I know I kinda left everyone hanging last week about what I was so excited about because I had to leave for my orchestra fall camp, but I'm back now. It was pretty fun and I'm looking forward to the whole season. This years theme is "the genius of Shakespeare" so besides learning music, some of which is from Hamlet, we will be studying, analyzing, and memorizing a little bit of Shakespeare. Eek!
Now I'll let you in on my revelation. It seems as if lately all my friends have been traveling out of the country, something I've always wanted to do. For example, an eight year old in my German class went to Germany this summer by HIMSELF, one of my sisters has been to England, and the other to Costa Rica. So I'm feeling a little left behind...next time take me with! Last missions Sunday at church focused in on jobs out of the country. They basically said do whatever you like, except do it somewhere else. If you want to be a plumber, be a plumber but go do it in Europe or something. Now I don't want to be a plumber, but I think I've found something just right for me and it's so funny I've only just realised it because I heard about it months ago and it never occurred to me that it would be something I might like to do.
For a while now my viola teacher has been hinting at what a good music teacher I'd make but I mostly laughed at it. Me a teacher? Forget it, I thought. Yet here I am, thinking it would be awesome. I don't know if you got the chance to watch the documentary link from my last post, if you haven't I'd suggest doing that before continuing. I first heard about El Sistema from my viola teacher when she picked me up from the airport (I was coming back alone from vacation in order to get to my orchestra concert!), sometime in June I think. She brought me out to lunch and showed me this book she'd just gotten- "Changing Lives: Gustavo Dudamel, El Sistema, and the Transformative Power of Music."
She seemed pretty excited so I feigned interest and skimmed through the pictures while she chatted away happily about how it began, how it worked, and her dream for its spreading. It was actually pretty intriguing, though not nearly as much as now as I consider what it would like to be a part of it. Basically there was this music program started in Venezuela for children in poverty which would hopefully keep them off the streets and give them a future. Then one of the kids that went through the program became the conductor of it and somehow made it famous, or perhaps that came with the publishing of the book. You can tell I haven't exactly researched this...go watch the video.
Either way, it is a very successful program. The kids have rehearsals six days a week 3-4 hours per day. This means it takes up almost the entire day if you count in the fact that this all happens after school. And it's completely free! They can start as young as 3 and as they get older and join the youth orchestra they are even payed so they don't have to quit in order to get a job to help the family. For many it's probably the only income they have.
So what got me pumped is that it's starting point was Venezuela. And it's still spreading--including to England. So last week I made the connection. What if I was a music teacher, but somewhere in need? I would so be willing to do that. I guess I was waiting for something that was really abstract I could do because I didn't want to get stuck here all my life doing what the majority of kids in the states do: go to college, end up with a lot of debt, and be forced to get a job you don't want in order to pay it off. But let's face it, music is really one of the only things I'm okay at. Sure I do a whole lot of other things but my world really revolves around rehearsals, lessons, concerts, and music in general. Why waste it? This is a chance to take what I love and be able to combine it with places I love. I couldn't have planned it better myself.
You needn't burst my bubble by telling me this is highly unlikely. Obviously it could be way off track of where I'll really be within the next few years but I can always dream. If I could plan it all out I would go study this program directly where it began in Venezuela over the summer so I could see how it is run and then I would go teach with the one in England. This is something I really want to be a part of. South America here I come!
Friday, August 30, 2013
Friday, August 23, 2013
Updates
Today I leave for two days to go on the fall kick-off retreat for Elgin Youth Symphony. So I was scrambling through some topics I've been wanting to post on when I realised, none of them are ready and I need more time to finish them. There is so much going on with school starting and everything that I just haven't had the time to get all my thoughts together. To begin with, I'm not sure how I will be keeping up with my blog but I'm going to try really hard because this is about the only things that has kept me writing lately and it's so helpful for me. No matter if it's a really short topic, I will write something.
Um let's see...blah! Summer is over and school started Wednesday. Wasn't great but it will be okay. Some teachers seem like they will be fun, none too terrible. In chemistry however, the girl on my right did nothing but complain. I'm serious-she said nothing positive. I won't nag but I was thinking boy, either you think people enjoy listening to you or you're just naturally very ungrateful. It was tiring to listen to. Then at lunch the only people I knew were all the popular kids and I wasn't about to invite myself with them so I sat with a little girl wearing a hijab. I thought she was alone but little by little the table filled. Her friend came and mostly everyone just spoke with the person next to them. I was miserable. Not lonely, just frustrated that I would be stuck there for a whole semester. That was probably the hardest part. How was your first day?
