Before we even had kids, my hubby and I knew that we wanted them to have an education based on a Biblical worldview. So when our oldest son was ready for school (Kindergarten 4, Kinderegarten 5 and 1stgrade) we enrolled him in a local Private Christian School where we were living at the time. We both worked and our son enjoyed going to school, for the most part. He had teachers whom we had know for several years (some even taught at the same school my husband attended).
In May of 2012, we moved to Morganton. Our oldest was 7 and our twins were 6 months old. At the time there was not a private Christian School in Morganton. So after praying about it, seeking some counsel and doing some research we decided to embark on the adventure of homeschooling.
The first year was okay. I tried to replicate what a traditional school did by using ABEKA exculesivly. That wasn’t the road for us. My visual/auditory learner didn’t like having so many worksheets and so much repitation. Year two was better, we incorpated some unit studies and really focused on mastery of subjects verses giving a grade. Year three was awful…my twins were at the fun age of 2 going on 3, I hurt my back and was laid up for about 8 weeks, and our oldest really was done with the traditional format for school.
During this difficult time, two of my good friends, encouraged me to come and check out Classical Conversations. So I visited an open house. What I saw that day was exactly what I was yearning and looking for. I saw boys, my son’s age, who were enjoying learning and building relationships. I saw great material being presented to the students. I listened to students give a presentation with confidence. We got to experience some really fun science experiments. And my anti-arts and crafts boy got a chance to join in on a fine arts project that made my heart happy. Needless to say when I left that day, I knew this is what we needed.
We joined CC when our oldest was in 5thgrade. That fall, when school started again, he happily went and learned so much information about earth science and ancient history that year. He developed friendships and gained confidence is public speaking. After we finished the first year, I agreed to become a tutor for our group. I attended the Parent Practicum and realized that I truly was a classical education mom. Classical Education is how the scholars and our forefathers learned. Classical Education helps children learn based on the skills they are naturally given, too.
When they are in the grammar stage, they work on memorization and defining terms. They are incredible little sponges who soak up knowledge. Then they move on to dialectic (preteen) where they start to apply what they have learned and then figure out the why questions in life. Finally, they hit the rhetoric stage (high school) where they know the subject well and can reteach it or pass it on.
For two years I tutored CC for our younger students, and I loved it. Then this past year the position of director became available and after much prayer and counsel, I accepted that position. I truly love Classical Conversations and what it stands for. It has helped me to educate my children so they can understand the process of learning and how to contuiely apply it.
If you are curious and want to learn more about CC feel free to attend one of our information meetings or open houses. In Morganton, we have two campuses. My group, Morganton Downtown, meets on Mondays at First Presbyertian. Our sister group, Morganton East, meets on Monday at FAM church. Feel free to visit our website and get those date details and any other information you may need.
There is an informational meeting on Tuesday, March 5. More details.
Jennifer Bennett is the director of the Morganton Downtown campus of Classical Conversations. She’s been married for 18 years to her college sweetheart, and they have three sons (13 year old and twin 7 year olds).
Please note: Morganton Moms is sharing a series from local area moms who have volunteered (or been recruited to volunteer) to share their stories on how they selected the educational path which was the best fit for their family. Please note that we are in no way endorsing one method or approach over another, nor does Morganton Moms share all of the opinions represented in this series. Our goal is to share personal perspectives from around the community so you might feel more empowered as you approach your own research on local educational opportunities.