Yesterday, I shared my school system...how I planned for a year of school activities and created a lesson plan for each kid as well as assembled binders. Now, this may be a bit overboard for some who do not like being on a regimented plan, but it is vital for me. I am a planner. I need to know what needs to be done when and how it must be done. I will not be a staff sergeant and will be open to altering, but it lays out what needs to be done which will make it easy for me to adjust if/when needed.
A couple weeks ago, I went to sit in our loft/school room and I recommend you do the same. Go to where you conduct the majority of your school whether it be a bedroom, the kitchen, a dedicated school space...whatever...and just sit and look around. Think about the last school year and what worked and didn't work. Mentally tick off all that you already have and what you would like to have. Soak in the room/space.
Last year, when thinking of space to work with my son, I thought that my bedroom would be the best spot. It has a huge window that looks down on the street. We have a loft that is never used, but I just didn't think about using that space (mainly because our cats had been using the carpet as a toilet...don't get me started). At first, this worked out well, but soon the walls began to close in on me. Waking up every morning to his desk in the corner of my room was less than ideal. Halfway through the year, my husband and I knew we had to make a change. We went into our loft and brainstormed. The cheap fix was to cut out the foul carpet areas that had been peed on and bleach the plywood underneath (upstairs). We cut new carpet to replace what we cut and the smell was MUCH improved. We arranged his desk...a chair for me...a dry erase board here, a map there....and soon it was a usable space.
But, a couple weeks ago I began to think...it was usable, for sure, but I want to create a better environment for everyone involved. Reading time with him in an uncomfortable chair, for instance, didn't scream fun learning. There was just something missing. I called Sierra in to get her perspective and bounce ideas off of her...."if I move his desk here and move the book shelf there" type of dialog. After sitting in the room for a while, I began moving furniture...and an idea bloomed.
First off, I had the brilliant idea that we needed a couch in our loft...not a big couch.....a love seat would do nicely...or a futon. How great it would be to sit side by side...cuddled together...reading a book or working through math problems. I began searching on craigslist for something that might fit the bill and discovered a woman selling a loveseat AND chair for $50!! I asked if she would take $40...she said YES!! Than I told her it might be a couple days. She said, if I sell it to you for $20 will you come get it today? Uh....YEAH!! So, now I have a love seat in the loft and a chair in my bedroom...microfiber...fairly comfortable. All the other pieces fell into place after that. My daughter LOVES hanging out in the loft now. I can't wait to do school there. It's great.
I arranged our book shelf...giving Sierra her own shelf, me my own shelf, Daniel his and the rest school supplies. It looks great and here's hoping it stays. Daniel's desk is positioned in front of a world map which he loves and the love seat is by a window that I can look out.
All it took was me sitting in the room...looking all around.... There is more to be done. I have a blank wall that I would like to hang some of my kids' art on. We are looking into wood floors (the smell is still bad).
A couple weeks ago, I went to sit in our loft/school room and I recommend you do the same. Go to where you conduct the majority of your school whether it be a bedroom, the kitchen, a dedicated school space...whatever...and just sit and look around. Think about the last school year and what worked and didn't work. Mentally tick off all that you already have and what you would like to have. Soak in the room/space.
Last year, when thinking of space to work with my son, I thought that my bedroom would be the best spot. It has a huge window that looks down on the street. We have a loft that is never used, but I just didn't think about using that space (mainly because our cats had been using the carpet as a toilet...don't get me started). At first, this worked out well, but soon the walls began to close in on me. Waking up every morning to his desk in the corner of my room was less than ideal. Halfway through the year, my husband and I knew we had to make a change. We went into our loft and brainstormed. The cheap fix was to cut out the foul carpet areas that had been peed on and bleach the plywood underneath (upstairs). We cut new carpet to replace what we cut and the smell was MUCH improved. We arranged his desk...a chair for me...a dry erase board here, a map there....and soon it was a usable space.
But, a couple weeks ago I began to think...it was usable, for sure, but I want to create a better environment for everyone involved. Reading time with him in an uncomfortable chair, for instance, didn't scream fun learning. There was just something missing. I called Sierra in to get her perspective and bounce ideas off of her...."if I move his desk here and move the book shelf there" type of dialog. After sitting in the room for a while, I began moving furniture...and an idea bloomed.
First off, I had the brilliant idea that we needed a couch in our loft...not a big couch.....a love seat would do nicely...or a futon. How great it would be to sit side by side...cuddled together...reading a book or working through math problems. I began searching on craigslist for something that might fit the bill and discovered a woman selling a loveseat AND chair for $50!! I asked if she would take $40...she said YES!! Than I told her it might be a couple days. She said, if I sell it to you for $20 will you come get it today? Uh....YEAH!! So, now I have a love seat in the loft and a chair in my bedroom...microfiber...fairly comfortable. All the other pieces fell into place after that. My daughter LOVES hanging out in the loft now. I can't wait to do school there. It's great.
I arranged our book shelf...giving Sierra her own shelf, me my own shelf, Daniel his and the rest school supplies. It looks great and here's hoping it stays. Daniel's desk is positioned in front of a world map which he loves and the love seat is by a window that I can look out.
All it took was me sitting in the room...looking all around.... There is more to be done. I have a blank wall that I would like to hang some of my kids' art on. We are looking into wood floors (the smell is still bad).
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