ASSURED: How to Homeschool and Not Get Burned Out By It

On this episode, Dawn is sharing how "being an author is more than just writing a book, it's about being able to take captive the thoughts and feelings that are in our heads, and putting it down on paper." You bet I asked Dawn to break down her story guide framework for exactly how you can help your homeschooler with writing stories that expand upon their life experiences. And this is the same framework that helped me with understanding the transformational narrative in my own life! In this episode, we break down:

Ever wonder what causes some children to love writing, while others hate it?For this episode of the Assured podcast, I'm joined by Andrew Pudewa, founder of the Institute for Excellence in Writing, to shed light on the thinking behind your homeschooler's writing. Join us as we unpack how you can nurture excellent communicators, prevent negative self-talk, and develop the writing skills needed so your child can develop the thinking processes that make writing fun! Connect with Andrew:https://iew.com/The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking:Help your child unlock self-awareness, responsibility, and initiative in their learning and for their life… in 5 simple stepsassuredpodcast.com/ultimate-guide Connect with Natalie:natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

What if your neurodivergent child's path to literacy doesn't need to look like everyone else's? In this episode, I sit down with Aubrey Hargis of Child of the Redwoods to explore how the Montessori method naturally supports neurodivergent learners — especially when it comes to reading, writing, and discovering a true love of learning.Whether you're new to Montessori or simply looking for practical ideas that meet your child where they are, you'll find this conversation full of freedom, wisdom, and encouragement.

What if your child doesn't need to be forced to learn to read?For this episode, I'm joined by Leah Martin, who shares:

You already know teaching literacy is important BUT you might be getting stuck when it comes to HOW to do that in your homeschool. As you follow along with this season and listen to homeschooling thought leaders share new perspectives and possibilities, you'll start to see shifts in how your child gets on board with their reading, writing, and general expression of ideas. You'll see them grow in confidence and communication! Because you'll be walking away with new tools to add to your homeschool teaching toolbelt so you can personalize the learning process for your family.In this episode, we'll unpack:

How can you teach in your homeschool when you're stressed out and scared?How do you teach your children to not be afraid?How do we hold an open hand of willingness to change for the better when change seems so scary?Because you know as well as I do that when we are stressed, our children pick up on that.Today on the Assured podcast, I have a bonus one-off episode for you all about how we can navigate the uncertainty that lays ahead.Learn more about the Thoughtful Thinkers 6-week critical thinking program: assuredpodcast.com/thoughtful-thinkersConnect with Natalie:natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

When is it finally time to FIRE your homeschool curriculum? Because you just spent precious time, money and energy to research and source the BEST curriculum so chances are, you're not willing to give up on it at the first sign of resistance!You've heard me talk extensively about how to adapt what you already have so that it WORKS for you...But let's be real, there's a time when you need to just stop.

You have a choice – make your homeschooler do it anyway, or switch things up?We all want to be that awesome mom who swoops in and saves their child from the dreaded math drills! But the problem is, most have no idea what an alternative approach even could be! So let me share with you my favourite 2 secret teaching hacks so you can keep the curriculum you worked so hard to research and purchase, and instead, ADAPT IT to work for the here and now. Hook 'Em Homeschool Quiz:Which Engagement Hooks Match Your Homeschool Teaching Style?assuredpodcast.com/quizConnect with Natalie:natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

Teaching your homeschooler a second language (or a foreign language) is about communication and learning how to speak the way OTHERS understand.On today's episode of the Assured podcast, I will show you how to teach your homeschooler a second language, even if you're not fluent yourself!Hook 'Em Homeschool Quiz:Which Engagement Hooks Match Your Homeschool Teaching Style?assuredpodcast.com/quizConnect with Natalie:natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