The good thing is that I had youth group that night and it was so fun =P. It's refreshing after a day of being around people who do nothing but complain about their lives and also to finally stop pretending to be someone I'm not. Well not as much anyways. All the leaders are great and the kids are nice too. You can't imagine how nice it is to be somewhere that you feel appreciated. My small group leaders from last year all left for various reasons and I will sorely miss them but it will be interesting to meet some new ones. I'm really looking forward to HYACKs this year!
When I get back there is something I'm dying to tell someone about! Just as a sneak peak, it's got to do with El Sistema. You probably don't know what that is but if you'd like to look it up there is a documentary on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43tqQhOTCgQ. I think I've finally found out what I want to do when I'm done with school! More on this later.
Sorry this is all over the place. It wasn't planned and revised as my other posts have been. Can you tell I was hurried? Anyway, lots of exciting news to come. When I get back I'll tell you how it went. Fingers crossed for first chair. =P
Stay strong my friends, be brave, and have faith!
Friday, August 16, 2013
Green Lake
This summer I was lucky enough to get the chance to visit Green Lake, (not to be confused with Blue Lake- the music camp I went to), because my oldest brother was being deployed to Korea for a year and I was there to see him off. It is in fact the same place that he was married at. Okay so usually I don't really like camping, especially seeing as it was just me and my mum, but despite the tent made for either one person (or for a couple?) it wasn't so bad. In fact, I found myself alone much of the time which is surprisingly hard to come by. I also got to see my niece which was worth it because she'd just started walking and she's pretty cute! During the day we went to the craft place and painted. I finished two little bunnies that I put in my garden. Then in the evening we visited with my brother, niece, and sister-in-law. We stayed about four days but funnily enough, what I enjoyed the most was exploring alone.
There was a huge field, over 20 acres, all covered in prairie grass and wild flowers right by our campsite. As I was wandering along beside it I realised that there was a path mowed through the middle! I decided to follow it and see where it went. Before long I got rather hot so when I came to one of the few trees in the field I sat down underneath and did my Bible reading. It was so nice and I felt as if I were the only one for miles around. Eventually I continued down the path until I got to where I figured the middle was. There were a few other paths but I knew the one that would bring me almost right to my camp site so, happy to have found a place of my own, I ran all the way back thinking as I did so that I would be back very soon. When I first got the chance I made an excuse saying I was going to go practice my viola and I ran off. I chose my practice spot carefully, ending up somewhere near the middle and behind a clump of tall plants so no one could see me.
At first I was a little nervous because, though I was quite a ways in I could still see people on the dirt road every so often and I didn't want to draw attention. I started out quietly. Gradually however, I had a need to fill the air with music and I built up to the loudest I could go. I forgot about my worries and just played to my hearts content. I felt completely alone and I was happy. I practiced until the sun went down and then I realised I'd have to remember my way in the dark. I thought I'd been careful in placing my case down the path that would bring me back but I must have gotten mixed up. I began trudging down the one I believed to lead back but turned around when I came to a clump of trees I didn't recognise. Not at all discouraged, I went back to where I started and, feeling sure I was correct this time, tried that one. Well, I went all the way before I saw it ended in the running path before I turned back for the second time. I was getting tired by then because my 20 pound viola case (it was a loaner, made of metal so one could throw it down a staircase without hurting the instrument) weighing me down. I probably took about two more wrong turns, one of which took fifteen minutes to correct. As I walked I got a bit frightened as one does at night when they're alone. By then the only light left was whatever the moon provided so of course the rustling in the bushes was the boogie man out to get me, not a common forest animal. There were a few instances I ran- both to hurry it up, and once because I was scared of the shrubs. After trying what seemed like all the possible routes and after my arm seemed as if it might fall off, I finally ended up on the correct one which I should have known all along because of the office light. A bit relieved but already laughing at myself I found mum waiting by the camp fire. I told her I got lost and she, not being the worrying type, said she wondered if I might and didn't question me further. I asked if she had heard me and I was surprised when she said not at all. This was confirmed the following day when I got back from practicing and my family informed me that they had been on a walk and would have invited me along but they couldn't find me. They knew I was in the field but couldn't hear me. They went up in a tower to look from above, but they couldn't see me. I was completely hidden from everyone.
