Have you ever tried to sort out the tension between God's grace and our pursuit of virtue? Is virtue ultimately a free gift of grace? And, if so, how can we say it is the goal of Christian education?
If virtue IS our goal, how do we impart it? How do we test it? And is there a danger in homeschooling when it comes to virtue tests?
And what if we fail? What if everything we've done isn't enough?
Today on the show, Mystie and I are please to welcome Eric Hall. Eric is a classical scholar and teacher who is local to Brandy. That’s right! She gets to know him in real life! Eric has studied at The Master’s College, the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and Clemson University. When he's not reading Thomas Aquinas, Eric enjoys mountaineering and rock climbing.
Most importantly, Eric was kind enough to help us sort these tensions out.
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This episode is sponsored by The Simplified Email Course. Email is a modern day necessity, but it is so easy for it to get out of hand. Need to get your email inbox under control? Mystie's got you covered. From now through December 2017, you can get The 5-Day Simplified Email Course (usually an exclusive for Work the Plan Premium members) for free!
This course provides real-life, practical, down-to-earth help for stressed out and worn out women ready to get organized and take control of their responsibilities. Moms can’t leave the email hacks and management advice to productivity gurus. Even we need to manage our email inboxes. This 5-day email-delivered course will take you from inbox insanity to inbox incredible, step by step. Click here to join for free through December 2017. (After that, it will return to being a component of Work the Plan Premium.)
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The third and final episode in our series on education as an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life, today's discussion is all about LIFE. What is meant by "education is a life?" How do we procure this life for ourselves and our children? We manage to dip into Vittorino da Feltre, Plato, Quintillian, Cicero and MORE -- don't miss it!
BONUS: Scroll down to the bottom of the show notes to get a downloadable Life Audit to help you put these ideas into action in your homeschool.
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This episode is sponsored by A Month of Morning Time. Morning Time is a wonderful addition to your homeschool, but sometimes planning it takes way more time and energy than you have to spare. You get overwhelmed trying to choose the best books to read. You have no idea which poems and artwork are the "good ones." Truth, Goodness, and Beauty are wonderful ideals but the people in your house need clean laundry and three meals a day. Ready-made Morning Time plans can help reduce your decision fatigue, spend less time planning, and still add delight to your homeschool day. Click here to download a free sample.
"Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life." Today, in the second of our three-part series, we're discussing education as a discipline. What do we mean by discipline? How do we use it as a tool of education? The Scholé Sisters get real about this topic.
BONUS: Scroll down to the bottom of the show notes to get a downloadable Atmosphere Audit to help you put these ideas into action in your homeschool.
Don't forget to find us on Facebook!
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This episode is sponsored by Start Here. When Charlotte Mason was trying to distill her educational philosophy into its simplest form, she ended up with 20 core principles, the distinctives of her philosophy. Offering a variety of reading assignments on these subjects, and discussion questions meant to help you dig deeply, Start Here is a comprehensive guide to the big ideas governing Charlotte Mason’s philosophy. Just head on over to the Afterthoughts Shop and use the discount code sisters to get 15% off at checkout.
Today, we kick off a series of three episodes that were recorded live online with some of our Forum members. This series is organized around Charlotte Mason’s motto that education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life. Today’s episode is all about atmosphere.
BONUS: Scroll down to the bottom of the show notes to get a downloadable Atmosphere Audit to help you put these ideas into action in your homeschool.
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Today's episode was recorded when we had the joy of all being together in the same room (along with our friend, Dawn Garrett) for the Scholé Sisters Leadership Retreat in Portland. We had so much fun! We hope you enjoy this episde, even though there are a couple places where the sound is sub-par. (What can we say? We were all sharing one mic!)
Today's topic is pre-reading. We talked about why to do it, how to let your personal goals lead the process, when to do it, and more!
Want the show notes? Go here: http://www.scholesisters.com/ss25/
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Want to join the forum? Go here: http://www.scholesisters.com/join
This summer, we shared an article from The Atlantic on memorization, and WOW did the discussion explode on Facebook! We couldn’t help chatting about it ourselves, and that conversation eventually became this podcast episode.
We don’t pretend to have the last word on memory work, but we do think this is a great beginning place to start thinking about this issue.
Want the show notes? Go here: http://www.scholesisters.com/ss24/
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Today, Mystie, Pam, and Brandy are chatting about summer. Instead of letting summer slowly slip through our fingers, we can leverage summer and set ourselves up for greater success in our upcoming homeschool years. And you don’t have to do it alone! You'll want to listen all the way to the end because Scholé Sisters is announcing something super special for summer ... we're hoping it'll encourage you to find (and bond with) your sisters!
Want the show notes? Find them here: scholesisters.com/sp-1
Our summer book club studying Anne White's book Minds More Awake on the Scholé Sisters Forum has just begun! If you aren't a member already, go to http://www.scholesisters.com/join/ to sign up. There is also a login on that page if you're a member who needs to drop in and say hello.
