Archive for the ‘Podcasts’ Category

[Podcast #238] Thinking Differently About Learning with Maren and Angela

Brave Writer Podcast

Today on the Brave Writer podcast, we reunite with fellow podcasters and homeschool moms, Maren Goerss and Angela Sizer. We dive into their new book, Think Differently About Learning: A Homeschool Where Children and Parents Thrive.

It can be all too easy for homeschooling families to unintentionally replicate the negative aspects of traditional schooling that they were trying to avoid: Cookie cutter approaches, stress, burnout, etc. Think Differently About Learning gives a roadmap for a more joyful approach.

Angela Sizer and Maren Goerss
Angela Sizer and Maren Goerss

Weaved throughout our discussion are themes of:

  • empowerment,
  • pleasure,
  • and wellness.

What Maren and Angela have to say as former traditional teachers and experienced homeschoolers is refreshing, tangible, and inspiring. Enjoy!

Show Notes

Building an Appetite for Learning

The most important thing a homeschooling parent can do for their kids is inculcate an appetite for lifelong learning. Maren and Angela give tips on how to honor your child’s learning differences, build in time for rest, and recognize the value of small wins. For example, Angela’s dysgraphic son who used to just handwrite only one word a day is now a published author.

Relationship Over Rules

A relationship-based approach to education gives you a better perspective of what your kid needs. It also allows you to better teach your kid how to evaluate situations, create self-awareness, and make good decisions.

Empowerment, Pleasure, and Wellness

Sometimes we get so worried about our kids’ future success that we try to over-control and contain them. Maren’s and Angela’s advice: Do less. Empower your children, let them discover pleasure in life, teach them to prioritize well-being. This will lead them to a much more fulfilled life, not to mention traditional success in their careers.

Resources

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[Podcast #237] 2024-2025 Book Reveal Talk! with Dawn Smith

Thrilled to add Melissa Wiley to the podcast icon! Having Melissa co-host the show has been such a gift to me and all of you. Plus that cheery smile!

It’s almost time for our annual Book Reveal! Every year we curate a new list of books to be part of our Mechanics & Literature programs.

Dawn Smith spearheads this undertaking and she joins us today on the Brave Writer podcast to describe how she picks which books to be on the list.

Dawn Smith
Dawn Smith

The reason the book release is so highly anticipated is because Dawn chooses books that she knows are going to:

  • elicit kids’ buy-in,
  • lead to big, juicy family conversations,
  • and give kids tools to tell their own stories.

Dawn explains the journey she goes on to put together the Dart, Arrow, and Boomerang programs and how she is intentional about centering what is activating, engaging, and flexible. 

Plus, stay tuned until the end to learn how to sign up for the book list announcement webinars and the giveaways you may win!

Show Notes

Provoke Kids’ Buy-in

The key to learning is buy-in. Dawn chooses books that kids will genuinely enjoy and be interested in. She doesn’t start with a list of concepts that must be covered. Instead, she picks books that she thinks will interest students, then she makes sure that all the necessary concepts are covered across the entire book collection.

Lead to Big, Juicy Conversations

Dawn chooses books that lead to big, juicy family conversations. The conversations might:

  • be about what was in the author’s mind when they were writing the book,
  • cover what adverbs the kids like and don’t like,
  • or just generate more questions, sparking more wonder and curiosity. 

Provide Tools

Tools are more fun and engaging than rules. Teaching the mechanics of reading and writing from a place of rules creates stress and disconnection. Teaching them from a place of tools of expression creates wonder and empowerment. Dawn puts together the Dart, Arrow, and Boomerang programs so literature is a space for creation and experimentation.

The book lists will be announced on May 30 and May 31. Sign-up to join the announcement webinars and you just might win one of the giveaways! 

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA Media

Brave Writer Podcast

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[Podcast #236] Happy Book Birthday: Becoming a Critical Thinker by Julie Bogart!

Brave Writer Podcast

Hooray! Today’s the publication day of my (Julie’s) new workbook, Becoming a Critical Thinker.

If you’re a longtime listener of the Brave Writer podcast, you know that I’m pretty strict about workbooks. They should lead a child:

  • to mastery,
  • to embodiment,
  • to knowing the content for themselves. 

That’s the approach I took to creating this workbook. I’ve reduced each of the activities to one key point. I’ve written just enough text for students to get that idea and then to practice it in the activity.

Becoming a Critical Thinker

I designed this workbook to help students (ages 12-18) grow as critical thinkers by turning the focus to their own thoughts.

  • Why do they believe what they believe?
  • What flaws can they notice in their own thinking?
  • How do they reach conclusions?

I dive into all this in-depth in today’s episode. Thank you for joining me on this special day!

Show Notes

The Foundation: Understanding Critical Thinking

Part one is called The Foundation: Understanding Critical Thinking. It’s got activities like The Academic Selfie, Says Who, Fab Vocab, Quick Write, The Fact Strainer, Itch to Fit, Silent Films, Spot the Misinformation, Red Flags Waving, and more.

The Practice: Growing Your Thinking Skills

Part two is called The Practice: Growing Your Thinking Skills. The activities in this section include teaching students to notice:

  • the ways symbols influence how we think,
  • the importance of perspective,
  • the idea of tolerance,
  • and how people have different memories of the same events.

