There’s nothing worse than spinning your wheels at the beginning of a school year, so here are 10 tips for getting off to a productive start in your homeschool!
The new school year is nearly upon us. We all know that a lot goes into getting a new school year off the ground, and even more so when you’re homeschooling.
Have you ever started, only to peter out in frustration in the first month? Ever found yourself scurrying for materials or confirmation numbers at the last minute? Or found that your toddler was becoming the number one distraction for your very distractable third grader?
We have all been there. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We can start strong and end strong in our homeschool year if we follow a few basic guidelines. Let’s have a productive and effective year, starting now. Here’s how…
10 Tips for Having a Productive School Year
[Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Please see below for more details]
Plan now
I love planning, and it’s not just for the pens and planners (ok, maybe a little). Planning is the road you follow. With it, you stay on track; without it, you stray into no man’s land.
Start now with your preferred planner, marking out your plan for each child. Start broad with your subject matter or curriculum and then become more specific. Basically, figure out your plan for the year, then the month, then the week.
If you aren’t sure what planner to use, check out the many, many posts and videos out there that detail the differences. And don’t be afraid to move on when one no longer suits your new season of life. Last year, A Simple Plan Homeschool Planner was great. This year, I’m going with The Ultimate Homeschool Planner. Both are good, but one will work better for this school year.
Ask your kids what worked
Before you nail down your curriculum or annual plan, check with your kids on what worked for them and what didn’t. What did they love, what did they hate. There’s nothing less productive than sinking time and money into a system that doesn’t work.
My daughter recently told me she needs more discussion time, while another said she wants more worksheets. Knowing what will keep them on task, productive, and engaged is very important to the success of our homeschool year. So I highly recommend finding out your children’s preferences and opinions.
Create a detailed schedule
This may seem nit-picky, but if you don’t know what’s going on in your week, how can you expect to be productive? Your time is valuable, so treat it that way.
Write out a detailed schedule of your time commitments. Then add your kids’ and spouse’s, too. Once you see your scheduled activities, from youth sports to church meetings to date nights, you can make sure your homeschool time is located in an uninterrupted block.
And guard it. I mean that. Guard your school time as much as possible because it is really easy to let other responsibilities infringe on your schooling block if you’re not intentional about it. This will help you be more productive on a regular basis.
Gather your materials
How many times have I stood in front of my kids, ready to start, only to realize I placed my book… somewhere. If you know what I mean, then you know how unproductive it is when we don’t have our materials organized and at the ready. So, let’s make a change.
By now, you probably have got a basic plan for your year, maybe even a detailed one for the next four weeks. If so, it’s time to start gathering the materials and resources you’ll need for that time. If you use the library a great deal to keep your expenses low like I do, I suggest only getting about a month’s worth of books to avoid unnecessary clutter.
Get your curriculum, books, school supplies, and confirmation numbers and emails sorted so they are in the one place you’ll look for them. You’ll be more prepared when someone needs a pencil, the instructor needs your confirmation email to admit your child for lessons, and you need your current read-aloud book.
Set up your classroom
Whether you’re an “everything in its place” type of person or lean more toward “organized chaos,” make sure you set up your classroom for a more productive school year.
I find that the messier the classroom, the less work we get done. I get frustrated when I step on a paperclip, and the kids are distracted by the leaning piles of papers they’re cultivating on the corners of their desks. The mess in the room translates to a mess in our minds, and we just can’t work like that.
Organize the classroom both for mental aesthetics and for ease when you need materials. Set up stations for art supplies, science materials, and basic school stuff. Put your books in order of subject, child, or month of study. Have chargers set up for quick recharges. When your space is together, so are you.
Plan for breaks
Being productive in school isn’t just about work. Sometimes it’s the opposite of work. Rest and play are important aspects of a productive learning environment, so plan for them.
We have a park two doors down that I take the kids to for 15 minutes in the mid-morning. When they start to flag, we reboot with some playground time. Or they play a game in the backyard. Or I let them play Prodigy for a few minutes.
Planning for breaks is better than waiting too long to take them. If you don’t plan for them to happen and they do, you may feel derailed and defeated. Instead, remember that these are wiggly kids (especially the younger ones!) and they need to decompress just like every adult chatting at the office watercooler does. Plan for it and you’ll never feel off-track.
Have a back-up plan
Nothing ever goes wrong during the school year, right? Wrong. More often than not, there are glitches and setbacks that can frustrate us and our children. So be ready for that eventuality.
One car? Plan for car activities that can be done while driving your spouse to work.
Oldest suddenly hates his curriculum? Plan for an alternative method, even if it’s low-key and low-budget (those curricula are pricey!).
Find yourself getting major surgery one week into the school year? Have a clear plan that your spouse or older kids can understand and execute while you’re recuperating.
Planning for eventualities isn’t going to jinx your homeschool year. It will give you a better chance to be productive even when life throws you some curveballs.
Make a plan for everyone in the family
Since we don’t live in a bubble, there’s a good chance that the toddler not taking her nap and the husband who needs help bleeding the breaks of your van will interrupt what could be a perfectly productive school day. So make sure you account for each person’s day, not just those in the classroom.
Unlike the schedule you made earlier with repeat commitments, this is more of a daily plan. Here you’ll want to list off not just what your school age children are doing, but the baby, your preschooler, and your spouse.
Plan for intense one-on-ones with the kids when your toddler is occupied with dad. Set the preschooler up with a coloring book during read aloud time. Schedule backyard play when you know your hubby is going to be asking for help in the garage.
Life is complicated and often conflicting, so set yourself up for success by honoring that with a plan. Trust me, you’ll be more productive and less frustrated this way.
Stay on budget with good research
Homeschooling is not always cheap, even when we try to keep to a budget. So save yourself time and money by doing your due diligence.
Before you buy a curriculum, read reviews, get recommendations, and see what types of students liked it best. Do they have similar learning methods to your child? Is it worth the price?
Taking the time to do research and review materials, book, curricula, and outside teachers and co-ops may seem less than productive, but I assure you that’s not the case. When you use resources that are a good fit, you make progress. Students learn and learn well. The upfront cost of your time will be worth it against the lost time of a failed curriculum or bad-quality microscope you’re now stuck with.
Your budget is important. Keep on it with good research so you can spend money wisely and your kids can learn effectively and efficiently.
Have fun
Yes, fun matters. If you’re not having any fun, then your homeschool becomes a slog and no one wants to be there. Keep things fresh and fun with games, breaks, field trips, co-op or homeschool group activities, and other things that keep your kids engaged and excited for their next learning experience.
And make sure you’re having fun, too. Give yourself days off when you’re feeling burned out. Tag in your spouse when you want to have lunch with a friend. Read a book that you love to the kids. When you’re relaxed, happy, and having a good time, you’re a more productive teacher. Your kids will see it and reflect it.
I hope these 10 tips make your school year more productive, But did I miss any? What are your go-to productivity tips and tricks for homeschooling?
Looking for more on homeschooling? Check out these posts:
10 Things to do Before You Start Homeschooling
Resources that Will Save Your Homeschool Money
How I Don’t Break the Bank Homeschooling 5 Kids
[Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission, at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own and I never recommend anything I haven’t used myself and loved.]
Leave a Reply