Today is the second in the series - Meet the Moms! Our special Mom we are speaking to today, is the Foundation's and Essentials Director for my local Classical Conversations® Community. While she doesn't yet have any children in Challenge, she does work together closely with the Challenge Directors and has been around Classical Conversations for several years. I believe she brings yet another perspective to the discussion regarding the gap in understanding for families in Foundations level, that are looking towards Challenge in the coming years. So let's meet Dawn Hogan...
Tell us about yourself, your
background and your family?
I’ve been married for fourteen years to my husband David and we have three wonderful little guys, Luke (11), Drew
(9) and Dane (6). I’m one of the few
true Southerners around- I’ve lived in the Raleigh area my entire life. I attended a private Christian school in the
area and after my freshmen year of college, I took a year off to attend a
little known Bible College near the Lake District in Carnforth, England. Eventually, I found my way
to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where I majored in Mathematical
Sciences/Computer Science. I spent my
time before boy-rearing as a server engineer and security systems programmer
for AT&T Business Services.
Tell us a little bit about
how you got involved with Classical Conversations® with your children to start
with and your journey so far.
My oldest son Luke was about
to go into kindergarten and I had just taken a pension package from my company
because working part-time was becoming very difficult with three small
children. I wanted my children to go to
a private Christian school, but it wasn’t in the budget. When Luke would come home from preschool, I
would spend time teaching him to read. I started to sense that homeschooling
might be an option but never thought my husband would agree. To my surprise on our way home from church
one day, my husband said “Why don’t you homeschool Luke next year?”. I almost fell out of the car with shock. My husband had always defended his public
school education. I share all of that to
say, that God can change your husband’s or wife’s heart if He is leading you to
homeschool. That was the first of many
impossible hurtles our God overcame in our homeschooling journey for us. We spent a great year at our church’s co-op
and enjoyed the fellowship, but I was invited to check out Classical Conversations® by my friend and
neighbor. We did and I was so thrilled
to find something that could guide us through the ins and outs of homeschooling
through high school, if that’s what God had in mind. I really didn’t know much about the Classical
method, but watching 4 year olds play periodical chart bingo and realizing the
accountability CC provided, I felt it would be a great fit for us. I knew I would never get around to having my
kids memorize all of those facts if left up to my own devices, and while my
primary reason for homeschooling was to raise my kids to know a God of grace
and love, I wanted to make sure that I was preparing them academically for God
to use their intellect as well. I spent
one year watching our tutor handle a busy class of little ones and decided I
wanted to tutor the next year to get to know some of the other women in the
group and feel more connected. I ended
up tutoring for 3 years before becoming director.
What is your biggest
challenge being a Foundations Director?
The biggest challenge is to
lay every decision before the Lord in prayer before responding or agreeing to
something. Sometimes God wants us to
wait patiently for an answer or for Him to work out the impossible, but I find
myself trusting in my own abilities too often. I have to do what He has called
me to do to build our community and let Him have the glory.
What made you step up in
your Community to become a Director?
I felt so honored to have
the opportunity to love on other homeschooling mamas and share Jesus’love with
the children He brought to our community. I was thrilled to be able to serve
them and for God to use me in whatever way He wanted.
If you could wave a magic
wand and change anything in your Community, what would it be and why?
I wish I could stop
everyone’s busy schedule for a time so that every mom could have a chance to
get to know all the other moms in our community. The best part of my job is being able to
connect with the moms and learn from those who are further down the homeschooling
journey than myself but I also feel privileged when I can share encouragement
with those who are just starting out. I think God wants to do so
much through our community and the unity He builds through His body, but we
miss out when we don’t try to connect to those around us and be His hands and
feet. Our community is my outreach at
this point in my life and I pray that God guides my conversations and social
time to be used for His glory.
What are the key things you
think prevent parents from feeling like they can become a Tutor or a Director
for their Community?
I think the biggest thing is
fear of failure or the pursuit of perfectionism. God doesn’t pick the most organized,
creative, articulate or intelligent person to use all the time (I’m proof of
that!). He picks those with a willing heart- who leap at the chance to be used
by God. I’m convinced that the
opportunity to mentor other families through the Foundations and Challenge
years is an opportunity to influence them for Christ. I know that when God does call me back to the
work force, I may never have the opportunity to sit with kids who might not know
Christ and explain how God is integral to this beautiful world and how much He
wants them to make their lives His workmanship.
What is one of the biggest
misconceptions that you previously, or others you’ve talked to, have about the
Challenge levels?
I think we are fearful of
what we don’t understand. I’ve been
excited to be able to explore more of the Challenge programs through Window
into Challenge and by talking to moms who are going before me. The more I hear, the more excited I am to
continue on the journey. I’m excited to
be working with our Challenge directors for next year on some “Lunch and Learn”
opportunities during our Classical Conversations® days, to allow moms to view the next level of
Challenge and see the rich and rewarding path laid out before them and their
children.
What do you think accounts
for the drop off with families, beyond Challenge B level and how would you
encourage them to stay in Classical Conversations® and why?
Again, I think exposure is
the key. Parents are understandably
unsure of a program that they don’t see in action or don’t know enough of to
see the value that Classical Conversations® offers. From what
I’ve seen of Challenge in comparison to what I know of public and private
school offerings, I don’t know of a better way to educated your children in the
integration of subjects, develop critical thinking and prepare them for college
in a more rigorous and cost-effective manner.
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by! :)
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