Everyday Educator

In this last episode of our Summer Book Club on The Peacemaker, join Lisa Bailey, Leslie Hubbard, and Tim Knott as they ponder the ultimate goal of peacemaking: demonstrating the forgiveness of God and encouraging a reasonable solution to conflict. Discussion surrounds forgiveness, cooperative negotiation, and the divine weapons of peacemaking.

In this 4th installment of our Summer Book Club on The Peacemaker, join Lisa Bailey, Kelli Wilt, and Heatherly Sylvia as they discover practical ways to restore peace gently, using words wisely and well. Bonus: find some of our favorite tools of learning (spoiler alert: The Five Core Habits of Grammar) used to speak the truth in love.

In this installment of our EE Summer Book Club on The Peacemaker, join Leslie Hubbard, Stephanie Meter and host Lisa Bailey as they ponder the roles of confession and restoration in peacemaking. Listen for some common ways we are apt to sin when we're in conflict with one another and receive practical suggestions for confessing. You'll also be encouraged and equipped to become an instrument of peace in your communities by pursuing restoration instead of just confrontation.

In this second episode of the Summer Book Club series on The Peacemaker, Lisa Bailey, Kristi Dye, and Kelli Wilt share some transparent testimony about their own parts in conflicts within families and communities. Join these ladies as they discuss chapters 4 and 5, exploring how "getting the log out of our own eyes" first makes dealing with conflict a stewardship of God's peace.

Are you a peace faker? Peace breaker? Peacemaker? In a world full of turmoil and conflict on every hand, we are called by God to be peacemakers. How can we become people who view conflicts as opportunities, not accidents? The Peacemaker, by Ken Sande offers us some keen insights on these questions. This summer, join the EE Book Club as we read and discuss this book, wrestling with the big ideas and discussing how we can be stewards of peace. This week, Stephanie Meter and Heatherly Sylvia join Lisa as we kick off this new series.

What's the big deal about Practicum? Find out this week on the Everyday Educator Podcast as host Lisa Bailey and guest Jill Philbrick explore what Practicum is, who should come, what attendees should expect, and how to get the most out of Practicum. You'll be inspired, encouraged, and equipped—just by listening!

How can we celebrate fathers this season? By recognizing that dads are Lead Learners, too! If you are wondering how to make that true in your home, listen in as Tim Knotts gives some pointers and shares some wisdom from his own journey as a homeschool dad. You'll glean practical ideas on how to learn alongside your children at every age, and find encouragement for "team teaching" with your spouse!

What in the world is a "Scribbler"? And, why is Scribblers curriculum a very good place to start as you begin a homeschool journey? Listen in as Lisa Bailey and Amy Jones introduce this brand new resource; you'll be encouraged to think about what truly provides a firm foundation for your children's education: presence, play, and permission to grow and explore together!

Join Shelly Stockton and special guests Debra Switzer, Jenn Martin, and Barby Hobcroft for part five of the series Twenty-five Reasons to Homeschool Classically. Listen in on this final episode as these homeschool veterans discuss the hard work of homeschooling, subject integration, and falling in love with learning.

Families who are considering Challenge programs for the first time or for another year, I have a game-changer for you! On this episode of the Everyday Educator Podcast, veteran Challenge director Heatherly Sylvia offers us her "7 things parents need to know/do" to make the most of the challenge years. Guys, this is what you REALLY need to know! Listen and glean insight into what the Challenge program is designed to be: a blessing for students, families, and communities.

Families, are you up for a Challenge? Many parents and students wrestle with the idea of homeschooling through high school, wondering if they are up to it, wondering if it is a good fit for their family, wondering if the Challenge years really prepare students for the world to come. Join Lisa Bailey and Heatherly Sylvia for a rousing discussion of CC's Challenge program; these seasoned moms and Challenge tutors offer a view of Challenge that will truly expand your understanding!

What in the world is "Protocol"? Is it really worth all the time and money? In this episode of the Everyday Educator Podcast, guest Sonya Lindsey invites us to see Protocol as a way to love our neighbor well—whoever he might be, and wherever we might encounter him. Seeing Protocol events as more than good manners prepares families for the true benefit: being prepared to serve God, no matter where we are. Tune in for details on what, when and how; stay for so much more!

