American Classroom

How can parents help children value learning while giving them room to make mistakes? John and LaCinda Lewis join Jared Taylor and Lindsey Lundeen to share lessons from their own upbringing and from raising eight children. They discuss balancing high expectations with love, encouraging each child's interests, and finding opportunities to learn through reading, work, and time together. Along the way, they share a story about a garden, uprooted tomato plants, and a reminder about what matters most.

Show Notes:

1. If you want to learn more about the American Classroom podcast, please visit AmericanClassroom.Show

2. To learn more about or take a tour of the great schools mentioned in this episode, visit Heritage Academy https://heritageacademyaz.com

3. Sponsored by: Elite Sports Academy (ESA)- https://elitesportsacademyaz.com

How can parents encourage curiosity, responsibility, and a love of learning? Joan Ruth Koplin, author of 8 Timeless Parenting Principles and a mother of four sons, joins Jared Taylor and Lindsey Lundeen to explore the role parents play in education. They discuss learning through everyday conversations, allowing room for mistakes, recognizing individual strengths, and working with teachers. She offers practical ideas for supporting learning at home and school.

Show Notes:

1. If you want to learn more about the American Classroom podcast, please visit AmericanClassroom.Show
2. To learn more about or take a tour of the great schools mentioned in this episode, visit Heritage Academy https://heritageacademyaz.com/ or Paul Revere Academy https://paulrevere.tech/
3. Sponsored by: Heritage Academy, downtown Mesa campus- www.hamesa.com and Elite Sports Academy https://elitesportsacademyaz.com/
4. Resources mentioned: Joan Ruth Koplin’s book: 8 Timeless Parenting Principles https://a.co/d/0d2suXyg

Elite Sports Academy brings classroom learning, basketball training, and personal development into the same school day. Coaches Sean Greene and P.J. Howard join Jared Taylor to explain how they connect academic expectations with the discipline, time management, and leadership young athletes need. They discuss developing players from junior high onward, building a supportive team culture, and creating opportunities for boys and girls in Arizona basketball. For parents considering a sports-focused school, the conversation explores preparing students for college and life while keeping their enjoyment of the game intact.

Show Notes:

1. If you want to learn more about the American Classroom podcast, please visit AmericanClassroom.Show
2. To learn more about or take a tour of the great schools mentioned in this episode, visit Heritage Academy https://heritageacademyaz.com/
3. Sponsored by: Elite Sports Academy: https://elitesportsacademyaz.com/

Why do the creative arts still matter in K-12 education, especially in an age of artificial intelligence? Illustrator Josh Nelson joins Jared Taylor and Lindsey Crosland to explore how visual art can shape memory, character, curiosity, and civic understanding. Josh shares how motivational artwork influenced him as a child and how that experience eventually led to a collaboration with Heritage Academy, creating portraits of historical figures tied to virtues and citizenship lessons. The conversation also examines the human side of creativity, the ethics of AI-generated art, and why students still need opportunities to draw, sculpt, design, and make things with their own hands. From historical storytelling to scientific discovery, this episode makes the case that art is not an educational extra. It is one of the ways people learn to see, think, remember, and create.

Show Notes:

1. If you want to learn more about the American Classroom podcast, please visit AmericanClassroom.Show https://americanclassroom.show/
2. To learn more about or take a tour of the great schools mentioned in this episode, visit Heritage Academy https://heritageacademyaz.com/ or Paul Revere Academy https://paulrevere.tech/
3. Learn more about illustrator Josh Nelson and his work at The Art of Josh Nelson https://theartofjoshnelson.com/
4. Sponsored by: Heritage Academy, downtown Mesa campus- www.hamesa.com

What happens when hundreds of scholars arrive, the bell is minutes away, and the principal is responsible for everything? In this episode, Jared Taylor talks with Kim Ellsworth and Heidi Udall about the realities of leading a school through uncertainty, competing priorities, difficult conversations, and constant decision-making. They share memorable principles such as trusting the people you hire, watering the flowers instead of the weeds, and remembering that everything a leader does teaches something. The discussion also covers time management, delegation, campus systems, mentorship, character formation, and the need for leaders to protect the habits that restore their energy. Filled with practical stories and candid advice, this conversation helps principals find their voice, lead with purpose, and create a culture that strengthens both academic learning and civil society.

Show Notes:

1. Heidi Udall offers support and guidance to principals who may need a resource or sounding board. You can reach her at [email protected].
2. If you want to learn more about the American Classroom podcast, please visit AmericanClassroom.Show https://americanclassroom.show/
3. To learn more about or take a tour of the great schools mentioned in this episode, visit Heritage Academy https://heritageacademyaz.com/ or Paul Revere Academy https://paulrevere.tech/
4. Sponsored by: Heritage Academy, downtown Mesa campus- www.hamesa.com http://www.hamesa.com

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, Jared Taylor welcomes returning guest Shane Krauser for a thoughtful discussion about the ideas that shaped the nation and why they still matter today. Drawing from his travels across North America and South America, Shane shares how young people are rediscovering the principles of liberty, personal responsibility, and constitutional government. Together they explore the Declaration of Independence, the meaning of self-evident truths, and John Adams' belief that the American Revolution first occurred in the hearts and minds of the people. The conversation also examines the role of education in preserving freedom, the importance of virtue, and how understanding timeless principles helps citizens evaluate modern issues with greater wisdom and confidence.