On a separate occasion the next day I went back (now not labored with my case) to explore some of the other paths. I could hop, skip, and dance as I pleased, and sing as loud as I liked, knowing no one would hear or see me. I ran as fast as I could until I was completely winded. It was the first time I felt free in a long time. I went everywhere and when I got bored, found the tower that the others had looked for me from earlier. I climbed up and stayed for a long time writing, thinking, and enjoying the beauty of it all. Finally the sun was setting and, not wanting to repeat the same mistake twice, took off sprinting back to the tent.
There were other moments I enjoyed, like reading in the little chapel, and wandering through the gardens looking for the camp cat, but none were as peaceful nor as special as my field. And yes, the paths were mowed intentionally; there were signs up to show what kind of plants grew so I know that it was meant as a nature trail. But since I was the only one who used it (except for one family who didn't linger) I call it my field and I will always go back there, every time I visit. I have some pictures I was going to post, but I've had trouble uploading them so that will have to wait for later in the week.
There was a huge field, over 20 acres, all covered in prairie grass and wild flowers right by our campsite. As I was wandering along beside it I realised that there was a path mowed through the middle! I decided to follow it and see where it went. Before long I got rather hot so when I came to one of the few trees in the field I sat down underneath and did my Bible reading. It was so nice and I felt as if I were the only one for miles around. Eventually I continued down the path until I got to where I figured the middle was. There were a few other paths but I knew the one that would bring me almost right to my camp site so, happy to have found a place of my own, I ran all the way back thinking as I did so that I would be back very soon. When I first got the chance I made an excuse saying I was going to go practice my viola and I ran off. I chose my practice spot carefully, ending up somewhere near the middle and behind a clump of tall plants so no one could see me.
At first I was a little nervous because, though I was quite a ways in I could still see people on the dirt road every so often and I didn't want to draw attention. I started out quietly. Gradually however, I had a need to fill the air with music and I built up to the loudest I could go. I forgot about my worries and just played to my hearts content. I felt completely alone and I was happy. I practiced until the sun went down and then I realised I'd have to remember my way in the dark. I thought I'd been careful in placing my case down the path that would bring me back but I must have gotten mixed up. I began trudging down the one I believed to lead back but turned around when I came to a clump of trees I didn't recognise. Not at all discouraged, I went back to where I started and, feeling sure I was correct this time, tried that one. Well, I went all the way before I saw it ended in the running path before I turned back for the second time. I was getting tired by then because my 20 pound viola case (it was a loaner, made of metal so one could throw it down a staircase without hurting the instrument) weighing me down. I probably took about two more wrong turns, one of which took fifteen minutes to correct. As I walked I got a bit frightened as one does at night when they're alone. By then the only light left was whatever the moon provided so of course the rustling in the bushes was the boogie man out to get me, not a common forest animal. There were a few instances I ran- both to hurry it up, and once because I was scared of the shrubs. After trying what seemed like all the possible routes and after my arm seemed as if it might fall off, I finally ended up on the correct one which I should have known all along because of the office light. A bit relieved but already laughing at myself I found mum waiting by the camp fire. I told her I got lost and she, not being the worrying type, said she wondered if I might and didn't question me further. I asked if she had heard me and I was surprised when she said not at all. This was confirmed the following day when I got back from practicing and my family informed me that they had been on a walk and would have invited me along but they couldn't find me. They knew I was in the field but couldn't hear me. They went up in a tower to look from above, but they couldn't see me. I was completely hidden from everyone.
On a separate occasion the next day I went back (now not labored with my case) to explore some of the other paths. I could hop, skip, and dance as I pleased, and sing as loud as I liked, knowing no one would hear or see me. I ran as fast as I could until I was completely winded. It was the first time I felt free in a long time. I went everywhere and when I got bored, found the tower that the others had looked for me from earlier. I climbed up and stayed for a long time writing, thinking, and enjoying the beauty of it all. Finally the sun was setting and, not wanting to repeat the same mistake twice, took off sprinting back to the tent.
