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 rest and wonder are essential to learning, how to manage the "mess" of hands-on science, and get a tre...
Jun 24, 2025•58 min•Season 10Ep. 47
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 every type of learner. From blanket fort reading nooks to Mad Hatter tea parties, these aren't just...
Jun 17, 2025•51 min•Season 10Ep. 46
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 classically—even when her instructor doesn't teach that way. Through five days of "butting heads" w...
Jun 10, 2025•43 min•Season 10Ep. 45
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 caught in emotional roller coasters, these students remained remarkably calm and clear-headed because the...
Jun 03, 2025•47 min•Season 10Ep. 44
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 work (and the timeline—twice!), how her community supported her with creativity and prayer, and why he...
May 27, 2025•43 min•Season 10Ep. 43
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 both parents and children. Whether you're wondering if academics should continue or how to manage house...
May 20, 2025•56 min•Season 10Ep. 42
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 the tangible and intangible inheritances that connect generations. The conversation moves beyond acad...
May 13, 2025•44 min•Season 10Ep. 41
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 shares how Biblingo makes these languages accessible through immersive learning with visual content, and...
May 06, 2025•41 min•Season 10Ep. 40
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 the inside scoop on her Jam with Latin program, this podcast will encourage your family to learn Latin—and l...
Apr 29, 2025•47 min•Season 10Ep. 39
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 to timeless classics in the Copper Lodge Library and innovative math resources like the four new dom...
Apr 22, 2025•55 min•Season 10Ep. 38
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 and to make Him known! Parent Practicum events are hosted around the globe each year, inspiring and equipping ...
Apr 15, 2025•42 min•Season 10Ep. 37
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 children overcome end-of-year paralysis, manage multiple projects, and recognize their growth—both academic...
Apr 08, 2025•44 min•Season 10Ep. 36
"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 everyday moments. The hosts explain their expanded presence on YouTube and social media, inviting list...
Apr 01, 2025•24 min•Season 10Ep. 35
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 for parents to become more confident and competent Classical teachers. Through small-group lessons with t...
Mar 25, 2025•58 min•Season 10Ep. 34
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!
Mar 18, 2025•46 min•Season 10Ep. 33
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, Sarah Pederson, and Kelli Wilt give Lisa some tips and inspiration. Parent Practicum events are hosted around the globe each ...
Mar 11, 2025•44 min•Season 10Ep. 32
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 sharing how improving our skills will help us “flourish to the finish” of our journeys....
Mar 04, 2025•50 min•Season 10Ep. 31
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 history, our passionate teachers make learning creative, memorable, and fun! Registration is open now fo...
Feb 25, 2025•48 min•Season 10Ep. 30
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. Parent Practicum events are hosted around the globe each year, inspiring and equipping parents to become bet...
Feb 18, 2025•47 min•Season 10Ep. 29
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 insights that surface when we need it. Parent Practicum events are hosted around the globe each year, ...
Feb 11, 2025•56 min•Season 10Ep. 28
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
Feb 04, 2025•57 min•Season 10Ep. 27
Listen this week as Lisa and Rachael Moriarty continue their discussion on assessing. This episode explores the practicalities of assessment as well as the lifelong benefits. Join the conversation to learn how to discover how to make assessment the snapshot of your year, not the whole picture! Tools for Transcripts Online Conference- www.classicaltools4change.com
Jan 28, 2025•55 min•Season 10Ep. 26
What is assessment? When do we need to assess? What’s the connection between Sabbath and assessment? If these questions resonate with you, or if you just know you need to practice assessment within your homeschool even if you don’t want to, this episode is for you! Join Lisa as she gleans wisdom and new ideas from veteran homeschool mom and classical educator Rachael Moriarty. This is the first in a 3-part series!! Tools for Transcripts Online Conference- www.classicaltools4change.com...
Jan 21, 2025•45 min•Season 10Ep. 25
Join Lisa and guest Kelli Wilt for some easy ideas for practicing memory work, whether Memory Master is your family’s goal or not. Find out how much fun preparing as a family can be, and what lasting benefits are realized by students who sharpen their skills of memorization. Mark your calendar for the 2025 National Commencement, May 16-17, 2025, in sunny Southern Pines, North Carolina! This is a time for Classical Conversations families from around the nation to celebrate the hard work with fell...
Jan 14, 2025•45 min•Season 10Ep. 24
Burning questions need answers! Today on the episode Lisa answers some recent questions posed by listeners, from beginning this awesome/scary/new journey to keeping “finished early” teens plugged in. Mark your calendar for the 2025 National Commencement, May 16-17, 2025, in sunny Southern Pines, North Carolina! This is a time for Classical Conversations families from around the nation to celebrate the hard work with fellow families on the homeschooling journey. Register at https://classicalconve...
Jan 07, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 10Ep. 23
Please enjoy this special holiday re-run of one of our most downloaded episodes. 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) pr...
Dec 31, 2024•42 min•Season 10Ep. 22
Merry Christmas from the Everyday Educator Podcast family! We hope you will enjoy this collection of Christmas thoughts and read alouds, and hope you might share it with your family. May the power and beauty of Christmas be yours this season.
Dec 24, 2024•43 min•Season 10Ep. 21
If Christmas is feeling a little flat at your house, maybe you need to take another look at the “old familiar story”. Join guest pastor David Bailey as he shares ideas on reconnecting with the wonder of Christmas by thinking about the story in fresh ways. Classical Learning Cohorts help CC Directors, Tutors, and Parent-Teachers grow in confidence and competence with the classical tools of learning and as classical educators. Curious about our cohorts or ready to apply for a seat? Register at cla...
Dec 17, 2024•37 min•Season 10Ep. 20
The homeschooling journey may look different for every family; it may indeed be like a kaleidoscope, changing the view as you “change the filter”! Sometimes it helps to hear from others on the same path. This episode introduces you to Charity Brown and Delise Germond, two homeschool moms on different ends of the journey. Listen, and be encouraged. Life is busy! Download audio versions of the articles from the Catalog and listen while you’re in the car, working out, or forward an episode to a fri...
Dec 10, 2024•52 min•Season 10Ep. 19
Looking for a great family read aloud this Advent season? Or a family-friendly movie to take in? Listen in to this review of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever ! A favorite read for years, a new version of the movie is in theaters now. A few faithful fans (and CC moms!) have some heartfelt reasons to recommend it to your family! Kick off the Christmas season with a heartwarming story that captures the true joy and meaning of Christmas. Filled with laughter, unforgettable moments, and a message of l...
Dec 03, 2024•54 min•Season 10Ep. 18
