What is it about Art that feels so intimidating to teach? People teach all types of subjects with less hesitation than the idea of teaching your student how to sketch, paint and more.  Join Janna with her guest Cody Wheelock, founder and creative arts coach of Fount Atelier as they discuss how to incorporate art into your homeschooling and the challenges that can come with teaching the subject.  Learn about the top 3 hang-ups that can prevent you and your student from reaching your creative art goals or maybe how to set goals and pass up the hang-ups altogether!

Janna (00:47): I'm excited to talk about art because, to be honest, it's not something that I have ever really ventured into or instructed my children in when we were homeschooling.

Cody (04:35): And what's interesting is that studies have shown that most adults actually draw at about a 12-year-old level.

Cody (07:23): I think the second hang-up that a lot of people face after just thinking they can't do it, is they don't know how to do it. They lack a plan.

Cody (14:14): Yeah, absolutely. I always think back to those artists from the past, and a lot of times we like to see their drawings and all of the pieces they did, and I wonder how many of them think, oh, I hate it that you're looking at that stuff because I never intended anyone to see that.

Janna (21:42): So as a parent, aside from art, but art as an example, how do you keep your child from hearing personal criticism versus an instructional correction?

Cody (24:50):

Yeah, you're absolutely right. And that's great advice on asking questions to get a feel for where things are at before you just start making comments.

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Thanks to show sponsor BookShark. Request a homeschool curriculum catalog or download samples at bookshark.com.

If you'd like to share an aha moment, an inspirational quote, a homeschool hack, a book you're loving, or a suggested podcast topic/guest, leave a comment at bookshark.com/podcast. We'd love to feature your reflection on a future episode.

Feeling unmotivated to homeschool? Things are just harder, whether getting up with the alarm or getting through the assignments for each day? Join BookShark's Community Manager, Janna Koch and Aimee Eucce, owner of Play 'n Talk, in a lively discussion on how to banish the doldrums of winter. From metal detecting along a streambed to using army figures for math, store up the great ideas for you and your student and get tips on how to give yourself grace and to learn to adapt as life moves along.

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TIMESTAMPS

[00:01:00] It is a 60-plus-year-old company. I am not 60-plus years old, but I am the current owner and I am bringing it back to today's generation and I am loving it. I learned to read with it when I was just five years old.

[00:02:00]I shared with our listeners earlier in the year that I had gotten a sunrise alarm clock that will slowly brighten up and light up your room to help wake up.

[00:05:15]That's just the beauty of being a homeschooler you can do that if you decide, you know what, we just need to take a break on this and we're going to do this instead today.

[00:06:30] Then when the spring comes and you have more energy and the kids have more energy, you can rebound your efforts and there will be days that you can double up on things if you feel the need to get through it all.

[00:09:30] Well, gaming, so gamifying things is, I think, the key to everything because there are actually been studies done that show that kids learn best from play-based learning.

[00:14:30]Making sure that they're vested in it.

[00:16:00]I think that is something that a lot of parents, myself included, get caught up in the curriculum and forget to include our children.

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Thanks to show sponsor BookShark. Request a homeschool curriculum catalog or download samples at bookshark.com.

If you'd like to share an aha moment, an inspirational quote, a homeschool hack, a book you're loving, or a suggested podcast topic/guest, leave a comment at bookshark.com/podcast. We'd love to feature your reflection on a future episode.

It's all about BookShark this episode! How it started, the process behind it and more. 

Join Janna Koch, BookShark's Community Manager and her guest Greg Thewes, Executive Vice President of Inquisicorp as they chat all things BookShark. Learn about how the brand began, why the name and all the behind-the-scenes in between. 

TIMESTAMPS

Janna (01:42):

But if that was the case then BookShark may have never been created because we had extra time back in our day.

Greg (01:49):

Exactly. There was nothing else to do. So in the meantime, we recorded it on our VHS and watched it over and over again from the week before.

Greg (10:00):But there's also the vision. Our owners would not have gone for it if it was purely just money. They truly believe in their curriculum, they wanted to reach families that they couldn't reach. So it was a great opportunity for their approach. And so knowing that the way that they teach would be able to go to people they couldn't reach was very important to them. And when they saw that vision, they jumped on board.

(12:31)

So Shark started catching on and it just turned into BookShark. And the funniest thing is our entire company hated it, the only person who did it was our owner. Everybody else hated it.

Greg (18:40):

I mean we knew there were schools. I knew of about 10, the 15 in California, I know a few in Washington, I knew in Alaska and elsewhere. And then this one, excuse me, they were in five in Colorado and I physically went to every one of those and pitched it. So I knew those five schools would buy. I knew potentially one in California potentially was in Alaska and potentially ones in Hawaii. My assumption was it would be them, but I also knew that the general public wanted a secular program. So I thought maybe one or two of those would buy it and then the rest would come from schools. But there was a greater demand than I thought in the general homeschool market now even more than it was back in 2014 where people who were just looking for secular curriculum. I'd say all walks of life have benefited from own program. Just truly neutral.

