Tag: College

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Classical Conversations Partners with Southeastern University for Master’s Degree Program for Parents

“I would like to thank the Schoolhouse Rocked for hosting this important announcement from Classical Conversations to classical homeschoolers around the world. Schoolhouse Rocked and CC have been great partners for many years, and we are so excited for the documentary they are putting together and the journey that have been traveling.”

– Robert Bortins,

Many people who homeschool give up income and careers for their children. Some manage to work full- or part-time, but the vast majority exchange income and validation by society for their children. These moms (and some dads) are focused on their kids and often don’t think about what they will do after they launch their last child.

Although most of these moms are experts at planning, time management, scheduling, delegation, and communication, many employers will only see their gap in employment. Many homeschool moms must settle for minimum wage jobs or entry level positions if they choose to go back to work. 

Private schools could benefit greatly from hiring veteran homeschool parents to teach. They know how to help students truly learn, not just how to lecture and give tests. They understand child development first-hand, have a well-rounded knowledge, have studied logic and know how to think. However, most of these positions require college degrees, even master’s degrees. 

If you are a first-year homeschooler or a veteran Classical Conversations Director, it is my belief that God has ordained you with love for your children, that you are their first and best teacher. My wife was a public-school teacher for eight years before we were married, so I hear daily from her how different it is to homeschool than it was to teach in a brick-and-mortar school. At her first Parent Practicum she asked, “why weren’t we taught this?” 

The U.S. has a growing need for classically trained teachers. Homeschool parents need more options upon graduating their last student. CC needs more qualified CC+ assessors. Three problems, one solution— a master’s degree in teaching aligned with the Classical Conversations program for CC parents! In order to offer this absolutely unique graduate program1 this fall, Classical Conversations is partnering with Southeastern University (SEU) in Lakeland, Florida.

Imagine graduating with your master’s degree, being hired at your child’s college and teaching him as a freshman. Just kidding, you probably shouldn’t do that, but with a Master of Arts degree from SEU and CC, you could. You are already doing a great job as homeschool moms and dads; you don’t need me to tell you that. But to have a university confirm it with a diploma and tell me that they want to hire people just like you to teach college courses, well, that’s special. 

So check out http://www.ccdegrees.com for more information about the program. You must have a child enrolled in Classical Conversations to qualify for this unique opportunity, and other requirements apply2. Don’t miss out on this opportunity starting August 2020.

1 Pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

2 See website for additional details

Photo by MD Duran on Unsplash

Photo by Chichi Onyekanne on Unsplash

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All Roads Do Not Have to Lead to College

As parents and homeschoolers, we too fall victim to the assumption that we should teach and raise our children to get good grades, go to college and then get a good job.  However, none of us should automatically follow that path without intentional consideration and planning centered around the interests and personalities of our children.

Let’s look at a few key aspects about college. First, the statistics related to kids leaving their faith once entering college is stifling and should make any parent hesitate and reconsider.  According to Campus Renewal, their recent studies indicated that up to 70% of students leave their faith during the first year transitioning into college. Wow!  Now, your first thought might be that of Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go and even when he is old he will not depart from it.”  A powerful reminder of our role as parents and full of truth.  However, should we consciously put our children in that environment knowing these statistics?

Two, college is not cheap and as a result, loan debt has become a BIG problem.  According to a recent article in Forbes, students graduating college in 2016 owed an average of $37,172 for school loans. That’s a difficult way to start life as a self-sustaining “grown up” looking to successfully contribute to their community.  Of the $21 trillion U.S. debt, over $1.4 trillion of it is related to school loan debt.

Third, a college degree does not automatically lead to a good paying job.  The average starting salary for new college grads has increased slightly to just under $50K a year.  However, as good as that may sound, once we understand the Practical Poverty Level taught by Josh Tolley in his powerful book, “Evangelpreneur,” we know that average starting salary is not encouraging news.

For more on this subject, listen to Episode 23 of The Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast. Isaac Morehouse is the founder of Praxis, a unique apprenticeship program for young high school and college graduates, which places students in real-world, paid internships in growing companies. This experience gives these young apprentices a head start in business and valuable work and entrepreneurship experience.

Rather than putting all the focus on traditional college, an alternative route to post high-school education that often gets overlooked is trade school.  Learning a skilled trade can offer opportunities in becoming an electrician, carpenter, plumber, welder, aircraft mechanic, HVAC tech, dental hygienist among a variety of other well-paying and fulfilling careers.  Many of these paths often surpass the starting salaries of jobs taken by those graduating with four-year degrees.

For homeschool families, these skilled trades can be explored at a young age and the process can be incorporated into your daily schooling routine.  Perhaps a family member, friend or local businessperson in your community would be willing to teach the skill or offer an apprenticeship to a young man or woman interested in learning their trade.

