How can I convince my parents to let me home-school?
Middle school and high school can be full of anxiety and stress. If you are really that unhappy at your current school and want to attend a different school or homeschool, I would present your parents with some options. While homeschooling may seem like the ideal solution, it is not as easy as you may think. It would require your parents to develop a curriculum and to make sure that you are learning everything you are suppose to. Depending upon their jobs this also may not be feasible. An alternative solution you could look into is cyber schools. There are tons of cyber charter schools out there, many of which are free or are funding by the money your school district would have used to fund your education. Cyber schools connect you online with teachers who will ensure that you are learning the information you should be while providing you with the books and exercises necessary for you to keep learning. Another benefit of cyber schools is that you won't lose the interaction with other students. Many classes offer chats so you can speak with other students in the class and the teacher and learn from each other. They also offer field trips and all the other "fun" stuff in school. If you think that homeschooling or cyber school is really the route that you want to go I would encourage you to do the research and present the ideas to your parents. Gathering all of the information on their classes, curriculum, costs, etc will show your parents that you are really serious about getting out of your current school and providing them options. Hope this helps, and best of luck. Just remember each experience we have in our lives makes us stronger for tomorrow. Good Luck!
I am 18 and I feel very depressed. Helpful advice please.?
You do have a job, are in college, and are not ugly. Those are basically things you can work with and keep. Do talk and communicate with your mom; not only because you receive some help, but because she needs your help. Share a book you like, maybe you could each read it at the same time, and talk about what you're learning/your opinions. Something like "The Great Divorce," C. S. Lewis, "For Women Only," Shaunti Feldhahn, and "Sacred Psychology of Love" and "Emotions: Transforming Anger, Fear and Pain," Marilyn Barrick. Reviews at http://www.amazon.com Keeping a journal and also recording in it your dreams is good. Learning to meditate may help: http://www.freemeditations.com Join a Christian group on your campus, and/or volunteer a couple of hours to teach children how to read well. Keep a beloved plant, give yourself a Sunday morning nature walk in a safe place, listen to classical music like Bach or Beethoven or Mozart an hour one evening a week, chamomile tea, all help. Call the licensed counselors at 1-800-525-LOVE 24/7, when you're feeling depressed or lost, tell them your story, and let them help. Their general web site is http://www.klove.com
Do teachers realise if students have some sort of mental issues?
You need to remember teachers generally teach the whole spectrum of society, some of whom will become pillars of society and some who will become inmates.Mental health is probably more common than people realise. In teens with raging hormones, general angst, and body image issues, mental health issues are even more common. They can manifest themselves in things like eating disorders, panic attacks, self harm etc. Some are difficult to mask. I have referred people who had obvious eating disorders. People who have panic attacks also give a bold outward signal that things are distressing. Generally teachers keep an eye out for self harm, although piercing and tattoos, have become pretty ubiquitous and sit on the fringe of self harm. Self harming can be kept pretty private too and there is only so much you can investigate .The sorts of mental health problems teachers are most likely to struggle with are things like depression. Many young people are quite introverted and lack confidence. Often this gives similar outward signs to depression and other mental health conditions. I have come across situations where young people have attempted suicide and it has been a shock to everyone who knows them including their friends and family. They obviously needed help but no-one saw the signs.In general then adolescence is a difficult time and a percentage of any population will have mental health issues. Whilst some are obvious not all are and it isn't realistic for teachers to be aware of all a students issues particularly when teachers don't always have much contact with that student. They might see them for a couple of hours a week if the student attends class.