Scholé Sisters: Camaraderie for Classical Homeschooling Mamas

In today’s episode, Mystie and Brandy use part of CS Lewis’ book The Four Loves to discuss friendship – how Lewis defines it, if we womenfolk are capable of it, and how it’s different from other things like companionship and affection. We wrap up by applying this to … yes! … book clubs. We think you’ll love this. *** This episode is sponsored by Scholé Sisters Spring Training Sessions! If you are listening to this episode right when it comes out, one of these sessions already took place on Monday evening. The good news is there is still time to sign up! Eric Hall is leading us in three amazing sessions total that will help YOU get started with classical Christian education by thinking deeply about philosophy. You can easily catch up by simply signing in and watching the replay. These sessions take place the first three Monday evenings of May 2019 (and, yes, replays will be available). The first session answers the question Why Education? – Why do our children need to be educated in the first place? The second answers the question Why Classical? What makes classical education distinct from modern education? And the third session answers the question Why Christian? This last session will help you think deeply about the integration of faith and learning. Click here to register … unless of course you are a Sistership Premier member. If that is the case, your registration is included in Premier and you should have already received an email that explains how to attend the session. For the rest of you, I repeat: go register for these fabulous Spring Training Sessions before we close the doors! *** Click here to get the show notes for today's episode. Click here to join the Sistership. Don't forget to find us on Facebook! Click here to follow us on Instagram!

Eric Hall is back on the show with us today. We had rave reviews when he appeared in Episode 29 called I’m Not the Holy Spirit. So many of you wanted to hear more from him, but let us introduce again in case you haven't yet heard that episode. Eric Hall is an adjunct professor of English at Bakersfield College where he teaches writing and literature. Eric has a B.A. in English from the Master's College followed by graduate studies in theology at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, and studies in rhetoric and philosophy at Clemson University. In keeping with his diverse interests in literature, theology, and philosophy, Eric aspires to integrate learning within the humanities to develop a deeper appreciation of how God may be encountered diversely in everything that is. In his spare time, Eric likes to rock climb and read St. Thomas Aquinas. Today’s conversation with Eric is perfect if you plan to attend his Spring Training Sessions, yes, but also perfect if you ever plan to read a book on educational philosophy. Brandy and Mystie talk with him about what philosophy really is and what are some best practices when it comes to studying it. You’ll love this discussion! *** This episode is sponsored by our very own Spring Training Sessions! Eric Hall will be leading us in these amazing three sessions that will help YOU get started with classical Christian education by thinking deeply about philosophy. These sessions take place the first three Monday evenings of May (yes replays will be available). The first session answers the question Why Education? Why do our children need to be educated in the first place? The second answers the question Why Classical? What really make classical education distinct from modern education? The third sessions answers the question Why Christian? This last session will help you think deeply about the integration of faith and learning. Registration is now open so click here to sign up unless of course you are a Sistership Premier member. In that case, your registration is included in Premier and you will receive an email that explains how to attend the sessions. For the rest of you, we repeat: click here to register for these amazing Spring Training Sessions. *** Click here to get the show notes for today's episode. Click here to join the Sistership. Click here to follow us on Instagram!

Our guest on the show is Amanda Gauthier-Parker. Amanda is as a Christian, a wife, a mother, and a homeschooler. Her journey from John Holt unschooling to Charlotte Mason and classical education has taken its twists and turns, while always chasing truth, goodness and beauty, and the path God has set before her. This spring she will graduate her first of five children, and will have 15 more years of homeschooling ahead in which to keep learning and growing. She posts on Instagram as @truthgoodnessandbeauty. Today’s conversation is a little different from what we normally do, but we think you’ll enjoy hearing about classical education as a philosophical and life journey. How did our guest Amanda Gauthier-Parker move from unschooling to classical and Charlotte Mason? Listen in to find out! *** This episode is sponsored by The Literary Life Conference. Cindy Rollins and Angelina Stanford are veteran homeschool moms and experienced teachers who share a passion for books and a life shaped by books. They also have a heart for homeschool moms! In response to hearing moms express disappointment that they can never travel to hear them speak, Cindy and Angelina decided to bring the conference to the moms! Join Angelina Stanford and Cindy Rollins for an Online Conference exploring the Literary Life. Watch the conference from the convenience of your own home! And sessions are recorded and available to everyone who registers, so you can watch anytime -- even during naptime!  At only $29, you will be encouraged and inspired to cultivate a literary life for yourself and your family. The conference includes a talk from Cindy and a talk from Angelina and caps off with a discussion, where both speakers will respond to each other's talks and develop ideas further. Essentially, you will get to listen in on the conversations that Cindy and Angelina have at conferences behind the scenes.  Angelina says, "I always thought that the best part of a conference was when we would build on each other's talks and make new connections, but no one ever got to hear those moments. We decided in this conference to share that conversation with you." Click here for more information and to register. *** Click here to get the show notes for today's episode. Don't forget to find us on Facebook! Click here to follow us on Instagram!

This episode is a fantastic conversation we had with Abby Wahl in which we jump off of Neil Postman’s thoughts on the need to not just take in information, but also take action, and apply this to the reading and thinking we do in our scholé time. Who's Abby? We're glad you asked! Abby Wahl is not only a friend of ours, she’s also one of the hosts on the Sistership. Abby is a country living farmer/rancher, a loving wife and mom of five who homeschools … and reads whenever she can! *** This episode is sponsored by the Sistership. The Sistership is now a hopping place - with an app! - for conversation and camaraderie and even book clubs, both online and local. Our goal with the new-and-improved Sistership is to foster community not only with likeminded women online but also with your local ladies who might not always be so likeminded. We're all better for iron-sharpening-iron, and classical homeschool moms need to seek out dialectic that builds virtue by pushing us toward clarity and commitment. Click here to learn more -- we have membership options from free to premier and we'd love to have you. *** Click here to get the show notes for today's episode. Don't forget to find us on Facebook! Click here to follow us on Instagram!

