Everyday Educator

What makes you wonder? What leaves you speechless?  Has wonder ever moved you to change?  Join Lisa Bailey on this Advent podcast considering the Gift of Wonder; learn from the shepherds' response how to make room for wonder in your Christmas celebration this year!  (Perfect for a personal reflection or a family devotional!) Please participate in an Everyday Educators short survey by clicking on t...

Listen in on this second episode of our Advent series as Lisa Bailey and her husband David explore the gift of listening.  How did the gift of listening position Joseph for blessing? How can listening deepen your celebration of Christmas this year?  Whether you listen devotionally, or as a family activity, we hope this podcast blesses your family this season.

Merry Christmas!  All December the Everyday Educator podcasts will center on Advent, with devotional thoughts suitable for the whole family, and some ideas you can use for deeper reflections.   This month we'll focus on the gifts of attending, listening, wondering, and celebrating as embodied in the Christmas story; this week, we'll look at how Mary's gift of attending allowed her to hear God's he...

I know that we all are determined to be "the best teachers" for our kids, and we eagerly (at least usually!) join them in learning/re-learning literature, math, science, history…all the "main subjects" we've come to think of as vital.  But, what about the subjects many DON"T see as "vital"?  How are we to find the time or the talent for teaching the fine arts?! Is it possible that anything we've a...

Do you feel adequate for the task to teaching science to your kids?! If you are trying to prepare your child for a STEM career, you might already feel overwhelmed…but… is that what you should be doing?!    Our podcast guests Leslie Hubbard and Marc Hays offer some perspective and encouragement for parents in this episode; listen as they tell us how to get started and how to use the Five Common Top...

Are you worried about "studying history" with your students as they get older—especially if you don't know all the history details that they  know?!  The good news is, studying history doesn't have to be complicated!  Join Marc Hays, Karin Carpenter, and Lisa Bailey as they reveal how to use some simple questions to "connect the dots" of your history study, building a context for your knowledge th...

Have you noticed how argumentative your middle schooler can be? Wondering how to harness and channel this proclivity for good?  We suggest logic studies!  Join Lisa Bailey and Stephanie Meter as they advocate for studying logic with your middle schooler; as Stephanie says, teaching logic to your teens may just help them argue their way out of their own crazy ideas!  You'll also see how logic finds...

What IS the value of a "mental map of the world"?  Does "where" really  matter to our students?  Whether you're searching for the reason  to study geography or looking for new ways to learn cartography, you'll find fresh ideas on this Everyday Educator podcast.  Marc Hays, Stephanie Meter and Lisa Bailey look at how to layer the learning from Foundations through Challenge as they talk about geogra...

What if teaching math could bring your family closer ?  Would you like to know how to "play with numbers" instead of only "solving problems"? Listen in as Lisa Bailey, Marc Hays, and Leslie Hubbard talk about math explorations at home and in community. Discover ways to ask good questions that model good thinking for your students, and begin the journey toward loving math—really!

The art of writing well focuses on three questions; do you know what they are?  If you feel somewhat unequal to the task of teaching writing to your children, or if you just want some fresh ideas, tune into this week's Everyday Educator Podcast "More Than Pen and Paper."  Lisa Bailey and Stephanie Meter give pointers on how to harness the Five Common Topics to ask key questions that will lead you...

Whether you are a reader yourself or a parent eager to raise readers, you'll love listening in as three lifelong readers discuss why  children should read, what children should read, and how children should read.  Join Jennifer Courtney, Stephanie Meter, and Lisa Bailey as they explore how parents can raise readers by using good questions to initiate conversations about what we are reading at home...

Let's be honest:  even after we make the decision to homeschool we have questions!  "How do I know what to teach?"  "How important are grades and assessments?"  "What else  should I be teaching?" In this episode based on chapter 3 of The Question , host Lisa Bailey and guests Marc Hays and Leslie Hubbard share insights on these and other frequently asked questions.  Listen in as they ruminate on t...

