Scholé Sisters: Camaraderie for Classical Homeschooling Mamas
Education & Explainer
About
Scholé Sisters is the podcast for the classical homeschooling mama who seeks to learn and grow while she's helping her children learn and grow. Scholé Sisters is a casual conversation about topics that matter to those of us in the trenches of classical homeschooling who yearn for something more than just checking boxes and getting it all done. In each episode, we cover our Scholé Everyday (suggestions for inspiration and growth), and a topical discussion relying on principles we find in books by people like David Hicks, James Taylor, and Charlotte Mason. Come and join the Sisterhood of the Podcast!
Episodes
- SS #174: Machine Culture
Today's episode is a conversation about machine culture a la Paul Kingsnorth's book Against the Machine , but we managed to tie it to government funded homeschooling and online learning. It was a wild ride. You're going to love this conver…
- SS #173: Think for Yourself
In today's episode, Mystie, Abby, and Brandy discuss the importance of independent thought (versus depending on gurus, for example). You're going to love this conversation! *** John Muir Laws — artist, author, and nature enthusiast — is te…
- SS #172: Maximize Motivation (with Dr. Ben Merkle!!)
Today's guest is Dr. Ben Merkle! Dr. Merkle is the President of New Saint Andrew's College. He has served as a minister at Christ Church, Moscow and also a part-time campus minister with Collegiate Reformed Fellowship, a campus ministry of…
- SS #171: The Vice of Envy
Today's episode is a continuation of our ongoing conversation about vices – about the seven deadly sins. We're using the chapter of Rebecca Deyoung's book Glittering Vices to discuss ENVY. You're going to love this conversation! *** Have y…
- SS #170: Saturation Love
Today, Mystie, Abby, and Brandy discuss the essay "Saturation Love" by Jim Wilson. And yes! They remembered to discuss the tough questions that naturally arise when reading the essay. You're going to love this conversation! *** Have you bo…
- SS #169: Our 10th Anniversary Extravaganza (with Sarah Mackenzie and Pam Barnhill!!)
Our guests today are our dear friends Sarah Mackenzie and Pam Barnhill! Sarah is the author of Teaching from Rest and The Read-Aloud Family . She's the host of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast, which has been downloaded 16 million times in m…
- SS #168: Your Child is Behind?
Welcome back! Today is the beginning of our spring season and we're kicking off with a discussion on being behind – how do we know if our child is behind? Some say being behind isn't even a thing! And is it important to have standards? Can…
- SS #167: The Causes of Christmas
Today's episode is what you've been waiting for. That's right! It's our annual Christmas episode. This time, we used a different approach, talking through aspects of Christmas and celebration using Aristotle's Four Causes. You're going to…
- SS #166: Artificial Intelligence (with Jami Marstall!!)
Our guest today is Jami Marstall. Jami has been homeschooling for almost 20 years with Charlotte Mason's rich, living methods. She and her husband John have four children, three of whom have graduated. Jami is not particularly looking forw…
- SS #165: Book Club Joy
This is the fall episode recorded each year at the retreat. As usual, the Scholé Sisters apologize for the decline in sound quality. They feel like it is worth it that they get to record all togheter in the same room! Today they're talking…
- SS #164: Teaching Courage
Today's episode is a continuation of our ongoing discussion of virtues and vices. Brandy, Mystie, and Abby contend that if classical education is supposed to form virtue, courage and fortitude have to be covered. What does THAT look like?…
- SS #163: You Should Have an Opinion on These Things
Charlotte Mason says our young adult daughters ought to develop their opinions rather than being tossed around by circumstance or culture. Ought a well-raised young lady have an opinion? Brandy, Abby, and Mystie are here to discuss it! You…
- SS #162: Classical Preschool: Gymnastic
Is classical preschool even a thing?? In today's episode, Abby, Mystie and Brandy talk about gymnastic and explain how you can start training the body in the preschool years. You're going to love this conversation! *** Don't forget to regi…
- SS #161: Feminism Detox (Announcing the Fall Mentorship!!)
In today's episode, Abby, Mystie, and Brandy are discussing feminism and the view of women found in Herman Bavinck's book The Christian Family . You're going to love this conversation! *** Don't forget to register for our annual online loc…
- SS #160: We Did a Thing (Announcing Our Book!!)
