A lot of people have been asking lately if I will be homeschooling high school. High school seems to be scary territory, “how can we teach things so advanced? How will they get a diploma? They need their friends!” Although I went to public school for grade 11 and 12, the homeschool scene has changed drastically! There are so many options now it can be hard to know what to do and feel very overwhelming. So before you go on, pause and pin this for someone else and make sure you check out my top tips for homeschooling high school.
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What are the benefits of homeschooling high school?
I think there are a lot of benefits to homeschooling high school. There are certainly a good many more options and opportunities available for your kids then they would ever have at public school!
- Your children can work at their own pace, not dictated by a class full of students.
- Your children can (potentially) finish their work much quicker than a traditional classroom where so much time is spent making sure everyone is on the same page.
- Your children can be working or start an apprenticeship or training so that they are graduating a step ahead (think lifeguard, first aid, hairdressing, electrician (or any of the trades), etc.
- Your children can choose what they want to learn, there are no full classes or waitlists.
- Your children won’t face the same sort of peer pressure or opposition that they would in a school setting.
- Your children will learn how to manage their time and set goals, be self-motivated and take CONTROL of their education, not just doing it because a teacher told them to.
- Your children will have more freedom to schedule their work/social life/extracurricular activities.
There are some very real benefits to homeschooling high school.
What are the disadvantages to homeschooling high school?
As with anything, there are two sides to the coin, and homeschooling high school is no different. There are some children and families that this won’t work for.
- You will have to work harder to get access to some of the extracurricular programs/events that schools offer (such as sports). If your child is heavily involved in sports and wants to pursue a sports scholarship, they will have a better chance of being noticed in a school setting.
- Teenagers can be HARD! If your teen is unmotivated and surly and simply not responding to you, they may need an outside influence of a teacher to keep them going (in an effort to protect your relationship and get them their diploma!).
- Your local school may be able to offer your children things that you simply cannot at home (or at least not without a lot of work on your behalf).
- Your children may do better separated from their siblings, feeling like they have a life of their own rather than being associated always as a family.
Depending on your child, you may find that homeschooling high school is simply not an option.
Check out this post!
How do you decide if you will be homeschooling through high school?
If you are completely on the fence and just don’t know what to do, ask yourself these questions and hopefully you have a clearer idea of the best choice for your family.
1. How does your child respond to you as their teacher? Do they respect your tutelage?
2. What kind of benefits does your local school offer in high school? What options do you have for homeschooling (ie. distance education, online school, etc.)?
3. What are your child’s interest and goals? Are they driven and could you help them get a start on their goals earlier by homeschooling them?
4. How is your child’s relationship with their family (siblings, etc.)? Do they need a break?
5. Is your child struggling making friends or feeling peer pressured or lacking confidence with their peers?
6. What does your child want to do?
7. What does your husband/people close to you think?
8. What is the school like near you? What are your concerns with sending them to public (or maybe private) school?
9. Have you prayed about it?
10. What does your gut say?
Homeschooling high school is not an easy decision and should not be made lightly.
Every child is different. They have different needs and personalities and one teacher or friend can make or break a high school experience for them! There are a lot of things to consider and take into account and what will work for one child may not work at all for the next!
So… will I be homeschooling high school?
I went to public school for high school and hated it. I mean HATED it! I went half way through grade 10, I felt like a fish out of water, I was so so so tired and didn’t understand why we learned basically nothing in school and had to come home and read and learn it all again. I didn’t understand how we could go to school all day and still have hours of homework to do at night. It felt counter productive and I didn’t feel like a fit in. The actual work was very easy for me and I didn’t feel challenged or inspired.
However, there weren’t a lot of options in those days. If you wanted a diploma you went to school. Now there is online school, distance education, etc. There are more options available and it is not as simple a question to answer.
I honestly will take it child by child. I don’t think I can answer that for them. In my dream world I think it would be wonderful! I would LOVE to have each of my children graduate high school with something under their belt. A few years of a trade, their hairdressing license, some courses, their lifeguard course, first aid, etc. However if I have a child I am losing relationship with or feel like we are butting heads and they WANT to go to school, I would do my best to make that happen for them.
I guess that’s not much of an answer is it? In the end I really don’t know what the future will bring. But I DO know they won’t be going to school any time soon. For now I love it, they love it, I can’t IMAGINE saying goodbye to them for 8 hours a day and just getting the “leftovers”. I treasure each day and every moment I get to spend with my children and hope to homeschool for as long as it is possible for our family!