How does your family celebrate the Holy season of Easter? Are you looking for some fresh ways to approach the reality of Easter with your children? Listen in as host Lisa Bailey and her husband, David, talk about connecting with the heart of the Father as you and your family find ways to share the hope of Easter with your community.

Join Shelly Stockton and guests as they discuss 5 more benefits of classical education. Shelly interviews four International homeschooling moms and leaders from Brazil, Canada, United Kingdom and Chile as they reflect on the role of character, the power of questions, and the value of consistent relationships in home-education.

The Challenge program is designed to keep students stretching and growing as thinkers…but when springtime comes, finishing the semester strong seems like the greatest challenge of all! Join Lisa and guest Chelly Barnard for some practical tips and some gentle reminders of how to strengthen the skills of learning that will build not just a great transcript, but a model for living well.

Once your Foundations community stops meeting, is all the fun gone from family learning?? How can families keep the learning going after Foundations is finished for the year? Join Lisa Bailey as she picks the brain of Jennifer Courtney, discovering lots of practical ideas on what to do and how to do it as we continue learning as a family all spring long.

Join Shelly Stockton as she talks with International CC moms to reflect on the relationships between classical education and virtue, parents as educators, and foundational knowledge.

As we head into the final weeks of our CC year, our minds turn to celebrating the past year together. "What's the purpose of celebrating?", Courtney Bradshaw was asked. Join Lisa Bailey as she picks the brain of our Foundations/Essentials Academic Advisor, and discover not only why we celebrate, but what, who, how, and when to celebrate! Director, tutors, and parents: you will be inspired and refreshed!

What's so great about "outside"? Listen in as Lisa Bailey and Amy Jones answer that question, offering lots of practical suggestions for celebrating God's creation as we learn together. It's not complicated! Discover how to enjoy time outside with the whole family, no matter the season, no matter the weather, no matter the neighborhood. So. Many. Ideas!!

For many homeschooling families, testing is at best a "necessary evil"; but, what if we thought of it as a tool of diagnostic assessment, a means of determining how to proceed next? What if testing gave us more to talk about, presented us with encouragement to try things a different way, or provided us with insights about skills that need more practice? Join Alec Bianco and Kimberly Farley of Classic Learning Testing as they share the best reasons to test and acquaint us with some testing options that will resonate with classical, Christian homeschoolers. Special discount code for CLT tests offered!

If you have experienced the blessings of community, how do you then share those blessings with others? Listen in as Heather Mangum articulates what is lovely about CC community; then be inspired as she gives insights on how to become a CC ambassador, inviting others into community. Truth: We share what we love; think about what you love about CC, and commit to sharing it with someone else!

If you've been wondering how to survive the Science Fair, this episode of the Everyday Educator Podcast is for you! Join host Lisa Bailey and guest Veronica Boulden as they talk about how to thrive during this project, discovering how to choose a topic, work together successfully, and appreciate the skills that research and presentation grow.

Join Shelly Stockton and special mother/daughter guests Lisa Bailey and Stephanie Meter, Susannah and Emma Cox, and Shelly's daughter Kaitlyn Foster. Part 2 covers five more benefits of Classical, Christian education by discussing themes of freedom, the trivium, and life-long learning.

What's the big deal about National Memory Master? Why might someone want to participate? What will our family gain from participation? How do we even get started?? Answers to these and all your other questions are uncovered on this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast. Guests Olivia Walsh and Kelli Wilt give listeners all the intel on this "next level Memory Master" quest, and help families see this commemoration of Foundations as a commencing of the Challenge years.

If you are looking for ways to bring life to your family devotions, have we got a podcast for you! Join Lisa Bailey and guest Kelli Wilt as they talk about how to use the Five Core Habits to re-energize your devotion time while exploring God's word and building deeper relationships with your children. Kelli offers some great examples for us as we seek to Know God, and Lisa encourages families to take our devotion into the community, leading others to Make Him Known.

Here comes January; are you ready?? Homeschooling in the wintertime can be a challenge, especially after the busy fun of the holidays. What's a parent to do when no one seems motivated to "work the plan" anymore? Join Lisa Bailey as she offers a new idea from a surprising source!

