Point Of View: A Homeschooler's Point Of View

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Recommended: Homeschooling has become a popular alternative to public or private school for an increasing number of students in the United States

A Homeschooler’s Point Of View My school education before coming to Missouri Western was not like most students. Most students went to a public or private school from Pre-K through high school, but before my freshman year of college I hadn’t even stepped foot in an English class. Since I was homeschooled from Preschool through high school, I didn’t get to experience having teachers, being in the same classroom with friends, being involved in school sporting events, or being stereotyped as popular, a jock, a nerd, or one of the other labels, but most of my friends went to either a public or private school and told me many things that were different …show more content…

Education” they both share their thoughts on what students and teachers sometimes make of school and education. Unlike most home-schooled students more traditional students who attend public school are faced with labeling, bullying, and consequences. Teachers are people who should be helping shape the world by educating young students to be the people they were born to be. In Baker’s essay he states, “Children whose education has been limited to adjusting themselves to their schools’ low estimates of them are admitted to less joyous colleges which, in some cases, may teach them to read” (225). Since I have come to MWSU I feel this statement describes what most teachers and educators think when hearing that I was homeschooled. They seem to automatically assume that I was homeschooled because I was probably either too socially awkward or just too dumb. Yes, some educators have their flaws when it comes to judging student’s abilities to succeed, but I would be lying if I said I have never judged anyone based one thing I know about them. There are …show more content…

My sweet cousin, Mattie, was labeled as a geek. Fridman writes, “Children who prefer to read books rather than play football, prefer to build model airplanes rather than get wasted at parties with their classmates, become social outcasts” (257). Mattie was what Fridman would have called an outcast. She attended a small public school in Nebraska, where her classmates made fun of her love for reading, her thick lensed glasses, and her large figure. Mattie was one of the smartest and funniest people I knew. Her laughter was contagious, but she covered her hurt pretty well with her smile. Since I had lost touch with her when she moved to Nebraska, I had no idea about the bullying and depression she was experiencing until my family and I got a call from my Aunt Sharon. Her shaky, soulful voice made it obvious that something was wrong. “Mattie’s gone.”, Aunt Sharon cried over the speakerphone. “Last night she took her life.” I heard those words and immediately fell to the floor with a stream of tears rolling down my face. How could someone so full of life be gone this early in life? How could anybody be so cruel as to bully Mattie to the ? I was so angry and hurt I felt like my heart was going to explode. Sadly, there are many stories like my cousin’s. If I went to public school, I wonder what kind of person I would be. Would

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