Circles or Squares by Sylvie Demers

Sylvie is a 13-year-old "life-long" homeschooler who lives and learns
with her family in Maine.

Every morning, I amble downstairs to fix a leisurely breakfast, sometimes flopping over the couch to finish an essay or a project. I work diligently although this may be difficult to gather from this description. I am a homeschooled student. This means that I am being educated in my home and in the community.

Conforming to public school life would be, for me, like trying to insert a cylindrical peg into a square hole. I see myself as the peg, trying to squeeze myself into a shape that I have never been. It would be like a quick and shocking splash of reality issuing from the hose of life.

The circle is nature's most relaxed and comfortable shape, as it has no corners or harsh edges. Most things in nature are round or cylindrical - bubbles, trees, fruit, and the very planets themselves. When a balloon is filled with air, it takes a round shape.

The square is vastly different from the circle. For nature to produce corners and edges, the experience is stressful; the force of the energy would not be equal in all directions. The square is also an excellent example of conformity. All of its corners are of the same 90 degree angle. Each of its edges are straight and of the same length. In the case of a cube, the three dimensional form of a square, all six sides are congruent. The square, therefore, is not relaxed like the circle.

From my point of view, public school is a harsh-edged, like the square. For example, there are the stereotypical crude jokes that are perpetrated by public school children who are desperate for the approval of their peers. It seems that public school students are not always encouraged to work at their own pace. I also see the dull homework that corrodes most children's evenings and family time. If a child sits in a classroom every day for six hours, only to return home to another hour of more of worksheets and essays, nearly half of this child's day has been consumed while sitting in a building. Not only is this undoubtedly stressful, it does not promote a healthy and active lifestyle.

On the contrary, homeschooling is bursting with educational opportunities. One who is educated at home can work at his/her own pace, not hindered by all of the disciplinary measures applied in public shcool systems. If a child has a disability, he/she can escape the callous criticism produced by his/her classmates. If a student is unusually gifted, he/she can push ahead and pursue what their peers cannot.

I do understand that there are pros and cons to both forms of education, but since my general personality tens to be that of the circle, home education works for me. However, this may not be as beneficial for others as it has been for me. It is all a matter of personality and learning style. Are you a circle? Or are you a square?