by Brittney Defever

Brittney, it’s been awhile since we talked. Thanks for meeting with me today, I know how busy you are with finals. So, let’s get started. For our readers, what is your full name. what country are you living in now?
“My name is Brittney Marie Defever. I am originally from Middleville, Michigan in the U.S. I live in Borne Sulinowo, Poland now. I am moving to Amsterdam, Holland in a few months.”

Do you have a polish nickname?
“There is no Polish translation for my name. But, my name means ‘derived from Britain’ and Wielka Brytania is ‘Great Britain’ in Polish. So, my friends call me Brytanka, which means ‘‘Little Britain.’ ”

Since we’re talking about homeschooling, what grade you are in now, how old were you and what grade were you in when you started doing homeschool?
“I am finishing up my sophomore year (2007-2008) now—so, 10th grade. I was in 5th grade and I was 9 years old.”

How were you placed in a specific “grade” or “class” in the homeschool you attend?
“The homeschool program we were using then had a placement test that I had to take. When I started with this new program (The Potter’s School) each teacher tests us or checks our previous grades.”

Do you remember what your questions were when you found out you would be homeschooled when you moved to Poland?
“My first question was, ‘Do I have to?’ Then my second question was, ‘Am I the only person I know that homeschools? Will I have any friends?’

Has your opinion changed?
“Yes. I think that I have learned a lot through home school and I feel like I have an advantage over a lot of kids my age. I see the things I’m learning—I go to the places I read about in my homework.”

What do you like best about homeschool?
“I think it’s the perspective I get from other students. For instance, if something big is happening in a certain part of the world, I don’t just hear one opinion. My friends from Japan tell me how they are affected; my friends in Kuwait tell me how they are affected. I have a more rounded opinion because my classmates are all over the world.”

Name your biggest frustrations in being in a homeschool program.
“My school friends are all through the Internet. I can’t see them, hear them, or touch them. That is very, very difficult.

Another would be that I only have class once a week. I would like to meet twice a week, or more, so that I could resolve more questions or technical difficulties faster.”

How would you change the homeschool system to make it better?
“I would organize a program so that homeschooling students could meet their online friends more often … So that they could make friends face-to-face.”

When you come home from the states—do you still see your friends from your old school? How do you feel about that?
“Well, I saw a couple of my friends, but not many. I think it’s hard, because my best friend from elementary school has changed; I have changed too. We aren’t a part of each others’ lives anymore. We have different interests, different hobbies, and different personalities and we don’t know each other anymore. I don’t know the people she knows, and she doesn’t know my friends. That makes it hard when we see each other—because now we are complete strangers.
I think it’s awkward too because they don’t know what my homeschooling is like, and I don’t know what school is like. But some of my other friends just pick up right where we left off. We can still talk about everything—even if I don’t know much about their lives and they don’t know much about mine, it doesn’t seem to matter.
I guess it depends on which friend it is.”

Have you met other kids your age that homeschool? Did you talk about it—whether you and they were happy about it or missed being in a classroom with other students—what was the consensus?
“Yes, I know a couple kids (face-to-face). The general consensus was that we miss being in a classroom, but we liked being able to travel and see lots of things.”

You have a younger sister—what is her opinion of homeschooling?
“I think she likes homeschool even more than I do. She enjoys staying at home—she is shy in a group—so public school scares her a little more than it does me.”

Do you think your scholastic status as a homeschool student vs. a student attending public or private school is the same? Do you feel equal in your education?
“I think it is a little different. I am more school-focused than most of my friends who attend regular school, so I am a little ahead. When I was tested against American students, I tested pretty high in most subjects (except in math, where I tested average). When I am talking with my friends, I would say I feel equal.”

Do you think you will homeschool your own children?
“I haven’t decided. I really like homeschool and see the advantages, but I miss the social aspect of regular school. I guess it depends on where I will live and so forth.”

I heard your family has made a decision to move.
“Yes we did. We’re moving to Amsterdam, Holland. My dad wants to finish his master’s degree at a seminary there, and so we are moving there for the next 3-4 years.”

How do you feel about moving back to public school and the interaction that will be part of it, plus returning to a classroom situation—or is International school a classroom with other students?
“I am really excited to move to Holland. I can’t wait to attend an International school. I like being homeschooled, but I miss the social aspect of going to a real school. So when we found out that we are going to actually "go" to school, I was looking forward to that the most. Classes are taught in English.

Unfortunately, they don’t offer Polish or German as a second language, so I will be studying Spanish. But, Spanish is my fourth language to learn and that will give me a well-rounded basis for languages. I am kind of looking forward to learning Spanish. If I end up living back in the U.S., it will be a good language for me to know.”

Anything you would like to say to someone whose parents are moving to another country and are making a choice between homeschooling, local school in another language, or an International school?
“Well, I would definitely say, don’t choose the local school. Culture shock is already enough without having to learn everything in a new language. I can’t really give my opinion about InIernational schools because I have never attended one.

As for homeschooling, I would encourage them to strongly consider their child’s character. Social butterflies don’t do well homeschooled. But other than that, I would encourage parents to consider it strongly. I think everything has good points and bad points. I think the worldview we learn outweighs the negatives that I’ve discussed.”

You are a strong believer in Christ—I read your Newsletter where you shared mixed feelings about the move and what you’re leaving behind. It can be difficult to be honest about your feelings and I enjoyed your willingness to share. How do you see your Christianity being lived out inside all this newness in your life?
“I do have mixed feelings. I am really sad and disappointed that I’ll be leaving my Polish friends, my home, Poland itself, my friends, our youth group, our ministry, and did I mention, my friends?

I feel like I will be missing so much—youth group activities, concerts, conferences, chances to witness to people here, and other important things that I was looking forward to this summer. Leaving a youth group that I helped start is very difficult. I have watched it grow throughout the four years that we’ve lived in Poland. It represents a lot of love, energy, planning, and making new friends. I didn’t realize how much Poland, our church, the work we’ve done here, the Polish people, and especially my friends were a part of my heart until it came time to leave.

On a positive note, the fact that we might go to church services in English has me excited. I love my church family in Poland, and I love the Polish language, but I feel like sometimes I don’t get as much as I could get out of a sermon. When I have to wait for things to be translated, or I listen to a sermon in Polish, I feel like I lose a lot. I understand conversational Polish quite well, but biblical Polish…well I think I only get 75-80%, and so I miss a lot. I am really looking forward to having church and youth group in my first language.”

If someone wants to read your newsletter, have questions, or just wants to contact you, how can they reach you?
“I would enjoy talking to kids whose parents are considering homeschooling. I could give them some ideas on what to look for in a curriculum and what I like about the program we chose. They can contact me at my e-mail address: ufillmycup@hotmail.com”

Note from the Editor—I think you’ll find Brittney’s openness to sharing refreshing and if you are thinking about homeschooling, you’ll appreciate her frank responses. If you contact Brittney, please put “MAP” in the subject line so she can recognize that it’s a response from her article. Thank you.