My name is Daniel, and I went to public school.
(Readers: Hi Daniel…)
As you might imagine, that’s unusual for an HSLDA employee. Most of the staff here are either a product of homeschooling, are currently homeschooling their children, and/or have homeschooled their (now adult) children. And for a place like HSLDA, which is the largest homeschooling advocacy organization in the world, that’s exactly what you want.
So that begs the question… why am I here supporting the homeschooling community? I went to public school from grades 1 through 12, I don’t have children, my wife was also a public-school kid, and I didn’t know anyone who was homeschooled until I went to college (shoutout to Geneva College and my friend Luke).
Before you ask, I don’t wish I was homeschooled. I feel like I had a unique public-school experience, where I moved around so much that I got to “sample” a lot of public schools. It was a unique opportunity that not many peers got to experience (unless they were military kids).
Between 2001 to 2007, I was enrolled in seven different elementary schools. To most, this would be a nightmare. But for me, this allowed me to learn how to speak English quicker (since I had to translate for my parents). It was a tough time, but I have no regrets because God used all those experiences to shape who I am today.
Looking ahead, I would consider homeschooling my children in the future. Why? While there are pros and cons to every educational option, my list of pros for homeschooling has grown with every conversation that I’ve had with homeschooling parents. Here are a few examples from the list:
– Family time!
As someone who knew that he wanted to be a father before even thinking about a career, I want the freedom to spend as much time with my children as I can. (Guess what my love language is?) Homeschooling grants parents the opportunity to participate in the student’s academic journey in a way that public and private school parents cannot. Parents teach the material rather than just sitting at the table and helping with the homework. I like the idea of being more involved with my (future) student’s education, so that quality time can also be learning time that isn’t limited to weekends, afternoons, and summer and winter holidays.
– Anywhere can be a classroom (at least in the first few years).
Flexibility and creativity are some major hallmarks of homeschooling. Parents can make lessons come to life by using “field trips” more regularly, for instance, compared to the two or three field trips that the school board allowed per year. I have a cousin in Connecticut who is homeschooling her three children, and those students get to learn about animals at the zoo, not just in a textbook. And if there was not enough time to see all the animals? Then she can just take the kids back to the zoo another time. It is a level of freedom that allows her children to thrive and learn in a unique way. Homeschooling allows children to learn for the sake of learning, rather than learning to pass the state tests that we public school kids take annually.
– Nurturing talent.
If you are raising future Olympic athletes, Grammy-winning musicians, or A-list actors/actresses, the set schedule of public schools could be limiting. The eight-hour school day may not be equipped to truly nurture the talent of your student(s). And after the eight-hour school day? The students need at least 8 hours of sleep, plus time to eat and work on their homework, so practice time is limited to roughly 2-3 hours a day.
Homeschooling allows education to be flexible so that you can go meet with the coach (or whoever is assisting your student’s progress), get the schoolwork done and get good rest, without worrying about something falling through the cracks. School may not be for everyone, but it doesn’t mean that it isn’t important to get a basic education. For the students who want to pursue options that don’t require higher education, homeschooling allows those students to have the opportunity to learn what they need while having more time to spend on what they are passionate about.
So back to the original question: why am I here?
I could give you the easy answer and say that I am here because God wants me here. That isn’t the full answer, though. I am here supporting the homeschooling community because I believe that homeschooling is a solid option. I hear from families that truly love getting involved in their son’s or daughter’s education and want what is best for their students. I read stories from students like Cody Rietema, whose journey would be a lot different if he wasn’t homeschooled. I have lived vicariously through the stories that students and parents have shared, and it motivates me to continue helping families to make more memories like the homeschooling families that came before them.