When it comes to social studies, you can drop down into a moment of time so that your child fully understands not just what happened, but WHY things happened that way.For this episode about teaching your homeschooler social studies, we're going to get into WHY I love teaching social studies dialectically, how to teach it, what that has to do with empathy, and then we'll unpack why this can lead to learning gaps...Hook 'Em Homeschool Quiz:Which Engagement Hooks Match Your Homeschool Teaching Style?assuredpodcast.com/quizYouTube Video About Learning Gaps:I spent a year catching up in my homeschool (we made a mistake)https://youtu.be/M588g7QmND4Connect with Natalie:natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

Leaders tend to think differently than the crowd. They're not afraid of playing with new ideas! As you teach the skills of leadership and responsibility to your homeschooler through career education, they WILL stand out from the crowd.  And in terms of socialization, they may not end up thinking and doing the same as most children their age… Quite honestly, I stopped worrying about homeschool socialization when I learned THIS about Career Education. Hook 'Em Homeschool Quiz: Which Engagement Hooks Match Your Homeschool Teaching Style? assuredpodcast.com/quiz Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

There is no one-size-fits-all way to teach math.  As a former high school science, math, and dance teacher, now turned homeschooling mom… I'm here to encourage you that if your child isn't connecting with math, you can get flexible and creative with your approach! On today's episode of the Assured Podcast, I'm going to share with you what the purpose of math is, what you want to make sure you include, and then how to troubleshoot when your homeschooler laments “I HATE math!” There ARE some do's and don'ts when it comes to teaching homeschool math so buckle up for my top advice to help your child LOVE learning math. Hook 'Em Homeschool Quiz: Which Engagement Hooks Match Your Homeschool Teaching Style? assuredpodcast.com/quiz Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

Sending your homeschooler outside and calling it PE is a mistake! There's more to Physical Education than just the physical part. As we unpack each subject area in Season 6, PE stands out as being quite different from the rest! Join us for this episode as I reveal: - Why PE is a subject to address every day - How PE isn't just about physically getting daily exercise – it includes emotional, and spiritual aspects too! - What the purpose of PE really is... - How teaching the mind-body connection will help your child process stress and anxiety Hook 'Em Homeschool Quiz: Which Engagement Hooks Match Your Homeschool Teaching Style? assuredpodcast.com/quiz Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

The whole purpose of including ADST in your homeschool is to teach your child how to look around and identify the needs that they have, the needs they see in their community, and then to actually address those!  ADST goes through the process of creating ideas, troubleshooting, incorporating insight from others, and problem solving as they use all their thinking modes to bring those ideas to life! Learn how to develop your child's thinking skills, physical motor skills, and give them an opportunity to engage with improving their life and the community around them. Hook 'Em Homeschool Quiz: Which Engagement Hooks Match Your Homeschool Teaching Style? assuredpodcast.com/quiz Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

Can you believe that I used to think I wasn't artistic because I didn't think I was a good enough drawer? Meanwhile, I was choreographing full scale productions at the age of 16, and spent much of my childhood as a “triple threat” - singing, dancing, and acting.  But because everyone would laugh at me during Pictionary, even as an adult, I still thought I wasn't artistic!  I went on to take my creative side to an Education Degree in Curriculum Development and Design and even now have a handful of trainings and courses through Homeschool Teaching Simplified that are just as much knowledge sharing as they are artistic expression for me. 

If you want to see your child love learning, help them understand how everything they do works together, and you would like them to develop those critical thinking skills that come from understanding multiple perspectives, then this is the episode for you! Join me for the TOP mistake I see beginner homeschoolers make when teaching science and teaching strategies to overcome it. Help your child learn how to integrate and connect every piece of scientific information they learn - from all four of the science streams! Hook 'Em Homeschool Quiz: Which Engagement Hooks Match Your Homeschool Teaching Style? assuredpodcast.com/quiz Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

Teaching your child English Language Arts (ie. reading and writing) allows them to connect more deeply with themselves and connect with others. Reading 1000 books with my children in 1 year not only won them each a library book, it helped set them up for confidence in their own independent thinking! Whether your child is just getting started here, or you're helping raise them up out of a plateau, keep pursuing how you support them with independent reading and writing… Because when you do, you are empowering your child to communicate more effectively and have stronger relationships throughout their whole lives. Hook 'Em Homeschool Quiz Which Engagement Hooks Match Your Homeschool Teaching Style? https://www.assuredpodcast.com/quiz Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

