April 19, 2023 – High School Grads: What Do They Look Like?

Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

What Is the Goal?

Because homeschooling is known for gearing education to our unique learners, each homeschool graduate is going to look very different. There is no cookie cutter, and that is a good thing!

A homeschool graduate may choose:

• College
• Trades
• Gap Year
• Missionary
• Internship
• Apprentice
• Touring Musician
• Stay at Home Artist
• Researcher
• Writer
• Adventurer
• Military
• Creative Spirit
• Teacher
• And more . . .

No matter what they look like, our main goal is that they would look like their Father, God. In that process of becoming like their Father, what should they be ready to do and ready to face; and what is most important for life?

Ready to Do:

• Do they have good study skills?
• Do they know how to research information?
• Can they write an essay?
• Do they communicate clearly?
• Can they balance a checkbook or know how to use an online program?
• Can they cook a meal?
• Do they know basic car maintenance?
• Do they know how to clean and organize a household?
• Do they know how to care for young children?
• Are they teachable?

Ready to Face:

• Do they have a Biblical worldview?
• Are they strong in their faith?
• Can they articulate their convictions?
• Have they read the Bible through?
• Are they influenced by peer pressure?
• Do they know how to handle stressful situations?
• Are they fervent in prayer?
• Are they serving the Lord with the gifts and abilities He’s given them?

Most Important:

• Do they love God?
• Do they love others?

These are definitely not comprehensive lists, so ask God for wisdom for your own child. Don’t be anxious; pray.

“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” ( Philippians 4:6, 7).

~Deborah

You can read about seven of my own homeschool graduates over the years within the pages of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. The most recent grad’s article is here:

How Homeschooling Has Benefited My Life

And these articles from The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine also give some wonderful insight on life after homeschool graduation:

Homeschool Graduation and Beyond, by Charlene Notgrass
My Life as a Homeschool Graduate, by Virginia Brewster
I’m a Homeschool Graduate, Now What? By Alyssa Liljequist

TOO MANY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES AREN’T COMMUNICATING TOO WELL!

Mastering the three “Rs” (Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic) has been, and still is, the necessary foundation of a quality education. Unfortunately, over the years, there has been unproductive tampering with all three “Rs.” With reading, many schools replaced teaching phonics with something called the “Whole Language Approach.” With arithmetic, many schools replaced learning basic arithmetic, including the times tables, with something called “Modern Math.” And in 1985, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) published a resolution urging the discontinuance of testing practices that encourage the teaching of grammar – a resolution that is still posted on the NCTE website today.

HERE IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THAT RESOLUTION WAS PASSED 

• In 2011, only 27% of 8th and 12th graders scored proficient on the National Performance in Writing Test.
• On both the SAT and ACT, the lowest sub-scores are from the sections that include writing and grammar.
• At many colleges, 40% to 60% of entering freshmen are required to enroll in remedial English.
• College graduates are finding that they do not qualify for positions that require proficient writing skills.

SO HOW CAN YOU ENSURE THAT YOUR 7th-12th GRADERS BECOME GRAMMAR LITERATE?

The answer is EGUMPP! English Grammar Usage Mechanics Punctuation Program is a proven online grammar program that will make your 7th – 12th graders GRAMMAR LITERATE. EGUMPP has four self-study modules that, when mastered, result in students acquiring a complete understanding of SENTENCE STRUCTURE and the GRAMMAR TERMINOLOGY necessary to interpret and apply the rules of usage, mechanics, and punctuation to their writing correctly. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND TO TRY EGUMPP.

STUDY SMARTER, NOT HARDER! Our time-tested study skills system has benefited thousands of students, parents, and teachers. Visit http://studyskillssystem.org to learn more.

Barbori Garnet

Homeschool Graduates Look Like Success

Just as no two homeschooling families are alike, no two homeschool high school graduates will be alike either. High school graduates’ families will have homeschooled using a variety of curricula including the Charlotte Mason method, Schoolhouseteachers.com, Rod & Staff Publishers, Sonlight Curriculum, Memoria Press, and many more.

Homeschooled graduates have gone on to attend many post-secondary institutions as well as pursue a variety of jobs—they are writers and authors, doctors, lawyers, electricians, plumbers, farmers, and numerous other positions. Some start their own businesses, and some are now homeschooling-parents, themselves (second or third generation.)

What sets homeschool graduates apart, though? It is their character and personal qualities that distinguish them from public or private school graduates. Homeschool graduates are typically self-starters who take initiative, work hard, are resourceful, have a strong faith and believe in the Lord’s guidance and provision. They often develop and use their skills and do their work to the glory of God and to bless others. They also have a lifelong love of learning.

Many seek God’s will for their lives and are involved in church. They often volunteer, are interested in, and participate in politics and local matters, and are active in their local communities.

Because homeschool graduates spend so much time with siblings, not to mention aunts, uncles, and grandparents, they are likely to have regularly interacted with people of all ages. So after high school, they are often quite confident while interacting with colleagues, managers, friends, and neighbors of different ages.

Homeschool graduates have also had the time to develop and learn practical skills such as: sewing, knitting, crocheting and other handiworks, gardening, cooking, cleaning, woodworking, budgeting and managing a household. These skills help them do well in life as adults.

So what do homeschool graduates look like? Generally, they’re successful, confident, kind, knowledgeable people who never stop learning and enjoy serving others. And that looks like success.

About the author

A homeschool graduate based in Alberta, Canada, Barbori Garnet is a writer, artist, musician, gardener, and author of Home at the Office: Working Remotely as a Way of Life. She has a BFA in painting and drawing and an MA in communications in public relations. Barbori began working on staff at The Old Schoolhouse® and The Canadian Schoolhouse in January 2021. Her other interests include reading, tennis, and enjoying cups of tea with family and friends. Her website is BarboriGarnet.com.

Jodi Riddle

Pillar of Hope
Jodi Riddle – A Confident Child of God

Graduation day brings so many emotions for a student. It’s the end of one season, but the start of the next one. One thing is certain—it’s a time of decisions. Questions are asked of high school graduates such as: Are you going to college? Will you be getting a job? What do you want to do with your life?

All these questions can be overwhelming, but I like what Paul has to say in Philippians 1:6: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” For around eighteen years, parents train their children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6). And now those children can be confident that God can take who He created them to be and combine that with the training they have received, and He will perform His perfect will in the child’s life.

So, some people may say that the high school graduate looks like an overwhelmed, confused teenager, but I beg to differ. I think that through the faith they have in their Creator, and the parents who invested in them, they look like a confident child of God.

About the author

Jodi started her journey with TOS in April 2016 and serves as the Director of Human Resources. She and her husband, Duane, have been married over 30 years and have spent over 20 years in the ministry. Along with being a pastor’s wife, she homeschooled her 3 (now grown) sons for 18 years and also taught in the private and public-school settings. Jodi enjoys teaching, playing the piano, and making cards. Her heart’s desire is to serve others and use her gifts to glorify the Lord.

Are you getting close to graduation? Are you wondering what comes next? The Career Exploration course on SchoolhouseTeachers.com guides teens to discover their career path or college major. The course provides possible directions to what the next step could be through informative articles, self-inventory worksheets, relevant links to additional information, and inspiring true stories.