Greg (22:56):

Absolutely, and that's something we want to stick to. It's an 80/20 rule. You're never going to please everyone and that 10% on both ends of the bell curve and you just can't please everyone and we don't expect to. But we think with our approach, we appease more because there are more in that middle range that are not offended either way, but they would definitely prefer in their homes, they would definitely prefer to have the opportunity to bring it up.

Janna (32:34):

Well, I know our customers are excited to hear that our high school is coming back and we appreciate their patience as we have worked through the pandemic like everyone else, but have been diligent to not only get it done, but to do it well. So it matches the quality of everything else that we have turned out thus far.

Thanks to show sponsor BookShark. Request a homeschool curriculum catalog or download samples at bookshark.com.

If you'd like to share an aha moment, an inspirational quote, a homeschool hack, a book you're loving, or a suggested podcast topic/guest, leave a comment at bookshark.com/podcast. We'd love to feature your reflection on a future episode.

In today's world of gadgets and mobile devices being present with our families and friends becomes more and more difficult.  It is so easy to become distracted from what is right in front of us with things that direct our attention to 'out there'. Join our host Janna and her guest Kelly O'Brien as they discuss how to stay in the moment, and set intentions with our homeschool and with our families.

ABOUT OUR GUEST | Kelly O'Brien is a second-generation homeschooler,  who has been homeschooling her two children for over 10 years.  She never had any thoughts of homeschooling her own children but has found that life often leads you in 500 directions each one an incredible journey.

Janna (02:15):

What an amazing opportunity homeschooling affords us, is to be able to travel with our children and continue maybe a non-traditional way of educating through immersion in the culture and other countries.

Kelly (03:24):

I think that everything is about relationships. I think humanity comes back to relationships.

Kelly (06:06):

Well, what a better mirror than our children.

(06:52)

So like you said, you've set everything down, and look at them, and have a conversation.

Janna (07:09):

No, it's amazing. You make a great point about our children mirroring what in some ways, we've taught, but also are demonstrating. And sometimes, those two don't line up. We teach one way and one thing. But we are not demonstrating it in our own lives.

(09:58)

But I want them to have a life of learning. I want them to just enjoy learning, not so that they can go to college, or they can graduate 12th grade.

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QUOTABLES

TIMESTAMPS

Thanks to show sponsor BookShark. Request a homeschool curriculum catalog or download samples at bookshark.com.

If you'd like to share an aha moment, an inspirational quote, a homeschool hack, a book you're loving, or a suggested podcast topic/guest, leave a comment at bookshark.com/podcast. We'd love to feature your reflection on a future episode.

When we think of adventure we may think of big trips and foreign locations but adventure like families comes in many shapes and forms. Learn about the building blocks Ethan and his wife have employed to get to one of their priorities of teaching their kids to adventure. Join Janna and Ethan as they discuss adventure, priorities, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and more!

ABOUT OUR GUEST | Ethan Demme is a well-known name within the homeschool world with DEMME LEARNING. The CEO of Demme Learning Ethan applies his homeschool background and experience with adventure in his everyday life.

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(01:08) Your name is a very common name in the homeschool realm, Demme Learning.

(02:18) It's funny. It's the only world where you go to a homeschool conference and you see a line of kids bring their math books to have their math teacher sign their math books.

(03:54): The hack would be start where you are and plan the next step and do that and then figure it out the next time. What worked one year may not work the next year.

(05:40): The biggest adventure is getting kids. That's the biggest thing. My wife and I were foster parents for the last three years, and then this year we adopted four kids and that's the biggest adventure.

(06:45): I don't know what normal is, I've heard that best said normal is, just a setting on your washing machine, it's not really a thing in real life.

(10:18): But I've often heard teachers tell me, at the end of the day, every kid's homeschooled, so you can have the best school, the best curriculum, the best teachers, but it's what happens at home, the attitude that the parents, the values that the parents give to their kids and the discipline, at least half of the learning, if not more, always takes place at home. At the end of the day, everyone homeschools their kids.

(12:36): Then we move into that next tier, we call it building an experience bank, and a lot of that is you need to have a mental framework for how you engage with the world.

(20:25): For kids sometimes though, the context for them is I picked up a salamander for the first time and that's blowing my mind. That's their mental equivalent of climbing Mount Everest.

(21:23): If they're cold or hungry or thirsty, you're the source of all of their physiological needs, so you're the only safe space that they have right there, so you ramp up your attachment time.