There were other moments I enjoyed, like reading in the little chapel, and wandering through the gardens looking for the camp cat, but none were as peaceful nor as special as my field. And yes, the paths were mowed intentionally; there were signs up to show what kind of plants grew so I know that it was meant as a nature trail. But since I was the only one who used it (except for one family who didn't linger) I call it my field and I will always go back there, every time I visit. I have some pictures I was going to post, but I've had trouble uploading them so that will have to wait for later in the week.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Life as a Musician
Late night rehearsals, concerts every weekend, biannual recitals in front of friends (and enemies), getting over nerves, meeting awesome people, sharing our gifts with others, such is the way of a musician. As I've mentioned before, I'm really into music. More specifically making music. As my first instrument I am much better at playing the viola than the cello but I enjoy them both immensely. Most people don't even know what a viola is- I guess I didn't either until I started lessons but then again, I was only five. At Wheaton College a lot of kids start young and that automatically puts you in Suzuki which is a listening based method that really works because little tikes can't read music and then when you're older it helps to be able to play by ear. I can tell you that a big pet peeve of violists is when people ask "is that like a big violin?" It's understandable yes, but no, it is nothing like a violin. Sorry if any of my readers play the violin! For one, violas are much better. Your first bias lesson against violins! Actually the only visible difference would indeed be the size of the two instruments. A full size violin is only about 14 inches whereas a full size viola can go up to four sizes larger than that. The thing that makes them truly diverse is the strings. A viola has a C string which is one string lower than the violin whereas the violin has one string higher which is an E. This is one of the main reasons we don't like violins because especially when they're smaller, the high notes are so screechy. The other reason is that they always get the melody while us violists are stuck playing the harmony which is usually not very interesting. Especially in quartets the viola is lucky if it gets any eighth notes at all. Lastly, a specific kind of person is attracted to playing the violin and, not that there aren't exceptions, but they're usually snooty and keep to themselves. 1st violins that is. 2nd violins talk way too much and don't listen enough and are therefore not any fun. Violists are the only section you would ever find say eating or playing a game together. I'd say what makes the difference is that we're all friends, not opponents fighting over first chair. We have a decent relationship with the cellos as well because they are neither stuck up nor super chatty. I was going to give a link to this awesome viola poem I have but I couldn't find it online anywhere! So I'm just going to put it below and trust no one will go complain. I take no credit whatsoever, it is entirely written by Elizabeth StuenWalker. Here it is, I hope you like it:
Normally it is lucky to get two violists in one area but around here there is no shortage. I think we have the biggest viola choir in the U.S. or maybe anywhere! The violas outnumber both the cellos and the violins at Community School of the Arts. It is a rare blessing for me and it's amazing to hear the viola power. Sometimes when we go on tour and meet up with other violists they are in awe of the sound we produce. Oh I forgot something really important! The official color for violas is purple. No other instrument is assigned a color but violas, and I don't mean the instrument itself, are represented as having to do with purple.
Now that we've established the order in which you should like an orchestra section, I'll get back to life as a musician. It's tough, there's no doubt about that. A lot of time for practicing and rehearsals must be sacrificed if you ever want to get anywhere. This past week I've been scrambling desperately to learn all my Elgin music for my playing check-up tomorrow. Please pray for me if you remember! Learning orchestra parts requires lots of patience, energy, and a whole bunch of dull metronome work. Once it's learned it's really great though and it's always the better idea otherwise you don't feel right just pretending to play. The summer orchestra I'm in is fun because it's not the traditional classical music everyone plays, but popular songs from musicals and movies. Our last concert we played "Harry Potter", "Lord of the Rings" and "Forest Gump" among others.
I've been up to my ears in music camps and the like all summer. This was my first year attending the Blue Lake Suzuki family camp in Michigan. I didn't go with my family rather drove up with some friends and stayed in a cabin with my private teacher. It was really great and I was able to meet a whole bunch of violists from all over who go every year and are all good friends just from being at Blue Lake together. They were nice about inviting new players like me too! The best part was that sometimes when a class was running late we were allowed to go out and play a game until we were ready. We violists stick together and aren't afraid to speak our mind and go against the norm. By the way, that poem was compliments of Blue Lake.
