This Golden Hour
This Golden Hour
In this podcast, we specifically serve new homeschool families through engaging conversations with homeschool parents and families at all levels of experience and expertise. Listeners will increase their confidence and assurance about their children's education and future while diminishing their fears. This podcast helps you know how to begin homeschooling, navigate challenges, and answer questions for all stages of the journey.
The name “This Golden Hour” has meaning. First, this name refers to the years parents have to raise and teach their children from birth to when they leave home to be on their own. As parents, we have a golden opportunity to teach and learn alongside our children during these formative and essential years of growth and development. Second, “This Golden Hour” points to this same period of childhood as the children’s chance to read, explore nature, and enjoy an inspiring atmosphere of family, love, and learning.
All episodes
Best episodes
Top 10 This Golden Hour Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best This Golden Hour episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to This Golden Hour for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite This Golden Hour episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
66. Sam Sorbo and The Broken Institutional System
This Golden Hour
06/07/24 • 43 min
In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Sam Sorbo. A successful Hollywood film actress, writer, and producer, Sam stepped back from her own career to immerse herself in the home education of her three young children for over a decade. Recognizing the brokenness of our institutional system led Sam to understand there is much more to education than academics. As a prolific author, podcast and radio host, international public speaker, and home education mentor, Sam is dedicated to teaching families how to educate differently.
Connect with Sam
sorbostudios.compatriot.tvSam's Books
Teach From LoveWords for WarriorsBooks
The Naked Communist
This Golden Hour
Free eBook Course
thisgoldenhour.org
85. Janeen Alley and Becoming the CEO of Your Life
This Golden Hour
11/07/24 • 51 min
In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Janeen Alley from Colorado. Janeen is a homeschooling mother of four, a resilience and self-trust coach for women,and the host of the 'Becoming the CEO of Your Life' podcast. We talk about Janeen’s homeschooling journey from Japan to Germany to the USA, her transition to resilience coaching, and the importance of self-care for homeschooling parents. She recounts her experiences, challenges, and the values she holds dear in both parenting and education. Janeen also provides insights on setting boundaries, the significance of mentorship, and the path of learning alongside your children.
Connect with Janeen
janeenalley.com
Becoming the CEO of Your Life
Resources
TJEd
Essentialism
This Golden Hour
Free eBook Course
thisgoldenhour.org
17. Suzanne Gose and Flip Flop Learning
This Golden Hour
09/07/23 • 69 min
In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Suzanne Gose from central Texas. Spanish teacher turned homeschool Spanish tutor, and homeschool mother herself, Suzanne has been homeschooling for 21 years and teaching Spanish longer than that. She decided to homeschool her children as she observed differences between the homeschool kids she tutored and the kids she taught in school. Listeners will be dazzled by Suzanne’s wisdom and knowledge and insights into homeschooling, parenting, and life in general. She is concise and keeps things simple and clear. When asked about the essentials of homeschooling, she declared 5 principles without hesitation: have a plan, post the plan, stay home but leave, adjust, and 20 minutes is enough!
Connect with Suzanne
https://www.flipflopspanish.com/
Websites
https://www.mfwbooks.com/about/founders
This Golden Hour
Free eBook Course
thisgoldenhour.org
39. Pat Farenga and johnholtgws.com
This Golden Hour
01/02/24 • 57 min
In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Pat Farenga from Boston, Massachusetts. Pat grew up in New York and eventually ended up in Boston for postsecondary studies. After completing his Master's degree, and with the challenge of finding available work in the early 1980s, Pat ended up working at a bookstore in Boston. Unbeknown to Pat, this bookstore was below the office of John Holt, one the most influential figures for the modern unschooling and homeschooling movements. When John Holt died in 1985, Pat became the publisher of the well-known homeschooling newsletter, Growing without Schooling (GWS), and president of Holt Associates. More recently, Pat has finished preparing all 143 issues of GWS and has made these available online. Mr. Farenga is an unschooling father of 3 daughters, an accomplished pianist and saxophonist, and he is a prolific writer, best known as the author of The Beginner's Guide to Homeschooling (1998) and Teach Your Own: The John Holt Book of Homeschooling (2003). During our conversation, we discussed many of the unfortunate problems with the conventional school system and how it is designed to stifle curiosity and the love of learning. We also talk about how homeschooling and unschooling allow families to escape the arbitrary benchmarks that plague schools and their students. This episode is of interest to all who are seeking an alternative to conventional schools, and we are given access to many resources to help us improve education and lifestyle.
