Best James Scholes Podcasts (2025)

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SS #160: We Did a Thing (Announcing Our Book!!) 44:12

11d ago44:12

44:12

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: watch live in the comfort of your home and get access to our zoom room discussion groups for fruitful interaction…

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SS #159: Curriculum Is More Than Something You Buy 1:03:44

25d ago1:03:44

1:03:44

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 conversation! *** Today is the day! We are opening early bird registration for our annual online local retreat. Th…

1
SS #158: Postmodernism Wants Your Kids 1:15:24

3M ago1:15:24

1:15:24

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 to love this conversation! *** The annual Scholé Sisters Spring Training just happened, and replays are now av…

1
SS #157: Reward Systems in Sunday School? 1:14:25

3M ago1:14:25

1:14:25

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 don’t want to be perfectionists and we DO want to be peacemakers. You’re going to love this conversation! *** If …

1
SS #156: Wonderfully Inconvenient Motherhood (with JoAnn Hallum!!) 1:21:44

4M ago1:21:44

1:21:44

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 Charles Dickens. With a fine art degree in Printmaking, she discovered she loved writing when she became a stay-at-ho…

1
SS #155: Improving Conversation 1:12:01

4M ago1:12:01

1:12:01

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 to love this conversation! *** If you’ve considered upgrading your Sistership membership from FREE to Sophie le…

1
SS #154: Discussion is Part of a Classical Education (with Everett Vencel!!) 1:10:29

5M ago1:10:29

1:10:29

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 company. In his spare time, he reads anything he can get his hands on and is studying Information technology. He …

1
SS #153: You Probably Think This Episode is About You 1:14:13

5M ago1:14:13

1:14:13

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 considered upgrading your Sistership membership from FREE to Sophie level, now is the time to do that! The live replay …

1
SS #152: Freedom Isn't Free (with Lauren Scott!!) 1:42:43

6M ago1:42:43

1:42:43

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 homeschool community, and often finds herself vacillating between “brown thumb” and “crazy plant lady” when cari…

1
SS 151: Death of the Scrappy Homeschooler 1:12:29

6M ago1:12:29

1:12:29

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 to love this conversation! *** If you’ve considered upgrading your Sistership membership from FREE to Sophie l…

1
SS #150: 'Tis the Season of Joyful Sacrifice 1:17:28

8M ago1:17:28

1:17:28

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 for the Sophie Christmas gift! Every year, we give a little something to our Sophie members to say thank you a…

1
SS #149: Reimagining School 1:11:05

9M ago1:11:05

1:11:05

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 about de-institutionalizing classical education. You’re going to love this conversation! *** The Stable and Stead…

1
SS #148: De-Institutionalizing School (featuring Heather Olsson!!) 1:19:08

9M ago1:19:08

1:19:08

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, Idaho, where Heather has taught and been a Dean at The Jubilee School. She just began her second year as Head…

1
SS #147: Strong Mothers, Special Needs (with Adelaide Garner!!) 1:31:54

10M ago1:31:54

1:31:54

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 business. Adelaide and Ben are second generation homeschoolers and use Charlotte Mason’s principles. They live …

1
SS #146: Education — Training Religious Habits 1:23:37

10M ago1:23:37

1:23:37

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 this conversation! *** The live kickoff for our newest Scholé Sisters Mentorship will take place on Friday, Octo…

1
SS #145: Why Latin? (with Angela Reed!!) 1:10:25

11M ago1:10:25

1:10:25

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, for extra credit, joined the Latin club. Angela has been enthusiastically carrying a classical torch ever since…

1
SS #144: De-stress With Natural Consequences 1:22:50

11M ago1:22:50

1:22:50

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 Essentials retreat?? This year’s topic is attention, because without attention, we cannot learn. Join us LIVE on …

1
SS #143: If You Build It, Moms Will Come 59:29

1y ago59:29

59:29

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 Homeschool Essentials retreat?? This year’s topic is ATTENTION, because without attention, you cannot LEARN. Join us LIV…

1
SS #142: Attention is a Homeschool Essential 1:07:33

1y ago1:07:33

1:07:33

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 conversation! *** Are you ready for our annual Homeschool Essentials retreat?? This year’s topic is ATTENTION, …

1
SS #141: Raising Children Who Love to Learn 1:02:38

1+ y ago1:02:38

1:02:38

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 too late to catch the replays of our annual Spring Training Sessions! The second session was just on MONDAY! O…

1
SS #140: Rewards and Motivation 1:24:45

1+ y ago1:24:45

1:24:45

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 year is Andrew Zwerneman from Cana Academy. Andrew is going to teach two sessions on history. The first sessio…

