One of the wonderful things about homeschooling is that you can start and stop your year when its fits best into your schedule. Additionally, you can take breaks and vacations when you need to or want to. Isn’t that such a great thing about homeschooling? So, many of us are in full swing of our school year right now, and some are on our first breaks of the year, end of terms, or starting our next term.
We are on “fall break.” Now, I have not done that before but my daughter was invited to attend a drama camp with her friends during their public school fall break so we have taken a break and let her attend the camp. We’ll see how that goes. Nevertheless, we are dawning on the end of our first term and I’m planning for the next term still.
So in order to hopefully get the next term off to the right start and set us up for a successful term, I have been thinking about ways to get the next term off to a good start. Getting off on the right foot can be the key to a successful year. Here are some things I’m hoping will help set us up for our best year yet!
1 Have a plan. This year I have a plan and its better than last year’s plan. I had the first term fairly well planned but still had some last minute planning to do. I’m hoping that having the entire term planned out will be helpful.
2. Make a great start. This year we celebrated the first day of school with some fun to help everyone becoming excited and vested in the school year. We are having a special breakfast, a fun craft, lunch at the park, first day pictures, and ice cream after the school day is complete. Though we aren’t going to have such a parade for the first day of the second term, we are still planning to have a little fun as we start each term.
3. Be flexible. Just because you purchased a curriculum or book, be flexible in case it doesn’t work. If you have a schedule, make sure that you are flexible to tweak it if it doesn’t work out right away. We started several new things this year. So far we have had great success with everything but, if something starts to not work out, we will surely not be as rigid as we were last year about plugging along when it clearly isn’t working.
4. Get outside. Make sure you spend some time outside. Nature walks, reading, physical education…these are all great ways to get outside and enjoy God’s world. A good book under the tree or a nice mid-morning walk can help you really enjoy your day. We love getting outside and have even started many of our days each week with a morning walk with the dog. Sometimes that is our nature walk time and sometimes it’s just some good fresh air.
5. Remember to have fun. One of the joys of homeschooling is that you can have fun. So have fun with your days and help your kids (and you) enjoy school! We are having so much more fun this year.
What helps make your school days run smoothly?
Very good.Thanks
Very good.Thanks