Homeschoolers teach their children themselves for a wide variety of reasons: academic, religious, social, etc. But one thing we all have in common is the belief that parents can be the best educators for their own children. No other teacher loves your children as much as you do. No other teacher knows your children’s unique learning needs as well as you do. Who better to teach your children? So we teach our own children…sometimes at home, sometimes in the car, sometimes at the library, sometimes at the museum. We homeschool at home, but that doesn’t mean we have to homeschool alone.
Two people are better than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. —Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NLT)
Teaching your children at home and meeting together with other homeschoolers to share the joys and griefs, wisdom and insight, make this already rich journey even richer. Rugged, individualistic homeschooling cannot produce the multitude of benefits that homeschooling together can. It will be better in community. It will be better for your kids. It will be better for you.
As children of God we have a one-on-one relationship with Him, but we are also called to live our lives in community with other believers, to share our unique gifts and strengths with others within the body of Christ. In fact, we cannot fully obey many of God’s commands if we are not in community! So too as parents we homeschool our children ourselves but need the help and support of a like-minded and committed community, once again because we all have different gifts and strengths.
In a community, parents new to homeschooling build relationships with experienced homeschoolers who can offer advice and compassion. Students build lasting relationships with their peers. This creates a safe place for practicing speaking skills and discussing big ideas. Students also encourage one another to meet high academic expectations. Young children enjoy learning in a group setting. They get to play games with the memory work and cooperate on science projects. They have the opportunity to learn to take turns speaking and practicing “loving their neighbor” by listening when their peer speaks or by waiting their turn.
If we were to continue reading in Ecclesiastes, we would learn that a cord of three strands is not easily broken. Classical Conversations has three strands that undergird everything we do: Classical, Christian and Community. We use the classical model of teaching that has been proven over thousands of years. Our curriculum, policies and practices are all informed by Scripture and a biblical worldview. Finally, more than 2,500 local CC communities are the foundation for our global community of more than 50,000 families in all 50 states and 22 foreign countries.
Classical Conversations communities meet once a week during the school year. Trained parent-tutors model skills and facilitate activities that give students—and parents—opportunities to practice these skills the other four days of the week. A CC community provides parents and students with encouragement, fellowship and accountability.
Particularly during the middle and high school years, the feeling of belonging to a group is very important to students. Because we have groups of no more than 12, they get to know each other and form a close, supportive group. Our Challenge program for teens is designed to give students a close-knit group of friends. They go through mock trial, debates, presentations, and other challenging activities together, sharpening their presentation and debate skills against each other—something they just can’t do on their own.
Parents enjoy the community, too. They enjoy time to share ideas with other parents at lunch and having experienced homeschooling parents available to discuss challenges. Many parents find the support they need to keep homeschooling through tough times.
Looking for a homeschool community to share this exciting journey with? Visit Classical Conversations to begin the journey!
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