Text Box: I have spent my half-day volunteering at a handicapped horseback riding center. Before that, I participated in a number of other activities such as ice skating lessons during homeschoolers-only free-skating session at a local ice rink. For five years, I spent an entire day once a week in group lessons with other kids in my local homeschool group, taking guitar and trombone lessons as well as art classes and attending symphonic band rehearsals. I also took a number of courses, such as Public Speaking, Writing, Journalism, and American History, in a classroom setting with up to 40 other homeschoolers. With those classes, I was able to experience a classroom setting, complete with lectures, note-taking, competition for high grades, and weekend-long homework assignments. Homeschooling provides you with a tremendous amount of flexibility in academics as well. This year I switched math textbooks halfway through the year because the text I started out with was not working for me. The new book was much better and my math skills subsequently improved. This past year I was able to take two history courses—an English and Spanish Medieval History course to fulfill my curriculum requirement and AP European History. I also took two foreign languages this year, Latin and Portuguese. Portuguese is not a language normally offered in high school, but since my mom is Portuguese she bought a grammar book and gave me individualized lessons. As part of my lesson, I translate anything from random conversations to books to articles from the Portuguese soccer newspaper, and when we visit my family in Portugal I get firsthand practice at speaking the language. A number of famous people including presidents, inventors, singers, actors, and elite athletes, such as tennis star Maria Sharapova and Olympic diver Jenny Keim, were homeschooled. Olympian and world record holder Katie Hoff is probably the most well-known homeschooled swimmer. In response to her fans’ questions on katie-hoff.com, Katie wrote, "It definitely makes it easier to find time to study because I am homeschooled. I am able to plan my school work around swimming and hanging Text Box: out with friends… I like homeschooling because it lets me have control over my own schedule.” The fact that I am homeschooled certainly makes life easier for me as a competitive swimmer. With homeschooling, I can have school before practice, after practice, on the weekends, whenever. While some swimmers have issues with their schools because they are forced to miss too many days of school for swim meets, it presents no problem for me. I simply do the school later. The downside is: the more swim meets and activities I miss school for, the more my school year is extended to cut into my summer vacation. I am responsible for completing 32 weeks of schoolwork each year from September through August. This summer I had the phenomenal opportunity to go on a three-week training trip to the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Most of my teammates could not go for the entire time because we left in early June and they had not completed their school year—they couldn't skip finals for swimming. However, I was able to pause my school year, go to Colorado for the full three weeks, and then resume school when I got back home. It was great because I was able to be at the OTC for the full time. However, it also means I have to extend school through most of July. When I take time off from school, it doesn't mean I don't have to do the work, it simply means that I have to do it later. Homeschooling definitely doesn't work for everyone—some people need a rigid schedule to ensure that they get school work done. But, there's no doubt that not having to go to school can make the intense training demands of swimming a little easier. There's no dealing with school schedules, cafeteria food, or gym class, so recovery and nutrition are not complicated concerns. All that being said, homeschooling can be quite similar to going to normal school. Sometimes I fall asleep "in class," just like my friends in school do. Although, I usually get to sleep-in the morning after a long meet, which is nice. One of my favorite benefits of homeschooling is getting to do school in my pajamas every day! ~by Teresa Soley

Swim with a Purpose

 

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Teresa Soley will be entering her Senior year as a home-schooled student residing in Tewksbury, New Jersey.