With fall soon approaching and a new school year beginning, many of you have great expectations for a wonderful year ahead. After the summer break, some of you may feel a little apprehensive about starting a new year while others are excited and ready to begin! Wherever you stand, one united goal for all of us is to be as organized as possible. Looking back, there are a few things that helped me keep my years running smoothly.
What type of planner are you? Do you like being super organized and plan your entire school year before it begins? Or does this idea cause anxiety and you would rather take one month or one week at a time? Go with what is most comfortable for you instead of comparing yourself to your friends. Find a planner/planners that work for you and your family. One thing that was very helpful to me was having a big, clearly visible calendar handy showing a month at a time. That visual reminder made it easy to remember everyone’s schedule. Also, having a place for everyone to put notes made it easier to fill in the calendar and avoided overbooking.
Allow for uniqueness. Your homeschool might look different every year. Your children will possibly be involved in new activities or may be using an entirely new curriculum. You will need to adapt to these changes without compromising your philosophy of education. Remember why you began homeschooling in the first place and what success looks like for your family.
Organize your bookshelf or school room. This is project that is helpful before the new school year begins. I would usually store last year’s work in a tote and label it year by year. However, if you have made a nice portfolio of your children’s work, you may want to keep it on the shelf. For high schoolers, it is especially important to keep organized portfolios each year of completed work and personal records of volunteer service, extracurricular activities, work experience, and other important information. This will save you a lot of time in the future when you are constructing a transcript.
Plan your meals. Homeschooling will keep you plenty busy and sometimes it is difficult to daily plan meals. If you feel inclined, making freezer meals a month at a time will come in handy. It may take a whole day to cook but it will save you tons of time in the long run. You might include some friends who are willing to join in your cooking frenzy for the day, making it beneficial for multiple families. Also, if you have older kids, involving them in meal preparation—even on a rotating basis—is extremely worthwhile. This teaches them how to cook and helps you with the planning. If you are not sure how to implement this, a friend once gave me some good advice: allow them to make the same simple meal every week until they feel comfortable experimenting with other recipes.
Dedicate your time. When a new school year approaches, we all have great intentions. We start out strong, then life happens and we get out of sync. I encourage you to make a pact not to check emails, answer phone calls, or get on Facebook during school time. Your school day will run much more smoothly and your kids will be grateful for your undivided attention.
As you begin another year, most importantly, don’t forget to foster a love for learning. When your kids see your excitement it becomes contagious! When you hit road blocks, remember there are better days just around the corner and give yourself grace. Cheers to the best school year yet! ~ Gina
