SHANAN CLASSICAL TUTORIALS

BIOS FOR TUTORS

2011-2012

ELECTIVES:

Speech and Debate tutor, Mrs. Robin Hancock
          Robin has been involved with speech and debate since 1998. She has specifically taught the debate and speech classes at Shanan Classical, and has coached speech and debate for several years. This includes many years of 4-H speeches with her children as well as a speech and debate club, and has worked in leadership positions for a speech and debate league. She brings to the class a strong desire to see young Christian students be able to think and speak clearly in order to prepare them for what God may call them to do.

           Robin is married and has eight children, two of which are still at home, and one grandson.

Apologetics tutor, Mr. Jordan Roose

          Jordan received a B. A. in Religious Studies from Southern Evangelical Bible College where he has had the privilege of studying Apologetics and Philosophy under Dr. Norman Geisler.  He is continuing his education in seminary, working towards an M. A. with a double major in Philosophy and Apologetics and a concentration in Biblical Languages. 

          Jordan is a strong believer in both homeschooling and classical education.  He believes this powerful combination has the greatest potential to produce great hearts and great minds for the kingdom of God. He has studied World Views, Church History, and Logic at the college level and thoroughly enjoys them all.  He sees the tremendous value and relevance of these important subjects and desires to share it with others, inspiring them to learn and use that knowledge to further the kingdom of God. 

          He is married and has one son.

Introduction to Philosophy and Logic 1 tutor, Mr. Jeff Harris

          Jeff received a BA in Philosophy from Wright State University.  He has pursued graduate studies at WSU, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Southern Evangelical Seminary where he will complete an MA in Apologetics in 2010.  Jeff hopes to begin a PhD at SES in 2010.

           Jeff passionately enjoys learning and teaching.  He has helped homeschool two nieces and a nephew.  He has taught for several homeschool groups including the Homeschool Hutt in Mint Hill where he taught Bible Survey, Apologetics, and Reading Comprehension during 2009-2010.  Jeff taught math classes at both Dayton Christian High School and Wilberforce University.  Over the past twenty years, he has served in about a half-dozen churches as youth minister.

Logic 2 tutor, Matthew Schmidt, details to follow

HUMANITIES:

Classical World Views: Ancient World and Modern Age tutor, Mrs. Robin Hancock

          Robin has homeschooled for over 20 years and has directed Shanan Classical Co-op and Tutorials since 1995.   She has used Cornerstone Curriculum’s World Views of the Western World for several years and has recently added Omnibus from Veritas Press to the World Views program.  She has taught a wide variety of courses through a co-op and at the high school level, including World Views, history, literature, speech, debate, biology and college prep.  She has a B.S. degree from Purdue University.

          She enjoys stimulating conversation about history and ideas that have shaped our modern world.  Her goal is to produce thinking students who can give a defense of their faith because they understand from where and when the various modern ideas have originated in history.

Classical World Views: Church History and Revolutions tutor, Mr. Jeff Harris

          See description under Introduction to Philosophy above.

SCIENCE:

Physical Science tutor, Mrs. Michelle Smith

          Michelle’s educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Math from Wingate University, an Associate’s in electronic engineering technology from Stanley Community College and an Educational Certification from Queen’s College.  She brings to the Tutorials 3 years teaching experience in Union Co. public schools and has tutored math since 2003, including homeschooled students. 

           She is married and has one son.

Biology tutor, Mrs. Mechell Turner

Mechell received both her Bachelor of Arts, and a Master of Education in English/Psychology from Campbell University. She has a teaching certificate for English Language Arts and has taught various subjects in the public school system.  In addition to this, she has an LPN degree.  Her interests in the health field include natural medicine and working at the HELP Crisis Pregnancy Center in Monroe.

           She has been married for 30 years and is the mother of five.

Chemistry tutor, Miss Greer Nabb

          Greer, a recent graduate of Queens University of Charlotte, was homeschooled throughout her education, a gift for which she is very thankful. She took both Chemistry and Advanced Chemistry in high school and took Chemistry again in college. She also tutored and taught a home school high school Chemistry class between graduating high school and attending college. Greer is passionate about helping students see God's handiwork and character in Creation as they learn to appreciate the order and beauty of science.
 

