Namastè!
Ah, it's almost August. I'm glad, but mainly because I have really big ideas for my daughter's classroom this year.
No, I'm not commandeering the Feng shui of some unsuspecting teacher's space. We are a very proud homeschool family, and it's about that time of year to set up her work space. This is our first time making an actual class space in Castle Namastè, as we just moved here in December.
I'm so jazzed. So is Princess Namastè.
Desk!
Of course any class space needs a desk. Hers will have space to write, as well as room for her computer. Her chair will be comfortable enough to sit for a couple spells...but maybe not so cozy that she sleeps there. We think a corner desk is best, because that allows some space for her to stretch between lessons. Given our planned spot, she'll also get some good sunlight while she studies.
Organization...
I am big on organization. I dislike clutter, and I feel like it kind of takes away from the learning environment when things aren't in their proper place. To that end, I'll be providing some shelving and storage solutions. My sweet little princess is allowed to customize within reason, but nothing distracting.
The shelving unit will hold her books and binders. I will get some bins (coordinated to her chosen design scheme) to hold pencils, pens, and smaller necessities. When a student's supplies are organized and within reach, the learning goes smoother. Organizing is key to success for us especially, as Princess Namastè is sometimes distracted if she doesn't have a clear work space. She got that honest.
Style!
Because I want her to be as content as possible, I allow my little Bug to customers and design her space. She chooses the colors and textures, as well as the layout. I'm perfectly fine with the music notes and Bollywood theme we will be doing this year--it encompasses two things she loves and adds some personality to her learning space.
Learning materials?
Yes! I will be helping my princess design her charts this year. We go all out! We have a chart for basic stuff like multiplication refresher and the metrics chart, as well as her weekly goals. It is truly a classroom...it just happens to be at our house.
Class'ogram!
This is a big deal for us. The Class'ogram is our weekly telegram. I put all the lessons from her scheduler in there. (While our schooling is online, I still maintain as much hands-on, hard copy as possible.) The Class'ogram is our guide to the week. Everything of import goes in there, from class assignments to enrichment assignments to appointments! It outlines all the expectations and goals we've got, along with the objectives and learning goals. We also include a weekly empowerment quote and journal assignments centered around a character education objective. I even teach my baby about credit! I am so serious with this thing, y'all.
The Class'ogram also teaches my princess responsibility. She receives one copy at the beginning of the week, typically Sunday night before bed but no later than 8.30 Monday morning. (We begin lessons at 9.) If she loses that copy, she must pony up a quarter for a reprint. Since she does not receive an electronic copy of the Class'ogram, she is required to handle her copy with care.
Note: Let go of your pearls. The quarters for lost copies (which are few and far in between) go directly toward supplies for her. She's being taught responsibility and acountability, and that is something people twice her age often lack. We are strict about it, but the discipline she receives now is molding her into an even more awesome young lady.
The Schedule...
Our school day begins promptly at 9 am. We are typically done by 2 pm, but we give our princess until 5 pm to have all her assignments for the day done and her work area cleaned. We loosely follow what she would be doing in brick and mortar, but because we are home we can customize the time frame for each lesson based on how difficult it is, and allow more time for new concepts. We generally wrap our days up around the time kids in brick and mortar get out of school.
Socializing?! How?!
Princess Namastè is very social, actually. Contrary to popular yet misinformed belief, homeschool does not equal shut in, awkward, or uncultured. Due to our work, she has friends all over Georgia. I host a co-op for homeschool families in our area, and she has formed friendships with some of those kids. She also has (limited) social media, so she is able to interact and correspond with our family, which reaches from here in the US all the way to India and Sri Lanka.
It is not really difficult to provide her with social interaction. She's involved in a few activities and she is the kind of kids who just makes friends very easily. She's reserved like her mother, so her dance cats never gets to full. She likes tone with her friends but also likes time with herself.
Sooooo...that's how we get ourselves situated each school term. It's fun and exciting. It's a lot of work but so worth it.
Namastè!
-- Tayè K. ♡
No comments:
Post a Comment