This Golden Hour

In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Julie Bogart from Cincinnati, Ohio. Julie is a homeschool mother of five, grandmother of three, author, speaker, host of the Brave Writer podcast, and business owner and founder of Brave Writer. She is passionate about writing and providing resources to homeschool families and others, including excellent online courses. Julie was introduced to homeschool by her future husband’s friend, and specifically loved the idea of tailoring her children’s education to each individual. We delve into the nuances of her journey in homeschooling, her beliefs about fostering critical thinking in children, her lifelong curiosity, and her vision of the future of homeschooling. Julie also shares a wealth of practical advice for making your homeschool experience more joyful and impactful.

Connect with Julie
bravewriter.com
@juliebravewriter 

Books
Better Late Than Early
A Fever in the Heartland

Resources
Konos

This Golden Hour

In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Chelsey Bahe from Minnesota. Chelsey is a professional nanny, auntie, writer, nature artist, and play advocate. She shares her passion for outdoor activity for kids, her innovative nature art, and her unique approach to child play and learning through exploration. She discusses the importance of children having the freedom to play, explore, and learn both indoors and outdoors. Her philosophy revolves around the idea that play can provide everything a child needs, especially in the early years of development.

Connect with Chelsea
todaywewillplay.wordpress
Take 'Em Outside

Books
Last Child in the Woods
There's No Such Thing As Bad Weather
Balanced and Barefoot

This Golden Hour

In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Gena Suarez from Tennessee. Gena is a homeschool mother of 7, and she also has 9 grandchildren who are homeschooled. She is the founder and creator of The Old Schoolhouse, which started out in 2001 as a homeschool newsletter on eBay. Initially, The Old Schoolhouse was principally a magazine to connect homeschool families, but it has grown tremendously and offers a wide variety of resources and products. Unlike many couples who decide to homeschool, it was Gena’s husband, Paul, who wanted to homeschool, to which Gena was initially opposed. Soon, Gena began to observe the benefits of homeschooling, like having a wide circle of friends and being able to relate and interact with people of all ages without becoming anxious. In our discussion, we emphasized the blessing of enjoying more freedom through the choice to homeschool. Gena helps listeners understand that there are many options when it comes to education, postsecondary studies, and one’s general lifestyle. Her experience and wisdom encourage and embolden all of us who are seeking alternatives to the traditional, conventional path.

Connect with Gena
theoldschoolhouse.com
schoolhouseteachers.com
tryhomeschooling.com
TOSMagazine.com
TOSApps.com

Books and Curriculum
McGuffey Readers
Homeschooling Methods: Season Advice on Learning Styles

This Golden Hour

In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Jolene Fender from North Carolina. Jolene is an unschooling mother of three and a digital creator with an impressive following on Instagram. Jolene didn’t like the way the school system was dealing with teaching on Zoom during COVID, and this led her to start teaching her daughter the material instead. This gave Jolene the confidence to start homeschooling! She loved that her kids could spend more time outside and that they could delve more into reading aloud together. Jolene believes it is important that her children understand screens and how to use them, and to not think of screens with a negative mindset. She reminds homeschool families that homeschooling need not be so challenging. We have many resources, we are not alone, and there are many people who have walked the path before us who are willing to help.

Connect with Jolene
@littlefenders

Books
Hold On to Your Kids
The Self Driven Child
Wishtree
Wilderlore

Resources
CLT Exam

This Golden Hour

In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Ama Mazama from Philadelphia, but talking to us today from Guadalupe. Dr. Mazama is a professor and department chair in the College of Liberal Arts at Temple University. Her work is focused on Africology, African American studies, and African American Homeschooling among others topics. For several years, black families have been the fastest growing racial demographic among homeschoolers. Dr. Mazama, a black homeschool mother herself, has advanced much of the research about black homeschool families and their motivations to exit the conventional system. Dr. Mazama and I broach the topics of homeschooling in various cultural contexts, the importance of fostering critical thinking, creativity, and curiosity in learners, and the potential implications of racial protectionism in education.

Connect with Dr. Mazama
Dr. Ama Mazama's Works

Articles
Why More Black Families are Choosing to Homeschool Their ChildrenExploring the Rise in Black Families Choosing to Homeschool Their ChildrenBlack Homeschooling: Racial Protectionism, Cultural Relevance, and Favorable Social and Academic Outcomes

Books
17 Dry Seasons
Morning by Morning
The Dictionary of African Divinities by Kiamuya Mazama -  no link

This Golden Hour

In today's episode, we get to spend time with Elizabeth Sexton and Dr. Ralph Hancock coming to us today from Brigham Young University campus in Utah. Elizabeth, homeschool mother of 3, was eager to pursue her education in political philosophy after her children had graduated. She enrolled in a class with Dr. Hancock, author and professor of political science at BYU. Together, Dr. Hancock and Elizabeth created Fathom the Good, an online resource aimed at resisting radical ideas with timeless truths. Elizabeth wanted to provide families, specifically homeschool families, with an intellectual defence of faith and moral tradition with underpinnings from the American founding.