1
SS #139: A Classical College Education (with Andy Patton!!) 1:10:50

1+ y ago1:10:50

1:10:50

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 currently owns a company in the construction industry. Before going into business, Mr. Patton spent his early career …

1
SS #138: A Little More Conversation, Please (with Andrew Zwerneman!!) 1:10:47

1+ y ago1:10:47

1:10:47

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 schools — 2 at the public charter school, Tempe Preparatory Academy in Tempe, Arizona, 17 at Trinity School at Meado…

1
SS #137: Fairy Tales are True (with Vigen Guroian!!) 1:14:38

1+ y ago1:14:38

1:14:38

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 Cultural Renewal, Senior Fellow at the Center on Law and Religion at Emory University, Distinguished Fellow of the Joh…

1
SS #136: Moral Training with Charlotte Mason 1:17:10

1+ y ago1:17:10

1:17:10

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. You’re going to love this conversation! *** Did you sign up to do the 5x5 reading challenge this year? If so, y…

1
SS #135: Unit Studies Are Overrated 1:07:00

1+ y ago1:07:00

1:07:00

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 Sophie membership and get the accountability you need and the support you want. With weekly check-ins and quarterly…

1
SS # 134: What is the 5x5 Reading Challenge? 21:00

1+ y ago21:00

21:00

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 as how it works. Today's episode is hosted by Abby Wahl (because Brandy is in the middle of a cross-country mov…

1
SS #133: Mom is the Magic of Christmas 55:08

1+ y ago55:08

55:08

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. *** Every year, we give our Sophie members a special Christmas gift. This year, our Sophie members are receiving a works…

1
SS #132: Intellectual Training with Charlotte Mason 1:10:33

1+ y ago1:10:33

1:10:33

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 of Charlotte Mason, that attention can be trained. You’re going to love this conversation! *** Have you heard ab…

1
SS #131: Outsourcing for High School (with Jami Marstall!!) 1:12:49

2y ago1:12:49

1:12:49

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 homeschool and has one high schooler left. Jami loves to read about and discuss educational history and philosophy. She…

1
SS# 130: Empathy Is Bad for Your Kids 1:13:06

2y ago1:13:06

1:13:06

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 microphone is a questionable idea. With that said, we had so much fun discussing a portion of Edwin Friedman’s excel…

1
SS #129: Physical Training with Charlotte Mason 1:24:58

2y ago1:24:58

1:24:58

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 how as the what and the why. You’re going to love this conversation! *** Have you registered for our fall onli…

1
SS #128: Division or Dialogue (with Pastor Chad Vegas!!) 1:01:29

2y ago1:01:29

1:01:29

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 school education as both a teacher and Board Member. He has been married to Teresa since 1994 and they have 2 child…

1
SS #127: Curriculum as Crutch 1:17:08

2y ago1:17:08

1:17:08

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 registered for our fall online local retreats yet? Our physical hostess kits are just about sold out, but digital…

1
SS #126: Hosting a Desert Retreat (with Kara Hughes!!) 27:55

2y ago27:55

27:55

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 the two together when she can get them. Kara is also the librarian at a homeschool curriculum library, and is tr…

1
SS #125: Numbering the Days of Your Homeschool 46:12

2y ago46:12

46:12

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 Essentials retreats always take a deep dive into one aspect of homeschooling. This year’s topic is TIME, the most es…

1
SS #124: Redeeming the Five-Paragraph Essay (with Renee Shepard!!) 1:01:44

2+ y ago1:01:44

1:01:44

Our guest today is Renee Shepard. Renee was one of the fortunate few to be homeschooled back when that wasn’t really a thing. When she had her own children, she wanted to provide an even better education for them. That drove her to a study of classical education, and over the last ten years she has been homeschooling her children while staying a st…

1
SS #123: Honor Thy Philosophical Fathers (Brent Pinkall on Chinese Classical Education) 1:07:47

2+ y ago1:07:47

1:07:47

Our guest today is Brent Pinkall, author of the fabulous new book, Redeeming the Six Arts: A Christian Approach to Chinese Classical Education, which the Sisters cannot recommend enough. Brent Pinkall is a Lecturer of Rhetoric at New Saint Andrews College. Before joining the NSA faculty, Pinkall taught rhetoric at a classical Christian college in C…

1
SS #122: Put the Masterly Back in Masterly Inactivity 1:05:42

2+ y ago1:05:42

1:05:42

Today, Mystie, Brandy, and Abby attempt to straighten out one of the biggest misunderstandings in the Charlotte Mason world: masterly inactivity. The term is constantly misused, so they start off with definitions. But keep listening because they'll go into detail on how exactly this concept can be applied to real life. You’re going to love this con…