Honors Physics tutor, Mr. Jeff Harris

          See description under Introduction to Philosophy above.

 MATHEMATICS:

Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and Honors Algebra 2 tutor, Mrs. Michelle Smith

          See description under Physical Science above

Geometry and Honors Geometry tutor, Mrs. Gwen Firebaugh

          Gwen has a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Richmond and has taught high school math to homeschoolers for over ten years.  She has privately tutored private, public, and home schooled students. Her four children were all home schooled, and all went on to further their studies at college.  She has taught Sunday School/Bible Studies all her adult life to children and adults, and believes that teaching is her calling and passion--whether in Biblical or "secular" studies.

           The greatest argument for learning math at the high school level is not just to understand the formulas, rules, properties, but Gwen believes that math is an excellent tool for developing logical thinking skills.  Gwen's goal for her students is not only to master the subject, but also to appreciate the order of numbers and their applications which points to the order which God put into all He created.

Honors Precalculus and Honors Calculus tutor, Mr. Jeff Harris

          See description under Classical World Views above

ENGLISH:

Honors Grammar and Composition, American Literature and British Literature tutor, Mr. Jack Gale

          Jack grew up in Charlotte, N.C., and attended public schools there, graduating from Myers Park High School in 1962.  He enrolled at Clemson College and then transferred to UNC-Charlotte in his sophomore year, majored in English, and went on to The University of Tennessee for graduate school.

           Mr. Gale “fell into” teaching in the fall of 1968 at Parkwood High School in Union County.  He apparently enjoyed the experience enough that he continued at Parkwood, teaching English, including all levels of English courses, until his retirement in 1998.  In the fall of 1998, he joined Shanan Classical and began working with homeschoolers and has been doing so ever since.

Literary Analysis tutor, Mrs. Amy Stogner

            Amy Stogner is a veteran homeschooler who has taught her own and other children for over 17 years.  Her educational background includes an associate’s degree in paralegal technology as well as a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from UNCC.  She has taught various levels at Shanan Classical Co-op since 1995 and is currently the co-director.  Courses she has taught include writing, history and science.

           She has been married 29 years and has 5 children and 2 grandchildren.

Honors Literary Analysis tutor, Mr. Jeff Harris

          See description under Introduction to Philosophy

LANGUAGES:

Spanish 1 and 2 tutor, Mrs. Gloria Yanes

          Gloria Yanes is a native-speaker of Spanish who hales originally from Mexico.  She has resided in the United States for more than 25 years, 22 of them in California.  Last year she completed studies in Spanish to be a Certified Minister with Global University (Escuela de la Biblia Berea) in Springfield, MO. Since 2007 she and her husband have been in North Carolina planting a new church in the Hispanic community, in addition to teaching the children, young adults and women in churches for more than 20 years. 

          She has been working with Liberty Tax Service for the last two tax seasons and has supported her husband for the past 11 years with a church plant.  Prior to this she worked in accounting for about 10 years.  She is married and has two children, one which is in college and the other one a senior in High School.

French 1 and 2 tutor, Miss Amandine Farrugia

          Amandine came to America in January 2010 after achieving a degree in French Modern Literature at the University before going to private school to study Mass Communication.  She is from Marseille in the South of France. Recently she graduated from Winthrop University in December with a Bachelor degree in Integrated Marketing and Communication.  Her plans include graduate school at Winthrop to pursue an MBA. Beyond that she would like to work for an international corporation with the opportunity to travel all around the world.

          Currently she tutors French at Winthrop University and French for people in Rock Hill who wish to learn the language. She also works for Azerbaijan International Magazine, an independent magazine published since 1993 and committed to the discussion of issues related to Azerbaijanis around the world. Her work there involves translating articles in French.  She is also involved on the Winthrop campus as Public Relations Coordinator of the Multicultural Student Council.

WORKSHOPS:

Study Skills tutor, Mrs. Robin Hancock; see description under Classical World Views

SAT Prep tutor, Mr. Jeff Harris; see description under Introduction to Philosophy