What do "rest" and "wrestling" have in common?  How can one actually lead to the other?  Find out on the latest Everyday Educator Podcast as Lisa Bailey, Marc Hays, and Leslie Hubbard talk about integration, reconciliation, harmony, and enjoying the journey with your middle school children. You'll find encouragement and some good insight on asking the right questions as you learn alongside your ki...

Have you ever considered the purpose of education?  Are you still formulating your goals for educating your children at home?  Join Jennifer Courtney, Marc Hays, and Lisa Bailey as they think through the arts of the trivium and prepare to spend several weeks delving into the  Art of Dialectic.  This new series, based on the book The Question , will help you think through the philosophical and prac...

A tool that could produce better readers would be worth its weight in gold to many of us!  Happily, just such a tool is waiting for us all:  Active Reader Questions!  Whether you want to become a more discerning reader, raise a more intentional thinker, or enjoy deep conversations about what you read with your family, this tool is a wonder.  Join Lisa Bailey, Marc Hays and Stephanie Meter as they...

Are you still on the fence about writing in your books, even after Practicum?  Join Lisa Bailey, Marc Hays, and Stephanie Meter as they reveal how "marking the text" made reading Animal Farm  a different experience this time around.  You'll gain some practical tips on methods of marking, and  discover how marking your books leads to conversation:  with the book, with the author, with yourself, and...

How do you start a conversation about a book or story?  Wouldn't it be great if there was a tool that could ensure you remember all the important details, identify the key plot points, connect the aspects of the story, AND help you have a better conversation about what you've read?  Good news: a story sequence chart  can do just that!  Listen in as Marc Hays and Stephanie Meter help host Lisa Bail...

Edging closer to the start of the a new academic year are you filled with excitement, anticipation, or…nerves?!  Join veteran homeschoolers Lisa Bailey and Jennifer Courtney for a conversation about what they wished they had known at the outset of their journeys. They'll discuss the value of habits, relationships, and "pressing on", and offer a suggestion for where to seek security and rest when t...

Are you still wrestling with your decision about homeschooling for this fall?  Sometimes it can seem like you don't know what you don't know!  Join veteran homeschoolers Jennifer Courtney and Lisa Bailey as they share the questions they wish they had known to ask, and the answers they found along the way. Homeschooling, it turns out, is about much more than academics!!

Families looking for a buffet of resources to enliven their homeschool journey are loving two new e-zines from Classical Conversations!  The Sandbox  and Onward  have recently debuted to rave reviews, and a sneak peek inside these two resources reveals blessings for busy families practicing the arts of learning at home.   Listen in as Kelli Wilt gives us the scoop on what we'll find inside, how we...

How does a classical, Christian education lead to virtue?  Can you even TEACH virtue?!  As you ponder the home-centered education you are designing for your family, consider the place that Truth holds.  Join Lisa Bailey, Melisa Weaver, and Stephanie Meter for a thoughtful conversation about "soul cultivation", the "little t's and Big T", and how to embark on a homeschool journey  that is not  wand...

What are the benefits to children when parents  keep learning?  How can we hope to give our children a better education at home than the one we received?  Glean some keen insights and some reproducible ideas from Leigh Bortins, Jennifer Courtney, and Amy Jones as they think on these things in this episode of the "We Believe" series.

Have you ever wondered why "community" is emphasized by classical, Christian educators?  At CC, we believe we were created for community--to support one another, teach one another, encourage one another--to do life together!  Listen in as Michele Earles and Eva Zaldumbide share what learning in community has taught their families, and discover how "community" goes beyond in-person in the COVID-19...

How does what you believe  impact what you do ? At Classical Conversations, we understand that what we believe drives  what we do, educationally!  Join us for this first episode of a new series, "We Believe…So We…", and think with us about the purpose of education.    Listen in as homeschooling parents Kristi Dye and Tim Knotts share how their beliefs about the purposes of education directs both t...

Looking for some more "organic" ways to seize the teachable moments with your children?  In this second episode on "as-you-go-discipleship", guest Jill Philbrick shares some key principles and  some practical examples for parents seeking winsome ways to talk about spiritual matters with our kids.  Be sure you stick around for the blessing at the end!  And, don't miss the "As You Go-Discipleship fo...