“Are you and Rebecca free tomorrow (Friday 7 February 2020) at 8.30am? Do you want to represent HS (Homeschool) SG on ONE FM 91.3?”
Mark texted me. He is our trusted Media Rep. I was thinking to myself – Oh my! To appear on national radio? What do I say? What about the girls? And to represent HS SG is a huge responsibility! But Mark was very encouraging, reminding me that we would just be going for a chill conversation session with Glenn and the FD. That’s comforting to know. I know that it will be SUPER fun for the girls! Since John and Rebecca are involved in the The Socially Awkward Podcast, I know they would LOVE to check out the studio. Unfortunately, John was on day shift so he couldn’t join us. Rebecca said, ‘Yes! I wouldn’t mind.’ All of us got to bed early so we could rise early on 7 February for our exciting outing!!
After clearing security and making our health declarations, Andre brought us to the studio. He made us feel welcome and comfortable. The warm welcome from Glenn and the FD put us at ease immediately as we prepared ourselves for the show – we started chatting and I could see they were genuinely curious about homeschooling. We were also reminded that we would be seen and heard on FB live even during the breaks. (So be careful!) We had learned a little about radio broadcasting at our ICC public speaking meetings and FINALLY we get to experience what it would be like to be on ONE of these!
Once ON AIR, we simply continued our conversations. It felt THAT natural. I really enjoyed speaking to them about what’s on my heart – teaching and mentoring the children and nurturing them in their gifts and talents so they will be passionate about their learning. It was a privilege to spend time with such experienced hosts! And I learned that I need to pull my headphones forward when I wear it on my head. THANK YOU SO MUCH Andre, Glenn and the FD for giving us this opportunity to tell others about our homeschooling journey.
It was amazing to hear from Rebecca, especially that 1/her brother is her best friend coz when I was expecting Rebecca, I prayed that John would love her – I know for sure this prayer has been answered! And 2/family bonding – I give thanks that the family can take this adventurous journey together – we have learned and grown so much! SUPER PROUD of you Becca!!!
The session was a really chill one also coz the HS village was CHEERING us on! I really appreciate how you reminded us that you were praying for us, telling us ‘You can do it!’ as we were on our way and you (some were as far as the US and KL) took time to tune in and support us. Thank you dear ones for dropping the zillion things you needed to do to listen to us!
We had a great time connecting afterwards as well – chatting and taking photos. Li-Ann had a wonderful time taking photos with the guys and telling them about her scrap book. THANK YOU GUYS for engaging and connecting with Li-Ann!!
Rebecca said: It was an amazing experience! I’m just blown away at how genuine and sweet the radio hosts were! I learnt so much from the mic+audio set up to how the professionals on the radio did it. I loved how the session was chill and relaxed and I had so much fun! Being on the show felt just like a conversation with the hosts rather than being interviewed. I rate this experience a 100/10 and would definitely do it again! Homeschool Community this is for you guys!!
Li-Ann said: We went to SPH Radio. I saw mics and a sound proof room. I saw many ‘ONE FM913’ stickers stuck on the black foam wall. During the show, mom and jie jie were talking about homeschooling with the FD, Glenn and Andre. After the show, I took 2 polaroid with the guys. I am going to put one of the polaroid in my scrap book. I gave the other polaroid to Glenn. It was a new experience for me. I hope I can go back again with my siblings. I hope to speak more about my homeschooling journey.
Daddy said: I am proud that you went out there to debunk the misconceptions of homeschooling so that the understanding is more well rounded. Our role is not to convince others about homeschooling but to help them understand what homeschooling is about. I am proud that Rebecca is able to articulate her viewpoints and showcase her experiences and learning from her homeschool journey.
John said: I’m super proud of how well my mom, Rebecca, and Li-Ann represented the Singapore homeschool community. It was better than any official statement or Straits Times reply letter. They had the perfect opportunity to enlighten anyone who tuned in on their Friday morning commute about what homeschooling comprises of and what it looks like for us. Of course every homeschooler’s journey is different and we can’t speak for everyone, but just being able to debunk some of the erroneous misconceptions surrounding homeschooling will definitely go far in educating Singaporeans about this unconventional method of education. Although I couldn’t be on the show due to NS commitments, I still managed to tune in and catch the show while helping to share the word on Facebook and Instagram. If you would like to know even more about homeschooling, what it looks like for the individuals who have gone through it and how they have benefited from it, you can check out The Socially Awkward Podcast (@the.sociallyawkwardpodcast) a podcast written and produced by an all-homeschool crew.
I Can Do It! 