My School Area + Learning Area

At times I wish the boys were little again so I could have matching desks and learn your shape posters hanging on the wall. Just for a moment though, because some of the best times we have had are now when they are teens.

I do want to share the little changes I made this year that has made a big difference already in our area.

First, one organizing tidbit to share with you. When organizing your school area try not to get caught up in the hype that you have to have it all done by August. Hear my heart. You waste less time when you school some, then decide final set up on your school area. I start school and work our way up to more of the subjects we will be doing. Then take off a few days to decide where *things* are going to land after we finish for the school day. That is why this post is coming to you in September and not August. I wasted less time because I did not set it up, then decide where things were going to be stored, then switch it around again when it’s not working. I started first, realized what was going to work and what my *needs* are for the year and sat the area up in one try. No switching. Just one time setting it up please. Patience in the beginning pays off for more time and less energy wasted in the long run.

So here is our learning area slightly updated from last year.

The very first thing I did was to add a lamp to one corner of the room that can be dark. Even though we school by a large front window, the area behind it can be dark. The lampshade on the lamp I had was drab and so not fab. I had this wall stencil and sitting outside by the pool I gave the lampshade an update with some paint. It took just one hour. I know, I know, I am not a crafty person but I do love to organize and make things I have to look at every day pretty. Even if that means making it a diy job.

What do you think? I am so pleased with how it turned out. Of course I am still on an orange and pink crush .

Here it is in the new area I changed around. The boys’ drawers were in this corner last year but we needed more room to store reference material like our atlas, encyclopedias, maps and science reference books. Charts for math, grammar or really any subject chart we tend to take with us to our seat. I do not need to hang many things on the wall anymore, but I did need a place to store them. So now we have the clear container, which is actually a table top hanging file organizer, to hold all of our reference material. It is labeled charts and reference and sits right on top of this cheap inexpensive wall unit I put together. Too, I swooned over my new bookends {coral, lemons, oranges and white mustache} this year and am still giddy about them.

Then last year I had changed around some of our history curriculum and added Tapestry of Grace {TOG}. Sorry TOG, the binders are just not that inspiring to look at every day. I don’t need all the years printed off but I did print off a couple of the ones I wanted and put them in the binder. I took time to find binders I heart with lots of color. Adding in History and other Teacher’s Manuals to the binders gave this area the pop of color and inspiration I needed. I had some cute bulldog green and yellow clips {I go insanely crazy over tabs and binder clips that have color, it’s a sickness} and because I don’t like to put tape on my binders, I just clipped the label on. I am pleased with how this top area of my shelf turned out for my teacher reference area.

Then the bottom part of the shelf I used magazine file holders to hold some of the teacher’s manual that I don’t want to take apart. Also we have history magazines we use a little less often than the reference material and this keeps it handy for us too.

Here is how it looks together. I am just tickled pink over being able to finally get them sorted how I wanted to this year.

Then the middle part of this cabinet, where my youngest can reach, becomes a shared area with the boys again. This is the right side and I have the same clear containers from last year but labeled them so my youngest can keep straight what goes back in here.

This is the left side where they are storing their art and there are hardly no small scissors around here anymore.

At the very bottom we store our science supplies, extra school supplies, games and timeline material. Since we take this out once or twice a week and not every day, then it can be in closed storage. Again, label everything so your kids know what you expect. I am pleased with how this middle unit turned out too.

The on the other side of the middle unit is another orange unit tower of drawers and pink tower. The orange unit of drawers was needed because we really wanted a place to store our unit study material that was accessible by all of us. It also holds our extra paper and art supplies too. The pink drawers I needed for storing my office supply things. The pink drawers I only use but I labeled the orange unit because the boys use these too.

Also I needed a place, besides inside my planner, to hold some of their work for the week that I find online or create.

The table top file has hanging folders labeled Monday through Sunday and one for me as Teacher. This allows me to plan a week ahead of time and put assignments I want them to do in here. It is my work area. Also with going back and forth at times with hubby to the doctor as he recuperates, I can leave *special* work for the boys to do that is not in their drawers or regular books. Labeling one for Sunday helps too because when hubby feels a bit sick, we stick around here close and we may do a small assignment on Sunday. I just need that flexibility this year and have it now that the files are labeled. I will mostly use the Monday through Friday tabs, but I have the weekend too if I need it.

I moved the boys set of drawers to the opposite wall. Again, for this year the system with one drawer per subject still works best for us. It allows them to store their pens, books, paper, DVD player and headset in the drawer. The orange basket has the dry erase markers and it is labeled too. Tiny loves to carry the basket around and it is easier getting to than the cabinet that is closed storage. This is also the best place for our globe because it is pick up and go too.

The orange table top file folder system is for Mr. Senior 2013 who has more deadlines this year with both high school and getting college credit. He really needs his own tracking system. He too has labeled all the days of the week because like me, he won’t leave hubby on Sunday if he feels bad. We will make use of the day around the house. So he put something to do *extra* on Sunday for a backup if we have to stick around the house. Again, he will probably use most of the Monday to Friday tabs, but he has a system to track his deadlines.