And don't forget to grab your spot for the big event: scholesisters.com/lead
This is the end of Season 3, but we hope to "see" you in July! And of course we plan to be back for Season 4 in the fall.
In her book Mere Motherhood, Cindy Rollins made the passing comment that she was not as big of a fan of homeschooling high school boys as she had been in the past. This turned into a rumor: Cindy Rollins doesn't think boys should be homeschooled in high school. Um. NOT TRUE. Today, Mystie and Brandy chat with Cindy about homeschooling high school boys (as well as using AmblesideOnline for high school), the pros, the cons, and how to know if it's time to let it go.
Want the show notes? Find them here: scholesisters.com/ss23
If you haven't heard, there will be a summer book club studying Anne White's Book Minds More Awake on the Scholé Sisters Forum. If you aren't a member already, go to http://www.scholesisters.com/join/ to sign up. There is also a login on that page if you're a member who needs to drop in and say hello.
For today's episode, Pam, Mystie, and Brandy had quite the discussion surrounding the idea of interest and being interested – what does it mean, are we born interested, how do we lose interest over time, how do we gain it, what do we do when our children aren’t interested? We talked about a lot!
Want the show notes? Find them here: scholesisters.com/ss21
If you haven't heard, there will be a summer book club studying Anne White's Book Minds More Awake on the Scholé Sisters Forum. If you aren't a member already, go to http://www.scholesisters.com/join/ to sign up. There is also a login on that page if you're a member who needs to drop in and say hello.
In today’s episode, Mystie and Brandy discuss amusement and entertainment. Does our commitment to scholé mean that there’s no room in life for things that are completely frivolous and entertaining? Believe it or not, Aristotle had something to say on this subject!
Want the show notes? Find them here: scholesisters.com/ss21
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We are thrilled to have our friend Karen Glass on the show today. Karen is the author of Consider This: Charlotte Mason and the Classical Tradition, and also the brain behind Mind to Mind, an abridgment of Charlotte Mason’s sixth volume. Karen Glass is part of the Advisory of AmblesideOnline. She has four children, ages 12 to 26, who have been homeschooled using Charlotte Mason’s methods from beginning to end. She has been studying and writing about Charlotte Mason and Classical Education for over twenty years.
In today’s episode, Karen, Mystie, and Brandy discuss the difference between methods and systems as well as the relationship between principles and practices.
Want the show notes? Find them here: scholesisters.com/ss20
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Our guest on today’s show is none other than Dr. Christopher Perrin from Classical Academic Press! Dr. Perrin is an author, consultant and speaker, who specializes in classical education. He is committed to the national renewal of the liberal arts tradition. Dr. Perrin serves as a consultant to charter, public, private, and Christian schools across the country and he has published numerous articles and lectures that are widely used throughout the United States and the English-speaking world.
In today’s episode, Mystie and Brandy ask Dr. Perrin to help us balance a tension that we all feel in our homeschools. If we expect scholé to be restful -- even effortless -- how do we develop virtues like diligence and perseverance? If you want to go deep with the concept of scholé, this conversation is for you!
Want the show notes? Find them here: scholesisters.com/ss19
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In today’s episode, Brandy, Mystie, and Pam have a conversation that gives you the low-down on narration. It’s not so much about the how as it is about the why.
With that said, we ask for your patience with the sound. We had some trouble with Mystie’s microphone, and we couldn’t get rid of all the static in the editing process. We hope the fun and good ideas in this episode will help you forgive us for the momentary decline in quality!
Want the show notes? Find them here: scholesisters.com/ss18
Come find us on Facebook! We'd love to have you join the conversation there.
We're back!!!! That's right! Today we're kicking off Season 3. Make sure you go to the show notes at scholesisters.com/ss17 and download the 1-page reference on MBTI cognitive functions -- because cognitive functions are exactly what we’re talking about today. Print it out and use it to follow along as we go.
What if knowing your child’s cognitive functions could help you foster an atmosphere that allows your child exactly what he needs in order for what he’s learning to connect up in his brain? That’s the theory that we’re batting around today, and we think you’ll find it helpful.
Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter at scholesisters.com !
In spite of empty platitudes and trite sayings, we get -- philosophically speaking -- to the bottom of Christmas, after all. How does all the work of making Christmas happen correspond to our search of scholé? Can we simplify Christmas? Should we? And what has that to do with our faith? We talk about all this and more in today's episode.
This is the LAST EPISODE of Season 2! We thank you and send our Merry Christmases your way. We'll be back in 2017, but until then, subscribe to our newsletter or join our forum at scholesisters.com!
Today’s show is all about thankfulness and Brandy is extremely thankful for Mystie. You see, we had recorded a different episode, but the recording had technical difficulties, and we weren’t able to use it. Mystie was willing to do a special recording, and we are all THANKFUL for her and that she was willing to do this so last minute!
