Well, like any job. You've got to have the right tools to make it go smoothly. For me, I need tools and organization. My life always feels more chaotic when life around me is not organized. Here's a list of some tools we use to help keep our home school running smoothly.
This is our "command center" I'll go into more detail at a later date on how we use this space but for right now I want to focus on the most used tools.
1) Our caddy-I picked this up at TJ Maxx and I love it! It's worked great for keeping their pencils, crayons, scissors, glue sticks and markers organized. If they are working on a big project and don't want to use the crayons at their desks, then we simply move this over and put it in the center of the table so everything they need is within reach.
2) Electric pencil sharpener-possibly the most used tool in our classroom, lol. Apparently, we all like a nice, sharp pencil. It's a special treat when the kids get the job of "sharpening pencils" they love it. I grabbed this one at Target but any office supply store should have a great selection.
3) A laminating machine. Love, love, love this thing! This is a purple cow laminator. It's a hot/cold machine so you can choose either. It's compact, I store it on our schoolroom closet shelves and it doesn't take up too much space. I purchased this one at Costco for $19.99 and it came with several laminating pockets. The pockets can be ordered from Amazon.com also. I've heard the Scotch Thermal Laminator is great too-I know that one is available at Target {you can also buy the laminating pockets at Target}.
4) Binders. Oh, binders, binders and more binders. For me, these are what help keep me the most organized. We use them for weekly binders {my take on the work box system-but with binders}, we use them to store our resources, I use one as my home school planner {filled with schedules, projects to complete, some lesson plans, I store the kids progress reports, reading logs, p.e. logs amongst other things in my planner}. My children do have a designated color dot {not because I have so many children to keep track of but because it's their color I use in our family calendar so I just carried it over to the school room}.
This is my third grader's work binder. Everything is divided by subject and her weekly work is placed in it. I fill their weekly work binders every Sunday so come Monday morning, they are set and ready to get started. Monday's are tough for us so this is a HUGE help. And, honestly, having everything in one place for them helps with staying on track with our day. It also helps them to see how much work they have left for the week and work accordingly. I can do a more in depth post on our weekly work binders as well.
Here's a peek at my kindergartner's work binder. He always starts the morning with his gratitude journal writing and calendar work. This is a sheet I found off Pinterest but I'm certain you can find one from Teachers Pay Teachers or Homeschool Creations. I put his calendar page in a sheet protector and he uses a dry erase marker for writing.
Here's my home school planning binder. This is always a work in progress and could honestly use a post all to itself :) I truly love planners and have had a difficult time finding one that works for us. This binder system works just to keep all my logs and records in one place. I have some projects that are home school related that are in the works so I keep all that info in there as well.
This is our schedule-I don't tend to stick to a rigid schedule. It's mainly a guide to make sure I'm able to get everything done with them I need to. Honestly though, our family needs flexibility. If the kids are feeling burnt out on math, we'll skip it for the day and play a math game instead. If they're feeling like they'd rather curl up on the couch with a book than sit through a grammar lesson, we'll do it. I've learned to just go with the flow. Flexibility and grace is what our home school runs on.
Next tool...
5) Cricut machine. Or, any other die cutter. This is obviously well-loved. I've had this machine for a number of years. I use it for all kinds or arts and crafts, for making manipulative's, for decorating our school room, you name it. In terms of pricing these can be expensive so if you're looking to buy one make sure you use a coupon {for Jo-Ann's or Michael's} or buy used from Craigslist {that's where I got this one}.
6) Paper trimmers. These are part of my scrapbook stash but I use them all the time in the school room-mostly for mini books and to cut down the things I've laminated. These are available at craft stores or on Amazon.
7) A computer. A given :) I have my laptop set up in the school room so I can easily access the kids lesson plans, any online games, movies, resources or programs that we may need during our day.
8) A good printer. We use a Canon MG5420. It's an all in one photo printer. So, I can make copies, scan and print nice quality photos and such when I need to. It's also wireless which is helpful when I'm working at night in front of the t.v.-love that.
8) A decent size chalkboard or whiteboard. I bought this one from Amazon.com. Our school room is relatively small in size and this is a great fit for us right now. I was working with a smaller easel before and I just never had enough room to leave things written while working on another lesson. The kids love drawing on the board too.
There ya go! Some of our most used tools in our home school room. What are your most used tools?
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