Everyday Educator

What happens when a teacher decides the best place for her own child to learn might not be a classroom? If you've ever wondered why teachers choose to homeschool — or whether you could homeschool without a teaching degree — this one's for you. In this episode of Everyday Educator, host Kelli Wilt, a former kindergarten teacher, sits down with Erica Atkinson — former first-grade teacher, 14-year CC mom, and CC's book sales manager for the Eastern U.S. — and Wendy Jones — former high school math teacher, CC's Director of Operational Support, and mom of a two-year-old preparing for Foundations.
The three share what they saw from inside the public school classroom — data-driven instruction, nonstop assessments, the kids in the middle getting overlooked, and a graduation stage that felt like a factory — and why it turned their hearts toward home. Erica explains why being a trained teacher made homeschooling unique rather than easier, and why her biggest lesson was that homeschool is not school at home. Kelli shares how Leigh Bortins' The Core quieted the classroom-teacher voice in her head, and Wendy describes how watching CC graduates at National Commencement convinced her this is the education she wants for her daughter. Then they tackle the most common homeschool fears: "I don't have enough patience," "My child will miss out socially," "I don't know enough," and "I could never teach high school."
Here's the good news: you don't need an education degree. You just need to stay one week ahead, lean on your community, and trust that God equips the ones he calls. Grab a coffee and share this one with a friend who's on the fence.
 
📘 The Habits of a Classical Education: Practicing the Art of Grammar by Leigh Bortins

Is working while homeschooling actually possible — a real, full-time, hands-on job and a thriving homeschool under the same roof? In this episode of Everyday Educator, host Delise Germond sits down with Lisa Bailey — veteran homeschool mom of two grown daughters who has worked for Classical Conversations since her girls were in Foundations — and Randa Clay — graphic designer, former Foundations and Essentials director, and mom of three boys — for an honest conversation about how working homeschool moms make it all fit.
Lisa's motto: you can have it all, just not all at the same time. Together they share how their rhythms shifted as their kids grew — deep work before the house wakes up, mornings with the kids and afternoons for work, and working side by side with teens in Challenge. You'll hear Randa's case for a daily afternoon quiet time with a pile of Usborne books, Lisa's "hot chocolate coffee break" and her silly end-of-workday song, and Delise's mid-day sweet treat that makes mom's work time a highlight of the day. Plus: training kids to wait respectfully (a hand to hold, a whiteboard, a "special things" box), setting up a workspace anywhere — from a plant stand to a tool crate — go-to weeknight meals like crockpot chili and baked salmon, and why meaningful chores are a gift to your kids.
If the Lord is calling you to work and homeschool — even just for a season — this conversation is your reminder that it's doable, and it doesn't have to look like your neighbor's. Grab a hot chocolate (or a coffee) and share this one with a working mom who needs the encouragement.
 
Resources:
📘 Teaching From Rest by Sarah Mackenzie
 
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." — 2 Corinthians 9:8
 
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Is homeschooling through a hard season even possible — when illness, a move, a new baby, aging parents, or a teenager's growing pains turn your picnic-blanket read-aloud dreams upside down? In this episode of Everyday Educator, host Delise Germond sits down with Lisa Bailey — veteran homeschool mom of two grown daughters and a pastor's wife who began homeschooling the same season her family set out to plant a church — for an honest, hope-filled conversation about homeschooling through hard times.
Lisa shares why knowing your "why" carries you when well-meaning friends suggest you just quit and get a job, and how a simple daily rhythm — devotion, memory work, reading, then math, even when the morning starts in the afternoon — gives kids steadiness when life feels like papers flying through the air. Delise remembers being homeschooled while her mother walked through cancer treatment and why that unchanging routine became a gift. Together they unpack the freedom of "there is always a choice": skipping the African capitals for a season of Challenge A, taking Fridays off to be with Dad, listening to heavy books on audio, discussing a book instead of writing the paper, and trading worksheets for Legos. Lisa leans on Matthew 11:28–30, Delise on Psalm 30:5 — weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Plus, practical ways to keep the joy: the Candle of Happiness, a surprise diner-waitress lunch, a quilt-tent reading nook, and cozy-season ideas for the post-Christmas winter blues.
If you're in a hard season right now, consider this your permission to bend so you don't break — and a gentle reminder that seasons change and the light is coming. Pour a cup of hot chocolate, light a candle, and share this one with a mom who needs to hear it today.
 
