By Suzanne Lawrence

​As if homeschooling through the high school years is not daunting enough, now your student wants to try out for a public high school athletic team! The numerous reasons for homeschooling are varied and complex with each family, many citing the poor public educational system, special needs, religious instruction as well as distancing our students from the bullying, drugs, worldly influences, political correctness and mean kids wandering the classrooms and hallways.

Why on earth would you want your homeschool student to participate in public school sports activities?
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You have come to the conclusion that athletics are great for your student and your student wants to participate in a competitive environment.  What are your options in the state of New Mexico?  Can homeschoolers participate in public school athletics? What are the pros and cons? Are there other options for my sport instead of public school athletics?

By Isabel McCabe

I started taking classes advertised by PLANT, Inc. when I was in the seventh grade. The first class I took was a speech class. I was not too excited for the speech class because public speaking to me was one of the worst things someone could make me do, but as the weeks went by I started to enjoy it! I learned about the steps required to form a good speech and how to actually give the speech.
      
​After this speech class I took a finance class and a second speech class called Always be Ready. In the finance class, I learned the right way to handle money, and I also learned how important saving truly is. In this class, I had the opportunity to run for president, treasurer, or secretary; I ran for president, which is something I never would have done without this class. In the second speech class, I learned more about speeches, and I even learned a little bit about debate. 

By Karen McCabe

I put my daughter in a speech class advertised through PLANT, Inc. which was being offered on the west side. She didn’t really want to be in this class…what kid really wants to get in front of their peers and give a speech? I knew it was important since my experience in high school was one of getting out of giving an oral report in any way I could.

Sheer terror!!
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It’s been said that public speaking is one of the top five fears we all have.
When I took over our co-op it was my number ONE fear. By the Grace of God I eventually got over it. There were times others had to come on stage and speak and I could feel and see the anxiousness as they made their way to the microphone. 
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By Edie Downs

​I am not an early adopter. I did not ever envision myself homeschooling despite several friends having chosen that lifestyle. I belonged to the “I could never do that” club. Yet I longed for more time with my children, the opportunity to influence their character development, and additional control over our schedule. My older two girls were well ensconced in the neighborhood elementary school when the seed of homeschooling began to take root in my mind. We reluctantly made the leap when DD #1 was about to enter middle school.
 
Initially uncertain, I began to feel the Lord moving in my heart as I turned 180 degrees to embrace this adventure. Playing teacher was my favorite game as a child, and I now couldn’t wait to set up my “classroom”, thumb through curriculum, plan, and teach my little darlings. Reality struck quickly as I realized the difficulty in scheduling and executing work for four children aged 3-11.