Everyday Educator

Are you accidentally teaching your children that performance matters more than their hearts? In this eye-opening episode, host Lisa Bailey sits down with homeschool veteran Alicia Clark to explore a counter-cultural truth: the families who put relationships before academics often end up excelling at both. With 11 years of Classical Conversations experience and three children ranging from 9 to 15,...

"Am I really ready for this?" If you've ever wrestled with doubts about starting your homeschool journey, you're definitely not alone. In this encouraging episode of Everyday Educator, host Kelly Wilt sits down with two seasoned homeschool moms, Lynne and Dede, who share their honest stories about taking the leap into homeschooling—even when they didn't feel completely prepared. From overcoming fe...

What if the biggest challenge to homeschooling a child with special needs isn't the child—but getting yourself out of the way? Join host Lisa Bailey as she sits down with two homeschooling moms, Ginny Tran and Jody Priest, who share their real-world experiences raising children with Down syndrome, Tourette's, and OCD. From discovering diagnoses to navigating daily learning challenges, these mother...

What if the secret to making math enjoyable for your kids was already sitting in your game closet? Join Delise Germond and Babs Harrell, two self-proclaimed "non-math moms" who discovered their love for numbers later in life, as they share creative ways to weave mathematical thinking into your family's summer activities. From turning Uno into algebra practice to finding God's patterns in stop sign...

Did you know your kitchen is already a fully-equipped science lab? Join host Delise Germond and guest Amy Jones as they explore how to embrace scientific wonder during the summer months without the overwhelm. Amy, a seasoned homeschool mom of four, shares practical ways to integrate science exploration into daily rhythms—from breakfast table observations to backyard investigations. Discover why re...

What if summer reading could be the highlight of your child's day instead of a dreaded chore? Forget everything you think you know about summer reading! Lisa, Delise, and Kelly Wilt reveal the secret that transforms reluctant readers into eager learners: making reading active. Whether you have a natural bookworm or a kid who'd rather be anywhere but sitting still, discover practical strategies for...

What do charging elephants and frustrated homeschool parents have in common? More than you might think. In this engaging episode of Everyday Educator, Classical Conversations founder Leigh Bortins shares her recent adventure taking a photography course in Botswana with her husband. What started as a vacation quickly became a masterclass in learning dynamics when Leigh realized she naturally learns...

Can your kids spot a red herring in a political debate? In this engaging episode, hosts Lisa and Delise chat with Kathy Gibbens, creator of the "Filter It Through a Brain Cell" podcast, about teaching critical thinking to the next generation. Kathy shares how watching her daughter's Challenge A class master logical fallacies during the chaos of 2020 inspired her podcast—while their peers got caugh...

In this heartfelt episode of The Everyday Educator, host Kelli Wilt welcomes the 2025 National Memory Master Champion, Evangeline, and her parents, Jason and Trisha. Together, they reflect on the journey of preparing for and competing in the National Memory Master competition—from discovering Classical Conversations to walking across the stage in triumph. Hear how Evangeline mastered her memory wo...

What happens when the homeschool books close for summer? In this episode of Everyday Educator, discover how seasoned homeschool moms balance freedom and structure during the summer months. From beach trips and bedroom makeovers to spiritual growth and preparation for the next school year, our guests share candid stories and practical wisdom about creating meaningful summer rhythms that refresh bot...

What lasting legacy will your educational choices leave for generations to come? In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Lisa Bailey engages Delise and Olivia Walsh in a heartfelt conversation about building legacies through homeschooling. As second-generation homeschoolers now teaching their own children, they explore how educational choices shape family identity, discussing both t...

Ever wondered what's lost in Bible translations? In this enlightening episode, Delise interviews Kevin, founder of Biblingo, a language learning software for Biblical Greek and Hebrew. Kevin, a homeschooling father of four with a PhD from Hebrew University, explains how learning the original biblical languages provides a richer understanding of Scripture beyond what translations can offer. He shar...

