Everyday Educator Podcast Por Classical Conversations Inc. arte de portada

Everyday Educator

Everyday Educator

De: Classical Conversations Inc.
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Classical Conversations supports homeschooling parents by cultivating the love of learning through a Christian worldview in fellowship with other families. We believe there are three keys to a great education: classical, Christian, and Community. Crianza y Familias Relaciones
Episodios
  • How to Finish Strong When You Want to Quit Homeschooling

    How to Finish Strong When You Want to Quit Homeschooling
    Mar 31 2026

    Does homeschooling have you ready to quit? You're not alone — and you're not failing. In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Lisa Bailey and 7-year Classical Conversations mom DeDe Adetutu get real about the winter doldrums, talk about why finishing strong actually matters, and share the practical strategies — and a little Yoruba wisdom — that have helped their families push through to the finish line. This one is equal parts encouragement and action plan. Lisa Bailey opens by naming what so many homeschool moms feel but rarely say out loud: February is hard. The holidays are over, the calendar looks long, and even families who genuinely love what they do can hit a wall. Her friend's confession — "I just want to quit" — wasn't a crisis. It was completely normal.
    DeDe Adetutu jumps in with a key insight: the winter doldrums aren't random. They're the predictable aftermath of over-investing in holiday intentionality and under-investing in what comes next. We create the problem by making Christmas extraordinary and leaving January with nothing to look forward to. But she also offers a counter-perspective — maybe that emptiness isn't a problem to fix. Maybe it's rest. Winter isn't dead; it's dormant. And the ram, as DeDe's husband says, takes two steps back before charging forward.
    The conversation gets practical fast. DeDe shares what her family has developed over seven years of CC: annual photo reviews with the family after Christmas that double as goal-setting sessions, cross-country training that teaches kids what finishing strong feels like in their bodies, inside jokes that double as one-word pep talks, and short interval study sprints that make the final weeks manageable. Lisa adds her own toolkit — 30-minute focused work blocks, purposeful rest days that involve serving others, and the occasional backwards day to break the monotony for younger kids.
    What You'll Learn
    • Why the winter doldrums are actually something we create for ourselves — and what to do about it
    • Why finishing strong matters so much more than just getting to the end
    • How a senior cross-country runner's wisdom about the hardest part of the race applies to your homeschool right now
    • The Yoruba proverb DeDe's Nigerian husband shares with their family that reframes what rest is actually for
    • Practical strategies for beating mid-year burnout: interval study sessions, backwards day, British accent memory work, and more
    • Why it's okay to grieve unrealistic goals — and how to adjust them without quitting
    • What a German exchange student's dance move taught DeDe's family about finishing strong
    • Why seniors struggle to finish and what parents can do to help them stay present
    • How a plate of Belgian chocolate and a foundations geography lesson became one of the year's best memories
    • How Candyland might have been designed to teach kids how to handle disappointment

    This episode of Everyday Educator is sponsored by:
    Summit Ministries

    Do you want your child to have conversations that challenge, encouragement that endure,
    and friends and faith for life? Summit's Student Conferences equip young Christians with
    the hope, clarity, and confidence they need to follow Jesus boldly in today's world. It's not
    just about getting apologetics answers. Students learn how to live winsomely and bravely in today's world.
    Visit summit.org/cc before March 31, 2026, and lock in the early bird rate. Save an additional $250 when you use the code CC26. Want your child to have conversations that challenge, encouragement that endures, and friends and faith for life? Grab their spot now at summit.org/cc

    Classical Conversations' new 2026 Product Line

    This April, Classical Conversations is launching an exciting portfolio of new products
    designed to strengthen math fluency, develop critical reasoning skills, and equip families
    with practical tools for classical, Christian homeschooling. From flashcard resources and
    reasoning curriculum to hands-on manipulatives and a foundational parent resource, these
    releases deepen the classical learning journey for families at every level.
    Visit ClassicalConversations.com/WhatsNew/ to explore the entire April 2026 product
    collection and start strengthening your family's classical, Christian education today. Don't
    miss the special CC Bookstore sale from April 7 - 28!
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    50 m
  • Why a Human Voice Still Matters: Internet Grandpa on Reading Aloud

