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When we started homeschooling, we were living in a tiny apartment anxiously awaiting the completion of our new home. We never expected to homeschool so I was very stressed as to how I would set up our “classroom.” Once upon a time, I was a public-school teacher and I loved getting my room ready for the kids to come. I chose a theme, made posters, decorated, and arranged everything so the kids would love their new room. How was I going to manage to do this in a two-bedroom apartment? How would this ever work?
Let me first start by saying that you don’t need a “classroom” to begin homeschooling. I have seen everything from a smartly organized closet to an elaborately set up room. Teaching isn’t about the room, it’s about connecting with your kids, it’s about being together and growing as a family. I set myself up for failure from the start. My focus was on the space. How could I educate my two kinder kids at my kitchen table that was surrounded by boxes? We needed a reading nook, we needed a whiteboard, and we needed lots of space to spread out. What I discovered the hard way was that what my kids needed was me. So, we began with a scared and very stressed mom. It was the perfect storm.
At the time, our learning area consisted of my kitchen table and my couches. We had a printer, a bookshelf, some workbooks, and things to write and color with. I added a few motivational posters by our table and bought some small whiteboards and dry erase markers. Here is the link for something like what we used, https://amzn.to/3z9AYEZ. This set comes with 2 white boards and all the extras you will need to get started. I didn’t like our set up, but it was a start and we made it work for a few months. My kids never complained. Their focus was on learning and living.
Setting up your learning environment depends on your space. If you don’t have a designated room, a rolling cart will be your best purchase. Although I did not use one, I did some research and this one seems like it would be a good choice, https://amzn.to/32FGx1T. I would have loved this cart when we first started. I love that it is three tiered and has holders for loose pencils, markers, and scissors. I probably would have chosen to use one basket for each kid and one for my supplies. This would be a great space saver for anyone who is limited. Having a cart allows you to have an organized and mobile school. It also allows you to put away the school supplies when they aren’t needed.
Once we moved from our apartment to our home, I was able to have a designated room for our school. Unfortunately, I went nuts with decorations. My training was for public school, that’s what I knew, and that’s what I tried to replicate. I went overboard. Looking back, it was a lot of wasted expenses and a lot of worrying that if I didn’t have the perfect room my kids wouldn’t want to learn. What I should have been focused on was making a great space where we could all be comfortable. I personally like having a separate room for our school. It gives us a “place” to go that is different from where we live daily. My thinking was that once school was over, we could shut the door and leave. Little did I know that it would become the most popular room in our home.
How is our room set up? Very simply at this point. We have three desk/tables from IKEA with three very plain rolling chairs. I have two bookshelves that are filled with supplies and books that we have collected over the past 9 years. I have a good quality printer
https://amzn.to/3eDT48s, and lots of pencils, paper, and markers. One of the most used items in our room is our big magnetic whiteboard. For me, this is an absolute must have. I searched for a large one and there are many to be had online. If you really do your research, you will be able to find a good quality one that isn’t too expensive. If you don’t have the space, just purchase individual whiteboards. These are great for all ages. I have a large one that takes up most of one wall. We use it now for math, Bible verses, and as a magnetic display for just about everything. When we are not doing math problems, my kids love to use it for drawing and expressing themselves.
As my kids have aged their school needs have become more expensive. We have laptops for each. Keep in mind, we did not use the computer often when they were younger, so we only had one. My kids are older now and we have discovered that sharing one just doesn’t work for them. Both have different lessons that they work on at different times so investing in two reasonably priced laptops made sense for us. We also have added a television to our room. This has become a very useful resource for us. I don’t have regular TV connected to it because we use it for supplementing our lessons. I find this easier than the three of us crowding around a computer screen.
That’s pretty much all you need to get your school space started. As you go along, be on the look out for sales, online markets, or garage sales. You will add to your space throughout the years. Be mindful of what you need verses what you want, and you can keep the costs and clutter to a minimum. Whatever space you have, you can make it work. Just remember, your kids probably won’t remember what you hang on the walls or how you decorate; they will, however, remember their time with you.
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