The Wonder Years

In this conversation Patrick and Amanda sit down with recurring guest Adam Taylor to discuss the controversial issue of calling TCT a "classical" curriculum. When the title "classical" is claimed by such a diverse range of schools as the Lost Tools of Learning crowds, secular charter programs, and people like us who are seeking to transmit the poetic mode of learning, it can feel like it has nearl...

Wonder is often what first draws us to classical education. The ideas are fresh, the vision is beautiful, and reality seems alive with meaning. But what happens when that initial excitement begins to fade? In this video, Patrick Faus explores the relationship between poetic knowledge and wonder, drawing heavily from Dennis Quinn's Iris Exiled. He’ll examine why wonder is the beginning of education...

In this episode, we welcome Joshua Gibbs and Trae Bailey for a lively conversation on: The role of discernment in choosing what literature enters your home The danger of approaching time-tested books with a hermeneutic of suspicion What to do with good books written by morally flawed authors What it means to become a good reader How to cultivate a receptive, peace-filled relationship with the Grea...

In this episode, Patrick explores the metaphor of education as a feast, drawing on the rich tradition of classical education that sees learning as a nourishing meal for the mind and soul. What do we do when a child resists learning or lacks enthusiasm for what is good, true, and beautiful? Patrick reflects on how parents and teachers can continue to offer a rich educational “table” even when stude...

s a classical education in the poetic mode realistic for large families? How does being enrolled in a public charter school shape a homeschool that is seeking to follow The Children's Tradition? Welcome to our new series, A Look Inside Your Homeschool, where Amanda chats with real moms using The Children’s Tradition (TCT) — a classical Charlotte Mason curriculum rooted in the Thousand Good Books b...

In this video Patrick and Amanda discuss a few common misconceptions of poetic knowledge, like that it… Is the study of poetry Is only for pre-school children Only has to do with stories and the moral imagination Is romanticism repackaged We hope you find this video helpful! If you would like to see the show notes, you can find them under resources in The Toolshed. Join the conversation by being a...

On this episode we interview Alec Bianco, director of marketing for the Circe Institute. We talk about education as an invitation (but how that balances with the necessity of boundaries), the power of the moral imagination, and then, finally, we dive into the topic of the Socratic command to "Know Thyself" contrasted with the modern temptation to "Trust Thyself." You can find Alec on X: https://x....

What does a day in the life of a TCT homeschool really look like? Welcome to our new series, A Look Inside Your Homeschool, where Amanda talks with moms who use The Children’s Tradition curriculum. In this episode, Amanda sits down with McKenzie Westrom, a Texas mom of three with one Year 2 student. McKenzie has been using The Children’s Tradition since the beta year (2024) and truly embodies the...

On this episode we interview Annie Crawford. Annie is a cultural apologist, classical educator, and homeschool mom. She teaches online courses for The Symbolic World, as well as apologetics and humanities courses for high schoolers at Vine Classical Community of Austen. In this episode we talk about how symbolism and a sacramental view of the world takes us deeper into Reality, and in honor of the...

On this episode Patrick and Amanda Faus talk about tutorial programs and co-ops. They discuss how they started Kalos Classical, the why behind starting a program, and how The Children's Tradition can practically work in community. You can out more about Kalos Classical here: kalosclassical.com Join the conversation by being apart of the TCT Toolshed, a private social network for parents desiring t...

On this episode we interview Anthony Coafield, owner of Living Book Press. We talk about the origin of Living Book Press, how Anthony's experience with a brain injury showed him the power of stories, and the multifaceted gift of living books in education. You can find out more about Living Book Press here: livingbookpress.com Follow LBP on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingbookp... Join t...

On this episode we interview Autumn Kern, host of The Common House network for classical Charlotte Mason homeschoolers and The Commonplace podcast. We talk about the growing popularity of personal curriculums and the way modernity has left most of us with an intuitive sense that something was lacking in our own education. Autumn gives wonderful practical tips on how you can pursue varying degrees...

On this episode Amanda shares how she homeschools her six children and still has time to run a small business, clean, grocery shop, and nourish her intellectual life. For context, the Faus children's ages are 10 (Year 5), 8 (Year 3), 6 (Year 1), 4, 2, and 6 months. This is the general pattern of our life at this time, but do not mistake hearing about our routines for some idea of perfection. Our d...