Show Notes:

1. Learn more about Freedom Square USA, an online community where people can learn, apply, and advocate for the principles of liberty through weekly teaching sessions, discussions, and symposiums: https://freedomsquareusa.com/

2. Learn more about the American Classroom podcast: https://americanclassroom.show/

3. Learn more about or schedule a tour of the schools mentioned in this episode: Heritage Academy: https://heritageacademyaz.com/ & Paul Revere Academy: https://paulrevere.tech/

4. Sponsored by Heritage Academy, Downtown Mesa Campus: https://www.hamesa.com/

Heather Thomas joins American Classroom to share an extraordinary story of perseverance, family, and the power of education to change a life. After a childhood marked by loss and instability, Heather became a mother at 16 and left high school while working long hours to survive. Years later, after taking in four young relatives and raising six children, she realized education was the key to changing her family’s future. Heather describes how community college gave her a fresh start, how Phi Theta Kappa and mentors helped her find confidence, and how internships opened the door to a career at NASA. Her story offers encouragement for students, parents, educators, and anyone who wonders whether it is too late to begin again.

Show Notes:

1. If you want to learn more about the American Classroom podcast, please visit AmericanClassroom.Show https://americanclassroom.show/

2. To learn more about or take a tour of the great schools mentioned in this episode, visit Heritage Academy https://heritageacademyaz.com/ or Paul Revere Academy https://paulrevere.tech/

3. Sponsored by: Heritage Academy, downtown Mesa campus- www.hamesa.com

Host Jared Taylor welcomes Dr. Wayne Denton of Heritage Academy Mesa for a thoughtful America 250 conversation about the ideas, people, and writings that shaped 1776. Dr. Denton traces the intellectual road to the Declaration of Independence, beginning with Baruch Spinoza and moving through Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Thomas Paine, and Jefferson. The episode explores how Common Sense helped ordinary colonists understand complex Enlightenment arguments, why life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness still matters, and how the Declaration united a risky, divided people around the cause of independence. Along the way, Jared and Dr. Denton reflect on reading, courage, civil society, and why students today can find confidence in the American story of overcoming.

Show Notes:

Episode Follow-Up: When Were the Declaration Signers’ Names Made Public?

During the conversation, Jared and Dr. Denton discussed the risk taken by the signers of the Declaration of Independence and noted that signing the document could be seen as a “death warrant.” Jared mentioned that the podcast team would check when the signers’ names were publicly released.

Most delegates signed the engrossed Declaration on August 2, 1776, but their names were not broadly published right away. Congress later ordered an official printing on January 18, 1777, and the Mary Katherine Goddard broadside became the first official public version to list the signers’ names.

https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-history

1. If you want to learn more about the American Classroom podcast, please visit AmericanClassroom.Show https://americanclassroom.show/

2. To learn more about or take a tour of the great schools mentioned in this episode, visit Heritage Academy https://heritageacademyaz.com/ or Paul Revere Academy https://paulrevere.tech/

3. Sponsored by: Heritage Academy, downtown Mesa campus- www.hamesa.com

What does meaningful student leadership look like in a school community? In this episode, Jared Taylor visits with the Scholar Council at Heritage Academy’s downtown Mesa campus to hear directly from students about service, teamwork, and civic formation. The scholars describe planning dances, fundraising through Dollars for Duds, producing school announcement videos, and supporting campus traditions that bring students together. They also discuss the school’s distinctive electoral college style process, which helps connect student government to America’s founding ideals. Beyond the events and responsibilities, this conversation highlights personal growth. Students share how Scholar Council helped them gain confidence, accept feedback, practice humility, and learn to listen. For school leaders, parents, and students, this episode offers practical inspiration for building a stronger student government program.

Show Notes:

1. If you want to learn more about the American Classroom podcast, please visit AmericanClassroom.Show https://americanclassroom.show/
2. To learn more about or take a tour of the great schools mentioned in this episode, visit Heritage Academy https://heritageacademyaz.com/ or Paul Revere Academy https://paulrevere.tech/
3. Sponsored by: Heritage Academy, downtown Mesa campus- www.hamesa.com
4. National Association of Student Councils Adviser Resource Center https://www.natstuco.org/adviser-resource-center/
5. Hillsdale K-12 American History and Civics Curriculum https://k12historyandcivics.hillsdale.edu/
6. Bill of Rights Institute High School Government Resources https://billofrightsinstitute.org/high-school-government- resources/

What happens when parents are truly in control of their child’s education? In this episode, Jenny Clark breaks down the realities of school choice through her experience as a homeschool mom, advocate, and founder launching a new classical school model. She unpacks how ESAs work, why Arizona has become a national leader, and what misconceptions still dominate the conversation around funding and accountability. The discussion also tackles controversial questions about government involvement, regulation, and whether public systems are being forced to evolve through competition. Jenny offers insight into emerging education models like hybrid and classical schools, and why they may better prepare students for a rapidly changing world shaped by technology and AI. This is a grounded, real world look at the opportunities and challenges redefining K-12 education.

Show Notes:

1. If you want to learn more about the American Classroom podcast, please visit AmericanClassroom.Show https://americanclassroom.show/
2. To learn more about or take a tour of the great schools mentioned in this episode, visit Heritage Academy https://heritageacademyaz.com/ or Paul Revere Academy https://paulrevere.tech/
3. Sponsored by: Heritage Academy, downtown Mesa campus- www.hamesa.com