homeschool room ideas needed

[ktgrok]

37 minutes ago, mom2Hh said:

Looks great!  Where do you keep the books/curriculum, etc?  And where do you keep books/curriculum, etc. that you aren't using but are saving for the next child coming up?  if you save it... I know some people sell it right away and then buy again for the next child

 

The books/curriculum are in the magazine file boxes. There is one for each child, plus I have one for each child, for the teacher manuals, then some extra stuff is in the other ones. Because they are different colors it is easy to know what is where. Stuff that I'm not using now goes in a few places: "living books" like for history or literature or poetry are on our regular family bookshelves, which are sorted by subject so it's fairly easy to find things. More school type stuff is in one of these console tables , in my dining area, along with old yearbooks, binders with past portfolios (we are required to do one each year and keep them for 2 years in my state), etc. Some of it, like the CLE Math light units that we are going to use this year but are not to yet (there are ten per student per year) are in a basket on one of the top shelves, as are some other workbooks, etc and some of it is standing upright on the bottom shelves. 

[ktgrok]

What are the bookcases full of? Books? Supplies? What? Do you need all of it? 

 

[KathyBC]

8 hours ago, mom2Hh said:

So this is our current Homeschool Room which has never not been a mess since we moved in here two years ago. It never gets finished or completely unpacked and then it's messed up again. I don't want to do school in there all day long but my ten-year-old and I did sit at the table and do math in there and that worked well. I want it to be a place for each boy to work quietly or to work with me when we don't want to be at the kitchen table. I'm embarrassed to post a photo of such a mess... I'm working on the clutter right now... But I have no vision for that back wall.

Does anyone have ideas, things they like about their school spaces that you think I might want to consider in that room?  Especially along that back wall in the photo?

The small school desk will be out of there by the end of the day as my son does not want it. I have thoughts of a large whiteboard or chalkboard on the wall, I'm not sure how often we would use it though. There is also a baseboard heater along that wall which makes it tricky to put shelving along. The table is awkward in that I like It by the windows for the light, but if I push it up against the window the windows are very low so that would feel weird too, so there's wasted space between the windows and the table. At the end of the room you can't see in the photo are two closets that are full of fairly organized (believe it or not) school and craft supplies.

I feel stuck and unmotivated to continue because I have no vision for the space!  We also have a large, faded, living room chair that could go in there for reading- again- not sure if it would get used.  Though no one wants to part with that chair which is currently in a porch room and no one uses it there either.

For right this second, like a visit from your friend, I would try moving the map to the longer wall, maybe rotate the printer table so it backs against the window wall. The wheelie cart you're not using and *any* curriculum that won't be used this school year could head down to the basement. I so wish I had a basement, it may be a good thing for my packrat tendencies that I don't. ? 
Longer term, check into a buffet or something similar with doors or baskets so much-loved projects that need to hang around for awhile can be out of sight. The small desk and folding chair could probably go, hey?

[PeterPan]

So how did it go with your friend? Get anything done?