Okay so you really want to do this?! Then lets get organized. This is one of the biggest issues (hindrances) to being successful in setting up a Home School area.
Organization is a very important factor in having a successful school year. If your household and school room are organized, you transition will be smooth and more enjoyable.I don't know how many projects I've had to put off because I couldn't find the book or an item I needed for a project. It doesn't have to be that way. Once again, I'm using the months of July & August to reorganize and focus on the start of the school year.
Time has taught me a few tips that might be helpful to you:
* Get rid of junk - if you haven't used it in a while, you probably don't need it.
* Have a place for everything - find an area for every item in your house.
* Open the mail with a trash can nearby and get rid of the junk mail immediately, including the extras that come inside your bills.
* Set up a laundry area and sort as you go. I have a 3 bag container for the jeans, colored and whites and a separate, big hamper for the towels. It makes it easy to see the most urgent and get the load going.
* Get a cleaning cart. I purchased a lightweight cart on wheels that has 4 plastic drawers and I hang a laundry bag on the side with big clips. This eliminates going back and forth to rooms to put things away. After I go through the house, each child takes their drawer to their room and puts the items away.
* If I'm doing my heavy cleaning, I keep the cleaning products in the top drawer, otherwise I use that drawer for transporting dishes to the kitchen.
* Have a beginning point and go completely around the house. I begin in the back bathroom and end at the kitchen.
Making the decision to home school is usually very difficult and not one to be taken lightly. It is a personal decision that can't be made for you, but maybe I can help in the thought process. When making the home school decision, you must consider these things:
1. Time commitment - Homeschooling tends to take up a lot of time in your day. It is more than just sitting down with books for a couple of hours. There are experiments and projects to be done, lessons to prepare, papers to grade, field trips, park days, music lessons, and the list goes on. Here are some sample schedules to give an idea of a typical day.
2. Personal sacrifice - The home school parent has little personal time or time alone. If care is not taken to set aside time for yourself, it is easy to never have time alone. Parent and child are basically together 24/7.
3. Financial strain - Homeschooling can be accomplished very inexpensively; however, it usually requires that the teaching parent will not be working out of the home. Some sacrifices will need to be made if the family is used to two incomes.
4. Socialization - More attention will need to be given to getting your children together with others. The beauty of homeschooling is being able to have more control of the social contacts your child makes. Homeschool Coop classes are can be good for socialization.
5. Household organization - Housework and laundry still have to be done, but it probably won't get done first thing in the morning. If a stickler for a spotless house, you might be in for a surprise. Not only does housework need to be let go at times, but homeschooling creates messes and clutter in itself.
6. Both parents in agreement - It is important that both parents agree to try homeschooling. It is very difficult to homeschool if one parent is against it. If your spouse is against it at this time, try doing more research and talking to more people.
7. Is your child willing? - A willing student is always helpful. Ultimately, the decision is the parents to make, but if your child is dead against it, you might have a hard time of it.
8. One year at a time - It isn't a lifetime commitment - most families take one year at a time.
9. Intimidated by the teaching? - If you can read and write, you should be able to teach your children. The curriculum and teacher materials will help through the planning and teaching. Get help from others if you get stuck or hire tutors for the difficult subjects.
10. Why other families choose this option - It might be helpful to hear why other families chose homeschooling. Can you relate with some of them?
1. Time commitment - Homeschooling tends to take up a lot of time in your day. It is more than just sitting down with books for a couple of hours. There are experiments and projects to be done, lessons to prepare, papers to grade, field trips, park days, music lessons, and the list goes on. Here are some sample schedules to give an idea of a typical day.
2. Personal sacrifice - The home school parent has little personal time or time alone. If care is not taken to set aside time for yourself, it is easy to never have time alone. Parent and child are basically together 24/7.
3. Financial strain - Homeschooling can be accomplished very inexpensively; however, it usually requires that the teaching parent will not be working out of the home. Some sacrifices will need to be made if the family is used to two incomes.
4. Socialization - More attention will need to be given to getting your children together with others. The beauty of homeschooling is being able to have more control of the social contacts your child makes. Homeschool Coop classes are can be good for socialization.
5. Household organization - Housework and laundry still have to be done, but it probably won't get done first thing in the morning. If a stickler for a spotless house, you might be in for a surprise. Not only does housework need to be let go at times, but homeschooling creates messes and clutter in itself.
6. Both parents in agreement - It is important that both parents agree to try homeschooling. It is very difficult to homeschool if one parent is against it. If your spouse is against it at this time, try doing more research and talking to more people.
7. Is your child willing? - A willing student is always helpful. Ultimately, the decision is the parents to make, but if your child is dead against it, you might have a hard time of it.
8. One year at a time - It isn't a lifetime commitment - most families take one year at a time.
9. Intimidated by the teaching? - If you can read and write, you should be able to teach your children. The curriculum and teacher materials will help through the planning and teaching. Get help from others if you get stuck or hire tutors for the difficult subjects.
10. Why other families choose this option - It might be helpful to hear why other families chose homeschooling. Can you relate with some of them?
|
I just recently went to a Home Schooling Convention. As I was there I noticed thousands of parents looking bewildered. They knew they needed to buy curriculums, but how on earth could they figure out which one to buy, they didn't even know what they
needed to teach.
needed to teach.
|
