Learning Is a Lifestyle

The Everyday Educator podcast is your weekly reminder to open your eyes to the world as your classroom, your encouragement that you don’t have to homeschool alone, and your lifeline for practical tips and resource suggestions for the road ahead.

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Listen to the Latest Episode

How to Build a Home Library Your Kids Will Actually Love

Ever look at your bookshelves and wonder if you’re doing this whole “home library” thing right? In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Lisa Bailey sits down with fellow book-lovers Jennifer Courtney and Delise to talk about how to build a home library your kids will actually love — one thrifted treasure, hand-me-down classic, and cherished read-aloud at a time.

From Jennifer’s collection of vintage Landmark history books (including one that sparked a beautiful conversation with her dad) to Delise’s hunt for out-of-print gems at the thrift store, this episode is full of practical, budget-friendly ideas for growing your family’s collection. They also dig into how to teach kids to be discerning readers — using tools like Philippians 4:8 and trusted review sites — and why re-reading old favorites with your children is never a waste of time.

You don’t need a perfectly curated shelf to start — you just need a love of good stories and a plan for growing your collection one book at a time. Tune in for the encouragement (and the book recommendations) every homeschool mom needs!

 

This episode of Everyday Educator is sponsored by the 2027 CC Family Cruise featuring the National Memory Master Competition, the National Number Knockout Competition, & the National Commencement.

The CC Family Cruise is setting sail May 2-8th, 2027, departing from Galveston, Texas, and your whole family is invited! Onboard, you can enjoy CC Signature events and exclusive perks like group dining, merchandise, events, onboard credit, and time with Leigh and Robert Bortins.

Space is filling up quickly, so visit classicalconversations.com/cruise to start your booking today!

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About Everyday Educator

Everyday Educator began in 2015 with a simple purpose: to help other parents leap over the hurdles and steer around the potholes encountered on the homeschooling journey by laying out simple systems to apply the classical tools of learning.

Now, the show has reached over one million downloads and is enjoyed by homeschool families all over the world.

Enthusiastic lifelong learner Lisa Bailey, often joined by fellow everyday educators, comes alongside listeners to offer much-needed encouragement, present practical tips, and suggest helpful resources to make homeschooling a little more doable.

You don’t have to do this alone. Everyday Educator will encourage, equip, and inspire you to continue on the journey with excellence!

Meet Lisa Bailey

Lisa Bailey has been a homeschool mom for more than twenty years and is the mother of two Classical Conversations Challenge program graduates. She has served in a variety of positions at Classical Conversations since 2004 and most recently serves as a Lead Curriculum Developer at Classical Conversations Multi-Media. As host of the Everyday Educator podcast since its humble beginnings, Lisa considers herself blessed with the unique opportunity to encourage homeschool families across the nation and around the world.

Lisa Bailey headshot