding homeschooling.  The public schools are understanding that the traditional classroom is not the right educational choice for most people.  They are offering alternatives to students to keep up with the times.  Homeschooling has been keeping up with the times for years.  

My answer to you had you asked this question 10 years ago would have been, "I think it is great but I don't think I could do it".  Well, with technology and encouragement from other home schoolers both online and face to face, we are homeschooling.  I like it.  My son is learning.  We have more time for life by using our learning time efficiently.

I do not know any weird home schoolers personally, but I know a few weird public school students.  

When I now hear that a particular person is homeschooled I think that they are probably educated and probably a unique individual.

Answer 10

I wonder that too (I'm homeschooled). I always wonder what people think when they hear that. I don't think they think we're weird..they probably just don't understand it so they're skeptical. Actually,most of the people I meet say "Really? I wish I was homeschooled..that would be cool!"

The ones who give you that funny look don't mean to..they've probably just never met someone that was homeschooled. Usually when I meet someone like this they forget about it after awhile and realize I'm normal lol...

Trinity: I think it's funny how "qualified" you are to teach yet have no grammar or spelling skills whatsoever. Wow..I really want you "qualified" teachers to teach my kids!

"i would say I hope your parents have college degrees in education with certification in all the subject." -Trinity

Not only does that sentence not make sense but it also has many spelling and capitalization errors. Shows just how smart the public school teachers are.

Answer 11

I think, "Yay, another homeschooling family!" I homeschool my two kids, so I don't think anything bad. :)

As for others, some kids seem to think it's weird, others think it's cool and wish they could do it, too.

Answer 12

i would say I hope your parents have college degrees in education with certification in all the subject. Teachers in public school are highly qualified in their subject areas and are professionals in method. Parents who homeschool children are pretending to be real teachers... Perhaps they should practice medicine too, why go to medical school? Be a lawyer too, or a dentist. If they teach without proper education and training why not be a home dentist & home doctor and home lawyer?

Answer 13

We just left Children's hospital and met another child who is home schooled! She was very shy about it until she noticed my daughter doing the same work book and asked her about it! I would think that you are wonderful. I thought my cousins were weird they were home schooled but that was 15 years ago when Home schooling was still really unpopular. Now days it's not uncommon to find kids that are home schooled and are starting to break the old myths that they are unsocialized or sheltered!

Answer 14

I would think "YAY!! Another homeschooler!" lol

Usually when I tell people that i'm homeschooled, they look at me wierd, or say "I wish I was homeschooled", but I don't really know what they think. One day at work, I heard a girl jokingly say that she was home-schooled and this guy said, "oh, that's why you're so dumb". (neither of them knew I was homeschooled). But then some people think that's really cool, and great and everything.

I used to hate telling people that I was homeschooled, but now I don't mind because I don't care what they think. So what if they think i'm stupid and get off easy? I know i'm not stupid, and I know my work is much harder than theirs, and i know I'm getting a better education. So, if they say rude or untrue remarks, I just smile and don't say anything.

Don't worry what other people think!!! (i know, it's hard )

:)

Answer 15

Well I used to think that same thing "whoa what's wrong with that kid!!!" but since I started homeschooling I think it's the best thing that ever happened to me! I am serious dont laugh. I started homeschool this year which would of been for me my sophomore-junior year. But I like the advantange I have of been able to finish high school in a couple of months. So you see my opinion towards homeschoolers is now more wow then whoa. When you think about it we are smart kids aren't we?