It’s that time of year! Everyone is gearing up and getting ready to start school. The beginning of the year brings fresh excitement but also brings a little nervous tension along the way. We aren’t sure we are doing the right thing or if we are doing the best for our children. But we feel that way no matter what we are doing, don’t we? It’s a mom thing. So let’s talk about how to have a successful school year.
Here are 5 tips to help you have a successful year…
1} Take some time in prayer for the upcoming year and for each of your children
Probably a given if you are a family of faith. But I know what it is like when you get so busy and overwhelmed that we forget the best things to do. The things that will ground us and help us get on the right track. Take some time in prayer and maybe get away for a day or two if that is even possible to help you get prepared and get your heart prepared for the upcoming year. Homeschooling isn’t for the faint of heart. And as a side note, be sure to take care of you this year.
2} Weave homeschooling into your lifestyle
Realize that you are not re-creating school, but that you are homeschooling, which in reality is life schooling. School should be part of your lifestyle and not just separate part of the day. When I first started, our homeschooling resembled school. I was a teacher for several years so it was really hard for me to separate and do homeschool and not school at home. We were a little miserable until I had a lightbulb moment as to what we were doing and that it wasn’t the best for our family. The whole environment changed, along with our attitudes.
3} Teach to your child’s learning styles, not just the curriculum
Don’t just go by the curriculum or teach to the tests. Our job is to do the best by our children. Do you have boys? There is a whole different way to reach most boys… get some tips here. And sometimes, there just needs to be some play. A lot of learning comes from using your imagination. And guess what… you don’t have to do every subject every day. I know this goes against a lot of people’s nature but try it. Group them or work hard on some subjects on a day and just do some a couple times a week, like music or science.
4} Be okay with switching curriculum if it isn’t a good fit.
I get it… you researched for hours and hours and found the cutest and what you thought is the best curriculum for your family. You have made lesson plans and bought all the stuff to go with the curriculum. You start the year and it doesn’t seem to be a good fit. But you spend a lot of money on it and you are determined to make it work. But everyone is miserable. Step back and evaluate the whole picture. Is it worth it to keep pushing through with something that isn’t a good fit for your family or perhaps just one child? You can find supplemental material on the web or library to carry you through the rest of the school year if you decide you can’t finish with the current one and don’t have the funds for a complete curriculum.
I like using something like Schoolhouse Teachers as a good supplement and in some cases, curriculum for us.
5} Make it fun!!
Life is rough at times. We have to have some fun in life and what a better place than at home with family!! Don’t follow the school model of sitting in a desk all day with a rigid schedule.
Want more ideas for homeschooling? Get the Big Book of Homeschooling Ideas… written by 55 moms on lots of different topics to help you succeed…lots of different topics to help you be successful.
Looking for more homeschool helps? Go here.