It was also my pleasure to attend Credo for the first time at Elmhurst college. Now this isn't the official one in Oberlin but perhaps someday I'll get the chance to be at that one. This is a less divided camp than what I was describing before. In fact it promotes fellowship among musicians which was helped along by the fact that a lot of the classes are in quartets, quintets, or just small groups in general. Each day was started with a "Sing" all together which was where we sang a couple hymns and studied the Christian faith from a musicians perspective. It was very unique and special to me. The theme verse for the entire program is Philippians 4:8 which says:
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
It's a verse that musicians can really connect with and strive for. Next we broke off into our assigned rooms to meet the people in our group and practice our piece. The in between parts of the day were filled with other classes like technique, improv, orchestra and lunch. Though these were great fun and the kids were nice my favorite part was when the Oberlin kids joined us for the very last day to do final rehearsals of our piece with us and then we performed it later on. They brought an energy and excitement with them that our group alone had been somewhat lacking in. They were fun and joked around a lot while still managing to get things done.
Lastly, I just had my first dulcimer lesson this week and I think I'm really going to like it. It's a mountain instrument usually only played by hippies at Bluegrass festivals but I thought it sounded cool and since I already play the strings I decided it'd be fun to try.
I hope you feel enlightened with this newly acquired knowledge and not overwhelmed, I know it was long. I thought it was interesting...
VEE-OH-LUH
a musical
instrument
grander
than
the
violin,
with
a rich,
royal
purple
tone, played by those of high
intelligence and musicality. Those who
play the viola (vee-oh-luh) are called violists
(vee-oh-list). A violist often performs in a
chamber music group, orchestra, and as
a soloist. In addition, they work to educate
others to appreciate the depth and
richness of the tone of the viola.
The viola tone has been likened to
royalty, dazzling jewels and brilliant
sunsets. One who plays the viola is one
who stands alone, who is not afraid to be a non-
conformist, to be themselves. Violists are special,
unique individuals. A violist is also a team player,
ready to support others through the harmony
lines written for them.
(Stuen-Walker)
Normally it is lucky to get two violists in one area but around here there is no shortage. I think we have the biggest viola choir in the U.S. or maybe anywhere! The violas outnumber both the cellos and the violins at Community School of the Arts. It is a rare blessing for me and it's amazing to hear the viola power. Sometimes when we go on tour and meet up with other violists they are in awe of the sound we produce. Oh I forgot something really important! The official color for violas is purple. No other instrument is assigned a color but violas, and I don't mean the instrument itself, are represented as having to do with purple.
Now that we've established the order in which you should like an orchestra section, I'll get back to life as a musician. It's tough, there's no doubt about that. A lot of time for practicing and rehearsals must be sacrificed if you ever want to get anywhere. This past week I've been scrambling desperately to learn all my Elgin music for my playing check-up tomorrow. Please pray for me if you remember! Learning orchestra parts requires lots of patience, energy, and a whole bunch of dull metronome work. Once it's learned it's really great though and it's always the better idea otherwise you don't feel right just pretending to play. The summer orchestra I'm in is fun because it's not the traditional classical music everyone plays, but popular songs from musicals and movies. Our last concert we played "Harry Potter", "Lord of the Rings" and "Forest Gump" among others.
I've been up to my ears in music camps and the like all summer. This was my first year attending the Blue Lake Suzuki family camp in Michigan. I didn't go with my family rather drove up with some friends and stayed in a cabin with my private teacher. It was really great and I was able to meet a whole bunch of violists from all over who go every year and are all good friends just from being at Blue Lake together. They were nice about inviting new players like me too! The best part was that sometimes when a class was running late we were allowed to go out and play a game until we were ready. We violists stick together and aren't afraid to speak our mind and go against the norm. By the way, that poem was compliments of Blue Lake.
It was also my pleasure to attend Credo for the first time at Elmhurst college. Now this isn't the official one in Oberlin but perhaps someday I'll get the chance to be at that one. This is a less divided camp than what I was describing before. In fact it promotes fellowship among musicians which was helped along by the fact that a lot of the classes are in quartets, quintets, or just small groups in general. Each day was started with a "Sing" all together which was where we sang a couple hymns and studied the Christian faith from a musicians perspective. It was very unique and special to me. The theme verse for the entire program is Philippians 4:8 which says:
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
It's a verse that musicians can really connect with and strive for. Next we broke off into our assigned rooms to meet the people in our group and practice our piece. The in between parts of the day were filled with other classes like technique, improv, orchestra and lunch. Though these were great fun and the kids were nice my favorite part was when the Oberlin kids joined us for the very last day to do final rehearsals of our piece with us and then we performed it later on. They brought an energy and excitement with them that our group alone had been somewhat lacking in. They were fun and joked around a lot while still managing to get things done.
