Basecamp Live

On this episode of BaseCamp Live, we hear a first-hand perspective from the high school classroom. The capstone project for every CCE student is their senior thesis. Senior Christina Burkhalter joins me to share the thesis she wrote, presented, and defended, titled: The Art of Classical Education as an Effort to Restore the Joy of Learning. She presents some of her thoughtful research and reflects on her first hand experiences of her own K-12 school journey. Her enthusiasm is contagious and a reminder to all of us parents and educators why this effort to raise up the next generation in classical Christian schools is so critical and fruitful.

I’ve said before that students in K-12 Classical Christian schools are often the most neglected population in our schools. What do I mean by that? School leaders put a lot of energy into educating parents, grandparents, donors, even alumni, but our own students often miss out on the vision casting and opportunities for buy-in to the model and the amazing education they are receiving every day. And parents with children who start out in Kindergarten usually don’t spend a lot of time over the subsequent years explaining why they are in a CCE school. So how do we better onboard older students who join a CCE education in the middle or high school years?  Along the way, our students dutifully put on their uniforms and follow what is expected, but what if we took the time to give them a beautiful vision for their education and help them to “own it,” even love it. Josh Gibbs is back to talk about his newest publication that he directed specifically to prospective and current students to help them understand and lean

Today we tackle a challenging topic - one not easy but one that has reached an epidemic level among all communities around the world, and even more so since Covid. Greg Love, founder of Ministry Safe, an organization that has partnered with many of our schools and churches already, joins us today. He walks us through the sobering reality of child sexual abuse. And just when we may be thinking: I don’t think I can handle any more bad news, he offers us encouragement for practical ways to approach this topic wisely. What is the balance between becoming overly fearful and falling into the ditch of casual indifference, assuming our children are immune? If you are leading a family or a school, really any organization with children, please join us for this important episode of BasecampLive. Resource Links:Ministry SafeArticle 11 - False Alligations (3.27.21)Article 11 - False Alligations (April 2021)

Is it godly to be anti-tech? Recent studies indicate the average American teen is spending 7-9 hours a day in front of a screen. Even if our students are not consumed by media 7-9 hours a day, technology for us as adults and our children is an inevitable part of life. Too often our way of mitigating this influence is simply to implement an ever-increasing number and kind of filters and controls. While that is important, my guest today, Tony Reinke, provides a thoughtful and thorough examination of our relationship with technology and the underlying theology we should use to choose how to live the Christian life well in our digital age. Tony’s observations are both realistic and hopeful as he makes practical recommendations for how we live in the world of technology but keep from being of it! Join Davies Owens for the latest episode of BaseCamp Live.---Tony Reinke is a journalist, teacher, and host of the Ask Pastor John podcast for Desiring God. He is the author of Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books and

Classical Christian folks celebrate high-level thinking, and rightly so, but as humans, we are ultimately driven by our hearts and imaginations. Reading great literature isn’t just for mental push-ups, it is to engage living stories with powerful influential narratives that shape how we see ourselves and the world around us. If we are ever going to compete with the world of screens, it is through great literature. And it is ultimately through the renewal of our stories and our imaginations that we gain the perspectives and encouragement we need to be more like Christ. Join Davies Owens for an engaging conversation with Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson as she shares from her new book, The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints. Whether you are a classroom teacher, a parent, a person striving to reignite your faith and spiritual disciplines, or all of the above, you don’t want to miss this episode.

There is no doubt that a Classical Christian Education is transformative in the life of a young person. But what makes this form of education really work? Yes, it comes from reading Great Books containing some of the most significant thought leaders in western civilization, and yes, following the Trivium is important. Most certainly, having students in a daily environment where moral and virtue formation take place is essential, but besides all of that, what are the actual teaching methods our schools can and should use, which by the way, completely differ from what is done in a typical modern school? In this episode, Jason Barney, illuminates teachers and parents on an ancient method called narration, which has been used for centuries in classrooms as well as around kitchen tables to build habits of awareness and prepare the next generation to think deeply. This ancient method of learning can even be helpful to us modern, on-the-go busy adults.Key Links and Resources:A Classical Guide to NarrationThe Joy of

