I think a large part of successful homeschooling is having order. Granted, my orderliness may look totally different from your orderliness, but having some type of system in place for assigning work, following through and record keeping helps us reach our individual goals.
As far as assigning work, we are still learning about the Workbox System.
This post is about what I do with the work once it’s done.
This hallway storage chest used to have pictures on top of it, but it is now my work station. I find that I’m constantly moving around during our school days, and this chest is the perfect height for me to stand in front of and work. I stand here and grade papers; I stand here and work on our schools notebooks and portfolios.
On top you see:
- A few books we are working on
- Michaela’s 5th grade notebook. It’s a combination scrapbook/portfolio of work done during 5th grade.
- An accordia- style file folder in which I stand papers and items I’m currently working on. For example, one section holds brochures and Michaela’s journal entries from a recent field trip, but I’m waiting on pictures being developed from that day so that I can glue them into her notebook all at one time.
- Glue, scissors and paperclips so I can work and organize without delay
Some of the things in her notebook include some work from a Five In A Row Fold-N-Learn completed during the election, only we stored our information notebook-style.
Some work done from our Angelo
Some pages from How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World
Recent nature pages including bunny sketches.
I love how this “station” lets me keep Michaela’s notebook filled up in a chronological fashion. It helps me not to procrastinate! I used to have little stacks of paper everywhere thinking that at some point I’d “catch up,” but knowing all along that I wanted a pretty and detailed record of some of Michaela’s best work by the end of the school year.
I have changed my procrastinating ways! Right now I probaby spend less than half an hour a week placing things in this notebook and it’s all because of organization. As soon as Michaela is finished writing a story or coloring a map, I glue it into the notebook. Of course she also has a three-ring binder which is organized by subject that’ll hold regular worksheets and math work. I love, though, that her 5th grade notebook/scrapbook is getting done day by day now! The only time I wait to put something in is, as I mentioned before, if I’m waiting on photos to go with it.
Sitting catty-corner to my notebook station is a bookshelf that holds art books, sketch books, and a lot of craft books. This is my home notebook station, the place where my home notebook stays open (unless I’m in my purple chair writing herbal information into it).
My notebook contains my current shopping list, menus and many other things that I like to be able to look at throghout the day.
What keeps you organized?
Lynn
for you to leave a comment, but you can also e-mail me at lynn AT thehealthyhomeschool.com
What keeps us organized? What a great question for the day after Mother’s Day. My sister visited a couple of weeks ago. Lorena told her that every night before she goes to bed, she goes around the house to find my keys, billfold, and cellphone. She puts it on the desk beside the computer. Boy was that a wake-up call. I thought some of Lorena’s organized ways were rubbing off on me after 17 years of marriage. Really, it has been her all along!
i love the idea of notebooking and was fully intending to do it with the kids this year.. but alas i have not. maybe next year! michaela’s is an inspiration♥
Ken, that’s funny. You are sweet to give Lorena credit where it’s due. At least you are not one of the many, many men wandering around in denial.
Diane, it has taken me all year to get organized. This has really been our transition year. Next year I have no excuse.
Lynn
Dear Lynn,
How nice to have a good place to put things to organize them! You have motivated me to get on the work box system, and find a good spot to stow everything.
Love,
Marqueta
Hi Lynn,
We are doing notebooks in a similar fashion. I love keeping up with it daily! We have some of those same stacks from earlier years -and I just never got around to them.
Rebecca keeps up with putting things in her notebook now which is really nice too.
I love seeing how others organize. It’s always fun to share ideas.
Love
Leslie
I love how you have a space where you can get those pages worked into a keepsake right then and there. We do a year-end portfolio but I tend to put everything into a large manilla envelope “to do later”. Of course we all know what that means…lucky to get done before the following year starts. What a wonderful ability for you and your family to look back at where you have come from on a day-by-day basis. We have also started the workbox system lately and absolutely love how it impacts MY organizational abilities as well. Thanks for sharing.
Marqueta, though it’s not the best decorating tip, having that spot for organization has been one of the best things I’ve done all year.
Leslie, you inspire me to stay organized. I don’t see HOW you do it with six children, heading up the group, keeping your blog up, and when I see all you are doing at home, I am amazed! You go girl!
Connie, thank you for your comment. I am really happy that’ll we’ll have a finished product at the end of the school year! If I ever put anything to the side to do later, I am not so good about getting back to it. I usually do, it’s just takes me a looooong time.
Lynn