1
SS #121: Barefoot in the Kitchen with the Ideal Type (featuring David Hicks!!!) 1:04:11

2+ y ago1:04:11

1:04:11

Today's very special guest is David Hicks. Does the famed author of one of the bestest books EVER, Norms and Nobility, really need any further introduction? Well, what you may not know about him is that he spent thirty years of his life in private education, serving as head of school for a number of schools across the country, and culminating as Ch…

1
SS #120: Let Them Go (Launching Boys with Toby Sumpter!!) 1:10:37

2+ y ago1:10:37

1:10:37

Our guest today is Toby Sumpter. Toby pastors King’s Cross Church in Moscow, Idaho. He and his wife Jenny have been married over twenty years and they have 4 kids, one of whom has recently flown the coop. He is a co-host of the CrossPolitic Show and author of Blood-Bought World and No Mere Mortals. He holds a Master of Arts in Theological Studies w…

1
SS #119: Rewards Revisited (with Jason Barney!!) 1:01:46

2+ y ago1:01:46

1:01:46

Our guest today is Jason Barney from the Educational Renaissance Podcast! Jason serves as the Principal of Coram Deo Academy in Carmel, IN. In 2012 he was awarded the Henry Salvatori Prize for Excellence in Teaching from Hillsdale College. He completed his MA in Biblical Exegesis at Wheaton College, where he received The Tenney Award in New Testame…

1
SS #118: Grit and Bear It 1:16:04

2+ y ago1:16:04

1:16:04

We’re discussing GRIT today. What is grit REALLY? And do kids need grit? DO moms need grit? And if we need it … how do we get it? You’re gonna enjoy thinking through these questions. *** Have you joined the Scholé Sistership yet? In January, we kicked off our annual 5x5 Reading Challenge. It is not too late to join us! All you have to do is head on…

1
SS #117: Religion is Essential 1:02:27

2+ y ago1:02:27

1:02:27

Is real education necessarily religious? And if so, where does that leave modern claims to a secular education? These are the questions we raise in today's episode. *** Have you joined the Scholé Sistership yet? In January, we kicked off our annual 5x5 Reading Challenge. It is not too late to join us! All you have to do is head on over to scholesis…

1
SS #116: Feasting in a Time of Fasting 1:23:40

2+ y ago1:23:40

1:23:40

Today, we present our annual Christmas episode! In light of inflation and the fact that, for many of us, Christmas has to be different this year compared to last, we thought we’d go over the first couple chapters of Little Women and discuss how to feast in a time of fasting. *** Have you joined the Scholé Sistership yet? We are really enjoying the …

1
SS #115: Indoctrinate Me 1:08:11

2+ y ago1:08:11

1:08:11

Today’s episode is a response to the popular saying that real education teaches kids “not WHAT to think, but HOW to think.” We think this is a dangerous false dichotomy. Can we make a good argument in favor of indoctrinating your kids? We’re gonna try! *** Have you joined the Scholé Sistership yet? We are really enjoying the current Sophie Seminar,…

1
SS #114: Well-Educated Daughters (with Rebekah Merkle!!) 54:36

3y ago54:36

54:36

Our guest today is the one and only Rebekah Merkle. Rebekah has dabbled in a number of occupations ranging from running her own clothing label to designing fabrics to becoming a full-time high school humanities teacher (which is fitting, because she was a student in one of the founding classical Christian schools in the USA). Most importantly for t…

1
SS #113: The Ideal Type 1:02:26

3y ago1:02:26

1:02:26

Today’s episode is our annual retreat episode, meaning we recorded it when we were in Dallas. As is typical of that style of recording, the sound quality is questionable ... but the content is great (if we do say so ourselves)!! We discussed the existence of the Ideal Type using David Hicks’ authoritative book, Norms and Nobility. We think you’ll l…

1
SS #112: How to Build an Educational Philosophy (Part 3: What Does a Well-Educated Person Look Like?) 1:04:32

3y ago1:04:32

1:04:32

Today’s episode is the final in our three-part series designed to get you started on forming an educational philosophy. Whether you have been studying philosophy for years, or you are brand new to classical homeschooling, you are going to LOVE today’s discussion, which explores what a well-educated person is like. *** Have you joined the Scholé Sis…

1
SS #111: How to Build an Educational Philosophy (Part 2: What is Education?) 55:43

3y ago55:43

55:43

Today’s episode is the second in our three-part series designed to help you get started forming an educational philosophy. Whether you have been studying philosophy for years, or you are brand new to classical homeschooling, you are going to LOVE today’s discussion, which centers on the definition of education. *** Are you as excited about this yea…

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