(23:00); We have some mantras that we do, but one of the big things that we have to teach kids is how to identify what's safe and what's unsafe. Then, the difference between that is risk and that's hard

(25:45): I'm a pretty lenient, adventurous parent of, I call it, I'm comfortable up to an ER room visit.

Thanks to show sponsor BookShark. Request a homeschool curriculum catalog or download samples at bookshark.com.

If you'd like to share an aha moment, an inspirational quote, a homeschool hack, a book you're loving, or a suggested podcast topic/guest, leave a comment at bookshark.com/podcast. We'd love to feature your reflection on a future episode.

The kitchen is the part of the house where people gather. It's where we create the food that gives us feelings of nostalgia for grandma's cookies or Dad's Spicy Shrimp with noodles. Food is a universal need and one that allows us with a taste or smell to travel in time and location.  Rowena S. took the idea of creating memorable food with an educating twist to create eat2explore. Join Rowena as she and Janna chat about the creation of Eat2Explore and how you can travel the world with cooking, and creating meaningful family time all within the comfort of your kitchen.

ABOUT OUR GUEST | Rowena is the founder and creator of eat2explore, a cooking kit that incorporates family, food, travel, and education. 

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TIMESTAMPS

(00:42) My guest is Rowena Scherer. She is the creator of eat2explore

(01:28) The mission behind it is really to teach kids and to have kids learn with their families about the world through food.

(03:08) That's kind of a moment where it dawned on me that I should let my kid fail.

(04:00) That's where eat2explore idea came about, so it sort of following my passion of cooking and traveling and culture and learning and most importantly, education.

(05:31) The other thing, second thing, is expanding their palate. A lot of children, and that's another reason I started is I see a lot of my kids' friends, they only eat pasta and pizza.

(07:49) If you make it a family routine of weekly cooking together and say, "Hey," just pick a weekend. Is it Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday night, or lunch?

(09:45) Yes, that's the uniqueness of eat2explore is we give you all the hard to find spices, sauces, and grain.

(17:02) We have talked before in the past about how in our society, we really lack that quality time, which is such an organic place, the kitchen, the dining room table where the family just shares.

(19:40) It's actually very easy. Cooking is not hard. It's about confidence.

(22:29) I think I told my kids when they were initially cutting, I'm like, "It's okay. It doesn't have to look perfect and as long as you try, I'm glad you try it."

(26:09) Yes. We have a regular one and then we have a vegetarian optional, which is also vegan optional, and then a gluten-free optional.

Thanks to show sponsor BookShark. Request a homeschool curriculum catalog or download samples at bookshark.com.

If you'd like to share an aha moment, an inspirational quote, a homeschool hack, a book you're loving, or a suggested podcast topic/guest, leave a comment at bookshark.com/podcast. We'd love to feature your reflection on a future episode.

We don't pay attention to the little things until we suddenly need some quick or not-so-quick life skill that we realize we were never taught, like how to tie a tie, change a tire, or cook eggs. The list can go on and is different for each individual but all is not lost there are people out there to help, like Rob Kenney, the creator, and host of 'Dad, How Do I?' From 'how to' videos to chin up talks Rob imparts practical advice with a few dad jokes for levity to people of all ages. Join Rob as he speaks with Janna about his experience of creating 'Dad, How Do I?' and more.

ABOUT OUR GUEST | Rob Kenney is a YouTube creator of the 'Dad, How Do I?' channel with over 3 million subscribers and author of Dad, How Do I?: Practical Dadvice for Everyday Tasks and Successful Living

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TIMESTAMPS

(2:16) It would've been a resource that I could have used when I was younger.

(4:23) I want to encourage people: encourage, empower and edify.

(5:33) Not only being willing to try something new but to be willing to fail at it and keep trying.

(9:29) And so putting myself out there was a little bit scary.

(11:22) I did a Wisdom Wednesday talking about the comfort zone. I get it because it's comfortable. That's why it's called the comfort zone. I get it. But really no growth really happens there.

(12:22) But if you're going both going to work, you both should be able to know how to cook to fill in for each other.

Thanks to show sponsor BookShark. Request a homeschool curriculum catalog or download samples at bookshark.com.

If you'd like to share an aha moment, an inspirational quote, a homeschool hack, a book you're loving, or a suggested podcast topic/guest, leave a comment at bookshark.com/podcast. We'd love to feature your reflection on a future episode.

Twice exceptional (2e) students have a foot on both ends of the bell curve. They are highly gifted in some areas and have huge challenges (are neurodivergent) in others. They are often described as "smart but lazy" or "bright but scattered." ADHD, dyslexia, and autism spectrum disorder fall under this neurodiversity umbrella. Join guest Sam Young, an expert on special needs education who is himself neurodivergent, as he provides a wealth of insights for homeschooling your 2e/neurodivergent child.

