We have finished our 6th year of homeschooling, our 6th year with Classical Conversations, and my first year as a tutor with Classical Conversations (CC). Our CC community has been invaluable to us, both from a homeschooling stance and from a personal one. More than ever, we needed that sense of community that comes with our CC group this past year. They held us up, supported us, and encouraged us. But more about that in a minute.
As a tutor, I am required to attend the free, three-day Parent Practicum that is offered each summer.Today was the last of the three days for our local Practicum, and it was phenomenal! Although we have been in CC for the past 6 years, I didn't really have a vision for where we would be going with education and with CC. This Practicum really solved that for me. Today, during the morning session, the speaker showed a few slides that laid out what our children will learn in each of the Challenge levels (Challenge A and Challenge B are middle school, and Challenges I-IV are high school), and I am so excited! I truly wish that I had been taught classically. I think that I would have been better prepared for college and for life. I am glad that my children will have this opportunity to be taught HOW to learn in such a wonderful manner.
One of the things that CC stresses is community. As homeschoolers, we need that supportive community around us to help us as we educate our children. The speaker stated it so eloquently this week when she remarked, on more than one occasion, that there was "so much wisdom in the room." As a community, that is vitally important. What an opportunity to learn from those Titus 2 women and then to become a Titus 2 woman yourself as you help other new homeschoolers. She also talked about community, and how our CC community is a vital support network, not only in an educational way but also in a personal way. A few moms stood to say how they have been blessed by the community that is CC. They have developed friendships with ladies whom they know they can call anytime, who would help them in any way possible; one woman stood to give testimony about how the CC community in our area (comprised of 3 local CC communities) came together to support her and her family during a very serious medical crisis, and many had never even met her or her family.
In the life of my family, CC has been a huge blessing during this past year. My director was one of just a couple of people who knew that I had become a single mom last summer. I called her and had a very candid conversation about returning to CC and what that may look like and would I be able to be a tutor given recent events and would we still be welcomed in our community--because, let's face it. When you are thrust into a major life change, the enemy comes at you with all kinds of doubts and fears and irrational thoughts. My director so patiently listened to all of these fears and thoughts and alleviated them one by one. So I made the commitment to stick with CC one more year; if for no other reason than the kids would need the support of their friends. You know what? Mama did, too.
My friends in our CC community rallied around us all year; they threw a surprise birthday party, provided meals, and blessed our family in a variety of ways. We could have made it through this last year, but it was made easier with the friendships and the community that we have with CC. They were part of our Aaron and Hur (see Exodus 17:12).
I am incredibly thankful for the community of believers and homeschoolers the Lord has placed us in with our local CC community .
What about you? Do you have a good support system for homeschooling and for life? Feel free to share about it in the comments!
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