If you have the tick-tock of the clock reminding you that time is SHORT and you're feeling your heart start to pound with the rush to get it all done, then this is the perfect episode for you. We're about to break down how you can homeschool in just 3 hours per day by mixing the 8 subjects together into ONE lesson to include everything you need to in half the time. Throughout Season 6 of the Assured podcast, I'll unpack with you: the different subject areas & what you want to make sure you include what to do when you don't want to teach something you're required to how to know if a certain curriculum is going to be a good choice for YOUR family Hook 'Em Homeschool Quiz Which Engagement Hooks Match Your Homeschool Teaching Style? https://www.assuredpodcast.com/quiz Charlotte's Web Unit Study https://www.assuredpodcast.com/novelstudy Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

There's only ONE thing you need to boost engagement in your homeschool and it takes less than 5minutes to include! I'm going to show you how your teaching style can boring-proof your homeschool with simple engagement hook activities - which ones match your homeschool teaching style? Hook 'Em Homeschool Quiz Which Engagement Hooks Match Your Homeschool Teaching Style? https://www.homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/quiz Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

For today's episode of the Assured Podcast, we're turning things around - a full 180 degrees and you get to hear an episode where I am the one interviewed! Recently, I was a guest on Elan Page's podcast Homeschool Our Way where we had such a valuable conversation, she aired it in 2 episodes! I'm going to share with you one of those episodes where Elan and I talked about how you can develop independence and critical thinking skills in your older children. The Homeschool Our Way Podcast is all about supporting you in starting a homeschool journey with the clarity and confidence to be successful. Elan supports moms looking for a non-traditional education route for their children. You're going to love this conversation! Listen to Part 1 on Apple HERE or on Spotify HERE. Learn more about Elan: https://www.homeschoolourway.com/ https://www.instagram.com/homeschool_ourway/ Check out Elan's 5 episode podcast series called START Homeschooling! She'll help you get grounded so that you can go from feelings of uneasiness and confusion to moving forward in your family's homeschool journey with confidence and clarity. CLICK HERE to listen! The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking: Setting Up Your Homeschooler to Take Initiative For Their Learning: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/ultimate-guide Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

Is your homeschooler starting thinking about life post-graduation? For this episode of the Assured podcast, I'm joined by Test Prep Professional & Scholarship Expert, Leia LeMaster Horton, to show you how scholarships can help fund your teen's post-secondary education plans. On this episode, you'll hear about: The basics of how to start getting ready to graduate homeschooling How test prep and test scores come into play when it comes to earning scholarships The most important thing to teach your homeschooler for scholarship application What happens when your teen is interested in a gap year Connect with Leia: Sign up for a FREE test prep consultation with Horton Test Prep: https://calendly.com/hortontestprep/30min?month=2023-02 Facebook Group: Secrets to Earning Scholarships  https://www.facebook.com/hortontestprep/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leialemasterhorton/ The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking: Setting Up Your Homeschooler to Take Initiative For Their Learning: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/ultimate-guide Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

If you want to see your homeschooler taking initiative for their learning, you definitely want to be teaching them leadership skills! For this episode of the Assured podcast, I'm joined by Matthew Klapwijk from Youth Empowering Youth, the leadership program that empowers teens to make a difference in their communities. On this episode, you'll hear about: Qualities that make a great teen leader and which to focus on developing first Goal setting strategies and how to help your teen find their purpose How the 7 levels of why can motivate your teen out of challenging emotional moments Practical tips for homeschooling moms that want to instill leadership skills in their teen Connect with Youth Empowering Youth: Youth Empowering Youth Program ages 8-18yrs: https://www.yeyfoundation.org Podcast: https://linktr.ee/YouthEmpoweringYouth The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking: Setting Up Your Homeschooler to Take Initiative For Their Learning: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/ultimate-guide Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

