If your family is like ours, you've spent the last 2 weeks in a frenzy--rushing around to purchase school supplies (don't ya just love the 25-cent crayons and glue at Walmart?), lunch boxes, and new tennis shoes. It's not like the start of the school year has sneaked up on us--we've known about it all summer. But, once again, here I am rushing around like a crazy woman.
Our family has chosen to have feet in 2 different worlds--school and homeschool. Our daughters attend a homeschool academy. If you don't know about homeschool academies, I promise to do a future post explaining them. Homsechool academies are based on the college model--students attend all core and extra-curricular classes at a private school 2 days/week, and complete assigned work at home the remaining 3 days. It really works for our family!
Because we have feet in both worlds, not only have I been running around purchasing uniforms and school supplies, I have been faced with organizing our school area at home. Now, here is my disclaimer: If you are looking for a beautifully laid-out school room, please look elsewhere. (Like this! Oh my! It's only the most beautiful school room I have ever laid eyes upon!)
Also, if you are looking for school room perfection or even school ROOM, then look away from this blog! We don't have an extra room in our house to dedicate to school...unless you count the basement, and I just couldn't bear the dark, depressing basement. I need windows and light and a central location in our home. That place is our dining room table. Behind our dining table is a beautiful 4-door armoire that was just crying out to be used to store our books and supplies. Plus, our kitchen is right there, as well as our home computer. (And a front window, so the ADD mama can look out to see who is walking/driving by!)
Okay, consider yourselves warned. If you haven't looked away by now, then I guess you want to see how we organize school things around our house.
First, here is how the area looked most of the summer. The cabinet is pretty disheveled from the end of last year. As I received Amazon's smiling boxes through the summer--full of new curriculum for this year--I just piled everything on the dining table.
Hey--remember--I warned you! I'm just glad I am not posting other pictures of our house from summertime...
This year, I had to re-think our homeschool organization because our baby girl started Kindergarten! No longer was the homeschool armoire just for our oldest--it's a 2-girl armoire now. Also, because I am so new at homeschooling 2 daughters at once (read: I am so overwhelmed I could either cry, or pull out my hair), I am sure this armoire will be a work-in-progress, adapting the organization as necessary.
So, after a very late night of organization (of course the night before starting school), here is the finished product:
(Oh, and I labeled everything with numbers--so I could explain each part below. I know...I just couldn't help myself!)
Ah, doesn't organization make your heart happy? (Well, why the heck not, grumpy person?)
1. School book bins - Each daughter has her own bin where all currently-used books are kept. (Most books aren't there right now--they're in the girls' backpacks.)
2. Teacher's manuals (they're not all there yet) and Schoolwork folders(for keeping all graded work from the homeschool academy during the year. At the end of the year, I only keep a sampling from each subject, and store in pocket protectors in a 3-ring binder.
3. Supply boxes - These are actually empty. I am hoping the girls can just use the same supply of pencils, crayons, markers, and colored pencils. If not, we will resort to having separate supply boxes. Remember--this is a work in progress!
4. Reference books and extra supplies (looseleaf paper, folders, spiral notebooks, 3-ring binders)
5. Crayon/marker baskets- Hopefully, the girls will be able to share these. Each year, I cull out the broken crayons and dried out markers, and replace them with brand new fresh supplies--crayons, markers, colored pencils! I am not sure who is more excited about the new art supplies--the girls or me. *grin*
6. Coloring/Activity books - Okay, this shelf of stuff might very well disappear this year. I might need this extra space. In the past, this is where we stored all coloring books and preschool workbooks for our youngest. To be honest, I was just too tired to figure out that shelf...
7. Pencil box and half-filled marker box - Please tell me you LOVE the Pop-tart pencil box as much as I do? The very first year we started homeschooling, I needed a place to store pencils. As in, I needed a pencil box that very day I could not wait one second more it had to be NOW. I went to the pantry, and saw the nearly-empty Pop-tart box, and voila! A pencil box was born. That was now 5 years ago. (Oh, and the half-empty marker box--your days are numbered! I was too tired to toss you that night...Consider yourself warned.)
8. Paper drawers - construction paper and scrapbook paper for the girls to create at will!
9. Flash cards and educational games - (Yes, Sonja, I realize that is YOUR Set game. Sorry.)
10. Small supplies drawers- glue sticks, scissors, blank notecards
11. Teacher's supplies - 3-hole punch, paper cutter, markers, paper clips, stapler, post-it notes, tape, etc.
12. Mostly art supplies- plus flannel board set, art sets, water color paints, past Sonlight science kits, etc... This drawer could be better organized--as we have the need.
13. Wall charts - Sometimes we have charts we want to keep on display throughout the year. This one is actually 2 years old, and I can't bear to take it down. My mom has a wonderful way of teaching number place value by drawing an adorable house... I love that when we are done with school, I close up the cabinet, and all the charts are tucked safely inside.
That's it!
When we finish school each day (or when company is coming over and I am frantically cleaning), I just close up the armoire--and all is hidden away, nice and tidy!
Sorry the picture is a little wonky...I was trying very hard not to capture my pajama-clad self in the mirror. But, look who's on the computer! Hi, sweetie! Oh, and I KNOW there are fingerprints all over the mirror. I left them there so some of you wouldn't feel bad about your housekeeping abilities. Yeah, that's it!
(Want to know another secret? I couldn't show the beautiful top of the armoire, either--because it is lined with some of my husband's future eBay sales. I haven't solved that organization issue yet...But, when I do, you can betcha it'll be a blog post!!!)
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