Connect with Elizabeth
Fathom the Good

This Golden Hour

In today's episode, we get to spend time with Josh Mann from Missouri. Josh is the managing editor at the Lion News publication and a homeschooling father of 3. In this episode, we explore a range of topics from hitting stumbling blocks to navigating curricula in keeping children engaged. Sometimes students have a hard time learning in a classroom setting, but homeschooling provides more freedom to customize the setting in which your child learns. Josh shares the importance of having an extensive support network and focusing on children's individual needs. We also discussed the challenge to balance homeschooling amidst a busy career and finding neutral ground between homeschooling and outsourced learning.

Connect with Josh
The Lion
Herzog Foundation

Resources and Curriculum
Making the Leap Podcast
CLT Exam
Ambleside
Teaching Textbooks
Blimey Box
Mindfull Mentor
Biblingo

This Golden Hour

 In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Blake Boles from California. Blake is currently in Freiburg, Germany, and soon will be cycling in Chile. When Blake was attending the University of California, Berkeley, he began in the astrophysics program, but decided he did not want to research Science and started studying Education on his own. He came across the writings of John Taylor Gatto and Grace Llewellyn, and Blake knew he wanted to pursue alternative education. From his own experiences growing up and in college, Blake was always curious about adventures and wanted to facilitate the same experiences for youth. Blake created his business, Unschool Adventures, where he takes groups of youth all over the world on a variety of adventures so that they can face real situations and challenges that cause them to stretch, learn, and leave their zones of comfort. Over the years, Blake has written several books about self-directed learning and helping youth navigate both the high school years and decisions about life after high school, like getting into college. He values giving children and youth the freedom to learn and the freedom to fail, and he believes in communities that are consensual and interest based. 

Connect with Blake
https://www.blakeboles.com/
https://www.offtraillearning.com/podcast/

Books by Blake
https://www.amazon.ca/Still-Sending-Your-Kids-School/dp/0986011975
https://www.amazon.ca/Art-Self-Directed-Learning-Unconventional-Education/dp/0986011959
https://www.amazon.com/College-Without-High-School-Teenagers/dp/0865716552
https://www.amazon.ca/Better-Than-College-Blake-Boles/dp/0986011908

Books
https://www.amazon.com/Dumbing-Down-Curriculum-Compulsory-Anniversary/dp/0865714487
https://www.amazon.com/Different-Kind-Teacher-American-Schooling/dp/1893163210
https://www.amazon.ca/Underground-History-American-Education-Investigation/dp/0945700040
The Teenage Liberation Handbook
The Case Against Education

This Golden Hour

In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Jessica Eaton from North Carolina. Although Jessica and I have connections to North Carolina and share the same last name, we're not related! After about a decade teaching Math in public school, Jessica and her husband, who was also a teacher, became disenchanted. Jessica was especially disheartened by the giant class sizes and seeing the ill-effects of students who were overworked and over-tested. They boldly left their careers and moved to North Carolina where her husband's new job was located. Jessica had already started her own business, The Mindfull Mentor, and she began tutoring students in Math, and ended up being connected to the homeschool world through a neighbor. Now, most of Jessica's clients are homeschooled and she teaches in person and online to individuals and groups of all ages. Although she does not have children yet, Jessica is leaning toward homeschooling and looks forward to tailoring her children's learning to their needs and having a flexible schedule and lifestyle.

Connect with Jessica
https://mindfullmentor.com/

Curriculum
https://christianlight.org/shop-curriculum
https://discoverwildlearning.com/

This Golden Hour

In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Rebecca Zipp from Colorado. Rebecca is a homeschool mother of two children and creator of the blog, A Humble Place, which she started in 2012. Her first exposure to the homeschool world began when she became friends with a girl who was homeschooled when they were youth. Rebecca admits that when she started homeschooling it was partially driven by fear, but she evolved and does not regret her initial motivation, even if it was not the healthiest way to begin. Spending time, learning with her children, and escaping the conventional system that tends to develop cogs, are a few of the benefits Rebecca has observed through homeschooling. However, Rebecca acknowledges the challenges that accompany homeschooling, like dealing with negative attitudes at times, and navigating the roles of parent and facilitator for her children. Much of what the Zipp's do for learning and living is tied to principles espoused by Charlotte Mason. They use a Charlotte Mason curriculum, Ambleside Online, for much of their learning, and Rebecca's wonderful blog, A Humble Place, focuses on beautiful Picture Studies emanating from the Charlotte Mason philosophy of learning about art. Like so many homeschooling mothers who align with Charlotte Mason, Rebecca dove more fully into Charlotte Mason principles after reading the book For the Children's Sake by Susan Shaeffer Macaulay.

Connect with Rebecca
https://ahumbleplace.com/

Curriculum
https://www.amblesideonline.org/
https://www.alveary.org/
https://www.bfbooks.com/The-Genevieve-Foster-Collection

Books
The Story of the World Series
For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School

Resources
Yoto Player

This Golden Hour