Lastly, I just had my first dulcimer lesson this week and I think I'm really going to like it. It's a mountain instrument usually only played by hippies at Bluegrass festivals but I thought it sounded cool and since I already play the strings I decided it'd be fun to try.
I hope you feel enlightened with this newly acquired knowledge and not overwhelmed, I know it was long. I thought it was interesting...
Friday, August 2, 2013
School at Home
This week I need help from my readers. I am asking anyone who is or was homeschooled at one point to sort of summarize their experience with it. Here's the kind of thing I'd be interested in:
Do you like it?
Are there any classes you take outside of home with other kids?
Do you find it hard to make friends?
Would you rather go to a public/ private school?
Do you take a lot of extra subjects?
Do you feel like you're missing out on "real school?"
Do you think you move at a fast pace?
Would you say that you're a hard worker?
Do you prefer to work by yourself?
Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert?
Do you have a youth group you attend?
If you've been to public school before please also include some of these:
If you started out at a public school, why did you switch to homeschool?
Do you feel like you have/had more opportunities homeschooling?
When at public school did you feel that it was slow or that you could go much quicker?
Were the kids generally nice?
Was the homework tedious or was it helpful?
Did you enjoy working in groups?
Were things taught in your learning style or something you were comfortable with?
About how much time was wasted per day/ per class?
Did you enjoy public school? Did you dread it?
Were the teachers good at what they did? Were they nice?
Did you have helpful textbooks?
If you went to public school in elementary, was it all a big waste?
If you were home-schooled until high school and then switched, did you feel prepared? Overwhelmed?
If any of my questions offend by all means skip them!
You may be wondering about this time whether I'm one of those public school kids who has all these misconceptions about homeschooling. Just a minute and I'll answer the questions myself. Here's why I'm asking for comments. If you've read any of my other posts (all two of them!) you'll find that I myself was homeschooled through 4th grade. I loved learning and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Then in 5th grade I was forced to go to public school and I've been stuck there ever since. This was due to the fact that my parents were divorced and my father was given decision making rights that included my schooling. This is what the courts call joint-parenting. They make everyone happy by evenly splitting us kids. They let one parent have custody but then the other gets the decisions. Brilliant, right? Wrong. It was torture and I got almost no say in any of it. Father sent me to public school in order to keep me away from mum as much as possible. He originally wanted to send me to a boarding school but that didn't go down real well. It wasn't fair at all. All of a sudden he was taking this great interest in my schooling when he'd never done so before. He was acting all involved in everything I did and it was upsetting all I was used to. He gave no thought that it might ruin my education or even me for that matter. It destroyed my love for learning but he could have cared less. His sole purpose was to keep me away from home. Some plan huh? Guess he didn't realise that in the act of putting me in school he would also be severing any respect I'd had for him. So though I know that his sending me to public school had nothing to do with academics and it will likely do no good, I need him to understand exactly what he is sacrificing my education for. That through his selfishness and his stubborn belief that he was right to do so, he has ruined most of my future options all because of that one decision. It didn't even accomplish the goal that he'd set out to achieve in the first place. All this time he has insisted that it was the right thing to do but was it worth it?
Okay so did I like homeschooling? I loved it. I took a ton of classes outside of home, more than they ever offered at the public schools. I also went to Greenhouse, a once a week school for homeschoolers. I did as many extra activities and sports as I could and I loved every minute of it. I would say that I went at a fast pace, though it didn't feel like it, but now having other students to compare with I know I was way ahead of my year. It was completely against my will that I went to public school in fifth grade. Had it been my choice I would have dropped out after the first week. I never had trouble making friends, I was a pretty outgoing little kid. However, I am an introvert and I don't like making a fool of myself in front of strangers. This may make me come across as shy when I'm really not. If anything, public school is what made me "shy." The other thing is that I prefer to work alone. I hated all the little group projects that were assigned mainly because I had to rely on the other members to do their part otherwise everyone got a bad grade. Okay I know that the teachers are just trying to show us how to collaborate but maybe school age isn't the best time. It's just not the best approach and I feel like if in the future you want a job that involves working with others that's probably because you're already good at it. I'm not saying that I don't like other people, rather that being homeschooled I've found that doing things myself is much more efficient. The youth group question was merely out of curiosity. I'm pretty sure that most homeschoolers go to church and/or a youth group regularly and I wondered if perhaps that's why I enjoy being around them more than some. That could just be in my area though.