You never know how the gifts your teen is growing will be used later in life! Even when it seems like plans and goals are impossible to decide, you can help them navigate to their future purpose. It can be so tempting to try to control and prevent the hardships and challenges your teen is facing along the way; of course you don't want them to experience the same pain & mistakes that you did! That's why I sat down with Maria Galyean, the Homeschool Admin, to unpack how to support and direct teens in a way that that grows their independence and maturity. On this episode, you'll hear about: Helping your teen find their passion and purpose in life, even if the path gets a little messy How to help your teen flourish individually in their gifts and identity within healthy boundaries How to go about finding a mentor for your teen that won't ruin your personal relationship Connect with Maria: Website: www.thehomeschooladmin.com/workwithme EMPOWERED for teens: www.thehomeschooladmin.com/teenmm  Instagram: @thehomeschooladmin The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking: Setting Up Your Homeschooler to Take Initiative For Their Learning: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/ultimate-guide Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

If you are looking to see your teen develop responsibility, initiative, and self-awareness, then you've probably thought about teaching them critical thinking.  But where to begin, am I right?!  Today we're going to unpack the 5 critical thinking traits every homeschooler NEEDS - and you won't see these taught in school. If you focus on developing these 5 qualities in your teen, you'll see them grow to be confident in themselves and what they stand for. On this episode, you'll hear about: Helping your teen drop the fight and communicate respectfully with different opinions and perspectives. How to prevent your teen from becoming swayed by the chaos of manipulative marketing. Helping develop and hold a healthy template for how your teen thinks about themselves, even in the face of powerful media.  Setting up your teen to make rational decisions with clarity and discernment. The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking: Setting Up Your Homeschooler to Take Initiative For Their Learning: assuredpodcast.com/ultimate-guide The Raising Thoughtful Thinkers Free Training: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/training Thoughtful Thinkers 6 week, live, small group program: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/thoughtful-thinkers Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

The best part about our freedom to homeschool is our freedom to think! But what happens when we want to teach our children skills of critical thinking and we never learned those skills ourselves? I'm joined by Kathy Gibbens from the Filter It Through A Brain Cell podcast to discuss how you can teach your child critical thinking skills. On this episode, you'll hear about: Examples of critical thinking in action, so your child can notice flawed thinking Why you don't know very much about critical thinking already What it practically looks like to change your mind and how that impacts your children Kathy's top 3 tips for teaching critical thinking Connect with Kathy: Meme Fallacy Quiz: https://www.filteritthroughabraincell.com/quiz IG: @filteritthroughabraincell Email: think@filteritthroughabraincell Podcast: Filter It Through a Brain Cell The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking: Setting Up Your Homeschooler to Take Initiative For Their Learning: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/ultimate-guide Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

As homeschooling moms, we want to see our teens grow in their independence and really thrive doing what they love — and we want to build and maintain really strong relationships in the process! I sat down with Nadine Lauffer, homeschool graduate and host of the Fearlessly Different podcast to discuss home learning, relationships, and dual enrollment from a teenage perspective. On this episode, you'll hear about: What a homeschooling teen truly needs Dealing with Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) as a homeschooling teen How a homeschooling mom can NOT push her teen away and create a positive educational experience full of trust, independence, and healthy responsibility Practical examples for a homeschooling mom to help her teen take initiative for their learning Admission roadblocks and advice for homeschoolers going to college/university Connect with Nadine: Podcast Website: https://hshighschoolpodcast.buzzsprout.com/ Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/fearlesslydifferent.pod/ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUAfmEYU9TNyLveHrhoiAnQ The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking: Setting Up Your Homeschooler to Take Initiative For Their Learning: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/ultimate-guide Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