In this episode, Mystie and Brandy first discuss the philosophy of thankfulness and the connections between gratitude and scholé. After that, they talk about all the long list of people and curricula and organizations that make us happily and gratefully classical.
Don't forget to join our FORUM. Did you know? In the Forum there are episode bonuses (we call it the Cutting Room Floor -- it's stuff we cut out) and also back issues of our newsletter. Plus a community of awesome moms just like YOU. Go to http://www.scholesisters.com/join to become a part of it all.
Brandy's guest today is the one and only Wes Callihan and she is thrilled! If you can believe it, she got through the entire interview without acting like a total fan girl. Wes and Brandy discuss why some children (the hypothetical Boy A and Girl B) are resistant to pagan literature and what to do about it. Two types of resistant prove we need two types of responses! We also get to find out what Wes is reading in his free time, and what advice he’d give to parents whose children are signing up for online classes.
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On today’s show, Pam and Brandy discuss learning styles and the fact that there is no scientific evidence whatsoever to back them up. (Obviously, Pam is trying to get us into trouble.) But REALLY, it was a great discussion, even if somewhat controversial. Also, if you’ve ever wondered how learning styles intersect -- or not -- with the classical tradition, we manage to Go There.
In our Nitty Gritty Question, we also confess our regrets and do over desires in regard to early childhood education in our homes.
Don’t forget about the Scholé Sisters Forum. There are some virtual Scholé Sisters groups forming now, so you don’t want to miss it. Just go to scholesisters.com/join to get more details on that.
Our guest today is Kathy Wickward, former homeschool mom (she's graduated, folks!), one of the founders of CM West, and one of the masterminds behind AmblesideOnline's living science curriculum. On today’s show, Kathy and Brandy discuss leading our children through encounters with viewpoints with which we don’t agree. Is there ever an age not to do this? And how DO we do this? Kathy shares with us her theory of six degrees of separation from a subject, and more!
Don't forget to join our forum over at scholesisters.com/join -- we've got virtual Scholé Sisters groups and book groups starting up now!
On today’s show, Mystie and Brandy discuss the ancient Latin motto multum non multa – meaning, much not many. Applied to education, and somehow misapplied to education, we chat about who used the motto in reference to education, what they meant, and what this has to do with Charlotte Mason and The Latin-Centered Curriculum. We also bring up one of the great unmentionables: the dangers of taking a minimalistic approach to life and homeschooling.
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Today’s show is our version of the which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg dilemma. In this case, though, it’s which comes first – the principles or the practices. And how do we practice when we know that we don’t know all we NEED to know? We go around and around in circles, drawing on folks like James K.A. Smith, Cindy Rollins, Karen, Glass, and MORE. In the end, we made our peace with the issue, and we hope you can, too.
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Welcome back! We are so excited to have you with us today for our first episode of Season 2! In this episode, Mystie and Brandy explore the relationship between personality types and scholé. Mystie draws a distinction Brandy had never thought about before -- that some types of scholé are restorative, while others bring about more of a stretching and growing -- and different types serve these purposes for different personality types. The bottom line is that if you are in need of some restoration, knowing your personality type and what restores it can be super helpful.
Don't forget to subscribe to our monthly newsletter over at scholesisters.com!
In today’s episode, Mystie and Brandy use Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics to discuss the connection between habits and virtue, and then proceed to convince ourselves to work on shoring up good habits over the summer to pave the way for a better school year. We also discuss a question on assessment sent to us by Amanda Venema – and a big shout out to Amanda for being the first to leave us a recorded message! So…habits, virtue, summer, assessment – what’s not to like? This is a fun way to wrap up Season 1 of the podcast.
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In today’s episode, Brandy discusses virtual Scholé Sisters groups and technology tools with Amber Vanderpol. What happens when you live in an isolated place? Are you doomed to loneliness? Or are virtual groups a possibility? And, if so, how are they best organized? What technology exists to support them? And how hard is it to learn to use these unfamiliar tools? We talk about all this and more on today’s episode.
Also: we've got a major announcement coming up in the next Scholé Sisters newsletter so if you haven't already subscribed, head on over to scholesisters.com to sign up!
In today’s episode, Pam and Brandy have a great conversation with Ravi Jain, co-author of The Liberal Arts Tradition, on the subject of balancing work with wonder. How do both of those fit together? What happens when our students seem to have lost the wonder? What if we seem to have lost the wonder? Ravi had some great thoughts on this.
We also discussed piety in our Nitty Gritty Homeschool question – in The Liberal Arts Tradition, we’re told that piety is the foundation of learning. What are some practical ways to nurture and build it? We discuss all these questions and more in today’s episode!
Check out our website scholesisters.com for tons of great articles on a variety of topics -- self-education, commonplacing, classical homeschooling, and more!