Now for public school I'll try to be brief. That one year of elementary was all just a big party for me. I started about a month after school began and something I found out they did every Monday was have "Circle Time" to tell about their weekends. During it kids would try and come up with the best, coolest stories to tell about, all of them lies, while I tried to come up with the shortest, easiest thing I could think of. These story times usually lasted about an hour. It nearly drove me mad with boredom as I listened to the wild tales the boys told that anyone could guess were fake. Maybe that's how I became appreciative of true story telling. I don't remember much of middle school. One thing I can think of is that all of the science was material I'd already learned at Greenhouse in 2nd and 3rd grade but it wasn't nearly as fun. Everything was an easy A. People say that because not all homeschoolers have a set schedule they don't really do school but with all the interruptions in the classroom public schools waste their own fair share if not way more. I'd say a day of homeschooling is equivalent to a week anywhere else. This brings us to my first year of high school last year. Nothing prepared me for the load of homework that I got from all my advanced classes. My teacher for biology was awful besides which made it all the harder and I nearly failed. The textbooks were no help either, especially for math which turned out to be an issue because at home my whole lessons were out of the textbook (Saxon in case you were wondering). I had to drop two of my A level second semester or have no time to have a normal life. Obviously things weren't going well for me and again I pleaded father to let me homeschool. He persisted that it was all for the best, it would get better, that I wasn't really trying. Well I've tried it for five years and it is only getting worse. I'm missing out on all these opportunities and I can only pray that I will find a way out soon. There have been many studies done which all prove that homeschoolers are much better equipped for college and good careers but if I continue this for the next three years I don't know where I'll be. A last piece of advice is that if you're going to high school just so you can make friends, that might not be the wisest though it really depends on your personality. None of my true friends go to school where I do. I'm not antisocial but the people I talk to are just lunch table friends--the kind that you never see outside of school. I don't mean to say it's all bad. Many homeschoolers switch to public in high school and like it just fine. There are a lot of other issues I've had with my father which I'm not including here which may contribute to my extreme dislike of it. This is just my own experience. Thank you for any comments!
I'm including this video for your entertainment. A friend showed it to me and I thought it was pretty hilarious and it pokes fun at most of the stereotypes of homeschoolers. ;-p
Do you like it?
Are there any classes you take outside of home with other kids?
Do you find it hard to make friends?
Would you rather go to a public/ private school?
Do you take a lot of extra subjects?
Do you feel like you're missing out on "real school?"
Do you think you move at a fast pace?
Would you say that you're a hard worker?
Do you prefer to work by yourself?
Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert?
Do you have a youth group you attend?
If you've been to public school before please also include some of these:
If you started out at a public school, why did you switch to homeschool?
Do you feel like you have/had more opportunities homeschooling?
When at public school did you feel that it was slow or that you could go much quicker?
Were the kids generally nice?
Was the homework tedious or was it helpful?
Did you enjoy working in groups?
Were things taught in your learning style or something you were comfortable with?
About how much time was wasted per day/ per class?
Did you enjoy public school? Did you dread it?
Were the teachers good at what they did? Were they nice?
Did you have helpful textbooks?
If you went to public school in elementary, was it all a big waste?
If you were home-schooled until high school and then switched, did you feel prepared? Overwhelmed?
If any of my questions offend by all means skip them!
