The Set Up

I've gotten asked, "How do you  set up your classroom?".  Everyone is different.  In fact, plenty of homeschooling families don't have "classrooms" and prefer to use the kitchen table.  Since we only have one child, we were able to use a bedroom for a classroom.

So let me put it like this.  Here are the top three things in our classroom that I would recommend for other families:

1.  A chalkboard.  Actually, it could be a white board, but we bought that chalkboard paint at a hardware store and painted a giant square on the wall.  Note :  The chalkboard paint needs some "breaking in", which means that it works best after you've used it a bunch of times and a dust cloud has formed.  Also, I've found that sidewalk chalk works best rather than traditional school chalk.

2.  A teacher's desk.  I put a folding table in the corner and that's where I do all the grading, planning, ect.  It's nice to have a specific place for work.  My son also has a desk, but he's still in this phase where he likes to be moving at all times, so we spend a lot of time doing our lessons standing or laying on the floor.

3.  A stage.  Ok, so it doesn't have to be a stage.  What I really mean is something special and specific to your child that will make the classroom really unique.  For my son, it was a stage since he likes to perform.  All I did was attach a string to two nails in the wall and drape some old fabric on it.  Viola!  A stage! 

The cool thing about homeschooling is you can set your classroom (or school space) however you want!  So if you're super creative, go nuts!