In today's episode, Abby, Mystie, and Brandy are announcing a secret project they've been working on for over a year. It's pretty exciting!! *** Don't forget to register for our annual online local retreat! There are many possibilities: wa…
- SS #159: Curriculum Is More Than Something You Buy
In today's episode, Abby, Mystie, and Brandy are geeking out about curriculum, which is the topic of this year's annual retreat. Did you know? Curriculum is something you buy, and also something you can't buy. You're going to love this con…
- SS #158: Postmodernism Wants Your Kids
In today's episode, Mystie, Abby, and Brandy explain exactly why they chose this topic for the 2025 Spring Training Sessions and why they think it's important for us to prepare our kids for the world we're launching them into. You're going…
- SS #157: Reward Systems in Sunday School?
In today's episode, Brandy, Mystie, and Abby revisit the topic of rewards and prize systems – specifically what to do when one is implemented at church. This was a chance to try and apply our principles to a real life situation where we do…
- SS #156: Wonderfully Inconvenient Motherhood (with JoAnn Hallum!!)
Our guest today is JoAnn Hallum! JoAnn is a first-generation homeschooler from the Central Valley of California who has been teaching her four boys for about 10 years. She loves to read and to tell people at parties they should read Charle…
- SS #155: Improving Conversation
Today's episode is a discussion about conversation. Or maybe it's a conversation about discussion?? No matter, the point is that Isaac Watts has some helpful advice for us if we want to have fruitful interactions with others. You're going…
- SS #154: Discussion is Part of a Classical Education (with Everett Vencel!!)
Our guest today is Brandy's son, Everett Vencel. Everett recently graduated from New College Franklin and now works as an audiovisual engineer at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church and as a personal assistant to the owner of a water heater co…
- SS #153: You Probably Think This Episode is About You
Today's conversation is a discussion about the vice of vainglory. The sisters have been reading a book by Rebecca DeYoung called Vainglory: The Forgotten Vice and it's so good! You're going to love this conversation! *** If you've consider…
- SS #152: Freedom Isn't Free (with Lauren Scott!!)
Our guest today is Lauren Scott! Lauren and her husband Nathaniel, a second generation homeschool dad, have enjoyed home educating their two sons from babyhood to the teen years. Lauren holds a degree in history, is a leader in her local h…
- SS 151: Death of the Scrappy Homeschooler
Welcome to Season 26 of Scholé Sisters! At the risk of sound like grumpy old ladies, we are kicking off this season with a conversation about homeschool history and how you can tap in to some of homeschool culture's strengths. You're going…
- SS #150: 'Tis the Season of Joyful Sacrifice
Today's episode is our annual Christmas episode! Mystie, Abby, and Brandy are discussing one of their favorite Christmas books, The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston. You're going to love this conversation! *** It's time…
- SS #149: Reimagining School
Today's episode is our annual retreat recording! We love recording when we are all together (even though the sound quality suffers). This episode is basically a follow-up in which we give Mystie a soap box and encourage her to talk more ab…
- SS #148: De-Institutionalizing School (featuring Heather Olsson!!)
Our special guest today is Heather Olsson! Heather is wife to Dr. Phil Olsson, mother to seven, and Mimi to 14 grandchildren. She educated her children at home for 20 plus years. The Olsson family moved in 2020 from Green Bay, WI to Moscow…
- SS #147: Strong Mothers, Special Needs (with Adelaide Garner!!)
Our special guest today is Adelaide Garner. Adelaide is wife to Ben, and mother to four little treasures. They are Reformed Evangelical Christians. She was a pastor's wife for many years, but their family has moved into Ben owning a small…
- SS #146: Education — Training Religious Habits
Today's episode is the fourth and final in our series exploring Charlotte Mason's chapters on habits from her book School Education and so Mystie, Abby, and Brandy discuss one of the most off-limits topics: religion. You're going to love t…
- SS #145: Why Latin? (with Angela Reed!!)
Today's guest is Latin teacher extraordinaire, Angela Reed! Angela has been a student of lingua Latina and classical civilization for over twenty-five years. She started on this path in high school when she took her first Latin class and,…
- SS #144: De-stress With Natural Consequences
In today's episode Mystie, Abby, and Brandy discuss the idea of natural consequences with a perspective shift that can really de-stress your motherhood. You're going to love this conversation! *** Are you ready for our annual Homeschool Es…
- SS #143: If You Build It, Moms Will Come
In today's episode, Mystie, Abby, and Brandy dig into the history of the Scholé Sisters annual retreat, giving you a behind-the-scenes glance at our decision making that we've never shared before. *** Are you ready for our annual Homeschoo…
- SS #142: Attention is a Homeschool Essential
In today's episode Mystie, Abby, and Brandy discuss ATTENTION, because it's the topic of the 2024 Scholé Sisters retreat. They do this using a chapter on solitude from AG Sertillanges' book The Intellectual Life . You're going to love this…
- SS #141: Raising Children Who Love to Learn
In today's episode Mystie, Abby, and Brandy discuss what it means when we say we want to raise kids who love to learn. What are the implication of this goal? Does it affect how we teach? You're going to love this conversation! *** It's not…
- SS #140: Rewards and Motivation
In today's episode Mystie, Abby, and Brandy discuss rewards and how to connect them to intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation. *** Don't forget to register for our annual Spring Training Sessions! This is happening SOON! Our coach this…
- SS #139: A Classical College Education (with Andy Patton!!)