This episode of Everyday Educator is sponsored by HSLDA
Homeschooling gives you the freedom to direct your child's education and tailor it to their unique needs and abilities. At HSLDA, we passionately advocate for your right to homeschool and provide unwavering support along the way. From personalized legal support for your family to exclusive articles, webinars, and downloads, plus discounts from major companies, HSLDA is there to help you with every step of the journey.
Learn more about joining *HSLDA.
*CC family members can save $15 off their annual membership. Find your HSLDA discount
code on the CC Member Advantage list in CC Connected.

What does your first year of homeschooling look like next to your very last one? In this episode of Everyday Educator, host Delise sits down with Kelli Wilt — former public school teacher, Challenge 4 director, and homeschool mom finishing her family's 18-year journey — as one mom celebrates her son's very first day of Classical Conversations and the other marks her daughter's last first day of community.
Kelli shares how one throwaway line in a friend's Christmas newsletter led to an information meeting, to Leigh Bortins' The Core, and to a community she stayed in for reasons much bigger than curriculum. Delise, a classically educated homeschool graduate, explains why watching CC teach her younger brother how to think convinced her to enroll her own boys. Then they get practical about preparing for the homeschool year: Kelli's week-one bingo board for her Challenge 4 class (including thank-you notes to five people who shaped their faith), giving away books at the end of the cycle, freezer meals, and realistic expectations for laundry and chores; Delise's handwritten morning plan with prayer and Scripture at the top, time limits as guardrails, testing rooms to find where your child learns best, and a prepped cart beside the school table. Both name the traps to avoid — comparison, "a quiet thief," and hurrying past moments like a surprise caterpillar.
Whether you're on your first lap or your final one, you'll walk away reminded that your homeschool doesn't have to look like anyone else's to be a good one — your calling is faithfulness, not control. Grab a tissue, and share this one with a mom who needs some wind in her sails. 
 
This episode of Everyday Educator is sponsored by Samaritan's Purse - Operation Christmas Child
The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to children in need around the world. Your homeschool community can be part of this global mission by packing gift-filled shoeboxes full of quality toys, school supplies, and personal care items that are sent to children in over 100 countries. Through this project, Samaritan's Purse partners with the local church worldwide to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and make disciples of the nations. Make Operation Christmas Child part of your school year leading up to National Collection Week November 16-23.
Learn more about Samaritan's Purse - Operation Christmas Child

Ever felt a little nervous at the thought of teaching Latin? You're not alone — and this episode might just change your mind. In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Lisa Bailey sits down with Kathy Donegia, longtime Challenge tutor and lead curriculum developer for Classical Conversations' brand-new Common Latin program, launching for Challenge A, B, and I in 2027 (with Challenge II, III, and IV following in the years after).
Kathy shares her own journey from a two-year high school Latin student to a 15-year CC Latin tutor, and walks through what makes Common Latin different: six manageable weekly tasks, a focus on reading the Latin Vulgate to deepen understanding of familiar Scripture passages, and a design built around three purposes — becoming lovers of language, growing as classical linguists, and building community around shared study. Best of all, Kathy is clear: parents don't need to already know Latin. They just need to read the lesson a little ahead of their student and learn together.
Whether Latin has scared you off in the past or you're just looking forward to what's next for your homeschool, this conversation will leave you encouraged — and maybe even excited — to gather your family around the table and dig in.
 
This episode of Everyday Educator is sponsored by Samaritan's Purse - Operation Christmas Child
The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to children in need around the world. Your homeschool community can be part of this global mission by packing gift-filled shoeboxes full of quality toys, school supplies, and personal care items that are sent to children in over 100 countries. Through this project, Samaritan's Purse partners with the local church worldwide to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and make disciples of the nations. Make Operation Christmas Child part of your school year leading up to National Collection Week November 16-23.
Learn more about Samaritan's Purse - Operation Christmas Child