[Kate] Homeschooling vs. Traditional Schooling

On this trip, my parents have been doubling as my teachers. I had an online math class, but aside from that my studies are determined by my parents. Naturally, a lot of it has revolved around the places we have visited. For example, we each had an overarching project about one topic we pick (sports, politics, or food for instance) in the countries that we visit.

Homeschooling has a very different feel and structure than sitting in a classroom.  For example:

• I get more of a say in what I do. Of course, I don’t control it, but I do get to pick some things. Like my big project topic (see above), for example. 
• My time is more my own. I’m not forced to sit in a classroom for six hours. Or course, I need to get my work done, but if I finish early then I can stop, not sit in the same place aimlessly. 
• No group work! (At last! Ok, I know teamwork is a very important skill, but school group work can be really, really, annoying. I and up being the person that does a lot of the work sometimes, and that’s not a great experience.) 
• No PE. I know they’ll be a lot of being active on this trip (Everest, for instance) but it won’t be PE. PE I have never really liked. People either get insanely competitive or they don’t care at all, and I often find myself to the weird in between. 
• We don't have a classroom setting.  I've done homework on road trips, in airports, on airplanes, in the Himalayas...let's just say its an extensive list.
• I’m trying to learn and keep up on top of all the traveling and adventures. That has been a little crazy to me, keeping the right ratio between the two. 
• My parents are my teachers, which is obviously a change.  But I did have some experience learning from them in the past, since they would sometimes help me with my homework.

This is a homework session in the airport in Cairo, Egypt.

Do I like homeschooling?  In some ways, yes.  As I mentioned above, I feel like my time is better utilized when I can transition so seamlessly from working on homework to relaxing or eating.  (And I really do like he short break from group work, as crucial as skill as it is.)  But sometimes the lack of structure and constant change is less helpful, especially in the confined spaces we spend most of our time in.  Sitting on a bed in an uncomfortably warm room, without a desk while everyone is talking around you, is not ideal for obvious reasons.

I think our system of homeschooling on this trip has worked quite well (for more information on our system, see this early blog post, Beal Academy).  All the same, some part of me is excited for normal school again in the fall.