Our guest today is Andy Patton. Andy Patton has held various roles in healthcare technology and venture capital. As an entrepreneur in the healthcare space, he built and successfully exited his first company. He has also started and curren…
- SS #138: A Little More Conversation, Please (with Andrew Zwerneman!!)
Our guest today is Andrew Zwerneman. Andrew J. Zwerneman serves as President and Master Teacher at Cana Academy. For 40 years, he has taught and consulted in secondary schools that emphasize classic humanities. For 19 years he headed schoo…
- SS #137: Fairy Tales are True (with Vigen Guroian!!)
Today's guest is Vigen Guroian. Until his retirement in 2015, Dr. Guroian was Professor of Religious Studies in Orthodox Christianity at the University of Virginia. He is now a Permanent Senior Fellow of the Russell Kirk Center for Cultura…
- SS #136: Moral Training with Charlotte Mason
Today's episode is the third in our four part series on Charlotte Mason's chapters from School Education that cover the training of physical, intellectual, moral, and religious habits. Today, we're discussing the training of MORAL habits.…
- SS #135: Unit Studies Are Overrated
Today's episode is on unit studies and why Charlotte Mason disapproved of them so much. You're going to love this conversation! *** Did you sign up to do the 5x5 reading challenge this year? If so, you need to join the Sistership as a Soph…
- SS # 134: What is the 5x5 Reading Challenge?
It has come to our attention that while we discuss and refer to the Scholé Sisters 5x5 Reading Challenge regularly, we've never actually done an episode on it. Today, we remedy that problem! We discuss the history of the challenge as well…
- SS #133: Mom is the Magic of Christmas
Today's episode is our annual Christmas episode. We begin by revisiting the theme of our very first Christmas episode, Don't Be the White Witch . We continue with a discussion of generosity and tradition-making that you will love. *** Ever…
- SS #132: Intellectual Training with Charlotte Mason
Today's episode is the second in our four part series on habits and training. Last time, Mystie, Abby, and Brandy talked about physical training. Today they're discussing intellectual training, including that most controversial assertion o…
- SS #131: Outsourcing for High School (with Jami Marstall!!)
Our very special guest today is Jami Marstall. Jami has been homeschooling with Charlotte Mason's principles, primarily following AmblesideOnline, for the past 17 years. She has graduated three of her four children from the family homescho…
- SS# 130: Empathy Is Bad for Your Kids
Today's episode is the annual episode we recorded at the retreat when we were together in real life, which means we have to apologize to you for the sound. You'd think it'd be better in person, but the reality is that a single shared micro…
- SS #129: Physical Training with Charlotte Mason
Today's conversation is the first in a four-part series covering Charlotte Mason's chapters from School Education on training children physically, intellectually, morally, and religiously. Today we cover physical training — not so much the…
- SS #128: Division or Dialogue (with Pastor Chad Vegas!!)
Our guest today is Chad Vegas. Chad is the founding pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Bakersfield, CA, where he has served since 2006. Chad received his M.A. from Talbot School of Theology. He also spent nearly two decades in public scho…
- SS #127: Curriculum as Crutch
Today's conversation is all about curriculum. What does it mean to say that curriculum can be a crutch? Is that a bad thing? What does a healthy relationship with curricula look like? You're going to love this conversation! *** Have you re…
- SS #126: Hosting a Desert Retreat (with Kara Hughes!!)
Our guest today is Kara Hughes. Kara is a Christian homeschooling mama to 5 children – a toddler, and then a 4th grader, 5th grader, 7th grader and 9th grader, all of whom use AmblesideOnline. She loves reading and hiking, and especially t…
- SS #125: Numbering the Days of Your Homeschool
Today is the first of our two summer episodes. In this one, Mystie, Abby, and Brandy wax philosophical about this year's retreat topic: time. *** Are you ready for the annual Scholé Sisters Online Local Retreat? Our annual Homeschool Essen…