[Podcast #311] An Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life

Brave Writer Podcast

Julie Bogart and Melissa Wiley reunite to reflect on one of Charlotte Mason’s most enduring ideas: that education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life. What begins as a heartfelt story about a cozy childhood home becomes a rich conversation about the environments we create for learning—spaces that invite participation, curiosity, and joy.

Together, Julie and Melissa trace how atmosphere extends far beyond decor: it’s about invitation and accessibility—baskets of art supplies, blocks within reach, and time to be alone with one’s imagination. They explore:

  • the balance between discipline and freedom,
  • how attention and process nurture joy,
  • and what today’s parents can learn from slowing down in an age of distraction. 

From Charlotte Mason’s 19th-century wisdom to 21st-century challenges, this episode is a practical and deeply reassuring guide to cultivating meaningful education that feels alive, attentive, and full of enchantment.

Show Notes

Charlotte Mason once wrote that “education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life.” More than a century later, her words still point us toward a gentler, truer approach to learning—one that honors the whole child and the home that surrounds them.

An Atmosphere That Invites Participation

Atmosphere isn’t about how your home looks—it’s about how it feels. It’s the warmth of being invited to join in, to create, to make, to wonder. When we fill our homes with tools for exploration—paintbrushes within reach, books in easy stacks, a cleared table for projects—we invite our children to participate in learning rather than simply receive it. An atmosphere rich in invitation nurtures curiosity far more deeply than a picture-perfect space ever could.

Discipline as Gentle Habit

Discipline, in Mason’s sense, isn’t about control or rigidity. It’s about forming life-giving habits that allow focus and flow to emerge naturally. A few minutes of consistent practice—writing, sketching, tending a bird feeder—teaches persistence and attention in ways that worksheets cannot. Discipline provides the rhythm that helps curiosity take root and blossom into skill.

A Life Infused with Joy

When atmosphere and discipline work together, learning becomes a way of life. Children discover joy in attention itself—in getting lost in a book, a hobby, or an idea. In our world of constant distraction, this joy is revolutionary. It reminds us that education isn’t the pursuit of outcomes, but the cultivation of wonder, purpose, and delight.

When we slow down enough to notice what truly matters—time, focus, shared curiosity—we rediscover education as it was meant to be: an atmosphere of love, a discipline of growth, and a life of continual discovery.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

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The World Is Your Classroom

Brave Writer

Sometimes it helps to work through a systematic approach to math or phonics. And sometimes, that’s the exact right approach for this season of homeschool.

However…

I want to remind you that the genius of homeschooling is that the WORLD is your classroom. The conversations you have along the way, the activities you pursue out in the world matter and count!

Your kids are going to forget so much that you teach them. They won’t remember all of the activities you painstakingly created.

What they will remember is that the entire world is available to them. They’ll learn that if something interests them, they can go find out what it is and what it means.

They will see the world as wonderful to know. They won’t see learning as something you only do in a building.

Need some ideas?

If it feels scary to let go of “kitchen table” type learning, here are a few hacks:

  • Take that workbook outside and sit on a blanket.
  • Go to a coffee shop or library to finish the math book.
  • Drill the times tables on a hike.
  • Practice spelling words while jumping on a trampoline.
  • Skip count while tossing a frisbee.

You might also download our FREE 7-Day Writing Blitz! It has a week of ideas to help you and your kids see writing in a whole new way.

You got this!

This post was originally shared on Instagram.
Watch the accompanying reel for more.

Brave Writer 7-Day Writing Blitz

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Keep YOUR Curiosity Alive!

Brave Writer

Sometimes we blame our kids for not being interested in the lessons. Ask yourself: “When was the last time I was actually interested in what I’m teaching them?”

For example, you unleash curiosity in your children when you become curious about:

  • phonics,
  • the origin of the symbols called numbers,
  • or how a book was printed and bound.

Curiosity drives learning.

Anytime the routine becomes too predictable and stale, kids check out. You might notice that you check out, too. You can check back in by asking provocative questions, and even doing research yourself. Have more to express, be more interested.

It’s the oldest education hack in the book. Curiosity drives learning. Live your questions in front of your kids before you expect curiosity to bloom in them.

This post is originally from Instagram and @juliebravewriter is my account there so come follow along for more conversations like this one!

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[Podcast #310] High Tide Homeschooling with a Teen

Brave Writer Podcast

Melissa Wiley takes the mic solo this week for a heartwarming look inside her current homeschool life with her youngest, sixteen-year-old Huck.

Drawing from her decades of experience as both author and homeschooling mother of six, Melissa walks listeners through a day in the life of their family’s “tidal homeschooling” rhythm—where structured “high tide” study meets creative “low tide” exploration. She shares how her son’s outdoor program, their history-and-literature studies, and rich family traditions—film club and nightly read-alouds—keep learning alive and joyful.

If you’ve ever wondered how homeschooling evolves through the teen years—or how to nurture curiosity and connection as your family grows—this episode offers both inspiration and practical insight. Melissa also touches on her creative work, finding balance as a writer and parent, and how rhythms of learning shift with each new life chapter.

Show Notes

As homeschooling parents, we come to recognize that family learning moves in tides. There are seasons of high energy—bursting with projects, discussions, and discovery—and quieter times when we drift, recharge, and let curiosity find its own way back to shore.

For Melissa Wiley, these rhythms are a source of peace rather than pressure. After years of homeschooling a bustling household, she now finds joy in the slower, one-on-one days with her son Huck. Their mornings start quietly, often with reading or reflection, before easing into studies of history, science, and literature. The rest of the day flows with creative play, outdoor adventures, and unhurried conversation. It’s homeschooling that breathes—steady, flexible, and deeply human.

Tidal Homeschooling and Daily Rhythms

Melissa describes this way of learning as tidal homeschooling: alternating between “high tide” periods of structure and “low tide” stretches of exploration. In practice, that might look like a week of focused writing lessons followed by days spent outdoors, tinkering, sketching, or diving deep into a new interest. It’s not about balance as much as trust—trusting that learning is always happening, even when it doesn’t look like school.

Connection, Creativity, and Family Culture

At the heart of Melissa’s homeschool life is connection. Whether it’s the family’s “film club,” her husband’s rock-and-roll history sessions, or daily read-alouds that spark lively debate, these shared rituals nurture both imagination and relationship. Learning isn’t a checklist; it’s a conversation that keeps evolving as her kids grow.

Melissa reminds us that education doesn’t end when the formal lessons do. It continues in laughter around the dinner table, in curiosity during a walk, in the stories that knit a family together. Homeschooling, at its best, is simply life—rich, rhythmic, and full of wonder.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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Middle School Writing: History Projects

Brave Writer

You might wonder how your middler is ever going to be a competent essay writer. They procrastinate. They lack organization. They can’t follow steps. They have zero motivation to write. Like, at all!

Well, we have a secret to share. 

Projects are the perfect stepping stone to academic writing for a middle grader. 

Projects offer:

  • A gentle introduction to formats and writing within parameters
  • A toe-dip into the world of academic research 
  • A chance to move through concrete steps, like planning, revising, and editing
  • And the opportunity to share all that hard work with others! 

Projects are also an opportunity for a deep dive.

In Brave Writer’s online class, Middle School Writing: History Projects, we look at the history of one of your child’s favorite things. That’s right, your child will choose their own topic—an ideal way to generate motivation! 

What will it be for your kids? 

  • The origins of chess?
  • The story of popcorn?
  • A deep dive into Morse code? 

So sign up! You’ll find this course is the ideal pre-game academic experience for your middle grader! 

Brave Writer Online Classes

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