Dually-Enrolled: Homeschooling High School

I am still Homeschool Atheist Momma!

homeschool high school

In the state of Missouri, once a student is sixteen they can begin taking classes in community college as long as the student is in good standing and as long as the school or parent approves.

Homeschooling families welcome this option! Our kids can start classes early and graduate from college early.

Elizabeth started taking classes at our local community college this summer. She takes two classes, four days a week from 8-12. She decided to take a reading comprehension and a writing class.

We couldn't be more thrilled!
The courses she is taking are fantastic for preparing a homeschooling student how to succeed in a classroom milieu.

Elizabeth now is so highly motivated for these classes. She wasn't at first, but the teachers are very encouraging, very supportive, and quite happy with both her abilities and her progress in the course. Elizabeth is learning how to stick with the momentum of the class and the weight of the work load while also working part time and trying to have a life in the summer. Her grades (the first of her life!) are excellent and her classwork is well-done!

Last week my daughter took her very first midterm exam.
She was the last student out the door because, as she reports, she wanted to rewrite her outline because it wasn't neat enough. (LOL) 
But it was neat that she did that because this happened:

When the second to the last kid left the room after completing their exam, the teacher exhaled and said Yay, now I get to tell you something, Elizabeth! Remember yesterday's assignment? YOU were the only person in this whole class who got that right!

Elizabeth asked Are you serious?

Yes! And, furthermore, the essay that you turned in last week was so good, that I am going to allow you to skip the essay part of the final exam.

Elizabeth asked Are you serious?

Yes! her instructor continued. And I was telling my daughter about you and I would love for the two of you to meet; I know you would be friends!

Elizabeth asked Are you serious?

Elizabeth and her instructor went on to have a very friendly chat, exchanged mutual statements of admiration, and strengthened their friendship.
And gave my daughter a tremendous boost of self confidence!

Her instructor also suggested to my daughter that her writing was good enough that she thought Elizabeth should apply to write for the school newspaper! 

We weren't at all sure how well Elizabeth would move into the college atmosphere; she struggled in the beginning, but I had high hopes. I feared my daughter would get discouraged and feel overwhelmed with so much going on this summer. (she also has rehearsal for a play three nights a week). I was concerned that there would be burn out and general crisis due to the continuous forward motion of a college-level class.

Instead, she is feeling ready. Confident. Capable.
She has learned so much about schools, college, classes, course work, etc.
But mostly, she has learned about herself.


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