On this episode Patrick and Amanda interview Benjamin Lyda. Benjamin is the author of Scriptorium Writing, a progymnasmata curriculum and consultant for his company Living Classical. In this conversation we talk about poetic knowledge as "knowledge of the heart", and how this conception of knowledge shapes how we approach writing in our homeschools. You can find out more about Benjamin's work at:...

On this episode Patrick and Amanda interview Joshua Gibbs. He is the director of The Classical Teaching Institute and author of multiple books including his most recent and the subject of this episode, Love What Lasts. With over 19 years teaching classical books in Christian schools, his work as a writer and lecturer are full of wit and insight, grounded in experience. We are eager to share his wi...

On this episode Patrick and Amanda interview Heidi White. An educator, a therapist, and a writer, Heidi recently released her first book, The Divided Soul! In this conversation we talk about the way duty and desire represent the internal conflict all people experience, the way stories embody this dichotomy, and the ways we pursue harmonizing duty and desire as a family. Join the conversation by be...

On this episode Patrick and Amanda interview Emily Finley. A mother of four, she also has a phD in politics, is a senior fellow of the Albertus Magnus Institute, and is the writer of The Christian Imagination on Substack. We talk about the romantic imagination of Rousseau and how that differs from the moral imagination we are aiming to cultivate in the classical tradition. We also discuss the comp...

On this episode Patrick and Amanda interview Adam Taylor, son to James Taylor, and an inspiring educator in his own right at St. Martin's Academy. We talk about Adam's experience growing up in a household with poetic knowledge in the air, and then we discuss a concept called "connaturality" that reminds us that whatever we surround our children with will become apart of their soul's interior lands...

On this episode Patrick and Amanda interview Dr. Zachary Porcu to discuss the differences between modern and ancient mans' conceptions of how we know what we know. You can find Dr. Zac on Substack: https://substack.com/@zacharyporcu?ut... The Roots of Everything Podcast: https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts... Join the conversation by being apart of the TCT Toolshed, a private social network for...

On this episode we talk about death, tragedies, and scares in the Good Books. From fairy tales and Shakespearean tales to Bible stories and the lives of saints, we discuss it all. Join the conversation by being apart of the TCT Toolshed, a private social network for parents desiring to cultivate educational atmospheres rich in poetic experience: https://the-toolshed.circle.so/ Web: https://www.the...

On this episode Patrick discusses how the moral imagination is formed. Join the conversation by being apart of the TCT Toolshed, a private social network for parents desiring to cultivate educational atmospheres rich in poetic experience: https://the-toolshed.circle.so/ Web: https://www.thechildrenstradition.com/ Substack: https://childrenstradition.substack.com/ Instagram: t / thechildrenstraditi...

On this episode Amanda expounds on why children need classical literature. #thousandgoodbooks #johnsenior #books #classicaleducation #classicbooks Join the conversation by being apart of the TCT Toolshed, a private social network for parents desiring to cultivate educational atmospheres rich in poetic experience: https://the-toolshed.circle.so/ Web: https://www.thechildrenstradition.com/ Substack:...

On this episode Patrick and Amanda invited Trae Bailey on to discuss the central role of fathers in their children's education and ideas for leading their family towards the true, the good, and the beautiful. Trae is content editor at Fraternus. You can find out more about Fraternus here: https://fraternus.org/ He also can be found on Substack: https://substack.com/@traebailey Join the conversatio...

Patrick and Amanda reflect on Charlie Kirk's legacy and the hope that it will inspire us all to live lives of courageous virtue. Join the conversation by being apart of the TCT Toolshed, a private social network for parents desiring to cultivate educational atmospheres rich in poetic experience: https://the-toolshed.circle.so/c/star... Web: https://www.thechildrenstradition.com/ Substack: https://...

In this podcast Patrick introduces three foundational principles for fathers who are new to the poetic mode and gives some ways to orient the culture of your family towards the Good. Join the conversation by being apart of the TCT Toolshed, a private social network for parents desiring to cultivate educational atmospheres rich in poetic experience: https://the-toolshed.circle.so/c/star... Web: htt...