Join Shelly Stockton and special guests, Chelly Barnard, Kathy Donegia, and Rebecca Seo in a new series Twenty-five Reasons to Homeschool Classically. Listen in on Part 1 as these homeschool veterans discuss general principles, best practices, and lessons learned during their homeschool journeys.

Why read aloud with your family, especially if your children are older? Listen in this week as Heatherly Sylvia shares three solid benefits of reading aloud as a family, and offers some tips for what makes a book or story a great read aloud choice. As an Advent choice, you can hardly miss with The Best Christmas Pageant Ever; if you've never read it, or if it's been a long time, you'll want to pick up a copy to share with your family this season. You'll be blessed as you listen to Heatherly's insights, and moved to experience the Christmas story like someone who is hearing it for the first time.

Sometimes, the best homeschool memories revolve around reading aloud as a family! Christmas is the perfect time to begin this habit, or continue it, at your house. Join host Lisa Bailey on this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast as she and Jennifer Courtney share stories of the blessings of reading aloud. Jennifer offers some of her family read aloud favorites, and reminds us to check out the stories in CC's very own Echoes books when looking for the next great family read.

Does you enjoy reading aloud as a family? Do you wish you did?? Well, Christmas time offers the perfect opportunity to try something new, and perhaps begin a new tradition. Today's Everyday Educator guests are the perfect advocates for reading aloud as a family, and they have some rich Christmas experiences to share with us all. Join host Lisa Bailey and guests Whit and Amy Jones as they explore ways to start reading stories as a family this Christmas.

For many families, Advent is full of traditions and memory-making opportunities; some of my favorite Christmas times involve reading aloud as a family. Reading aloud allows us to build family culture, to get to know the same characters, and to develop "inside jokes" and literary references that draw us together. Reading aloud is also just plain fun! This year's Everyday Educator Advent series introduces listeners to some new friends from all across the country; listen this week as the Knotts from Connecticut share what they love to read together, and why reading as a family is so powerful. Your family may find a new read aloud to share tonight!

Excellence in our homeschooling is a worthy goal, but is that different from "mastery"? Can mastery actually be a limiting goal?? On this episode of the Everyday Educator, Lisa Bailey talks to Marc Hays, veteran homeschool dad, about what we gain when we pursue mastery and what we might miss. Perhaps what we need is a different definition of "mastery"…

What will your children remember about homeschooling in twenty years? The math problem sets? The Latin translations? The timeline?! We think not. Join Amanda Butler as she shares with host Lisa Bailey what she has learned about the really memorable moments of the homeschool journey. Discover ways to seek a spirit of joy in your home, and uncover the beauty of your child's soul.

Do you sometimes feel that you have so much to cover as a home educator that you can't afford to repeat anything? Join Lisa Bailey and her guest, Lanelle Lowe, as they talk about this common myth and how a thorough understanding of the classical model can reveal the value of repetition. We believe you'll end up relishing the repeating for practical as well as relational reasons.

Have you ever bought into a myth because "everybody says so"? Lots of misguided folks believe that classical education is just for smart kids; or even that classical education makes kids smart. Join Lisa and her guest Chelly Barnard as they bust that myth wide open! Chelly will help you remember to consider both the purpose of education and the mission of CC; and you'll discover the tools that might make you "smart" but will lead you and yours to realize the potential the Lord intended you to fulfill all along.

In this new Everyday Educator podcast series, host Lisa Bailey and her guests will do their best to bust some of the most prevalent homeschooling myths—and answer the question "Why do we believe these myths, anyway?" In this episode, Jennifer Courtney helps to dispel the myth that homeschool success rests on finding the right curriculum—and sticking with it. Tune in as these veteran educators discuss what curriculum can and cannot do for you, and stick around to hear Jennifer's two "best myth buster weapons"!

Are you treating your homeschool journey like a sprint or a marathon? Many of us begin with the enthusiasm of sprinters, and discover that the sprint pace cannot be maintained for the life of our journey! Listen in this week as homeschool veteran Kelli Wilt shares her story and some true wisdom from down the road. You'll learn to pause, reflect, reassess, recalibrate—and rejoice!

Are you ready, willing, and able to become the Lead Learner in your home? Maybe you are ready, but you've bought into a lie that says you're not able. Maybe you're willing, but you don't know how to start. This week's episode of the Everyday Educator Podcast features Lanelle Lowe, sharing the truth that God is out to redeem what's been lost or broken in your educational experience! You'll find encouragement to learn alongside your child, and practical skills that will equip you to unlock the door to confident lead learning.