Learning Latin is absolutely attainable—for everyone!   If you don't believe that statement yet, you certainly will after you listen to guest Alexis Carrico in this episode.   Alexis shares her story of learning Latin with her dyslexic son, and discovering the truth that everyone can learn what God has for them to learn with the right tools and attitude.   Full of practical wisdom and giving us th...

Consider your habits: are they good or bad? What good habits do you want to introduce to your children? What's the best way to grow good habits?  Listen this week as Lisa, Delise, and Amy Jones explore how good habits help us mine the richness of homeschooling. Explore the exciting new 2025 additions to the Classical Conversations Bookstore! From engaging philosophy studies with Reasoning Together...

Parents, what do you remember about Blue Book exams from your school days?   How will you approach them with your own students?   Listen in this week as Lisa and Emily Martin talk about the differences between tests and assessments; you'll get a whole new perspective on end-of-the-year Blue Books!   Our year-end assessments should be celebrations that point us back to our mission:   to know God an...

Feeling overwhelmed as your homeschool year winds down? You're not alone. Join host Lisa and veteran homeschooling mom Deb as they tackle the unique challenges of ending the academic year with purpose and celebration. These seasoned educators share heartfelt stories of triumph, tears, and transformation that occur in those crucial final weeks. Discover practical strategies for helping your childre...

"Learning is a lifestyle, not just something you do at the school table." Join hosts Lisa Bailey and Delise Germond as they unveil an exciting new format for the Everyday Educator podcast, bringing together perspectives from different stages of the homeschooling journey. From grocery store math lessons to impromptu research sessions with curious kids, discover how education happens naturally in ev...

Are you a curious person? Do you LIKE to learn new things? What are the habits of good learners? What does a lead learner do? If you need encouragement to become a lead learner in your homeschool, join Lisa as her guests Delise Germond and Kelli Wilt give some practical tips (and some true confessions!) for becoming a lead learner for life.     The Classical Learning Cohort offers online classes f...

Do you want to become a "keeper of the books"?   In week's episode guests Jennifer Courtney and Timothy Knotts talk about how to build a home library and pass along the love of reading in your family.   They also introduce us to some new and old Copper Lodge Library editions that really are books worth holding on to!

Celebration.   Skills practice.   Self-confidence.   Choices.   Accomplishment.   Joy.   FUN!   What are we talking about?   The Faces of History project in Essentials, of course.   By now most communities are in the thick of preparation for this "capstone" of the Essentials year.   If you'd like some guidance, some fresh ideas, or just a   little encouragement, listen in as Courtney Bradshaw, Sar...

Parents, would you like to be a better teacher for your children?  How about a better learner, for yourself?  The Classical Learning Cohort is on a mission to help us all become better learners as we discover how to ask better questions and as we understand how to love those in front of us more hospitably.  John and Rebecca Seo join Lisa in this episode, introducing us to the joys of the CLC and s...

This week, explore all things "Protocol"—who it's for, what to do, where to go, who can help. Academic Advisor Deborah Switzer lays it all out for Lisa and her listeners, while helping us understand the real point of all the pomp and circumstance.   Discover the joy of learning in arts-integrated classes that combine academic subjects with fine art. From cycle-specific history to biology to art hi...

What's a "capstone event"? What's a "Mock Trial"? Inquiring minds want to know, and answers are just a listen away. Join Lisa as Academic Advisor Emily Martin provides the "why" "what" and "how" of Challenge B's Mock Trial project.  Find out how to help your student embrace all this event has to offer, sharpen their thinking skills, and develop the confidence that doing hard things brings.   Paren...

Classical educators read A LOT!  Our students also read a lot and are introduced to a myriad of characters through the years.  As parents and students discuss these books and characters, we may find that we've learned more than we realized about human nature in general and ourselves in particular.  Listen to this episode with Stephanie Meter, Exposition Developer, as she shares how stories pass on...

How is a transcript like a movie trailer?  Which is made first, the trailer or the movie? Listen to the final episode in our series with Rachael Moriarty and discover how attending well to the education you live with your children will make creating a transcript easy and celebratory.     Tools for Transcripts Online Conference - www.classicaltools4change.com