If you’re panicking because your school room/area/stuff is SOOO NOT READY for this post, well stop!
Mine isn’t either!! *mini freak-out* And when you add to that the fact that I’m currently without camera.. that means I won’t be having any pictures either. Ahem.
But it’s okay, it’s all good, I promise! If you’re also like me and still have at least a month before the start of school, there’s plenty of time. If you don’t have that much time (well there’s always weekends after school starts, right?) Or maybe, have a teacher workday and get the kids to pitch in. Or better yet — have grandma watch them and work by yourself! That sounds like a plan. =)
In the meantime, for all of you “on the ball” folks, and the ones already underway using the school room for the new school year, now’s the time to link up your post and share what you love most about your school room, or area, or corner, or whatever you have. For the rest of us,.. well, share what ya got. ; )
Last year we actually HAD a school room. We moved everything out to the separate home office and took up residence in two corners of Hubby’s office room. I have to be honest. That was pretty cool. After our Christmas break, we moved into the living room, which is actually kinda new for us because before we were TECHNICALLY in the dining room.
I’ve arranged our pink file crates that are stackable into a sort of square bookcase – one for each of us and holding all of our things. I’d love to take a picture of that for you, but that will just have to wait. On top of the pink ‘bookcase’ I have a square fabric “basket” and my new rotating file organizer and with the American Flag topping it all off we have a nice little school center going on. Our ‘center’ is next to the little desk, where I’ll be setting up a desktop for school and above that is the cork board and dry erase board.
So everything is pretty central and close to everything else. It’s nice. Most of the school work is done on the couch and this arrangement has worked pretty well for us for the second half of the last school year.
Having said all that, I have a PRETTY BIG To Do list for all the school stuff before the year starts. And since it’s not picture ready and I couldn’t take a picture of it even if I wanted to, I’m just going to share my School Area To Do List instead. How’s that sound?
The Great Big List of Things To Do For The School Area Before School Starts In September
- Clear, purge, file the remaining items on the pink ‘bookcase.’ – done!
- Finish setting up the rotating organizer (mostly it just needs 36 labeled manila folders for each of the 36 school weeks.) – done!
- As new books come in, make any necessary copies, file them away in the rotating organizer on top for the appropriate week and file the book in the appropriate pink shelf.
- Create, prepare, set up any 3 ring binders or folders needed for the upcoming school year.
- Paint the trim of the cork board black, move it over, add framed pics of the kids, the “house rules” etc, make a ‘collage’ wall for the school area. (I know, totally ‘necessary,’ but it’s on my list.) – done!
- Set up the new desktop, install educational games. – done!
- Prepare the science experiment box. (A file box with 9X11 envelopes for each experiment with directions and included necessary items except for large items such as mixing bowls and funnels.) done!
- Print online e-freebies we’re going to be using, create and print 36 weekly writing assigment forms, history notebooking pages, and anything else we’ll be using during the year to file in the rotating organizer.
- Inventory and stock up any school supplies we’re low on (utilizing these really great back to school sales!) – done!
- Print new “workbox” labels for our tweaked backwards “workbox” system (that really needs its own post, coming soon to a blog near you.) – done!
How’s THAT for a doozy of a To Do list?! I’m prioritizing and just chugging away at what I can. And whatever gets done, gets done. And whatever doesn’t, will get done later. 😉
So about you? Is your school room/area ready? Are you already using it? What’s your favorite part or what you’re looking forward to most. Or maybe you’re like me and you’re still knee deep in projects and prep.
What changes do you hope to make to your school area this year, or what’s on your own To Do list?? Go ahead, share!
I would like to join in too! Getting our classroom together this week to start NEXT week. 🙂
NEXT week!? I hope you’re nearly ready? If not, I hope you have plenty of coffee. ; )
I’m getting antsy to start but know that I’m nowhere NEAR ready enough. I’ll just be patient. =)
My list is something like:
1. finally clear all of the junk out of the upstairs room
2. paint upstairs room
3. move kids’ bedroom into upstairs room
4. paint playroom/schoolroom
5. try to organize without buying anything
The end.
*sigh*
I know the feeling. I still have to spend money on books, I can’t spend any money on the organization. I did spend the money to get the organizer. So that’s my one organizing purchase. If I could, I’d love to get wood to build a bookcase to replace the pink crates, and I think I’d like to have wooden tv trays for doing work in the living room. But we’ll survive without them a little longer. 😉
A condensed version of my list is: 1. clear environment (less distractions) 2. Prep 1st Qtr lessons 3. limit computer usage 4. set house in order to ease coming 6 weeks 5. print grading sheets for 1st Qtr 6. order remainder curriculum supplies 7. order a planner (for son too?) 8. box up last years work 9. do all filing needed 10. set up workbox cards & instructions 11. make word bank cards/secret words for 6 wks 12. clean refrigerator 13. wash windows inside & out 14. create social stories &/or power cards to help my son learn how to… Read more »
Wow – that’s your condensed version?? Sounds like we both have a lot on our plates!!
Yah, pretty sad huh? We do have a lot on our plates, but we get through=)
Whaaa? I had a lesson plans and planners post all ready (and POSTED now) and we’re supposed to be talking about classrooms? :oP Our “classroom” hasn’t changed over the past few years, except for 2 new maps on the table… so I guess I’ll just link up last year’s post! 🙂
Go ahead and link up both! =)
Sweet! Thanks!
Oh, and my to-do list is long and scary right now. We don’t have most of our curriculum yet and no money to buy it. I have to try to get as many shifts at work between now and September as I can (which is scary in itself) and I’m up to my eyeballs in decluttering mess. The good news is that we are getting rid of a lot of STUFF and selling a lot of STUFF and I almost feel like I can breathe again. 🙂
I’m trying to sell off and purge stuff, too, and I’ll probably be buying into September as well. I overlapped our history so I know for sure that’s one thing that won’t need to be purchased until after the start of the school year. It’s hectic! But we’ll get there (you and me both.)
We just spent the last two weeks closing in our garage for a new office/craft room/classroom! i am soooo excited that I don’t want to leave it at night! We still have a few things left to do but for the most part it is ready and functional. Only problem is I probably wont know where anything it for the first two months of school! LOL Regardless it is AMAZING!!! Tons more space and I don’t have to share a desk with my kiddo anymore. Which, I don’t usually mind, but I work THREE jobs from home (from my desk)… Read more »
Ooh, that sounds exciting (the garage, not the three jobs!) What a great space to have!
Love your blog! I will have to hang out here and study your bells and whistles.
And I am not doing any homeschool prep in July. I need the time off.
Time off. Hehe – this IS my time off. ;0) Seriously we fall apart with too much free time. Diligence and time management and routine do not come easy!
I like all if it 🙂 it’s my second reorganization of the school stuff and I’m loving it! we plan to paint half of another wall with chalkboard paint, so fun. I still have lots of things to print out and laminate (after I buy laminator lol) but we in school now and so far all is going well.
Oooh, chalkboard paint! I have yet to have fun with chalkboard paint but I really, really want to!! I think I need to schedule a chalkboard paint project. =)