Episodes

  • Guest Tonya Rozelle, leader of The Hearth, on how community nurtures the homeschool mom

    Guest Tonya Rozelle, leader of The Hearth, on how community nurtures the homeschool mom
    Jun 24 2025
    In this episode, Renee and Karen interview Tonya Rozelle about the CiRCE community for moms called The Hearth. They discuss the life-giving benefits of reading books and discussing ideas around classical education in community and how exploring truth, goodness, and beauty together is nurturing for moms.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    29 mins
  • A chat with author Mandi Gerth about her new book on cultivating habits in the classical classroom and homeschool

    A chat with author Mandi Gerth about her new book on cultivating habits in the classical classroom and homeschool
    Jun 18 2025
    Mandi's book, Thoroughness and Charm: Cultivating the Habits of a Classical Classroom, offers readers beautifully written principles of classical education and practical ideas and tips for creating a culture that nurtures our children and embodies the tradition. Listen for inspiration to encourage you as you make plans for the fall and for ideas to incorporate into your morning time.

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    31 mins
  • Making the Most of Your Summer

    Making the Most of Your Summer
    May 20 2025
    The summer is nearly here and Renee and Karen offer suggestions for making the most of your summer schedule while leaving room to discard the schedule and go to the pool! These days and years are fleeting; read books in the hammock, eat the ice cream, learn a new skill, make lasting memories!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    26 mins
  • Ideas for End-of-Year Assessments

    Ideas for End-of-Year Assessments
    May 13 2025
    Join Renee and Karen as they talk about the importance of assessing not only the end of the academic year, as in the skills, ideas, and facts learned, but also the growth and maturity that has taken place in your children and in yourself. They also chat about how assessment is a tool for planning the next year, and that to not finish a curriculum is not a sign of failure, for we are not slaves to the curriculum.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    38 mins
  • The Conclusion of Norms and Nobility

    The Conclusion of Norms and Nobility
    Apr 22 2025
    Join Renee and Karen for Chapters 11 and 12 and the Epilogue of Norms and Nobility. They discuss Hicks' compelling answer to the question, "Why read the classics?", his statement that the heart of the curriculum is humane letters, and his last two beautiful paragraphs in which he describes true learning. We hope you were encouraged to read along with us, and if you haven't yet read Norms and Nobility, now is the time to get the new edition and dig in!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    31 mins
  • A chat with Heidi White about her new book!

    A chat with Heidi White about her new book!
    Apr 8 2025
    Join Renee and Karen as they talk to Heidi about her soon-to-be-published book called The Divided Soul: Duty and Desire in Literature and Life. She describes how she came to view every story as the expression of the conflict between duty and desire—the same conflict that each one of us fights too. We hope that you enjoy this fun conversation and will run to pre-order her book!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    41 mins
  • A Chat with Author Joyce McPherson

    A Chat with Author Joyce McPherson
    Apr 1 2025
    In this episode, Renee and Karen chat with Joyce McPherson, author of fiction and non-fiction for children ages 8-12, English teacher at Covenant College, and mother of nine children! We discuss the importance of developing the imagination and the genre of fantasy, her passion for making the stories of historical Christian figures accessible to children, and her love for George MacDonald and his stories. You will hear her advice for the homeschool mother who also has a passion for writing and how she found time to write while homeschooling.

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    36 mins
  • In Which Matthew Bianco tells us what he wishes he knew in his youth!

    In Which Matthew Bianco tells us what he wishes he knew in his youth!
    Mar 25 2025
    Dr. Matthew Bianco joins us for a discussion on the three faculties of the soul: the belly (the appetites), the chest (which desires honor and despises shame), and the mind (which desires wisdom and hates ignorance). We explore how being aware of these faculties can help us to train our children's affections and lead them toward virtue.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    38 mins