"Do I really have to take biology? I'm not going into science, so I'm never going to use it?"
 

"Why do I have to take Algebra? I'm never going to need it in real life!"
 

"I hate writing papers! I just want to be a beautician. I won't need to write anything."
 

 

Have you heard anything like this from your homeschooled teen?
 

Maybe you even uttered these words back in high school? I know I sure did!
 

In fact, I was going to study psychology in college. I loved the social sciences, but I didn't really enjoy "hard" science. I didn't want to take science in high school.
 

The next time your teen asks you this question, just send him or her to read this post. Maybe my story will help a little…

 

 

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Like I said, I didn't want to take any science in high school. I wasn't going to need it. Fortunately for me, we only had one required science course. Biology in tenth grade.
 

The first six-week term we studied plants and did a leaf collection. Our teacher, Mr. Rogers {seriously}, gave us a tree identification guide, explained the different types of leaves, etc., and we were to collect and label all of our leaves outside of class.
 

I thought I did a great job. I was an Honor Roll student. I felt confident that I understood and had done well. I was not nervous about getting my report card at all…

 

First six-week grade: C-
Leaf Collection: D

 

There was no way this was acceptable to me! How had this happened?!
 

I am from a long line of southern {read Appalachian} women. My stubborn set in.
 

From now on, I decided, I would ask Mr. Rogers every tiny, seemingly insignificant question I had. I was going to understand and get a good grade in this horrible class! Biology. Heh!
 

And that is exactly what I did. Mind you, I still didn't like biology. Most everyone in my class couldn't stand being in class with me. They said I asked the dumbest questions. They got even madder when Mr. Rogers announced that he would grade every test and quiz on a curve determined by the highest score in the class– and that curve was always set by either me or my friend Chris. {eek} Yes, the girl asking stupid questions was setting the curve.
 

I honestly don't remember what grade I got in the class, but I remember all the work I had put into it. It wasn't as horrible as I had imagined, but I still would not have said that I liked biology.

 

Fast forward to college…
 

I was in the Honors College at my university, which meant that there were a few courses that we were required to take that were not part of the general studies track for the entire student population. One of those required courses was Biology 110– Genetics.
 

I groaned. However, over the next several weeks I discovered that I was enjoying the course. It was really fascinating. We learned basic genetics, plus we learned about a lot of specific genetic disorders. I did well in this class also– and was glad that was my last science course (outside of physiological psychology, but that was lots about the human brain and I was on fire to learn about that!).

 

Fast forward to grown up life…
 

I graduated from college. I ended up with a double degree in psychology and anthropology, but God had different plans for my life. I got married a year after graduation. I had started a Master's Degree in anthropology the fall after we married, by by the time the second semester began I had discovered that I was pregnant.
 

It was an easy decision to finish the semester and then set my heart on being a momma at home with my baby. Judah was seventeen months old when his baby sister (our second baby) was born. Our third baby, Sean, was born when Judah was a few months shy of four years old and Colleen was two years old.

 

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I know what you're thinking.
 

What does that have to do with taking biology in high school?

 

Here it is:
 

Colleen and Sean both had a genetic disorder called Hirschsprung's Disease. Sean had a second genetic disorder called Neuronal Intestinal Dysplasia. {You can read all about our journey in the series Our Sick Babies Story.}
 

Back in the mid-to-late 1990's, not much was known about these disorders. Hirschsprung's is a genetic disorder, but it's multifactorial– it's not just determined by genes, other things affect it too. They are still not exactly sure about everything that determines whether a child will have HD or not. Neuronal Intestinal Dysplasia was an even bigger mystery. They knew it had a genetic component, but it was still a puzzle. A child could have it but have no symptoms, or just need a little medication, or he might grow out of it, or… his colon may not work at all.
 

Does all of that information make your head spin?
 

It made mine spin because it was my child they were talking about… but I understood it. I understood it because I had worked hard to learn biology in high school. Biology that I would never need in order to be a psychologist. I understood it because that high school biology class laid a foundation that helped me understand my college genetics class.
 

Had I not had this understanding of biology and genetics, I would have not understood much about what was happening with my babies. I would not have known what questions to ask the doctors. In fact, I may not have even been able to understand much of our doctor's explanation about their disorder.  And I certainly would not have had the knowledge or confidence to research their disorder to better understand how to help them, especially when Sean's health got complicated.

 

Taking biology in high school was integral to the health of two of my babies– even though I thought I didn't need to take it.
 

But God knew, and He arranged the circumstances to motivate me to learn it well– because He knew I would need it.

 

 

Thank you to Becky, Apologia's biology teacher, for inspiring this post. I had a question as we were doing biology at our house last year. I called the number in the Apologia book, Becky phoned me back, answered my question, and asked how I knew so much about biology and genetics. I told her a bit of our journey, and she said, "Have you written about this on your blog?" I realized she was right. Thank you, Becky.

 

 

 

HomeSchool High is sponsored by Apologia.

I hope you'll tell them a big "thank you"!

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Now it's your turn. What have you been doing this week with your high school teens?

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HomeSchool High…

(#HSHigh)

Ideas, Resources, and Friends…
so It's not so scary.

 

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