ABOUT OUR GUEST | Samuel Young, MEd, is a growth-minded, two-time Fulbright Scholar and Director of Young Scholars Academy, a strength-based, talent-focused virtual enrichment center that supports twice-exceptional students and their families. As an ADHD learner himself, Sam has a tremendous understanding of, experience in, and respect for all things related to neurodiverse education. Before founding Young Scholars Academy, Samuel taught in a variety of capacities—including nearly a decade at Bridges Academy—at an array of programs in the US, Europe, and Asia. Samuel has been featured in the documentary 2e2: Teaching The Twice Exceptional, the textbook Understanding The Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Students, 2nd Ed., Variations Magazine, 2e News, and other publications.

02:28 Explanations of neurodiversity and twice-exceptionality (2e).

05:23 Gifted students often have deficits in certain areas.

07:05 The medical model or the deficit focus.

09:21 Taylorism — training kids for an out-of-date, industrialized society.

10:11 The benefits of homeschooling, especially for 2e kids.

12:47 Taking a strength-based and interest-focused approach to homeschooling.

13:40 The power of asking questions to understand how your child thinks.

16:39 The value of curiosity.

18:58 A fresh lens for viewing your neurodivergent child.

19:32 Three kinds of masking that neurodivergent students exhibit.

26:33 Three directions to consider: 1. How are you taking in information? 2. How are you processing the information? 3. What are you doing with the information?

27:24 Ask why your child needs to know something. What are your ultimate goals? Those answers will inform how you teach your child.

28:09 How the lessons of education during Covid-19 have been lost.

29:44 Sam's business Young Scholars Academy.

36:02 Get Sam's FREE 3-Tier Task Manager Course, for students ages 7-10.

In this continued conversation from ep. 114, special guest Andrea Thorpe and host Janna Koch pick up on part two of their discussion about homeschooling middle schoolers. These years don't have to be a season of gritting your teeth and white knuckling through. You can actually thrive when you shift your mindset from controlling your teens to preparing them for the next phase of life. Learn how to handle mistakes (theirs and yours), how to react to their bids for autonomy and alone time, and how to guide them into better decision making without using the phrase "I told you so." 

ABOUT OUR GUEST | Andrea Thorpe is the author of three children’s books, a wife, and a mother of three daughters ages 18, 16, and 11. Prior to becoming a homeschooling mom, Andrea worked as a middle school classroom teacher and guidance counselor and was recognized as Teacher of the Year. For the past thirteen years, Andrea has enjoyed teaching her lively trio from the comfort of her family’s New Jersey home. Currently, she teaches classes in her local homeschool community and works as a freelance writer.

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02:52 Giving teens a safe space to make mistakes and, at times, bear consequences.

05:26 How to ask questions to give middle schoolers the powers of introspection and evaluation (instead of telling them what to do all the time).

10:42 Model how to handle mistakes.

14:16 The power of the phrase, "Now you know how not to do it."

18:53 Don't be offended with middle schoolers exert independence.  

21:24 Middle schoolers need more space than before.

23:46 As they grow in independence, realize your voice is always inside their heads. 

25:50 Focusing on the end goal of your parenting/homeschooling.

28:17 Helping kids remember how they've mastered hard things.

30:53 How a supportive teacher inspired Andrea to became a writer.

Thanks to show sponsor BookShark. Request a homeschool curriculum catalog or download samples at bookshark.com.

Join special guest Andrea Thorpe to learn how homeschooling the middle school years can be one of your best seasons yet! During middle school, your children transition from the cute years of elementary school to the independent learning years of high school. Because they are transforming, your parenting and teaching both need to flex as well. 

ABOUT OUR GUEST | Andrea Thorpe is the author of three children’s books, a wife, and a mother of three daughters ages 18, 16, and 11. Prior to becoming a homeschooling mom, Andrea worked as a middle school classroom teacher and guidance counselor and was recognized as Teacher of the Year. For the past thirteen years, Andrea has enjoyed teaching her lively trio from the comfort of her family’s New Jersey home. Currently, she teaches classes in her local homeschool community and works as a freelance writer. 

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05:35 How Andrea started her homeschool speaking tour. 

06:37 How Andrea uses Google Calendar for planning but removes the distraction to be on her phone too much.

10:29 How can parents safeguard the relationship with their pre-teens and early teens in the face of surging hormones and attitudes?

13:29 Middle schoolers still need you ,but possibly in a different way from before.

19:25 If you have multiple children, don't be tempted to rest on your laurels. Each child is unique. Also the world is constantly changing, for example technology, Covid-19, etc. 

21:02 Learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

22:55 Permissive parenting, setting boundaries, and listening to your children.

28:15 Andrea's example of cleaning up the kitchen.