At the end of the day, as parents, we need to realize that one size does not fit all when it comes to higher education.  Just because the masses go down one road does not mean we all need to follow.  Understand your child’s personality and value their interests.  Allow them to explore different paths.  You just never know, it could lead to an amazing career.

For a deep dive on this subject, Backstage Pass Members get access to our full interview with Josh Tolley, of Purple Monkey Garage, where he talks about the importance of entrepreneurship training in our homeschools. Click here for Josh’s full Interview.

The Business and Entrepreneurship section of the Schoolhouse Rocked blog is brought to you by

Photos by Ryan Jacobson and Pang Yuhao, Unsplash.com

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Our Unexpected Homeschool Journey

Unexpected homeschool journey

Unexpected homeschool journey

Over the years, I have seen a lot of people give reasons why they can’t homeschool their children.

I understand it, I really do. Before I started homeschooling my son, I was convinced that I would never be able to do it, either.

Two weeks before my son asked me to homeschool him, I was talking with a couple of ladies I’d recently met. When I found out that they homeschooled, my first reaction was something along the lines of, “I’m sure it’s great, but y’all are nuts.” (Yes, I live in the South!)

Our Unexpected Homeschool Journey

Fast forward a couple of weeks to my son’s first day at his new school. We had recently moved to a new state, and in the process, had vetted a number of schools in the area. We chose the one we felt would be a great match for him.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

It turned out that the educational laws in our new state were very different from those in the state we had moved from. (The first allowed progression by readiness, the second solely by age.) As a result, he was required to repeat almost two full years of school.

He left for his first day of first grade excited to learn; he came home crying and begging me to homeschool him.

I was caught off guard, to say the least. I thought it was probably just the first couple of weeks of school being review and getting a baseline for where all the students were at.

So, like any helpful classroom mom, I offered to tear out worksheets and put them in folders for the coming weeks. You know, to help the teacher out, so her focus could be on her students.

I took all the workbooks home and spent the morning organizing all the pages. I found out my son really had learned all the material two years before.

When I returned that afternoon, I asked the teacher if this was for the first quarter, first semester, or if she had a different schedule.

She proudly announced that the bundle I’d brought back was the work for the entire year and thanked me for getting it done so quickly.

She then took me aside and told me, in no uncertain terms, that my son was “an extreme problem child” and “severely ADHD,” and that he “will be medicated if he is to remain in my classroom.”

I was speechless.

On the way home from school, I told my son that I would be happy to homeschool him. I would need a few days to research the legalities and find materials, but I was willing to do it.

The following week, we started homeschooling. That was 14 years ago, and we have never looked back.

Is Homeschooling Worth It?

I can’t say that the past 14 years have been easy or smooth, but honestly, what parenting Unexpected homeschool journeyjourney is? As parents, we are raising our children to be able to take on challenges, learn from mistakes, and do whatever they can to make a difference.

Those are not things that come easily.

Homeschooling encompasses all of this. I like to describe it as “parenting with academics thrown in.” Again, this does not come easily.

It is, however, worth it in every way.

My son is now 20. He is a senior in college, preparing for his future and pursuing his goals. His path is not a traditional one, but it is one that fits him perfectly.

He has successes and failures, like anyone else, but he actively learns from them and seeks to use them to grow. He also mentors others to do the same.

In choosing things to pursue, the first question he asks is, “God, is this what you want me to do?” If the answer is a clear “yes” or “no,” that is the path he takes. He may not always be comfortable with it, but he is obedient to God’s call.

If the answer is unclear, his second question is, “Is it worth it? Will it make a difference?”

He chooses to spend his time doing what will bring the truth of Christ to the people he’s given to reach. That is something that is rarely easy, but it’s always worth it.

To me, this is worth every minute of lost sleep, every headache over which curriculum to choose.

It is worth the in-depth discussions that kept me researching and the silly times of just hanging out.

The Most Important Job

There is no more important job that I could have been doing over the past decade and a half. I wasn’t always sure of it at the time – we never are in the midst of the task – but looking back, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that homeschooling my son was well worth it.

Are you “in the midst” right now, wondering if you’re making a difference? Please, let me be the one to tell you that you are.

Everything you do, whether it seems large or small, is making an impact on your children’s lives. This is an impact that will go far beyond what you can now imagine.

You’ve got this, mama. You’re making a difference that will be felt for years to come. Be encouraged, be strengthened, and be present with your kids. It’s worth it.

Jennifer Duncan Helping Hand HomeschoolWritten by Jennifer Duncan from Helping Hand Homeschool