Alright, so I paired up with two other bloggers, thewondrouslifeofalliem, and xoxojo, both of which you need to check out, because their work is awesome. We worked together on a piece about school, and we’re rather pleased with the results. Check out the original link here, or read the copy I have below. Hope you like it.
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Hello everyone! This week’s collab post is with Edgy Concept. Please check him out if you haven’t yet, because he is an amazing writer, as you will soon see. (I am actually sort of jealous of how well written his piece is).
Sticking with this month’s school theme, we compared public schools to private/home schools, which we preferred, and how our relationships with the teachers in each differed. Mine will be in normal font, Edge’s in bold, and Jo’s in italicized font.
JO
Having never been to a public school, I don’t really know what it’s like. I suppose there are the typical stereotypes of busy halls, student hierarchy, and kids getting their heads flushed down toilets. (Please tell me that last one isn’t true.) Personally, I went to two different Christian private schools from pre-school all the way through middle school. And then homeschooling for high school. Also Christian. I would assume there are major differences between public and private schools. One of them being student/teacher relationships. I’ve read enough books and watched enough movies to believe that most public school teachers only teach in monotone voices and distance themselves from their students. I know not every teacher is like this, but I guess that’s how Hollywood portrays most teachers. I still have great relationships with my previous teachers, and I meet my middle school history teacher every year with my old classmates. (A couple weeks ago my sixth/seventh grade math teacher requested to follow me on Instagram, ahaha) Both of the schools I went to were fairly small which meant I was close with most of my classmates. Fun fact: I was in the same class with a couple of friends from pre-school to eighth grade even when we switched schools. Unlike Edge, I find it harder to relate to kids who have gone to public/private schools rather than home schooled kids although I went to a private school, I feel that they were way different most schools anyways. The schools I went to were very close knit communities that I don’t know, it always felt different to all the other schools I’ve stepped into. There was a sense of family, I guess. That’s why I always loved school. I didn’t mind the work, as long as I had these people to surround me and encourage me.
Edgy
Having never been at a ‘big’ school (+1000 students), I was more than a little shocked to learn that at these mystical ‘big’ schools, it was socially forbidden to have a relationship with a teacher, no matter how platonic the relationship. I was a little disappointed, because I have the coolest teachers at my little school. I’m good friends with my AP English teacher. He plays Pokemon Go in class, and lets out little “Yesss”’es of victory when he catches a Pokemon. We discuss different books, their meanings, and have the coolest philosophical debates. My Phys Ed teacher and I both talk to each other all the time about the newest Spinnin’ Records releases, and other music related topics.
I remember hearing a new student, who had been relocated from the U.S.A, tell a friend that she had “never seen students and teachers be such good friends before.” I frowned, and looked into the matter when I got home. To my surprise, (correct me if I’m wrong in the comments) I found out that one would be discouraged to have a teacher as a friend, because of all these scandals that are erupting across the States. While I agree that caution is necessary, I think perhaps this is just a bit…too much? I don’t know. Now, don’t assume I’m friends with all my teachers. I hate most of them with a passion. I’m just good friends with a couple of them. But that’s just me. Maybe you should be wary of all your teachers. Personally, if some of them share the same interest you do, I would try and befriend them if I were you.
Home vs. Public/Private Schooling: As a guy who’s never been home-schooled, I find it a wee bit difficult (yes, I just said ‘wee bit’) to empathize with homeschoolers. Frankly, I’ve been told to avoid them, that they’re ‘unstable’ and ‘naive’. While I do think that if you’re homeschooled, you are missing out on some social ideology, I violently disagree with the blatant claim that they’re crazy, unstable and any other derogatory insults that obviously befits the owner of said insults. I’ve met a lot of homeschooled kids, and they’re all great, which is something that I can’t say for a lot of my other ‘friends’ at school.
See, these HS kids never had to deal with the pressure to conform to the (infuriatingly) boring social norms that kids at school often enforce, so whenever I meet them, they’re always these interesting, often nervous bundles of colorful, genuine personality that is so rarely seen in the hallways of schools today. One of my two best friends was a homeschooler for three years. He’s one of the smartest guys I know, and is always fun to hang around. (Sadly, he moved away a year ago…and my other best friend moved away two years ago. I’m quite a lonely child xD)
Kids who receive public or private schooling (which, because I’m lazy, shall henceforth be referred to as PS kids), have the good fortune to learn certain social skill sets necessary to a successful survival in school* that the HS kids don’t learn if not placed in school at an early age. As a result of this, PS kids are usually better equipped in social situations, but at the same time, because of their lack of skills relating to anything out of the ordinary, often don’t understand homeschoolers, and will ridicule, mock, and/or bully them. It’s sad how just being different instantly makes you a target of bullies and other forms of harassment, and it is both unfair and stupid. Like if you agree, and comment below about your experiences with homeschooling or homeschoolers.
*If you can make a video of you saying that five times without messing up, I will post it on my blog and give you a Tongue Twisting Teacher Award.
Allie
When I think of public schools, I think of bells ringing, kids running from class to class, teachers yelling homework assignments after them, papers flying to the floor. I think of older students hanging out by the lockers in groups, and the younger ones chasing one another on the playground.
I get a different picture when Homeschooling comes to mind. It’s quieter, the sounds of pens scribbling on paper, there are still cliques but the groups contain only a few kids, most everyone gets along because they cant be bothered to argue, teachers converse with the students more as equals wanting to learn than children who need to be educated.
Obviously, there are many more types of education to be had than just public schools and homeschooling study groups, but these are the two I’m going to focus on, because I have experience with them more than others. I went to public school from grade one to five, then from sixth to eighth grade I went to a private school with only a hundred or so students, and then from ninth to until I graduate highschool, I was and will be in a homeschooling program.
For me, the homeschooling works much better. I work better alone or with a couple friends but put me in a room of strangers and I’ll choke. Sure, public schools have more people=more socializing, but just because I do homeschool and there are only a fraction of the students doesn’t mean I don’t know how to properly function in society (well…sort of, social anxiety is hard but it wasn’t caused by homeschooling). Id like to debunk that rumor whilst I have the opportunity to, by the way. Kids do not do homeschool because they are “strange” or “weird” (I mean, I’m sort of weird but that’s besides the point). There are a number of valid reasons to educate yourself through another means of learning besides regular public schools. It could be you move a lot, you are more comfortable with that program, you study better in a calmer, smaller, freer environment with a loose schedule, which many people do. I, for one, am one of those people.
I also think it comes in handy when preparing for the future. You get to prioritize your own classes, homework, free time and breaks. This sets you up for making bigger decisions in life,seeing what times you’re comfortable with, what interests you have and what you want to pursue. For example, it’s midnight while I’m writing this, there’s a painting to the side to me, soft music playing, and Geometry class on my laptop. Multitasking, yeah!
Thanks so much for reading this collab post, we’re so sorry it’s a little late! School and moving caught us off guard. The next one definitely will be on time! Until next time,
Stay wondrous!
XOXO
Allie M, Edgy Concept, and XOJO
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Edgy XIII 