Creating a Learning Environment

Ah Yes... it is a classic topic. One on which I have had high hopes, but have never set out to accomplish. I have fond memories of teachers that put a lot into their classrooms with things that kept us students looking, learning and striving for knowledge and I wanted to emulate that here at home. I have also been thinking hard on why it seems school is dull lately. We have some sparks of excitement but the enthusiasm which was once there is now fading with Princess K. I wanted learning to be something my children would look forward too. This is one of the many reasons why we homeschool and I think a lack of a good learning environment might be part of our problem.

So I analyzed what was going amiss and here is what I came up with:

1. We were box checking. Doing things just to get them done. I wasn't taking the time to explore, experience, and in the end truly learn.


2. Fun, where was the fun. I buy activity guides, and extra books just for them to decorate the shelves. What a waste of resources


3. I had not created a good learning environment. We homeschool at the kitchen table which is just fine, however my need for a streamlined living space and uncluttered walls led to me removing things like maps, White Boards, and other learning enhancements. Even as I type this it sounds a bit crazy as my children's education should be paramount to beautification of our home... but there are just some things that I cannot get over.


4. Never getting away from school. Techie Guy brought to my attention that I do not step away from school. This essentially goes along with number 3 as all of the school things that are out are in plane view so I am constantly in the midst of trying to organize, clean up, and think about school. This is not to be confused with the constant process of learning but is the nitty gritty maintenance stuff that never seems to end. Or so I thought.

So what do I do. Well I prayed... and prayed and discussed with Techie Guy and over the weekend made some changes.

1. I am making a commitment to n0t do stuff just to get them done. I want to include the littles and we will all take part in activities. I am also making a library book list under each topic so I know what I need to order



2. I went through my activity guides and found things that would go along with our studies. I entered them into Homeschool Tracker and in a separate notebook, I kept a list of things I needed to copy and purchase.



3. This weekend I started to move school upstairs to the loft. Currently the loft is just the playroom and a place Little Dora and Bubba go to play during school. The loft has lots of room for maps, a timeline, and other fun enhancements. I will also have better access to the little ones as Princess K and I do school. We can play games and do crafts together and we are not divided by a floor. I know this may present more interruptions from the littles, but I hated that they were upstairs without us.



4. This bring me to my fourth dilemma. Well since I am not staring at school stuff, I am less likely to feel I need to do something with it. I have already been able to take some time for myself... Plus I have discovered the downstairs doesn't need to be picked up as often.

So I am off... working on creating a learning environment for the kids, and a peaceful home for the entire family. I have so many other ideas, but I will have to take it one step at a time. And the first step is to haul all of our school stuff upstairs.