Q. What about highschool?
A. Highschool is a great time to homeschool! Highschool students can finish their studies in the morning and work or do community service in the afternoon. They have time to pursue special interests that are not available to public school kids. Another popular option for highschool homeschoolers is getting a head start on college by taking evening or correspondence courses.

Q. What about all of the fun they will miss during their Senior year?
A. Most support groups have Senior class activities and socials during the year. They have a graduation exercise and Baccalaureate Service, and a banquet to replace the prom. Interested Senior homeschoolers get to have a larger part of planning their activities, they can even design their own rings!

Q. Will they be able to get into college?
A. Colleges are soliciting homeschool graduates nowadays, and many are receiving full scholarships. Over one hundred-fifty American universities, including Harvard and Yale, have accepted homeschooled students.Homeschool graduates are proving to be not only academically superior, but also more independent thinkers and self motivated learners.

Q. Can you teach upper level math and science? (This question is a favorite of family members who remember your report cards!)
A. Actually, I’m looking forward to learning with the kids things I missed in government school. For now, there is no problem because I did learn how to multiply and divide. If there is something I don’t know, I just look in my teacher’s manual. Science labs are available through support groups, or they can be arranged by networking with other families and enlisting a tutor. Homeschooling is growing so fast that resources are springing up everywhere to service us.

Q. Are you planning to homeschool all the way through?

A. (Even if you think you are, don’t commit yourself. Why box yourself in?) We feel like we would like to, but we take it one year at a time.

More sound-bytes next time.

One of the most important parts of presenting yourself to the inquiring public as a homeschooler is to not try to convert others with evangelical zeal. My experience has been that keeping responses to questions short and sweet is usually the best way. If someone is truly interested in homeschooling, you could suggest getting together sometime when you both have time to talk. For the next few sessions I will be sharing some of my homeschool sound bytes that I developed for the “Inquiring Minds” in my circle.

READY RESPONSES FOR INQUIRING MINDS
Q. I could never do that!
A. It’s not for everybody.

This response immediately lowers defenses and catches the other person off guard. Your inquirer was expecting you to say, “Oh, yes you could, blah blah blah” She had already thought up a bunch of reasons to tell you as to why she couldn’t. So you just saved her a bunch of time, and presented yourself as a confident and together person who realizes that homeschooling really isn’t for everybody. If you don’t have the love, dedication, and true grit to be a homeschooling mom, then it’s really not for you. (But you don’t want to come out and say that now do you? Answer: No.)

Q. Is it legal?
A. (Research the laws in your state to be prepared for this one.) Homeschooling is legal in all fifty states, although the requirements differ.

Q. How do you stand to be around your kids that much?
A. If you are in charge of your children’s discipline, they are usually much nicer to be around. That’s not to say that we don’t have our moments, but that’s one reason we chose homeschooling. It gives us the chance to teach our values all day long.

Q. Are you qualified to teach?
A. The main qualification for a good teacher is a genuine concern for the student. I have a dream job and small class size! Nobody cares for my students as much as me!

Q. How do you know what to teach? Aren’t you afraid you’re going to leave something out?
A. There are scopes and sequences that tell what should be learned in each grade. Packaged curricula and correspondence schools are available for those who don’t want to build an individualized course.) Teacher’s guides have directions and answers in them, so it’s not as difficult as you might imagine.

Next time more Sound bytes for Homeschooling Skeptics

Granny always said, “There’s no education like adversity!” While you may enjoy teaching your children at home, there is another part of homeschooling that you may not have bargained for, educating friends and family about homeschooling. Honest inquiries and downright debate can be quite upsetting when you are just beginning to homeschool.

When you first became interested in homeschooling, you probably read everything you could find on the subject. Perhaps you talked to veteran homeschoolers, subscribed to a magazine and joined a support group. During this process you found that homeschoolers are a diverse bunch of folks who are pretty much like everybody else. The one characteristic they share is a willingness to sacrifice for their children’s education.

Your friends and family, on the other hand, may have formed their opinions of homeschooling based on what little they have seen on television or read in the newspaper, or heard as gossip. They may have never met a “real live homeschooler” before, and may have a skewed picture of this person in mind. This leaves you in the unenviable position of enlightening without alienating. Our problem is complicated by the fact that many of us only see our extended families on holidays. Even if you are a great communicator, it is hard to give a presentation about home education between setting the table and carving the turkey!

What we need is a portfolio of homeschooling sound bytes combined with simple public relations. Preparing the sound byte portfolio amounts to memorizing and practicing short answers to common questions. This will help you say what you mean in a clear, friendly way. People are generally more receptive to a single idea or small nugget of truth rather than a long sermon.

When we care about something, sometimes intensity is wrongly interpreted as harshness. Granny always said, “We have a right to disagree, but we don’t have any right to be disagreeable.”

When the conversation rolls around to homeschooling, allow others to voice their concerns without interrupting or becoming upset. Smile, wait, and earn the right to be heard. Use a soft tone of voice. Solomon said, “Pleasant words promote instruction.” (Proverbs 16:21a NIV ) Sweetness of speech coupled with ready responses can open the door for you to teach your loved ones about homeschooling.

Next time I will share my “Homeschooling Soundbytes” with you. Until then,

Do not grow weary in well doing, for in due time we shall reap if we faint not. Galatians 6:9 (My life verse.)