Homeschooled Freak

When I first started this post I was going to write silly and sarcastic things about homeschooling. Which is all good and well in its place but, I have decided to write about more important things about us normal homeschooled freaks. (Because although there are the homeschoolers that give us a bad name, there are also many many many homeschoolers that live completely normal lives.) So for you normal homeschoolers this is for you and to all you who are not or have never been homeschooled please listen up.

Most people have a weird outlook on homeschoolers. One that I seriously do not understand all the time. Some people have the idea that homeschoolers have hardly any homework, that we are super duper smart, that we are goody two-shoes, and that we have no life. Now most of the time this outlook on homeschoolers doesn't bother me I'll laugh at your stupid jokes about homeschoolers, I'll even make jokes with you. You have got to realize though that everything needs to be done in moderation. Let me show you why.

I have gone to a "normal" school for about half of my schooling years so please realize I do know what I am talking about. After 7th grade the teachers at the high school I was going to go to where not the best teachers. My mom and dad knew that they could teach better so we talked it over and decided that my high school years would be done at home. In the right place homeschooling is a beautiful thing. When both parents are able to be involved; you get personal teachers plus the freedom to do many other things. For example when I started my high school years I joined the ski team for my local high school and I also got myself a job. When people made jokes about me being homeschooled we would just laugh about it, because we all knew it was completely absurd. In that scenario the jokes weren't as harsh. My junior year lots happened. My life pretty much fell apart. My parents split up, I moved to a state where I literally knew nobody, I gave up my job, and ski team. My schooling was forgotten and my grades shot to the ground. People still made jokes about my schooling but, this time it actually hurt me, because for once they were actually right. I did have no life and I was heartbroken. I had two friends who although they had never been homeschooled, cared enough to call me and help me realize that although school seemed pointless at the time I was going to have to buckle down and teach myself. I am very thankful to these people because, I really don't think I would have made it through my junior year otherwise.

That is my highschool history with homeschooling and I know every person and scenario is different but, the jokes are the same and when they are used constantly it can wear a person down. One of the frustrating things to me is when people tell me I have got it easy because, man their school is tough. At least I don't have the stress of going to a "real" high school. O.K. Now I understand that your high school is tough and stressful. I really do. But at least you have teachers who TEACH. I don't care if they are terrible teachers and you don't understand what they are teaching. I know that in a school you can ALWAYS get help from someone if you really wanted to. Have you ever had to teach yourself every single class? I don't think people realize how stressful that can be. It takes allot of discipline to sit down and teach yourself a subject. You can't always just read a book and magically understand. Sometimes you have to research for hours until you understand something. It's not as easy as 1-2-3. I still have homework just like you; I don't just sit on my butt at home all day and do nothing like everybody seems to think I do. So yah go ahead and make your jokes about how I do nothing I'll laugh with you as long as you are able to ask how my school is really coming along. Or do you want to come study with me? Do you need help with anything?  If you are not able to realize that, than just stop "joking." Cus after awhile it's hurtful not funny.

Another thing that seems to get diminished is a homeschoolers accomplishments. I have a 3.9 GPA. I am extremely proud of that. Now lots of people would laugh and say something like: "Those homeschoolers, always get good grades because of their parents." This is completely and utterly NOT true. I worked my butt of for that GPA. It actually seems to me to be worse when your parents grade your papers and tests because, you will be sitting there eating lunch and your mom will start grading tests.....let me tell you scariest moment of your life..haha Yes I have failed tests before. Yes I have gotten the lecture from my parents about how I need to get my grades up. Yes I stay up late studying. I never cheated my way through highschool and I wish people would say congratulations instead of oh yah its cus you are homeschooled. If I went to a public school my GPA would be the same. Yes it may be true that homeschoolers get better grades but, I think part of it is because, it takes allot of discipline to be homeschooled. Not because we know where mom and dad keep the answer books. We do apply ourselves and we do have to work for our grades.

When homeschooling is done correctly the homeschooler ends up having plenty for "normal" friends. Sometimes even more friends than "normal" people. One thing that helped me in MN was most of my friends knew me before I was homeschooled and if I met them while I was homeschooled it was usually in a context where there was a whole group of us and everybody knew I wasn't some kind of circus freak. Since moving down here I am meeting new people and that ends up being one of the first things that people learn about me. It's completely stupid but, I end up having to break down walls of freakdom that people build up. It's like when they hear I am homeschooled they make a joke about it and build up this wall that tells me: "Wow ok sheltered little smarty pants. Who thinks she knows everything but, she actually doesn't cus she lives at home and knows nothing about the "real" world." Next thing you know I am discouraged and have to little by little take down this wall until they understand that I am actually not what they first thought I was. That I am a "normal" person. I'm not some caged animal. Yes your right I do sit at home and do school during the day. Do I miss the interaction with friends and family? Yes absolutely. I really hate being at my house allot of the time by myself. Does this make me sheltered? No it just means I don't have the same environment down here in Georgia that I did in Minnesota.

Allot of people have been focusing on the bullying going on at schools which, I know if a really big deal because, I have a brother that is dealing with it. But I also think that we should pay attention to the homeschooled freaks. Instead of constantly joking with them about their "sheltered" life and how they do nothing at all lets take the time to truly understand them. I wish I could graduate and say proudly without any embarrassment that I graduated a homeschooler. Due to the fact that their is a ton of stigmas on homeschoolers that is a hard thing to be able to say with pride. So please next time you meet a homeschooler don't make some joke until they know that you think what they are doing is something to be proud of not something to be ashamed or embarrassed about.