Setting Up Our Virtual Homeschool Space
My home office got a bit of a facelift getting ready for my new office mates!
I wasn’t quite ready when the plug got pulled at the end of the last school year. Initially we thought the girls would only be home for a couple weeks and before we knew it, it was a couple of months. We were in survival mode and to be honest, I thought they would go back to brick and mortar school the next school year. Since we made the decision to keep them home, the girls needed a better virtual homeschool space.
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But we didn’t have another room to use as a virtual homeschool space…
Which means that my office needs to do double duty. By double duty, it meant that I needed to clear out my clutter so they had a place to put all their virtual homeschool books and supplies. Thankfully when I did my office makeover, I already had a very simple desk space that the girls could both work from.
Even though I have amazing built in cabinets, I wanted something dedicated to just the girls and all their virtual homeschool supplies. After chatting with the girls, we thought it would be super cool to find lockers. We did a little search and found these super cute lockers from Hobby Lobby. I wanted to find some local and DIY, but being under a deadline, these are actually great. It was the only splurge I bought for the room.
Even if you don’t have an extra room or a dedicated home office already, don’t worry.
If there’s anything else that I learned from our eLearning from last year, kids will learn anywhere. And even thought we have this office space, I fully expect the girls to move about the house. To be honest, I hope they do. The important part is that they’re learning and that can happen, at the kitchen table, on the couch, in their bedrooms, outside, or even in our car.
Check out my Homes.com article where I share some tips on creating an office space from little to no space at all.
And be sure to check out this article from Homes.com where I share how other families are setting up their homeschool rooms.
Tools for virtual homeschool
Planner: doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but a place where you can write out due dates and upcoming assignments. Yes a lot of the stuff is online, but having a quick look without needing to log in is great too.
Dry erase board: great for working out math problems, motivational quotes, or just doodling.
Hanging organizer: gets stuff up and off the desk, a place to keep folders and important papers.
Headphones or earbuds: will help them stay focused during online classes and keeps the home noises out of their classes. May need to get them with a built in microphone.
Clip boards: Perfect for writing or hanging up artwork that can be switched out.
Brain breaks: I grouped together some puzzles, adult coloring books, and other activity books to help destress and didn’t involve another screen.
Wireless mouse: If your kiddo is using a laptop, this will make life so much easier.
Take a deep breath and try not to stress.
This year has been crazy enough and everyone is making adjustments in a world that seems to change every minute. When we decided to have kids, at no point would I ever imagine that we would make the transition from brick and mortar school to anything online, at least not this early in their education. One thing I have learned is that kids are pretty resilient. Every year they walk into a new classroom, meet a new teacher, and will have unfamiliar faces. This year their classroom is our home and while seeing their teachers and new classmates may look a little different, it can still be a great experience.
You got this.
XOXO,
Brooke
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Great job Brooke! We are schooling from home as well, and I’m grateful for that given all that’s happening. It’s so important to have a space designated to learning, helps them focus.