You may be wondering about this time whether I'm one of those public school kids who has all these misconceptions about homeschooling. Just a minute and I'll answer the questions myself. Here's why I'm asking for comments. If you've read any of my other posts (all two of them!) you'll find that I myself was homeschooled through 4th grade. I loved learning and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Then in 5th grade I was forced to go to public school and I've been stuck there ever since. This was due to the fact that my parents were divorced and my father was given decision making rights that included my schooling. This is what the courts call joint-parenting. They make everyone happy by evenly splitting us kids. They let one parent have custody but then the other gets the decisions. Brilliant, right? Wrong. It was torture and I got almost no say in any of it. Father sent me to public school in order to keep me away from mum as much as possible. He originally wanted to send me to a boarding school but that didn't go down real well. It wasn't fair at all. All of a sudden he was taking this great interest in my schooling when he'd never done so before. He was acting all involved in everything I did and it was upsetting all I was used to. He gave no thought that it might ruin my education or even me for that matter. It destroyed my love for learning but he could have cared less. His sole purpose was to keep me away from home. Some plan huh? Guess he didn't realise that in the act of putting me in school he would also be severing any respect I'd had for him. So though I know that his sending me to public school had nothing to do with academics and it will likely do no good, I need him to understand exactly what he is sacrificing my education for. That through his selfishness and his stubborn belief that he was right to do so, he has ruined most of my future options all because of that one decision. It didn't even accomplish the goal that he'd set out to achieve in the first place. All this time he has insisted that it was the right thing to do but was it worth it?
Okay so did I like homeschooling? I loved it. I took a ton of classes outside of home, more than they ever offered at the public schools. I also went to Greenhouse, a once a week school for homeschoolers. I did as many extra activities and sports as I could and I loved every minute of it. I would say that I went at a fast pace, though it didn't feel like it, but now having other students to compare with I know I was way ahead of my year. It was completely against my will that I went to public school in fifth grade. Had it been my choice I would have dropped out after the first week. I never had trouble making friends, I was a pretty outgoing little kid. However, I am an introvert and I don't like making a fool of myself in front of strangers. This may make me come across as shy when I'm really not. If anything, public school is what made me "shy." The other thing is that I prefer to work alone. I hated all the little group projects that were assigned mainly because I had to rely on the other members to do their part otherwise everyone got a bad grade. Okay I know that the teachers are just trying to show us how to collaborate but maybe school age isn't the best time. It's just not the best approach and I feel like if in the future you want a job that involves working with others that's probably because you're already good at it. I'm not saying that I don't like other people, rather that being homeschooled I've found that doing things myself is much more efficient. The youth group question was merely out of curiosity. I'm pretty sure that most homeschoolers go to church and/or a youth group regularly and I wondered if perhaps that's why I enjoy being around them more than some. That could just be in my area though.
Now for public school I'll try to be brief. That one year of elementary was all just a big party for me. I started about a month after school began and something I found out they did every Monday was have "Circle Time" to tell about their weekends. During it kids would try and come up with the best, coolest stories to tell about, all of them lies, while I tried to come up with the shortest, easiest thing I could think of. These story times usually lasted about an hour. It nearly drove me mad with boredom as I listened to the wild tales the boys told that anyone could guess were fake. Maybe that's how I became appreciative of true story telling. I don't remember much of middle school. One thing I can think of is that all of the science was material I'd already learned at Greenhouse in 2nd and 3rd grade but it wasn't nearly as fun. Everything was an easy A. People say that because not all homeschoolers have a set schedule they don't really do school but with all the interruptions in the classroom public schools waste their own fair share if not way more. I'd say a day of homeschooling is equivalent to a week anywhere else. This brings us to my first year of high school last year. Nothing prepared me for the load of homework that I got from all my advanced classes. My teacher for biology was awful besides which made it all the harder and I nearly failed. The textbooks were no help either, especially for math which turned out to be an issue because at home my whole lessons were out of the textbook (Saxon in case you were wondering). I had to drop two of my A level second semester or have no time to have a normal life. Obviously things weren't going well for me and again I pleaded father to let me homeschool. He persisted that it was all for the best, it would get better, that I wasn't really trying. Well I've tried it for five years and it is only getting worse. I'm missing out on all these opportunities and I can only pray that I will find a way out soon. There have been many studies done which all prove that homeschoolers are much better equipped for college and good careers but if I continue this for the next three years I don't know where I'll be. A last piece of advice is that if you're going to high school just so you can make friends, that might not be the wisest though it really depends on your personality. None of my true friends go to school where I do. I'm not antisocial but the people I talk to are just lunch table friends--the kind that you never see outside of school. I don't mean to say it's all bad. Many homeschoolers switch to public in high school and like it just fine. There are a lot of other issues I've had with my father which I'm not including here which may contribute to my extreme dislike of it. This is just my own experience. Thank you for any comments!
I'm including this video for your entertainment. A friend showed it to me and I thought it was pretty hilarious and it pokes fun at most of the stereotypes of homeschoolers. ;-p
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