Homeschooling is steadily gaining popularity with open-minded parents who prefer a more relaxed approach to learning. Aside from being a great alternative to crammed classrooms in public schools, the most obvious benefit of home education is that it provides a great opportunity for busy parents to spend more time with their kids in a safe and familiar environment.
Preparing for the Big Makeover
If you have decided to educate your children, congratulations – you have already made the first, most crucial step. The next logical step is to turn your vision into reality. At this point, you may find the whole idea a bit overwhelming, even terrifying. But don’t be discouraged if you’re new at this – every homeschooling parent was, at first. What you don’t know, you will learn along the way.
Transforming one part of your home into an improvised classroom may seem challenging, but it can be quite easy if you do your homework correctly. There are plenty of solutions to keep things in order and as many smart ideas you can exploit to create an engaging environment that will motivate your kids to stick around even in after-school hours.
Where to begin?
Assuming you have already found a suitable room, for a successful transformation, you will have to stick to three basic rules: accessorize, organize, improvise.
Obviously, your future classroom will need suitable furniture. If you’re unsure whether to opt for the modern or classic approach, why not take the best of both worlds and go for both. Combine sleek, stylish, and functional elements with vintage, repurposed, or even hand-crafted items.
Above all, be practical: a proper classroom will need desks, chairs, tables, cabinets and other storage containers, maybe even an adequate workstation. And don’t forget a bookcase for a small or not-so-small library. Browse for ideas; take a look at how some creative folk tackled the challenge – there’s a lot to be learned from Australians, for one. You can turn to companies that sell classroom furniture in Sydney and get some pieces that will give your home classroom a real work atmosphere. Choose the solution that guarantees you won’t have to compromise style and quality over price.
Pay Attention to Details
Let’s stop here for a second and remember that children should not be trained to “learn by force or harshness, but be directed to it by what amuses their minds.” Learning should be fun, and to achieve that, you will need a space which is appealing. Your home classroom should be enjoyable for both you and your children, so don’t hesitate to engage them in your project. Let them contribute with their ideas and allow them to choose things that they like.
Bring in some color and introduce exciting details such as:
- chalkboards or vintage clocks
- world globes or musical instruments
- tech gadgets or flower pots
- or maybe even a small impromptu climbing wall for at-home P.E. classes.
Don’t Forget the Whole Picture
Ideally, you should have an open-air space that can be visually separated into several sections:
- the learning center
- the library
- the play area
- the activity space.
Use furniture, sliders, curtains, or rugs and mats to separate the zones, then fill them with specific items that will make them distinctive from each other. Bring your children’s favorite toys and learning games to the play area. Arrange lazy bags or scatter comfy pillows in the library; get some shelves so your children can exhibit their handicrafts. And don’t forget the walls! There’s always room for a world map, or a cork board to put your children’s drawings on display. It’s those special touches that will breathe life into your home classroom.
The Final Tip
Being practical and well-organized does not mean you should not be flexible. You will learn many things on the go, most important of all – not to overdo it. You do want your kids to have fun as they learn, but you also want them to stay focused on one thing at a time, and that may prove the biggest challenge of all. Strive for a relaxing, yet clean atmosphere that will stimulate your children’s brains, but that will also inspire their creativity and motivate them to pursue their interests.
And when it finally comes down to learning, you will realize that equipping your home classroom was the natural part. Good luck!