Today's news headlines are more troublesome than ever. Stress levels are higher, people are more contentious than ever, yet our hope and confidence in Christ gives us the grace to love ourselves and our neighbors well. Russ Gregg has served faithfully for two decades at Hope Academy in the heart of the inner city of Minneapolis. He believes our classical Christian schools have a unique opportunity to display the grace and mercy of God, as evidenced by the beauty of living cultural harmony despite our surroundings. In this episode, Russ Gregg shares ten guiding principles he developed to lead his teachers and parents through the recent challenging days that had a transformative impact on his school community and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Too many people today assume the primary goal of education is to get enough knowledge and training to get to a good college and get a job. Yet classical Christian educators and parents know those goals are too low; college and careers are a given. We are aiming for far more. But what exactly is our ultimate goal? Plato said knowledge without virtue is useless. So yes to wisdom and virtue, but can we err in the other direction with lofty philosophical skills but weak in real-world practical knowledge? David Diener helps us understand the real end game of CCE, its ultimate telos!

Four years ago I launched this podcast out of what began several years before as a Tuesday night parent education night at our school. And now this is episode 200!What have we learned through the 8,000-plus minutes of discussions?  Stay tuned as Keith McCurdy and I take a look back to celebrate God’s faithfulness through our many topics, discoveries, and amazing conversations. We will recap highlights and observations from those many episodes on how to raise up the next generation through the critical work being done in classical Christian schools in partnership with families and churches… and survey changes over the last four years in our schools and in our culture.

We live in a therapeutic age where feelings and emotions dominate reason and confidence in truth.  Almost anywhere you turn these days, researchers are telling us how folks are more anxious and consumed in fear than at any other point in recent history. Fears inhibit our students’ ability to learn and impact their physical, social, and spiritual health. And parents and teachers, well all of us, are vulnerable to fear and anxiety these days. But there is good news! On this episode, we welcome back Ben Bost to share practical wisdom on overcoming fear in both our personal lives and school communities.

For centuries young parents raised their children in the same community as their extended family. Best practices for raising and disciplining children were both modeled and supported by the entire community.  But today, the vast majority of young parents don’t live near their family and even when they do, they may not care to discipline their children the way they were disciplined growing up. Consequently, too many parents are using the “figure-it out-as-we-go method” as they YouTube and Google-Search their way to direction for the parenting years.  And as parents partner with schools, the lack of consistency in discipline can make raising the next generation even more challenging. My guest today shares, as a grandparent, a Biblical view of discipline for younger children that he shared with his own children as they were seeking advice.RESOURCESHow to Properly Discipline ChildrenGod's Word on Loving by Spanking

Looking for a way out of the frazzle and rush of life? Whether you are an administrator, teacher, or parent, the practical wisdom from my guest today is just for you. Justin Whitmel Earley endured his own season of crisis and discovered the power of habits in a transformational way that fundamentally changed his family life by finding meaning and order in what can feel like the daily chaos of raising children. These same principles of habit are at work in every classical Christian school as we intentionally work to form what our children love with similarly impressive results. EPISODE LINKSAbout Justin Whitmel EarleyHabits of the Household BookThe Common Rule BookWinter Symposium with Justin

“The days are long and the years are short,” as the saying goes. On any given day, the long scramble from the morning routine of getting our children off to school (finding uniforms, breakfasts, and sprints to the carpool line to a full afternoon of after-school activities, extensive homework) can leave one wondering is the effort worth it? Where is the fruit, especially during seasons of struggle? Kevin Clark joins us to share many of the insights from his book, The Liberal Arts Tradition, along to help remind us of the long lasting fruits of the K-12 classical Christian education journey. It is especially good to hear in these modern times where our form of education and raising up the next generation is increasingly counter-cultural. IMPORTANT LINKSlivesturdy.com/special-eventssocietyforclassicallearning.org/equipping-workshops/whatwilltheylearn.comesischools.orgbasecamplive.com

Is classical Christian education really for all children, of all abilities? In an age where the number of children with diagnosed needs seems to be spiking, how can schools effectively meet the needs of all children, especially when so many schools work with limited resources? We welcome back Leslie Collins whose last interview a few years ago stirred up a lot of conversation around what is possible for children with special needs. What practical steps can families and schools take to collaborate and ensure that truly no child is left behind? What are the implications for the rest of the classroom and learning objectives for the rest of the class when students of all abilities are included? Join us for this insightful conversation. Plus, learn about Leslie’s newly developed free resource for both schools and parents on this episode of Basecamp LiveSHOW NOTESLeslie is offering listeners access to a free course using the Thinkific platform! Simply download the course from Thinkific, and she will update as neede