What can make you more proud than seeing your high schooler grow to become confident and successful in a career path that they love? For this episode, I'm joined by Sheri Jones from Youth In Business where we're talking about how to help your teen turn their passion into a profitable business. You'll hear about: What the best kind of business is to start (even if your child is shy) How to help your multi-passionate child try out new ideas without breaking the bank The best practical ways you can support your child through their entrepreneurial ups and downs and more! If you're homeschooling a teen who wants to start their own business, this podcast was literally made for you! Connect with Sheri: Free Training: How To Create A Successful Kids Business That Makes Sales In The First Week https://youthinbusiness.com/ IG: @youth_in_business_ The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking: Setting Up Your Homeschooler to Take Initiative For Their Learning: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/ultimate-guide Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

Season 5 of the Assured Podcast is dedicated to homeschooling high schoolers. If you have a teen, you are going to LOVE the guests and topics that I have for you, and if you have a tween or middle schooler, I think you're also going to get a tonne of value here and be able to apply most of of these concepts.  I'm talking about how a teen can start their own business, what critical thinking is, how to develop leadership skills, scholarship and graduation requirements, and even tips from a homeschool grad turned podcaster.  Today we're going to kick things off with unpacking the #1 aspect that is different about homeschooling a high schooler! On this episode, you'll hear about: The #1 aspect that is different about teaching a teen in high school How you can set them up for the independence they crave Examples for how to make learning relevant and meaningful (bring the fun back!) The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking: Setting Up Your Homeschooler to Take Initiative For Their Learning: assuredpodcast.com/ultimate-guide Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

Have you ever thought about how much your children ACTUALLY learn from raising chickens in the backyard? It might sound simple to manage the daily chore of feeding and collecting eggs, but today we're going to look at how chickens can help with big topics like career education, science, and even spiritual growth. I'm going to unpack each of these 3 major subject areas with plenty of examples so you can advocate for your child when it comes to reporting what they've learned.  The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking: Setting Up Your Homeschooler to Take Initiative For Their Learning: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/ultimate-guide Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

How do you know when you can take the lead with your child's health, and when it's best to head to the emergency room (ER)? I'm joined by Hollie Bigham, former ER nurse turned holistic health practitioner to talk about how we can teach our children a proactive approach and care for ourselves naturally with skill, confidence, and wisdom. Connect with Hollie: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/parentledhealth/ Parent-Led Health Community (Free): https://rootedtablehealth.com/community-interest-form Parent-Led Health+ Subscription: https://rootedtablehealth.com/parentledhealth The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking: Setting Up Your Homeschooler to Take Initiative For Their Learning: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/ultimate-guide Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

Juggling a homestead while homeschooling takes a lot of effort and energy! That's why I brought Monica Baker to chat about practical ways we can claim simplicity as homeschooling moms. With examples ranging from pre-school to high school, we unpacked the simplicity secrets you need to know to ensure you create a rich learning environment that is woven right into your lifestyle. Connect with Monica: Website: https://www.claimingsimplicity.com Email: monica@claimingsimplicity.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/ Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/ Podcast: Claiming Simplicity YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@claimingsimplicity/ The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking: Setting Up Your Homeschooler to Take Initiative For Their Learning: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/ultimate-guide Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

As a homesteading and homeschooling mom myself, the #1 aspect that keeps coming up (tell me if you agree)… is that there is not enough time to do it all.  You know that the solution is to combine homeschooling into your homesteading activities, but sometimes it's unclear how to do this effectively. Today I'm going to show you how to check off over 50 of those requirements just with your summer garden! The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking: Setting Up Your Homeschooler to Take Initiative For Their Learning: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/ultimate-guide Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

You deserve to be the best version of yourself. With your homestead fitness, you can tap into the homeschooling mindset of life-long learning! If you want to see your child let go of self-imposed limitations about what they think they're capable of, the best way to do that is to model the process for them. On this episode of the Assured Podcast, I'm joined by Britany Lenz, fitness trainer and homeschooling/homesteading mom herself. We unpacked what it looks like to show yourself unconditional love by starting something, growing, overcoming obstacles, and persevering to your goals! The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking: Setting Up Your Homeschooler to Take Initiative For Their Learning: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/ultimate-guide Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com Connect with Britany: Work With Britany: britanylenz.com Britany's IG: https://www.instagram.com/_britanylenz