The Application: Learning the Art of Interpretation

Part three is called The Application: Learning the Art of Interpretation. This section of the book has activities to show students how our bodies trigger us when we’re reading information that we don’t want to be true or information we secretly hope is true. There are also activities around framing arguments, the courage to change your mind, and the future impact of AI on our beliefs.

This is just a brief overview. To learn more go to RaisingCriticalThinkers.com.

Thank you for joining me on this special day!

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA Media

Brave Writer Podcast

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[Podcast #235] Why Moms Make the Best Advocates with Shannon Watts

Brave Writer Podcast

Shannon Watts is the founder of Moms Demand Action, a six-million member organization she describes as “maybe the world’s largest real life field experiment for what happens when you show women how their abilities and their burning desires and their values align, and how they come alive and can achieve things they never imagined possible.”

We are thrilled to have her on the Brave Writer podcast today to talk about her upcoming book, Fight Like a Mother.

Shannon Watts
Shannon Watts
Chris Langford Photography

In this episode, we talk about:

  • how both misogyny and motherhood shape women’s journey to, and through, advocacy,
  • how to withstand blowback and the discomfort that comes with growth, including celebrating small wins and “finding your people,”
  • and how social media has allowed women to bypass traditional media gatekeepers.

Our conversation with Shannon about the intersection of motherhood, feminism, and activism is one that will keep us fueled for a long time. We hope you enjoy it.

Show Notes

Moms and Advocacy 

The fierce protective nature commonly found in moms can help them bust through the misogynistic baggage that’s been heaped upon them their whole lives. Whether it’s advocating for common sense gun laws or advocating for a child in the education system, the love a mother has for her child can bring out the best in her as an advocate and as a fully empowered adult.

Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable

Just like being pregnant or parenting teens, moms have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable when being activists. Bucking authority and facing backlash can make many stop their advocacy before it even really starts. In her book, Shannon acknowledges this and gives concrete ways women can overcome these obstacles and build stamina for the fight.

Media Gatekeepers

Despite creating one of the largest grassroots groups in American history, and being an expert on policy, Shannon still often gets shut out from major media appearances. When she is let in, she’s often relegated to the role of describing the emotional side of the issue. Shannon talks about how social media has been huge for her and other women to bypass traditional media gatekeepers to get their voices heard.

Our conversation with Shannon about the intersection of motherhood, feminism, and activism is one that will keep us fueled for a long time. 

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA Media

Brave Writer Podcast

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[Podcast #234] Unfrazzling the Frazzled Homeschooling Mom

Brave Writer Podcast

Today on the Brave Writer podcast we answer a listener’s letter. An excerpt::

My kids craft. All. The. Time. They wake and craft. Hot glue and paper scraps everywhere. Markers and lost lids everywhere. Cardboard everywhere. Currently they’re making some kind of escape room with string strung everywhere like a spider’s web. 

I let them be and I read aloud for an hour or so, so that our morning starts fun. But then I can’t stop them. And the energy it takes me to try and get them to clean up and then refocus on some math or whatever drains me before I can even begin. I do short (no busywork) lessons but even that they balk at because they just wanna do their own thing that they are on a roll with. And they are ALWAYS on a roll!!

The mess stresses me out…I wonder if you have any caring ideas for the frazzled mom. I wish I loved artsy chaos. I am not my best self in it. I’m exhausted with the struggle of trying to keep some order and also do the lessons we need to do.

We’ve all been there: trying to wrangle wild, messy children away from what they’re engrossed in and towards a small lesson or two that needs to be done. It can become a daily grind that frazzles and exhausts you, maybe even making you doubt yourself.

So today we open the podcast listener mailbag and respond to “Molly,” a mom who is looking for ideas to unfrazzle her life.

While it’s natural to feel frazzled sometimes, you shouldn’t have to live in a constant state of frazzlement. We hope our conversation today helps “Molly” and all the other homeschooling families out there.

Show Notes

Big Picture: Your Voice Matters

First, let’s talk big picture: Your needs as a mother matter. While you’re finding the balance between letting the children engage in curiosity-based learning and making sure they’re doing what they need to do in order to keep future doors open, don’t forget your own needs for a functional home and life. 

If your kids are at an appropriate age, you can disclose to them that you are feeling frazzled and why. You can engage them in planning how to make a change. Keep in mind, this is not the same thing as dumping or manipulating their emotions. 

Specifics: The Tactics

There are tactics you can try to manage physical space.

  • Designate certain areas for certain activities.
  • Use bins (lots of bins).
  • Break up cleaning up activities into two separate parts: Picking up and putting away.

There are also tactics for smoother transitions between activities. Give your kids a roadmap of the day so they know ahead of time that there will be transitions. Play music, light a candle, or create some other ritual that shows one time period has ended and a new one is beginning. Use natural transitions like mealtimes to help the process.

Communication is another important tactic. Recognize your children’s emotions, but stay matter-of-fact about the transition. Speaking firmly but with a smile goes a long way. Remember, you are showing your child how to make transitions and changes, a skill they will need for the rest of their lives.

Resources

  • Be like “Molly” and send us your questions! Text us at +1 (833) 947-3684 or email us at [email protected].
  • Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention!
  • Good news: There are enough weeks left to do a writing project with your kids that will leave you feeling confident and accomplished this school year. Sign up for a Brave Writer online writing class. Our classes start every Monday, and each one only lasts three to six weeks. Sign up today!
  • Pre-order a copy of Julie’s new workbook, Becoming a Critical Thinker. 
  • Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA Media

Brave Writer Podcast

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