Our School Room
I hesitate to call what we have a school room, but we do have an area with desks and a craft table.
Our entryway is an addition connecting the house and garage. It’s sort of an awkward room with five doorways in a long, narrow space. It took me awhile to figure out how to use the area, and it still gets shifted around more than any other room. However, even in its unfinished state, we enjoy the benefits of an area away from the main centers of chaos, the living room and kitchen.
Because this room is entered if you visit our home, I disguise our craft table with a tablecloth removed easily for messy projects.
At Christmas time last year, the table was rarely covered.
Some of our craft supplies and notebooks are organized in a pantry-type closet. The rest are stored in the garage in crates. Someday we’ll have enough bookshelves to hold them all. Maybe.
When we started homeschooling, I tried to recreate school at home. Now I’ve relaxed and thought we should get rid of the old school desks. My kids protested. I understand. I like having a desk, too.
A sliver of green promises an amaryllis in the gold pot next to the computer. Won’t it look beautiful next to my painting? (I slipped that in, since you asked to see my paintings. I’ll post better pictures later.)
Sunshine especially enjoys sitting by the window drawing everything in her imagination.
One blessing of homeschooling is that you don’t need a school room. It’s nice, but not a necessity. Learning happens while playing in the backyard, cooking in the kitchen, snuggling on the couch, or reading in bed.
Honestly, I focus more on making a comfortable home than I do about creating the perfect school room.
I want beauty to surround us and peace to fill us as we explore this amazing room called Earth, our home decorated by God with our imaginations in mind.
I love having a peek into your school room. I should post pictures of our space…
We have school desks, too, but the children just play school there. I never use them for actual homeschool!
Thanks for sharing! I found some desks at a thrift store awhile back and tried to talk my kids into them, but they wouldn’t have any of it. They enjoy working at the dining room table. I suppose it’s what they’re used to..Personally, I think your desks are very cool!
My two are avid readers as well. Several years ago, as they were checking out their usual stacks of books at the library, the Librarian asked me if we homeschooled. I answered in the affirmative and asked how she knew. She replied that she noticed homeschooled kids tend to read more. I thought that was an interesting observation.
I always dreamed of a school room, but never had the space. I bought the kids desks, which have become toy shelves in their rooms. Their favorite places to study are on the kitchen table, couch, and bed. And I finally have gotten to the point where I don’t want a school room anymore. Nothings cozier than getting sandwiched by my babes on the couch! (Oh, a special table for art would be great though!) :)
I love the bookcases and all the wonderful lighting that you have! You are organized!
Here is ours.
http://pagesofourlife.blogspot.com/2008/08/hgtv-in-our-school-room.html
Amanda,
Yes, please do! I would enjoy seeing where you impart wisdom to the next generation. :)
Dana,
Ha! My son does use his desk, but certainly not exclusively.
And I just realized his desk has been next to mine for 5 1/2 years. We’ve moved it plenty of times, but it always returns to that spot. It kind of touches my heart. I think Bug likes to work next to me.
I often sat next to the teacher, but for very different reasons. :P
BoondockMa,
You are probably right about kids liking what they are used to. We started school with a plastic Little Tykes table, so a desk was a natural next step.
Perhaps, Bug caught some of my enthusiasm, too. He helped me cart the smaller desk home from the neighbors. I couldn’t resist the five dollar price tag. :)
Pam,
We do a lot of lessons on the couch, too. You can’t beat cuddling with kids while reading books!
Beth,
Thanks! And yes, the light is nice. There are big windows on both sides of our breezeway/school room.
I agree, a comfortable home IS the perfect school room, and a healthy family the best school master! I loved seeing in your home Renae, and I am very eager to get a closer look at that landscape above your desk, along with the rest of your paintings- pretty please!
I enjoyed seeing into your home. Someone gave us some school desks, once. I was so exited. The boys not so much. N didn’t even fit in his. So I passed them on to another family.
Beth (brew*crew),
Thank you so much. I added, “Show oil paintings,” to my post list just for you. Maybe I can sneak some pottery in, too. ;)
Christy,
Isn’t it interesting to see what our children like? Sunshine uses her desk every day. Bug uses his less now, but he still uses it for his writing assignments.
I agree, learning takes place everywhere. Thanks for sharing your school room pics. We have lots of bookshelves too, but they never seem to be enough. :)
I love those antique desks! We’ve had one for years, even before we had kids, just because I love the look of them. In fact, the kids have never used it as a desk, it’s an endtable instead!
What a lovely post.
I especially love your closing comments. Surely, God has given us Earth as our home and our inheritance. This is the Lord’s doing, and it’s marvelous in our eyes.
This is an important Real-Life truth for us, as well.
Our homeschool is called “Le Jardin des Papillons” (Butterfly Garden).
We’ll be sharing our homeschool photos in our online journal after we move and get settled in.
(Click on the link in my name if you’d like to see our homeschool journal now.)
Thanks for inspiring and encouraging us and other homeschoolers.
P.S.
My kids loved seeing your homeschool…they’ve never really seen another family’s homeschool before.
Donna,
Thank you for taking the time to comment. It is amazing to think of all the things God provides for us on beautiful Earth.
I’m so glad your kids enjoyed seeing part of our home. We look forward to seeing yours.