    Why a Human Voice Still Matters: Internet Grandpa on Reading Aloud
    Mar 24 2026
    You may already recognize his voice. For thousands of Classical Conversations families, Charles Hall — known simply as "Internet Grandpa" — has become one of the most beloved figures in the homeschool community, reading rich living books aloud on YouTube and blessing families he has never met. In this episode of the Everyday Educator, host Kelli Wiltsits down with Mr. Hall to talk about how it all started, what it means to hear a human voice read a story, and what happens when faithful work runs into unexpected obstacles. Charles Hall never set out to become Internet Grandpa. It started simply — reading picture books on YouTube so his grandchildren, scattered from Florida to Pittsburgh, could hear his voice. He made the videos unlisted at first, then figured there was no harm in making them public. What followed was something he never anticipated. CC families discovered his recordings, and comments began pouring in — parents of struggling readers, moms multitasking through housework, kids making the transition from Foundations into Challenge who needed a warm, steady voice to carry them through books like The Secret Garden and Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. His subscriber count passed the number of friends and family, and Internet Grandpa was born. Kelli opens the episode by sharing her own family's story — her daughter found Mr. Hall's recordings at exactly the right moment, helping her step into independence as a learner while her mom worked nearby. It's the kind of testimony that appears again and again in his comment section. The conversation turns to why the human voice matters so much. Mr. Hall connects it all the way back to the womb — children hear their parents' voices before they are born, and that bond between voice and love is something no machine can replicate. Jesus, he notes, did most of his ministry through storytelling. People haven't changed much in 2,000 years. He closes with a story about his son Christopher — a boy who hated reading, until his dad started leaving him at cliffhangers. One night his wife found Christopher in bed with a flashlight, finishing the chapter himself. That's what Internet Grandpa hopes for every child who hears his voice. What You'll Learn: - How a grandfather reading Narnia to his kids 40 years ago eventually became a YouTube ministry for thousands - Why stories told by a human voice still matter in an age of AI — and what children hear even before they are born - How Internet Grandpa's recordings have helped struggling readers, busy moms, and kids transitioning into CC Challenge - The cliffhanger trick he used to turn his reluctant reader son into a flashlight-under-the-covers reader - How to support, pray for, and stay connected with Internet Grandpa right now Resources: https://www.youtube.com/@InternetGrandpa This episode of Everyday Educator is sponsored by: Summit Ministries Do you want your child to have conversations that challenge, encouragement that endure, and friends and faith for life? Summit's Student Conferences equip young Christians with the hope, clarity, and confidence they need to follow Jesus boldly in today's world. It's not just about getting apologetics answers. Students learn how to live winsomely and bravely in today's world. Visit summit.org/cc before March 31, 2026, and lock in the early bird rate. Save an additional $250 when you use the code CC26. Want your child to have conversations that challenge, encouragement that endures, and friends and faith for life? Grab their spot now at summit.org/cc Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome and Introduction 01:06 — How Did Internet Grandpa Begin? The Origin Story 01:53 — Reading Narnia to His Kids — 40 Years Before YouTube 02:22 — Recording for Grandkids Far Away and Going Public 03:05 — How CC Families Discovered Him 03:29 — Kelly's Personal Story: How Her Daughter Was Blessed by His Recordings 04:20 — What Drew Him to CC Challenge Books 06:03 — Early Books: The Secret Garden, Carry On Mr. Bowditch, Number the Stars 06:43 — When He Realized He Had Become Internet Famous 07:12 — The Comments That Have Encouraged Him Most 08:01 — Why Reading Aloud Still Matters: Stories, Hearts, and the Art of Attending 08:20 — Why Jesus Told Stories — and Why People Haven't Changed 09:52 — Why a Human Voice Is Different from AI 10:32 — What Children Hear Before They Are Born 11:41 — How He Hopes These Recordings Support Parents at Home 12:24 — Adventures in Odyssey, Car Trips, and Multitasking Moms 12:46 — What He Hopes Children Remember Years from Now 13:57 — The Demonetization Challenge: What Happened and What It Means 15:01 — The Difficult Decisions Demonetization Has Created 16:50 — Rumble and Patreon: Exploring New Platforms 19:09 — What the Ideal Platform Would Look Like 22:04 — How to Support Internet Grandpa Right Now 24:52 — What He Has Learned Through This Season of Difficulty 25:36 — Trusting God When the Path Is Unclear 27:...
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    33 m
  • The Habits Every Homeschool Family Needs with Leigh Bortins