Connect with Pat Farenga
https://www.johnholtgws.com/
https://www.youtube.com/c/Johnholtgws
Books
Deschooling Society
Instead of Education
Teach Your Own
How Children Fail
How Children Learn
In Search of Excellence
Resources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothering_(magazine)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svWynGm
This Golden Hour
Free eBook Course
thisgoldenhour.org
49. Ama Mazama and African American Homeschooling
This Golden Hour
02/10/24 • 64 min
In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Ama Mazama from Philadelphia, but talking to us today from Guadalupe. Dr. Mazama is a professor and department chair in the College of Liberal Arts at Temple University. Her work is focused on Africology, African American studies, and African American Homeschooling among others topics. For several years, black families have been the fastest growing racial demographic among homeschoolers. Dr. Mazama, a black homeschool mother herself, has advanced much of the research about black homeschool families and their motivations to exit the conventional system. Dr. Mazama and I broach the topics of homeschooling in various cultural contexts, the importance of fostering critical thinking, creativity, and curiosity in learners, and the potential implications of racial protectionism in education.Connect with Dr. Mazama
Dr. Ama Mazama's WorksArticles
Why More Black Families are Choosing to Homeschool Their ChildrenExploring the Rise in Black Families Choosing to Homeschool Their ChildrenBlack Homeschooling: Racial Protectionism, Cultural Relevance, and Favorable Social and Academic Outcomes
Books
17 Dry SeasonsMorning by MorningThe Dictionary of African Divinities by Kiamuya Mazama - no link
This Golden Hour
Free eBook Course
thisgoldenhour.org
9. Classics Allowed with Savannah Penny
This Golden Hour
07/25/23 • 72 min
In today’s episode, we get to hang out with Savannah Penny from New Brunswick, Canada. Savannah knew as a senior in high school that she would homeschool her children because she could tell her education was lacking and that it was dumbing her down. In our conversation, Savannah talked about homeschooling as the best educational option out there, navigating friendships and busy schedules, and preparing kids for an amazing future. In this show we learn a lot about excellent literature and the importance of reading great books and classics.
Connect with Savannah
https://www.classicsallowed.org/
Homeschool Philosophy and Curriculum
https://tjed.org/
Hold On To Your Kids
Screen-Free Audio Player
Yoto Player
Websites
Classics Allowed
https://simplycharlottemason.com/
https://readaloudrevival.com/
Documentary
https://www.thehomeschoolawakening.com/
Books
The Pilgrim's Progress
War and Peace
Summer of the Monkeys
Where the Red Fern Grows
The Hiding Place
The Screwtape Letters
This Golden Hour
Free eBook Course
thisgoldenhour.org
61. Cori Dean and The Learning House
This Golden Hour
05/07/24 • 50 min
In this episode, we get to spend time with Cori Dean from Bradford, Ontario. Cori is a veteran homeschool mother, author, speaker, and owner of Learning House and Maple Tree Publications. She loves books, dark chocolate, and tea! Cori shares about her extensive experience in homeschooling her four children and the role of faith in education. In our conversation, we explore the value of community support, the significance of parent-led education, and practical tips for new homeschooling families. Cori's journey from skepticism to embracing homeschooling, and the growth she has undergone in business, give us a view of the possibilities and challenges of homeschooling families.