Homeschooling on a homestead has it's special considerations, but what about doing it all OFF-GRID? Tasha Miller speaks about what it's like to stock curriculum much like seed saving so learning resources can be used even without internet access. The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking: Setting Up Your Homeschooler to Take Initiative For Their Learning: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/ultimate-guide Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com Connect with Tasha: https://www.instagram.com/myhandmadehomestead/

Especially when homeschooling on a homestead, it is tempting to protect our children from the pain of learning hard aspects of life. But this robs them from the opportunity to learn how to process and bounce back from disappointment and challenge. Join Kody Hanner @homestead_education and I as we talk about how to teach resiliency in a way you might not expect! Connect with Kody: www.thehomesteadeducation.com www.instagram.com/homestead_education The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking: Setting Up Your Homeschooler to Take Initiative For Their Learning: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/ultimate-guide Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

For Season 4, I'm bringing together top homesteading and homeschooling thought leaders to show how to weave homeschooling into the homesteading lifestyle. As a homesteading and homeschooling mom myself, the #1 aspect that keeps coming up (tell me if you agree)… is that there is not enough time to do it all.  And you know that the solution is to combine homeschooling into your homesteading activities, but it can be hard to pinpoint how to do this effectively. I mean, a simpler lifestyle doesn't always mean that things are faster or easier…  That's why you are going to hear from multiple perspectives this season around a whole host of topics that weave together homeschooling and homesteading.  Today, we'll be kicking things off with experiential learning, and then you'll hear about topics such as: how to teach children off grid, holistic health and nutrition, farm fitness, age appropriate chore delegation, of course what children learn from chicken keeping, and even MORE.  The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking: Setting Up Your Homeschooler to Take Initiative For Their Learning: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/ultimate-guide Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

Would it be a problem if your child started critical thinking? Had to think about it for a moment, didn't you? Because you know the answer is "no", but it still seems scary for some reason. The #1 fear that I've heard from homeschooling moms is... "will critical thinking make my child mean?" Here's the thing... Critical thinking is NOT the same as critcalness. Listen to this BONUS episode to learn what critical thinking is and how you can apply the 5-step critical thinking method in your homeschool. The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking: Setting Up Your Homeschooler to Take Initiative For Their Learning: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/ultimate-guide Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

Do you have what it takes to homeschool your child? The doubt about whether you're doing a good job at this can creep in and next thing you know, you're questioning if this is the best decision for your family after all! You need to know how to determine and actually see signs that you ARE doing a good job at this. That's why on this final episode of our Getting Started season, I'm breaking down how to measure if your homeschool is succesfful. You've got this! Sign up for Natalie's free, 3-day Communication Connection Upgrade Challenge: ⁠assuredpodcast.com/challenge⁠ Learn more about the Teaching Inspired membership: ⁠assuredpodcast.com/community⁠ Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

One of the reasons you started homeschooling is likely because your child needs to see a positive and helpful template for what they can become by committing to themselves and their learning. I sat down with Elan Page to discuss how you, as your child's main role model, can break generational unhealthy belief patterns and provide something better for your child. You can show them through homeschooling what their limitless potential makes them capable of through a simple S.T.A.R.T. method. Listen to Elan's free START Homeschooling audio training series. This quick and easy 5-episode playlist will help you get grounded so that you can start your family's homeschool journey with confidence and clarity. Click here to listen now: https://www.homeschoolourway.com/start Elan's Instagram: @homeschool_ourway Elan's Website: homeschoolourway.com Sign up for Natalie's free, 3-day Communication Connection Upgrade Challenge: ⁠assuredpodcast.com/challenge⁠ Learn more about the Teaching Inspired membership: ⁠assuredpodcast.com/community⁠ Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

