Socialization

Koehler. "Homeschool Renunion." Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.

When you go to a public high school, there is an element of socialization or that “high school experience.” It is believed by many people that distributed learners do not know how to be social and have limited opportunities to engage with their peers.

Misconception:

When you are schooled at home, people think you are weird or a recluse. They assume that you never leave your house and that you are socially awkward because you are not surrounded by other teens. Many people comment that I am missing out on the “high school experience.” I wonder what they mean by high school experience. I know what it means, but what else can it be … having a locker? Maybe people feel that I am missing out on the stresses of a combination lock where the needle just doesn’t seem to hit the line and you are scrambling that thing incessantly like a ticking time bomb about to explode! Maybe it’s that I don’t have the opportunity to go to a high school football game? I think they mistake that for Madden on the PS4 in today’s generation. Hanging out with friends? I think they mean Facebook, Twitter and texting in this era. Perhaps it’s that I will miss out on the high school dance chaperoned by our parents? You know … the ones of yesteryear.

Truth:

I understand why some people assume that I am an introvert because I am cooped up at home alone or with my mom, and I am not surrounded by my peers. I also understand what they mean by weird; however, in my case, they may just be correct in their assumption! I have friends and we do things like go to the mall, go to the movies, play video games at a friend’s house, or even attend a house party. It’s not like I’m from a different planet and don’t understand how to be a teenager! I just choose to be schooled at home, which doesn’t mean that my pets are my only friends and I look forward to my next Skype test so I have some kind of human interaction with my… umm… Physics teacher! I lead a pretty normal life besides learning at home. I consider myself to be a typical teenager with similar teenage problems as any other public high school student. However, I think that people have a point when they assume that socialization is difficult to fulfill in a home learning environment without access to other outlets where I can connect with my peers. If I was not involved in extracurricular activities, then I would also have difficulty meeting other people my age. Nonetheless, I am fortunate to have a balance in my life where I have friends and lead a pretty normal teenage life.

For more information on socialization, please visit:
http://ontariohomeschool.org/socialization/