Connect with Cori
learninghouse.ca
Books
A Charlotte Mason CompanionFor the Children's SakeModern Miss MasonResources
Simply Charlotte Mason
This Golden Hour
Free eBook Course
thisgoldenhour.org
68. Shelley Woon and Arrowsmith
This Golden Hour
07/20/24 • 53 min
In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Shelley Woon, the head of Arrowsmith School in Toronto. We discuss Arrowsmith's innovative approach to addressing learning disabilities through cognitive exercises based on neuroplasticity principles. Arrowsmith’s mission is to harness neuroplasticity to change brains and transform lives. Shelley shares her personal journey in education, insights into the Arrowsmith program, and practical advice for parents and educators, especially those in the homeschooling community.
Connect With Shelley
arrowsmith.ca
Resources
Limitless Mind
Growth Mindset
Limitless
The Woman Who Changed Her Brain - TED Talk
The Woman Who Changed Her Brain
This Golden Hour
Free eBook Course
thisgoldenhour.org
93. Eli and Homeschool Surfing
This Golden Hour
02/24/25 • 53 min
In this episode we get to spend time with my brother-in-law, Eli, from Alberta. Eli is a homeschool dad of four, business owner, and entrepreneur from Alberta. Today, Eli is joining us from Hawaii, where he and his family like to frequent during the winter months to surf and spend time together. One of the beauties of homeschooling is having the flexibility to do trips like these! In our conversation, we discussed several benefits and challenges of homeschooling, the impact of our public school experiences, and the value of an entrepreneurial education for children, which is severely lacking in schools. Eli asks some meaningful questions and we enjoyed a natural discussion about relevant homeschool and parenting topics. This will be a good listen!
Books
This Golden Hour
Free eBook Course
thisgoldenhour.org
44. Rebecca Zipp and A Humble Place
This Golden Hour
01/17/24 • 51 min
In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Rebecca Zipp from Colorado. Rebecca is a homeschool mother of two children and creator of the blog, A Humble Place, which she started in 2012. Her first exposure to the homeschool world began when she became friends with a girl who was homeschooled when they were youth. Rebecca admits that when she started homeschooling it was partially driven by fear, but she evolved and does not regret her initial motivation, even if it was not the healthiest way to begin. Spending time, learning with her children, and escaping the conventional system that tends to develop cogs, are a few of the benefits Rebecca has observed through homeschooling. However, Rebecca acknowledges the challenges that accompany homeschooling, like dealing with negative attitudes at times, and navigating the roles of parent and facilitator for her children. Much of what the Zipp's do for learning and living is tied to principles espoused by Charlotte Mason. They use a Charlotte Mason curriculum, Ambleside Online, for much of their learning, and Rebecca's wonderful blog, A Humble Place, focuses on beautiful Picture Studies emanating from the Charlotte Mason philosophy of learning about art. Like so many homeschooling mothers who align with Charlotte Mason, Rebecca dove more fully into Charlotte Mason principles after reading the book For the Children's Sake by Susan Shaeffer Macaulay.
Connect with Rebecca
https://ahumbleplace.com/
Curriculum
https://www.amblesideonline.org/
https://www.alveary.org/
https://www.bfbooks.com/The-Genevieve-Foster-Collection
Books
The Story of the World Series
For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School
Resources
Yoto Player
This Golden Hour
Free eBook Course
thisgoldenhour.org
Show more best episodes
Show more best episodes
FAQ
How many episodes does This Golden Hour have?
This Golden Hour currently has 92 episodes available.
What topics does This Golden Hour cover?
The podcast is about Learning, Homeschooling, Parenting, Pedagogy, Kids & Family, Family, Youth, Podcasts, Education and Homeschool.
What is the most popular episode on This Golden Hour?
The episode title '12. Heeding the Call to Homeschool' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on This Golden Hour?
The average episode length on This Golden Hour is 58 minutes.
How often are episodes of This Golden Hour released?
Episodes of This Golden Hour are typically released every 4 days, 20 hours.
When was the first episode of This Golden Hour?
The first episode of This Golden Hour was released on Jul 19, 2023.
Show more FAQ
Show more FAQ