Sometimes the best choice for one child is different than the best choice for another child! Sometimes the best choice for now isn't always the best choice in the future. How can you, as a mom, cultivate family connection and unity when only some of the children are homeschooled and others are in a classroom? I sat down with Shannon Biancamano, a seasoned homeschooling mom who has found a way to stay connected with each child, and keep them connected with eachother, despite her oldest staying in the classroom when the rest started homeschooling. Follow Shannon on Instagram: @guided.b.y.grace (note the updated handle from what was mentioned on the episode) Sign up for Natalie's free, 3-day Communication Connection Upgrade Challenge: ⁠assuredpodcast.com/challenge⁠ Learn more about the Teaching Inspired membership: ⁠assuredpodcast.com/community⁠ Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

"But what about socialization?!" ⬅️ It's the #1 question you can be sure someone will ask you. How do you respond graciously to this accusation? ah hem, I mean, question. Listen in to the break down of how I answer this question and why at the end of the day, I refuse to socialize my homeschoolers. (Hint: it's about the definitions we're working with here...) Sign up for Natalie's free, 3-day Communication Connection Upgrade Challenge: ⁠assuredpodcast.com/challenge⁠ Learn more about the Teaching Inspired membership: ⁠assuredpodcast.com/community⁠ Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

We are extending the curriculum conversation this week with Dr. Blake Willard of the Homeschool Mastery Group. More important than what curriculum you choose to teach from is HOW you go about teaching it! You can even prevent learning gaps with one simple tweak. Listen in to learn why it is NOT recommended to get started homeschooling by choosing curriculum and what you should do instead! Learn more about Dr. Blake Willard's Homeschooling Programs: https://www.starthomeschooling.io/homeschool-mastery-live Homeschool Mastery Group membership program: https://www.skool.com/homeschool-mastery-group/about Sign up for Natalie's free, 3-day Communication Connection Upgrade Challenge: ⁠assuredpodcast.com/challenge⁠ Learn more about the Teaching Inspired membership: ⁠assuredpodcast.com/community⁠ Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

Ever wonder how to choose the perfect curriculum for your family? How does classroom curriculum compare with homeschool curriculum? For this episode of the Assured Podcast, I'm joined by Hester VanBraeden, owner of Classical Education Books and she is telling ALL about choosing homeschool curriculum so you can enjoy the rhythm of your homeschool days. Use code "ASSURED" for 10% off your curriculum order at Classical Education Books: https://classicaleducationbooks.ca/ Sign up for the free, 3-day Communication Connection Upgrade Challenge: ⁠assuredpodcast.com/challenge⁠ Learn more about the Teaching Inspired membership: ⁠assuredpodcast.com/community⁠ Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

I sat down with Brenda Fawkes, president of the BC Home Educators Association (BCHEA) to unpack everything you need to know around the rules of getting started homeschooling. The BCHEA is a registered non-profit society dedicated to the protection of the family's freedom to educate children at home with minimal government intervention. Brenda is dedicated to protecting the rights of homeschoolers and informing parents about how to set themselves up for everything their child needs, right up to higher education requirements. Listen to learn about your options for when and how you go about homeschooling. BC Home Educators Association Getting Started Page: https://bchea.ca/getting-started/  BCHEA Membership Information: https://bchea.ca/about/membership/membership-form/  For BCHEA members to request a zoom call from a veteran homeschooler:  https://bchea.ca/contact/  Check for homeschooling updates if you aren't a member receiving newsletters: https://bchea.ca/noticeboard/  Homeschooling Procedures and Guidelines PDF: homeschooling-procedures-and-guidelines.pdf Canadian Province-by-Province homeschooling laws: https://thecanadianhomeschooler.com/how-to-homeschool-in-canada/ BC Curriculum: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/ Sign up for the free, 3-day Communication Connection Upgrade Challenge: ⁠assuredpodcast.com/challenge⁠ Learn more about the Teaching Inspired membership: ⁠assuredpodcast.com/community⁠ Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