Is your homeschool for training minds or training hearts? Why would we start with the heart when beginning the homeschool journey? This week, listen as guest Amy Jones and host Lisa Bailey share the conviction that education is for training the mind and heart, in order to think higher thoughts. Glean some practical ideas for cultivating a sweet spirit in your home, and for discerning some spiritual goals for your family.

One of the more profound lessons "from down the road" may well be that there is more to homeschooling than academic pursuits. Join veteran homeschool moms Shelly Stockton and Lisa Bailey as they discuss building character, spiritual habits, relational maturity, and practical life skills while living and learning at home with their girls. Discover how a classical education lived out in community (both home and CC) provides the environment for learning the biggest lessons of life.

Have you ever wished you could ask an "expert" a question about homeschooling? Well, we don't know many who claim to be experts, but there are those who are farther along on the journey, veterans with wisdom to share. In this new series, host Lisa Bailey talks with some experienced parents who can offer ideas, tips, and encouragement. In this episode, Christy Bradley shares well-earned wisdom on keeping it simple as the way to peace and satisfaction with your homeschool journey. Listen as these friends talk about consistency, curriculum choices, Mission Statements, schedules, and priorities.

Heading into Challenge III or IV with lots of expectations, and maybe a few questions? Join Kathy Donegia and Lisa Bailey for this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, and re-think your assumptions while discovering the real pluses of classical Christian education lived out in community. Explore both the academic fruit as well as the unanticipated life lessons of shepherding your student through these last years of high school.

Challenge I and Challenge II: What are your expectations? Do you have assumptions about the studies, your students, and your role as the lead learner? On this week's episode of the Everyday Educator, Sonya Lindsey and Lisa Bailey explore both the practicalities and the ideals of these challenge levels. Listeners will gain both insights and ideas, and discover the real blessings of homeschooling teens.

Families preparing for the early Challenge years often ponder the transitions they know are ahead with concern: How will my student manage the increased workload? Will my student accept responsibility for his work? Can we manage the faster pace of assignments? Will we adjust to our new roles as we change and grow? Listen in as Angela Oxford offers insights on the early Challenge years, sharing what is special about each Challenge, and how parents and students find their new roles together as they live and learn as a family.

Heading into Essentials for the second or third time? You've got questions, we've got answers! Listen in as Sarah Pederson shares practical ideas for keeping it fresh from year to year, and for learning English grammar, writing, and math facts family-style. Essentials is meant to be repeated; join us for some encouragement on how to tackle it all again, with increasing ease and understanding.

Are you and your student preparing to join an Essentials community for the first time? Are you wondering what to expect, why it will take three years to learn everything, and where to get more help when you need it? Listen to this week's Everyday Educator Podcast as guest Randa Clay talks first time Essentials families through the beauties of this program. Be sure to listen for the "surprise lesson" Randa shares at the end!

Excited, eager, curious, hopeful…the countdown to Foundations Cycle 1 has begun! Whether you're brand new to Classical Conversations Foundations or a returning community member, guest Lindsey Winter will be a blessing to you. She'll share what to expect this year, how to extend your enjoyment at home, and ways to find wonder that will last!

Getting ready to jump into Foundations? If you're looking for answers, resources, encouragement, or new ideas, this episode of the Everyday Educator Podcast is for you. Guest Sarah Pederson offers insights on how to get started, what to expect, how to extend the learning at home, and which resources will bless your whole family.

As you prepare for the new academic year, questions about setting up a schoolroom, building a collection of resources, and finding that perfect schedule may be swirling in your mind. Listen in as veteran homeschoolers Jennifer Courtney and Lisa Bailey talk about what to gather, where to store it, and when to use it. You'll gather ideas for cultivating good family habits and maintaining the consistency that will make learning together a blessing.

As you prepare for a new homeschool year, what questions are you asking yourself? On this week's episode of the Everyday Educator Podcast you'll find some answers—and some advice on which questions you might really need to answer! Listen in as Kelli Wilt and Lisa Bailey offer suggestions on how to make sure you get your mind right, not just your school supplies!