I dreamed about going too Foothill Tech. High School once I reached high school age. Formerly, I had been homeschooled from Kindergarten through Eighth grade. I did enjoy homeschooling but I wanted to try something new and exciting. I wanted to experience what high school would be like with hundreds of peers and a sense of pride in attending a school that offered direction for my future. Looking back I am so thankful I was able to homeschool. My experience in high school so far has been challenging but I know it will help me to grow in new ways. When I was kindergarten age my mom had already been homeschooling my two older sisters. I was really hyper and did not like to sit for long periods of time. My mom would ask me if I wanted to learn to read and I told her I did not. I wanted to play and run outside. My favorite thing to do when I was five was play in my huge backyard. Our yard goes into a barranca and I loved to go down to an old oak tree that had a swing hanging from it. There were also Eucalyptus trees lining the barranca that is home to thousands of Monarch Butterflies. I have many memories of watching the butterflies cluster together into one huge mass. I learned many things while playing outside. I watched my moms garden grow and had fun helping her in the garden plant new vegetables. These were special memories I was able to have during the day while most kids my age were sitting at a desk all day.
Over the years as my mom had seven more siblings younger than me. Sometimes she would have difficult pregnancies or deliveries and for a short time we would go to a private school. I learned to read at an age older than most kids because I just wasn’t ready to want to learn to read. But that changed in second grade when I had the most amazing teacher, Mrs. Ikemire. She loved teaching and she loved all her kids in her classes and I know she loved me. Mrs. Ikemire always had a hug for me when I was frustrated in learning to read but I never felt like she gave up on me. I can remember all the encouraging words she said to me and I know the love and support she gave to me helped me not to compare myself to other kids who were much better readers than me. I was in Mrs. Ikemires most of a year, but once my mom was well I went back to homeschooling with my siblings.
During most of my homeschool years I attended a co-op. A co-op is a group of families that share their talents and skills with other families, that also homeschool, in order to benefit everyone with teaching. In our co-op there were three periods of three different classes held every other Friday throughout the year. Each parent would teach a class, assist in a class and have one period off to have a break with other parents. My mom taught music because she used to teach piano. One year my dad taught a government and law class because he is a lawyer. Some parents who were doctors, would teach an anatomy or science class. My favorite class was a ‘Kids in the Kitchen’ class where I learned kitchen safety and the fundamentals of cooking. The teacher had gone to culinary school so it was very informative for kids who were also interested in attending a culinary school. I loved that I could take classes that interested me and the kids in those classes also wanted to be there because of their mutual interest.
As I reflect back on my homeschool experience I am thankful. Traditional high school is so different. Some of the kids don’t want to be there to learn. There are also a lot of different opinions that kids my age have that are very shocking and don’t have much to do with getting an education. There are a lot more pressures to get good grades and take tests that give a student a label of how smart they are. I miss the days of homeschooling where I can find an interest and pursue it because I enjoy it and not be required to be tested on it. High school has been a big adjustment for me. I’m not sure if it will be what I expected but I hope my experiences at Foothill Tech. will cause me to learn to do my best even when it’s hard.
When I was kindergarten age my mom had already been homeschooling my two older sisters. I was really hyper and did not like to sit for long periods of time. My mom would ask me if I wanted to learn to read and I told her I did not. I wanted to play and run outside. My favorite thing to do when I was five was play in my huge backyard. Our yard goes into a barranca and I loved to go down to an old oak tree that had a swing hanging from it. There were also Eucalyptus trees lining the barranca that is home to thousands of Monarch Butterflies. I have many memories of watching the butterflies cluster together into one huge mass. I learned many things while playing outside. I watched my moms garden grow and had fun helping her in the garden plant new vegetables. These were special memories I was able to have during the day while most kids my age were sitting at a desk all day.
Over the years as my mom had seven more siblings younger than me. Sometimes she would have difficult pregnancies or deliveries and for a short time we would go to a private school. I learned to read at an age older than most kids because I just wasn’t ready to want to learn to read. But that changed in second grade when I had the most amazing teacher, Mrs. Ikemire. She loved teaching and she loved all her kids in her classes and I know she loved me. Mrs. Ikemire always had a hug for me when I was frustrated in learning to read but I never felt like she gave up on me. I can remember all the encouraging words she said to me and I know the love and support she gave to me helped me not to compare myself to other kids who were much better readers than me. I was in Mrs. Ikemires most of a year, but once my mom was well I went back to homeschooling with my siblings.
During most of my homeschool years I attended a co-op. A co-op is a group of families that share their talents and skills with other families, that also homeschool, in order to benefit everyone with teaching. In our co-op there were three periods of three different classes held every other Friday throughout the year. Each parent would teach a class, assist in a class and have one period off to have a break with other parents. My mom taught music because she used to teach piano. One year my dad taught a government and law class because he is a lawyer. Some parents who were doctors, would teach an anatomy or science class. My favorite class was a ‘Kids in the Kitchen’ class where I learned kitchen safety and the fundamentals of cooking. The teacher had gone to culinary school so it was very informative for kids who were also interested in attending a culinary school. I loved that I could take classes that interested me and the kids in those classes also wanted to be there because of their mutual interest.
As I reflect back on my homeschool experience I am thankful. Traditional high school is so different. Some of the kids don’t want to be there to learn. There are also a lot of different opinions that kids my age have that are very shocking and don’t have much to do with getting an education. There are a lot more pressures to get good grades and take tests that give a student a label of how smart they are. I miss the days of homeschooling where I can find an interest and pursue it because I enjoy it and not be required to be tested on it. High school has been a big adjustment for me. I’m not sure if it will be what I expected but I hope my experiences at Foothill Tech. will cause me to learn to do my best even when it’s hard.