The reason my husband wanted to start homeschooling came down to "fire prevention". He was hearing so many horror stories while working at the fire hall and he knew that we could help our children avoid many harmful belief systems if we were to homeschool them. Join us to hear his side of the story for how we got started homeschooling and why we kept on despite facing challenges. Sign up for the free, 3-day Communication Connection Upgrade Challenge: ⁠assuredpodcast.com/challenge⁠ Learn more about the Teaching Inspired membership: ⁠assuredpodcast.com/community⁠ Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

Getting started homeschooling can feel overwhelming, even paralyzing, when you don't know what to do first. This season is going back to basics. Today, I'm going to expose the #1 homeschooling LIE that too many get caught up believing. Learn how to pull yourself out of the pit of discouragement and hopelessness so that you can provide the top notch education you brought your child home for. Sign up for the free, 3-day Communication Connection Upgrade Challenge: assuredpodcast.com/challenge Learn more about the Teaching Inspired membership: assuredpodcast.com/community Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com

For ASSURED Season 2, we are unpacking homeschool exhaustion and exploring different perspectives and possibilities for how you can personally recharge. In this episode, you are going to hear part of the RECHARGE Virtual Summit All-Access conversation I had with Emily Jones. You can listen to the full conversation at https://homeschoolteachingsimplififed.com/recharge Make sure to FOLLOW the show to catch all 12 perspectives for how you can personally recharge. Recharge Virtual Summit Recordings: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/recharge Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com Emily Jones' Free Gift: Premium Parent Home Tribe Membership www.hometribe.com

For ASSURED Season 2, we are unpacking homeschool exhaustion and exploring different perspectives and possibilities for how you can personally recharge. In this episode, you are going to hear part of the RECHARGE Virtual Summit All-Access conversation I had with Mary McManus & Stephanie Owens. You can listen to the full conversation at https://homeschoolteachingsimplififed.com/recharge Make sure to FOLLOW the show to catch all 12 perspectives for how you can personally recharge. Recharge Virtual Summit Recordings: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/recharge Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com Melanin Mamas Homeschooling's Free Gift: What's the Plan Prep Sheet https://www.melaninmamashomeschooling.com/downloads

For ASSURED Season 2, we are unpacking homeschool exhaustion and exploring different perspectives and possibilities for how you can personally recharge. In this episode, you are going to hear part of the RECHARGE Virtual Summit All-Access conversation I had with Dr. Christopher Mota. You can listen to the full conversation at https://homeschoolteachingsimplififed.com/recharge Make sure to FOLLOW the show to catch all 12 perspectives for how you can personally recharge. Recharge Virtual Summit Recordings: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/recharge Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com Christopher's Free Gift: Homeschool Curriculum Checklist https://familyfirstschooling.substack.com/p/homeschool-curriculum-check-list

For ASSURED Season 2, we are unpacking homeschool exhaustion and exploring different perspectives and possibilities for how you can personally recharge. In this episode, you are going to hear part of the RECHARGE Virtual Summit All-Access conversation I had with Carabeth Rahtjen. You can listen to the full conversation at https://homeschoolteachingsimplififed.com/recharge Make sure to FOLLOW the show to catch all 12 perspectives for how you can personally recharge. Recharge Virtual Summit Recordings: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/recharge Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com Carabeth's Free Gift: Homeschool Getting Started Guide https://stan.store/carabeth

For ASSURED Season 2, we are unpacking homeschool exhaustion and exploring different perspectives and possibilities for how you can personally recharge. In this episode, you are going to hear part of the RECHARGE Virtual Summit All-Access conversation I had with Cynthia Holt & Justine LoMonaco of Learn and Live Letter. You can listen to the full conversation at https://homeschoolteachingsimplififed.com/recharge Make sure to FOLLOW the show to catch all 12 perspectives for how you can personally recharge. Recharge Virtual Summit Recordings: homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/recharge Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com Learn and Live Letter's Free Gift: Homeschool Rhythm Chart https://learnandliveletter.com/blog/free-homeschool-rhythm-chart/