    The Habits Every Homeschool Family Needs with Leigh Bortins
    Mar 17 2026
    What if the most important thing you teach your child has nothing to do with curriculum? In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Emma Bortins sits down with her mother-in-law and Classical Conversations founder Leigh Bortins to discuss the ideas behind her new book, The Habits: Practicing the Art of Grammar. Together they explore how naming, attending, memorizing, expressing, and storytelling build the foundational habits that help children — and homeschool families — truly flourish. If you're a homeschool mom looking for a classical Christian approach to raising lifelong learners, this conversation is for you. Leigh opens by sharing how it took her twelve years of homeschooling to truly understand what her husband had been telling her all along — that what children need most is consistency. It wasn't until she had a second set of young boys while her older sons were teenagers that the power of habits became undeniable. The routines she had built into Robert and John made it possible to keep the family functioning; without them, the whole thing would have fallen apart. From that personal foundation, the conversation moves into the heart of the book: a framework of five habits — naming, attending, memorizing, expressing, and storytelling — that Leigh calls the building blocks of a grammar education. These aren't abstract academic concepts. They're what every good mother already does instinctively: naming the dog, teaching a toddler not to touch the stove, helping a child memorize where mom will be in Walmart. The point is to recognize these habits, name them, and practice them with intention. The episode takes a fascinating turn when Emma asks about AI and technology. Leigh's position is clear: children under 12 don't need screens at all. Not because technology is inherently evil, but because children who never learn to entertain themselves, sit still, or be alone with their thoughts will struggle with self-control for the rest of their lives — with or without technology. The habits of self-governance have to come first. The episode closes with Leigh's single most important piece of advice for new homeschoolers: find a mentor. Not a curriculum. Not a method. A person who seems to be doing it well and is willing to let you watch. What You'll Learn - What the art of grammar actually means — and why it's about far more than memorization - The five core habits of the grammar stage: naming, attending, memorizing, expressing, and storytelling - Why Leigh says attending is the one habit she'd tell every family to start practicing today - How habits shape not just academic ability but character, self-control, and spiritual formation - Why parents need to self-assess their own habits before they can effectively pass them on - What Leigh thinks about AI and technology — and her recommendation for families with children under 12 - Why feeling inadequate to homeschool is universal — and why it's not actually the obstacle you think it is - How the habits formed in the grammar years show up years later in college anatomy and chemistry courses - Where to find Leigh online and which books to read alongside The Habits This episode of Everyday Educator is sponsored by: Summit Ministries Do you want your child to have conversations that challenge, encouragement that endure, and friends and faith for life? Summit's Student Conferences equip young Christians with the hope, clarity, and confidence they need to follow Jesus boldly in today's world. It's not just about getting apologetics answers. Students learn how to live winsomely and bravely in today's world. Visit summit.org/cc before March 31, 2026, and lock in the early bird rate. Save an additional $250 when you use the code CC26. Want your child to have conversations that challenge, encouragement that endures, and friends and faith for life? Grab their spot now at summit.org/cc Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome and Introduction 02:22 — Leigh's Reaction to Being Interviewed by Her Daughter-in-Law 03:10 — What Took So Long to Understand: The Role of Habits in Homeschooling 04:13 — How a Second Set of Young Boys Changed Everything 05:14 — What Her Husband Was Saying All Along — and When She Finally Heard It 06:40 — What Is the Art of Grammar? Beyond Memorization 07:33 — The Five Habits: Naming, Attending, Memorizing, Expressing, Storytelling 09:33 — Expressing and Storytelling in Everyday Family Life 10:19 — What Happens in Families Without Habits 12:04 — Emma's Daughter and the "Tell Stories, Dance" Moment 13:49 — It's Not Just What Students Know — It's How They Learn 15:45 — The One Habit That Distinguishes Flourishing Students: Self-Control 17:08 — Parents Must Self-Assess First: More Is Caught Than Taught 18:47 — Sitting on Daddy's Lap: Three Very Different Experiences 19:50 — Slowing Down in a World That Moves Too Fast 20:15 — AI, Technology, and Homeschooling with Humans 21:19 — Leigh's ...
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    43 m
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