This is the first of two episodes in which the Sisters say things about Dorothy Sayers -- specifically, they say things about her famous essay, The Lost Tools of Learning. What sort of things, you ask? Today, we're talking good stuff: the good, the true, the beautiful. Join us! *** This episode is sponsored by the Sistership. Have you joined the Sistership yet? On our new-and-improved Sistership platform we not only have meaty and humorous conversation, we also provide a safe and private spot for local groups to coordinate and converse about their meetings. Mystie and Brandy tell you more about the Sistership at the end of this episode. For now, click here to find out more! *** Click here to get the show notes for today's episode. Click here to follow us on Instagram!

This episode, Brandy and Mystie discuss the Socratic Method. Is it really classical? Is it progressive? Does it have anything to do with Socrates? Has Socrates been kidnapped and, if so, it is right to hunt him down and steal him back?? *** This episode is sponsored by the Scholé Sisters newsletter! I know what you’re thinking: why in the world is our newsletter sponsoring our own podcast episode? Well, it’s because we want you on our newsletter email list! We’ve got some pretty exciting things coming up, and the newsletter is the surest way to find out all the details. So if you don’t get our monthly newsletter (which is pretty good in its own right), go sign up! Just go to scholesisters.com, scroll down to the bottom, and fill out the form. *** Click here to get the show notes for today's episode. (This is where you get the booklist download!) Don't forget to find us on Facebook! Click here to follow us on Instagram!

Mystie and Brandy are glad to have Karen Glass back on the show to help us kick off Season 8. Karen is the author of Consider This: Charlotte Mason and the Classical Tradition and Know and Tell: The Art of Narration and a member of the Advisory of AmblesideOnline. She has four children, mostly grown and married, who were homeschooled using Charlotte Mason’s methods from beginning to end. Karen has been studying and writing about Charlotte Mason and Classical Education for over twenty years For this episode, Brandy, Mystie, and Karen discussed division -- what it is, how people do or don’t cause it, and whether it’s always wrong. *** This episode is sponsored by the book In Memoriam: A Tribute to Charlotte Mason. After Charlotte Mason died in 1923, a memorial service resembling an educational conference was held in her honor. Those who had spent years observing her life and work warmly described her impact on their own lives and careers. These sentiments -- some philosophical, some personal -- were recorded in the book In Memoriam. In Memoriam is biography, memoir and philosophical commentary all in one, but more importantly, it’s great February reading -- you’ll find it full of small, inspiring bites that warm your insides and get you philosophically motivated. Grab your copy on Amazon today! *** Click here to get the show notes for today's episode. (This is where you get the booklist download!) Don't forget to find us on Facebook! Click here to follow us on Instagram! And did you know we have a monthly newsletter? Click here and scroll to the bottom to sign up!

Today’s episode features a discussion of Charles Dickens’ famous story A Christmas Carol, which is Brandy's FAVORITE Christmas story. Naturally, Mystie and Pam tried to ruin it for her, but she was undaunted, and thinks you will be, too. *** This episode is sponsored by Mystie’s Brain Dump Guide. Do you have a lot to do and too much to keep track of? Of course you do! Mystie’s all new Brain Dump Guide will help you take the cluttered jumble inside your head and straighten it out so you can step out of your scattered, overwhelmed mode and go into strategic creative mode. Download the guide and get started today. Declutter your head with a brain dump. It’s cheap, fast therapy we can all use. *** Click here to get the show notes for today's episode. (This is where you get the booklist download!) Don't forget to find us on Facebook! Click here to follow us on Instagram! And did you know we have a monthly newsletter? Click here and scroll to the bottom to sign up!

If you have ever smelled smoke at your house and wondered if you were starting to burn out at this homeschooling thing, this episode is for you. Brandy was tempted to burnout early this year and so she and Mystie chatted about homeschooling, minimalism, and why sometimes adding something is a better approach that cutting back even more. *** This episode is sponsored by Start Here, the definitive starting place for studying Charlotte Mason. When Charlotte Mason was trying to distill her educational philosophy into its simplest form, she ended up with 20 core principles. These are the 20 most important aspects of her philosophy. Using the book For the Children’s Sake, Miss Mason’s volumes, articles from Miss Mason’s magazine The Parents’ Review, the best blog posts on these subjects, and discussion questions meant to help you dig deeply, Start Here is a comprehensive study guide to the big ideas governing Charlotte Mason’s philosophy. It’s perfect for a Scholé Sisters group! Just head on over to the Afterthoughts shop and use the discount code sisters to get 15% off at checkout. *** Click here to get the show notes for today's episode. (This is where you get the booklist download!) Don't forget to find us on Facebook! Click here to follow us on Instagram! And did you know we have a monthly newsletter? Click here and scroll to the bottom to sign up!

Angelina Stanford, with over 20 years of experience in teaching English literature, passionately discusses the vital role of books in classical education. She challenges the allure of film as an educational tool, emphasizing that literature fosters critical thinking. The conversation dives into the depth of classical characters, the importance of engaging with primary texts, and how educational methods shape children's learning experiences. Stanford's insights encourage a literary-rich environment to cultivate a love for challenging texts among students.