Have you ever thought about homeschooling? Have you ever tried homeschooling? My name is Annika Marschke, and I love that I am homeschooled. I homeschool with a community called Classical Conversations (CC). I am also enrolled at Summit Academy South.

What is Classical Conversations? Classical Conversations is a Christ centered homeschool group. The community meets once a week. The curriculum is for kids in kindergarten through high school. I am in a high school class called Challenge I. The subjects I study are Latin, logic, exposition, debate, math, and science. I have a tutor who leads me in the subjects but my parents are the teachers. CC is always a great option for families who are interested in homeschooling their kids. Find out more info at https://classicalconversations.com/.

What is different in homeschool than how it may be in public school? One of the differences in homeschooling, for my age group, is that you do a lot of work independently, unless youwork with your parents. One thing my tutor told my class and me was that his goal isn’t to just teach us the strands (subjects); he teaches us how to learn and think.

What outside programs are there to participate in? One of the outside activities I do is called Summit Academy. Summit is a charter school I attend from 8:15 a.m. - 3:18 p.m. once a week. I have six periods, each being an hour long. For kids in grades K-6 lunch is after their third period. For middle school and high school students lunch is after their fourth period. Aside from being super fun, Summit also offers everything from electives, to college courses for junior and senior high schoolers. Learn more at https://www.thesummitacademysouth.org/.

My brother also participates in a soccer program at the K-8 school in Coal Creek Canyon. Every Wednesday I help out at Awana clubs in Golden. I am a student leader for the T&T class and often play for them. My friends and I also attend an organization called Teen Pact. This is a Christ centered organization that helps educate kids on the government. They offer a one day class for ages 8-12 and a four day class for ages 13-19. You do not have to be interested in politics to get something out of it.

How many classes are there per semester? In Classical Conversations we meet once every week. The K-6 grades have 12 weeks before and after the Christmas break. Those in grades 7-12 have 15 weeks before and after break. In Challenge we study six subjects for each semester.

Why did my parents decide to homeschool instead of enroll in public school? My parents decided to homeschool in order for me to learn a Biblical worldview. I had attended a public school for three years when my sisters were born. However, I had started out homeschooling and had thrived in that environment. When my sisters became older, and mom could manage it, we decided to return to homeschooling.

Are homeschoolers social or not? That accusation is a stereotype that I hope you will never again consider. You can’t say “no homeschoolers are social” just like you can’t say “all public schoolers are social.” I myself am somewhat of an introvert, however I am in community three days a week and have friends in all of them. I am a student leader in Awana, I attend Teen Pact with friends when I can. I’m in church on Sunday, youth group every other week. I dare you to read this list, look me in the face, and say, “homeschoolers aren’t good at socializing.” I am sure we could all name some public schoolers who don’t socialize well.

Is homeschooling for everyone? No, homeschooling is not for everyone. There is nothing bad about preferring one or the other. Homeschooling is just one of the options out there. Every education system, and teacher, tries their best to tailor their education to fit the needs of their students. It is a blessing that we live in a country where we have the ability to choose what education looks like for our family.