Parents play a vital role in the success of their children in school. Increasingly, classical Christian schools (CCE) go against the grain of many schools who actively encourage parents to disengage and let them outsource their children's education to the institution or even the government. But despite a growing culture expecting parents to drop and go, CCE schools stand in direct partnership with parents. Biblically, the school stands under the authority of the parent. But what does this mean practically? How do the home and school really collaborate? Interestingly, a growing number of parents are now choosing hybrid or collaborative schools which offer a blend of education at home and a traditional school setting.  Regardless of whether a child is in a hybrid or a 5-day school, there are important and specific ways parents can and should partner as we stand together to raise the next generation.LINKSTrinity Classical SchoolBaseCamp LiveSociety for Classical Learning

As parents and teachers, we want the next generation to love God and love the good. But for many young people who sit in K-12 classrooms, they wander into the land of the prodigal and question if what they have heard is little more than empty moralisms.  But our job is to remain faithful.  Are there ways to better guide and mentor the next generation? My guest today Josh Gibbs is a prodigal and has great wisdom to share from his book, appropriately titled How to Be Unlucky.

There is nothing new under the sun.  That is good news..because the deepest questions of life and faith (who am I, why am I here, where am I going) have been asked throughout history, and in many cases asked better and in more articulate and winsome ways by those who came far before us -- those classic thinkers and writers we read and discuss in classical Christian schools.  But in our modern, disposable, quick-to-reject-the-past-world, young people, and older as well, often ignore these well-thought-out questions, ultimately to our own demise. It’s hard to get the right answer if you don’t know the questions. No wonder so many people today wander around in various state of despair and uncertainty. Christ answers those critical questions, but do we get the questions right? IMPORTANT LINKSLearn more about David NoeLatin Per Diem (website)Latin Per Diem (YouTube)Ad Navseam PodcastBidvvm Latinvm & Graecvm

What does the world need now? Discernment! It is far more than just gaining wisdom and doing the right thing. It is the key to living the abundant life Christ promises in a world that buries us each day in disparaging headlines and worrisome news. It is understandable many feel they should just bury their head in the sand, hiding hoping it will all just go away. But what we and the next generation in your home or classroom need now is the courage to move boldly and wisely into the world, offering lasting hope and restoration. Discernment is key to discovering all that is GOOD!BIOGRAPHYHannah Anderson, winner of the 2018 Gospel Coalition Book Award for Christian Living, is the author of several books including Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul and All That’s Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment. She lives with her family in the haunting Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where she spends her days working beside her husband in rural ministry, caring for their three children, and

There is a sizable migration underway of new families seeking to educate their children classically. Admissions lines are long in most classical Christian schools. Why is this happening now?  What does it say about the broader culture? Needless to say, you are at the right place at the right time.  In this episode, Eric Cook, president of the Society for Classical Learning, and I discuss the many changes going on all around us in the world of education and how our schools are uniquely positioned for such a time as this, when the world more than ever needs a generation of students who love the good and are truly real-world ready.BIOGRAPHYPresident of the Society for Classical Learning, Eric is also the Head of School at Covenant Classical in Fort Worth, TX where he has served for 12 years. Prior to Covenant, Eric was the Head of Upper School at Faith Christian School in Roanoke, VA. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Social Studies Education from Transylvania University, and a master’s degree in Instru

Classical Christian Education is a new experience for many people, and whether you are new or have been around a classical school for years, there are many questions about why we do what we do. And since few parents or teachers today grew up in CCE schools, combined with the fact that there are more families than ever joining our schools, you are likely not alone if you have a question. My guest, Dr. Tim Dernlan, is back to share answers to 10 questions from the 100 he has identified and written about in his new book, "A Guide to Understanding Classical Christian Education: 100 Common Questions."BIOGRAPHYDr. Timothy Dernlan earned a Bachelor of Arts in both Education and Communication at Purdue University, a Master of Education in Educational Leadership at Lehigh University, and a Doctor of Education in Leadership Studies at Ashland University. He has experience teaching theater, math, rhetoric, physical education, personal finance, communication, leadership, and systematic theology in public, charter, privat