VIDEO: An interview during PHS open house

A visitor to Planet Homeschool during the open house on May 1, 2015 chats about why she's there. Interviewed by Solomon Midwinter. Video by Aurora J. Pass.

Major General Stanley and Judy O’Neill

by Malachi Johnson
PHS Press staff member

Math teachers.  They help you solve problems that you would never have without them. 

Judy O’Neill was inspired to teach by watching teachers and learning from them.   O’Neill began her teaching career in 2008 at Planet Homeschool. 

O’Neill started teaching at Planet Homeschool because one of her two daughters started attending. To O’Neill, a typical day at Planet Homeschool is very busy with every thing being set up. Never the less O’Neill very much enjoys teaching algebra and geometry. 

On a more personal note, unlike Major General Stanly, O’Neill has not incorporated the Pythagorean theorem into her parenting style. Because “I don’t think of the Pythagorean theorem and parenting as intertwined. The Pythagorean theorem is really straightforward and clear-cut, where-as parenting has none of those qualities,” she said. 

Meet Tim Hereid

by Bridger Berg 

PHS Press staff member

This is an interview with Tim Hereid, the physics teacher at PHS, for our teacher spotlight stories. Be sure to look out for other stories on other teachers at PHS on the site!

When asked how he found out about PHS, he said that he had just found out about it through internet research, eventually, he got an interview, and the place just seemed like the perfect fit for him. The reason he had wanted to teach at a place like PHS, he said, was that he had always sought an environment where kids were self motivated, interested in learning, and he just likes to teach. He said his initial interest was just a place that had the kinds of science and electronics classes he wanted to teach, that his first idea, the High Altitude balloon class, was a blast to teach, and that he still sees some of those ex-students in his classes today.

High Altitude Class

Q&A With Tim Hereid

Q: How long have you been teaching at PHS?

A: I believe I started in 2012, so about three years.

Q: What is your favorite thing about teaching at PHS?

A: Well, it’s a great community, a very strong community, another great thing is that with homeschool kids, they’re just as comfortable with adults as with kids their age, and that’s just great.

Q: So, you teach physics?

A: Yes, I generally teach middle school physics, which is very project-based, you know, we build catapults and we’re going to build pendulums, just as hands on as it can possibly get with physics. And then I’m teaching a sign-language class, I taught an ethics class, the app class, geography, biology, hoping to teach creative writing,

Q: How would you say PHS differs from other places you’ve taught at?

A:  Other than what I’ve said already, it’s great because both the kids and the adults get a chance to explore a workshop-like environment, the big difference I think is just the love of learning, I mean the kids just really, really like to learn, and it feels more like a collaborative work environment than it does a classroom.