Weirdos: a Homeschool Documentary

Education begins at home. Parents play a huge part in a child’s learning and development. From the moment a child is born into this world,  parents become their first teachers. We teach them to talk, walk, sing, dance, read, write, and many more even until they are older. Our duties to enrich their minds is a lifetime responsibility to help them cope with life. Then, there are educational facilities that support their base knowledge and expand it with a standardized approach to learning according to a child’s assumed level of cognition. But is there really a right or wrong way to educate a child? And in these unprecedented times, how do we, parents, weigh in on options for our children’s education? When all we want is to provide our children with proper education from a safe and healthy environment?

I don’t know if I am just lucky but I believe that it is fate that led me to this amazing and super informative feature documentary that I am sharing with you today, it is titled “Weirdos: a Homeschool Documentary”
by a local filmmaker from St George, Utah named Matthew Black. If you’re a parent like me, finding the right school is a major dilemma, and in these changing times, with everything going on in the world, the already challenging task of being a parent just tripled. There are so many factors to consider, from school reputation, reliability, values, safety measures, educational programs, and the list go on and on for every parent, but what if you don’t need to look further? When each of these fundamental factors we consider can be found at the safety of our own home? Well, you’ll surely get the answers to your every question when you watch this documentary by Matthew Black. This documentary is one of the most helpful sources that led me to discover the answers about schooling for my children which I’ve been looking for a very long time.

Weirdos: a Homeschool Documentary is an eyeopener. It led me to see and realize the benefits of homeschooling and how long it’s been running in families and communities for generations. This documentary breaks the stigma of differentiation between a child that goes to home school and the one that doesn’t. It also showed me the commitment of each family member to learn and grow with each other, and strengthen the foundation of education within the family and the supporting community. But the main highlight for me about this documentary is how it emphasizes that even though it is homeschooling, learning isn’t exclusively enclosed within the family. It showed the support system of a community composed of parents and families using the same method of education, willing to share and expand learning, and explore the world together. I love how the documentary was able to translate the value and appreciation from homeschooled children by capturing genuine responses and undeniably positive results from a child’s behavior, character, and outlook in life. In addition to that, it also featured the tailored approach to nourish a child’s mind and child’s right to learn freely without being forced to move forward to lessons he or she doesn’t fully understand in order to keep track with fellow students and comply with the standardized method of an institutionalized school.

I am seriously thankful that I had the chance to screen this documentary. It taught me so much about homeschooling. It also answered questions and myths about homeschooling and homeschooled kids that concerns many parents like me. I love how I get the chance to know some of the families through watching this documentary and admire every parent involved because of the dedication, effort, and patience they exert to fulfill their goal to their child.

Lastly, this documentary wouldn’t be as impacting as it is without the brilliance of its director Matthew Black. I love the positive spontaneity that he was able to display throughout the film. It gave out light, enjoyable, and family-friendly energy that is pleasing to watch, and I bet young children will also love watching this because of that. And for a first-time filmmaker, director Matthew Black passed this documentary with flying colors, highly recommended and a real must-see indeed!