Everyday Educator

What makes you wonder? What leaves you speechless? Has wonder ever moved you to change? Join Lisa Bailey on this Advent podcast considering the Gift of Wonder; learn from the shepherds' response how to make room for wonder in your Christmas celebration this year! (Perfect for a personal reflection or a family devotional!)

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Listen in on this second episode of our Advent series as Lisa Bailey and her husband David explore the gift of listening. How did the gift of listening position Joseph for blessing? How can listening deepen your celebration of Christmas this year? Whether you listen devotionally, or as a family activity, we hope this podcast blesses your family this season.

Merry Christmas! All December the Everyday Educator podcasts will center on Advent, with devotional thoughts suitable for the whole family, and some ideas you can use for deeper reflections. This month we'll focus on the gifts of attending, listening, wondering, and celebrating as embodied in the Christmas story; this week, we'll look at how Mary's gift of attending allowed her to hear God's heart, and adjust her expectations for a blessing. Join us as we think about unexpected gifts and how our responses to them help or hinder our celebrations!

I know that we all are determined to be "the best teachers" for our kids, and we eagerly (at least usually!) join them in learning/re-learning literature, math, science, history…all the "main subjects" we've come to think of as vital. But, what about the subjects many DON"T see as "vital"? How are we to find the time or the talent for teaching the fine arts?! Is it possible that anything we've already learned can help us with the arts?! Join guests Jennifer Courtney and Marc Hays on this Everyday Educator Podcast and hear how the Five Common Topics make discussing, appreciating, and participating in art fun for the whole family.

Do you feel adequate for the task to teaching science to your kids?! If you are trying to prepare your child for a STEM career, you might already feel overwhelmed…but…is that what you should be doing?! Our podcast guests Leslie Hubbard and Marc Hays offer some perspective and encouragement for parents in this episode; listen as they tell us how to get started and how to use the Five Common Topics to lead our students to ask "troubling questions" in pursuit of science!

Are you worried about "studying history" with your students as they get older—especially if youdon't know all the history details that they know?! The good news is, studying history doesn't have to be complicated! Join Marc Hays, Karin Carpenter, and Lisa Bailey as they reveal how to use some simple questions to "connect the dots" of your history study, building a context for your knowledge that truly leads to deeper understanding. Our experienced parents will offer specifics on using the Five Common Topics to frame some great conversation-starters, and suggest some bigger reasons to study history as a family.

Have you noticed how argumentative your middle schooler can be? Wondering how to harness and channel this proclivity for good? We suggest logic studies! Join Lisa Bailey and Stephanie Meter as they advocate for studying logic with your middle schooler; as Stephanie says, teaching logic to your teens may just help them argue their way out of their own crazy ideas! You'll also see how logic finds its way into all other studies, from Latin to math to Mock Trial. Listen in and discover how asking the right questions positions us all to find the right answers, logically speaking.

What IS the value of a "mental map of the world"? Does "where" really matter to our students? Whether you're searching for the reason to study geography or looking for new ways to learn cartography, you'll find fresh ideas on this Everyday Educator podcast. Marc Hays, Stephanie Meter and Lisa Bailey look at how to layer the learning from Foundations through Challenge as they talk about geography and current events, pointing out ways to use the Five Common Topics to jump start the learning.

What if teaching math could bring your family closer? Would you like to know how to "play with numbers" instead of only "solving problems"? Listen in as Lisa Bailey, Marc Hays, and Leslie Hubbard talk about math explorations at home and in community. Discover ways to ask good questions that model good thinking for your students, and begin the journey toward loving math—really!

The art of writing well focuses on three questions; do you know what they are? If you feel somewhat unequal to the task of teaching writing to your children, or if you just want some fresh ideas, tune into this week's Everyday Educator Podcast "More Than Pen and Paper." Lisa Bailey and Stephanie Meter give pointers on how to harness the Five Common Topics to ask key questions that will lead you and your students toward better writing, more open dialogue, and a truly hospitable exchange of ideas!