The Well-Trained Mind podcast

Jean Lee, a passionate secular homeschooler, shares her unique journey and perspectives on homeschooling. She discusses the differences between faith-based and secular education, shedding light on common misconceptions. Jean explores various secular curricula and reflects on the reactions from faith-based homeschoolers—both positive and negative. With humor, she recounts her funniest homeschool fails, navigating the challenges that families face today. This engaging conversation emphasizes the significance of inclusivity and community in the homeschooling landscape.

Interview with WaPo Journalist Peter Jamison: NPR Fresh Air: Homeschooling is surging, but lax regulation can leave kids vulnerable to abuse, January 18th, 2024The Report Susanna Mentioned: Report on Mathew Tirado Learn about becoming a Guardian Ad Litem or Child Appointed Special Advocate in Your State Tell us about your funniest homeschool fail! We may feature it in an upcoming episode! https://www.speakpipe.com/HomeschoolFails  (00:00) - Homeschool fails (00:42) - Intro with Terrence Massey (01:31) - What is Guardian ad Litem? (02:26) - Homeschool and child welfare (06:50) - Homeschooling, abuse, neglect, and the media (13:08) - Discipline and abuse (16:20) - Preserving families (18:49) - Break (19:56) - Educational neglect (33:24) - Common sense regulations on homeschooling (40:13) - We want the kids to be alright (44:44) - Outro

Join Susan Wise Bauer, an expert on learning misconceptions, and Susanna Jarrett, a dynamic speaker on brain function myths, as they tackle pervasive educational fallacies. They debunk the left-brain vs. right-brain myth, arguing for a more nuanced view of learning. The duo critiques the validity of learning styles and IQ tests, emphasizing that no single approach fits all learners. With wit and insight, they encourage a multimodal teaching strategy to embrace diverse talents and re-evaluate outdated educational beliefs.

Gretchen Ronnevik, an experienced educator in classical writing and formal rhetoric, shares fascinating insights on teaching controversial topics. She emphasizes the importance of representing opposing views accurately to foster constructive dialogue. The discussion navigates the complexities of neutral political education, the necessity of exploring diverse economic theories, and challenges in teaching sensitive science topics like evolution. Ronnevik advocates for creating safe spaces for open dialogue, encouraging students to engage with differing perspectives while forming their own beliefs.

Here is a link to the standarized test that Susan recommended for students coming into classical education or homeschooling “late”: California Achievement Test (CAT) (00:00) - Intro (00:55) - Reaction to WTM not being "classical enough"? (06:21) - How to teach several ages at once? (14:48) - Logistics of simultaneous at-home and in-school education (21:02) - How to keep the energy up after graduating kids? (28:16) - Confronting the decline of vocabulary (32:40) - How to transition from Kindergarten to 1st grade? (41:09) - How do handwriting and typing compare as learning tools? (45:24) - When should a "gifted" child start focusing more on special interests? (58:47) - Starting WTM "late"? (01:04:22) - Adding AP classes to rhetoric? (01:08:59) - Clarification from the burnout conversation (01:11:27) - Wrapping up

Courtney Ostaff discusses science curricula for homeschooling, exploring Elemental Science, Real Science Odyssey, Nancy Larson Science, Blossom and Root, and more. The conversation covers the goals of science education, engaging young children with fun approaches, and the differences between Christian, secular, and neutral curricula. The review includes a discussion on balancing curriculum aesthetics and pedagogy quality, challenges with usability and printing costs, and the benefits of online education through the Well-Trained Mind Academy.

What About Socialization? Via Well-Trained MindVIDEO: Should I Join a Homeschool Co-Op? Recommended Book: The Artist's Way by Julia CameronSusan's Book: Rethinking School  (00:00) - Intro (01:44) - How to prepare for the Outside Gaze (03:27) - Peer pressure when homeschooling (13:06) - What is your "Why"? (22:57) - Homeschooling groups and co-ops (33:10) - What about socialization? (48:09) - Stay true to yourself (49:35) - Outro

Check out Kate Snow's Website: https://kateshomeschoolmath.com/!You can purchase Kate's curricula, Math with Confidence and Facts that Stick on our website, welltrainedmind.com.  (00:00) - Check out 4th Grade Math with Confidence! (00:25) - Intro with Kate Snow (02:28) - Kate's background (06:30) - The problems with math curriculum (12:23) - Ripping apart Saxon (15:34) - Conceptual math vs procedural (20:06) - Break (20:55) - Math You See & manipulatives (30:44) - Math with Confidence (34:30) - Recommendations for teaching varying levels of math interest (44:44) - Outro | Visit kateshomeschoolmath.com

Summary: In this episode, Susan Wise Bauer and Susanna Jarrett discuss how a classical education prepares students for university education and what adjustments may need to be made to ensure your student is a competitive applicant.Show Notes: Recommendations for transcript creators A Sample High School TranscriptAssigning High School Credit Hours by Susan Wise BauerTests We Discuss: SAT website ACT website CLT exam AP examsCLEP examsTimestamps:(00:00) - Intro (01:31) - Starting off with a piece of advice (04:39) - Preparing for college at the rhetoric stage (10:57) - Seven tips (and a bonus!) for making the transition to college (11:28) - Tip #1: Identify a range of potential colleges (12:49) - Tip #2: Get credits on a transcript (29:18) - Tip #3: Practice receiving instruction from multiple sources (33:53) - Tip #4: Decide whether to take standardized tests (40:48) - Tip #5: Look into achievement based testing (46:54) - Tip #6: Get used to using a checklist and planner (50:37) - Tip #7: Start collecting letters of recommendation (52:53) - BONUS!: How to align classical courses to a high school transcript (58:33) - Outro

ANNOUNCEMENT: We will record a Q&A episode at the end of this season. If you have questions for Susan or Susanna, send them to podcast@welltrainedmind.com. (00:00) - Intro (01:25) - Defining "burnout" (06:02) - Burnout is normal (15:19) - When to ask for help (18:43) - Susan's story of burnout (21:34) - Break (22:19) - Dealing with burnout (31:50) - What to do next (48:34) - Outro