Ten Things I Loved About Homeschooling...

by Danica Davidson

As a recent graduate of Laurel Springs, I can look back at my time there and see what I liked best in that experience. Everyone will have a different experience, but I imagine most Laurel Springs students would also put these things on the tops of their lists too!

1. Teachers

Laurel Springs makes certain not only to hire teachers who know their subjects well, but people who are warm, helpful and positive. Sometimes students do well or poorly based their relationships with teachers, and I found myself loving the teachers I had here. What a difference that makes!

2. Curriculum

Laurel Springs runs the gamut in terms of the curriculum it has. Not only does it offer all sorts of classes for grades kindergarten through twelfth, it modifies its curriculum to work for the student and how well he or she grasps the subject. This enabled me to not drag through subjects I already knew or feel intimidated by subjects that were more challenging to me.

3. Individualized Approach

Along with the generally modified lessons, Laurel Springs takes an extra step and is willing to individualize lessons. This is done between teacher and student. During my time there I stayed in close contact with my teachers, and felt they always gave me special time and attention. As it turns out, that’s what they do with every student!

4. The Fun of Education

Yes, education can be fun. With the individualized approach, Laurel Springs not only means to make lessons the most beneficial for each student, it means to make them fun. Teachers like to talk with students and get to know them, so together they can brainstorm on how to bring education alive.

5. Accreditation

Some parents may worry that if they homeschool their kids it won’t count in what we call “The Real World.” In others words, that colleges and jobs will be skeptical. However, Laurel Springs is a fully accredited school, so I never had to worry about my diploma not being “authentic.”

6. Creativity

Studying at Laurel Springs allowed me to be creative. I could be creative with my lessons and education, as well as being creative with . . . well . . . my creative side. By opening up my days, I was allowed more time to indulge in my artistic past times, particularly writing.

7. Support

Laurel Springs doesn’t just have a group of supportive teachers. The entire staff at the school is all-around supportive. This kind of affirmative attitude is so essential to helping children with both their self-esteem and education.

8. Flexibility

I could study when I wanted to, concentrating on certain subjects more than others. This gave me the ability to really learn what I wanted to learn, and to be able to schedule out my own days so I could accomplish my tasks more productively and thoroughly.

9. Hobbies

Thanks goodness I could have time to myself! My main hobby has always been writing, and I can’t control it when the need to write strikes. Luckily, with Laurel Springs I was able to write when I wanted to without having it get in the way with my official studies.

10. Open-mindedness

Laurel Springs has shown me there’s more than one way to have your education. It’s shown that, really, there is more than one way to do most things. We don’t have to “be a certain way,” but should feel free to be ourselves. What a great lesson to learn!

About Laurel Springs School

Laurel Springs School, founded in 1991, is an accredited, college prep private school offering distance learning programs and teacher services for students in grades K-12. Located in Ojai, California, Laurel Springs serves students across the United States and in 43 countries. Current enrollment is 3,000 students, with more than 2,000 students enrolled in the online high school program. Laurel Springs uses web-based communication tools, a standards-based curriculum, and personalized instruction to offer students the highest quality home education experience.

www.laurelsprings.com