• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Crafty Classroom logo

InteractiveMath
PatternBlockPrintables
MazeWriterHandwritingProgram
FineMotorWorksheets
  • Home
  • Curriculum
  • Crafts
  • Printables
  • Bible
  • Notebooking
  • Games
  • DIY Tools
  • Join
You are here: Home / Archives for homeschool classroom

homeschool classroom

Photos of our Classroom

May 19, 2017 By Valerie Mcclintick 15 Comments

Be sure to read all the way down, we UPDATED for 2017 Below!  

Classroom
So if you’ve been following on facebook,
you know the truth behind these photos.

I’ve spent a good chunk of the last three weeks cleaning and organizing our classroom.
It hasn’t been easy, and honestly I still have a HUGE pile of things to sort through in the garage.

But come Monday, we’ll be starting school in the cleanest classroom on the face of the earth.

Here’s a quick tour:

20130907_130049

20130907_125943

20130907_130108

20130907_130048

Untitled-1

(gallery wall + discovery shelf)
Untitled-2

20130907_130025Untitled-1

There you have it, here’s where we will be the rest of the school year!
20130907_130214

And just so you know, right after I snapped this photo
one of my little boys came along sat at the table and peed everywhere.

We’re talking all over the chair, the table, and the floor.

It was clean for a record twenty seconds this time.

Ah well.

 

—————————2017 UPDATE—————————-

 

It’s been FOUR years since this original post and I wanted to share some updated photos with you!

I am now homeschooling an 8th grader, 6th grader, 2nd grader and a Kindergartner.

As they’ve grown our classroom needs have grown as well.   I thought it would be a good idea to show you the new classroom setup so you can see how we’ve updated and redesigned the area to work for us.

One thing we added was more computer areas….my older children both use the computer for roughly half of the school day so having two separate stations was something we were definitely needing to add:

Here are some more detailed photos of how I made that work.  Basically, I have an L-shaped desk aligned with a standard desk.  They aren’t perfectly matched up, but they fit very well in this space.

Between the desks is our new charging station.  This is where we can easily charge up the tablets and phones.  This charging station is amazing and I highly recommend getting one if the devices and cords are driving you insane. It will hold up to 10 devices and the cords stay wrapped up inside the unit.

Also, I don’t know if you can see it or not, but that slim black tower on the right is a light!  It’s fantastic for space saving as well.  It folds up into a tall tower when not in use.  You can pull it out and adjust the angle settings as well as the brightness.  Really awesome if you have a dark corner that needs a little illumination.

The right wall of the classroom still holds our display cases, as well as our discovery jars.  It also serves as a place to keep all sorts of random classroom items we pick up off the floor.  We also added in two oak bookshelves that are already overflowing…..that is a good thing right?

I keep my teaching manuals on top of these shelfs, right within reach as I’m sitting at the the main table teaching.

Finally, we added in a four-shelf lawyers bookcase that I love to pieces.  This works wonderfully for my children as they each have their own homeschool shelf to contain all of their workbooks and assignments.

Using a lawyers bookcase means we can close up the glass covers during the summer or when company comes over….because this classroom really does double as our dining room as well.

Well, there you have it!  Our Homeschool Classroom in the Dining Room!

 

Filed Under: Homeschool Classroom Tagged With: homeschool classroom, organization

Our Curriculum Choices 2013

August 6, 2013 By Valerie Mcclintick 6 Comments


BlogHop5
Ok, am I the only one who uses the NOT Back to School Blog Hop
as a personal call to action?

I know it’s supposed to be a blogging calendar,
a group effort where we (as the homeschooling community)
share with each other all of these different aspects of planning for the new year,

But I can’t help but see a different, more personal message to this schedule.

For example wouldn’t “Curriculum Week” more accurately be called:

MAKE SOME DECISIONS YOU CRAZY HOMESCHOOL LADY….WEEK.

Or at least that’s how I read it. I mean by August, I’ve already spent half the year driving everyone nuts with zillions of questions about the curriculum they are using, and it’s time to make some decisions. I must have 30 different products in my online carts……and I just keep saving them for later! Well, it’s crunch time baby, it’s Curriculum week. Time to hit BUY or DELETE and live with the decisions. (Or come back mid year and tell everyone why this curriculum failed miserably.) Either way, I’ve got some blog content right?

And next week, School Room Week….well, we all know what that really means:
CLEAN. YOUR. DISGUSTING. CLASSROOM. WEEK.

Really clean that thing. Pull everything out, books, paper, pens, crayons, and set it all out on the table….. even the wet diapers and moldy milk bottles that your toddler somehow shoved behind your desk while you were busy teaching fractions last year. Then when it’s all nice and dirtied up, snap a photo. You don’t have to post it or share it, but it will make you feel good later (after you’ve done a year’s worth of cleaning in a single day) to look back and see your progress. And during the 15 seconds that your classroom actually stays clean, snap an instagram photo to share with the rest of us. We love to think that our classrooms could be so clean like yours, don’t burst our bubbles or we will have nothing to live for.

Keep the dream alive homeschool moms.

And in a just a couple of weeks it will be School Photo Week

Which we all know is code for:

WASH THE SUMMER OFF YOUR KID & BREAK THE HORRIBLE NEWS WEEK

The days of bare feet and long summer locks are approaching an end. Throw them in the tub, give em’ a hair cut, find an article of clothing that still fits and doesn’t have too many stains or rips and put them in front of a camera. But before you snap the photo tell them that school starts in two weeks, so you’ll get a nice big grin for that family album.

*snicker*

Don’t get me wrong……for the most part we really do enjoy homeschooling.
And we really do have some very happy homescholing days.
There are some amazing benefits to homeschooling,
It’s a choice I’m committed to,
and I consider it a huge blessing to even have this choice.

……..BUT……..

There are also some VERY REAL days when I’ve considered shoving my children out the front door and telling them to walk their sorry behinds down to the public school…… or the coal mine,….. which ever they decide, because I’m checking myself into the spa (read: mental hospital) for some much needed sleep.

Ha! The coal mine.

That’ll teach them that Algebraic functions and Polynomial Equations are a PRIVILEGE to learn.

Oops….did I say that outloud?

moving on…

The final week on the calendar:
Day in the Life Week.

This one makes me giggle.

I mean…a REAL DAY IN THE LIFE?

or a MADE FOR TV DAY IN THE LIFE?

or even a

WHAT WE WILL DO THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL AND NEVER AGAIN
BECAUSE THERE WASN’T EVEN TIME TO SHOWER OR EAT
AND NOW I’M A STARVING HOMESCHOOL ZOMBIE MOM….DAY IN THE LIFE.

That first week back to school can be brutal right?

Oh, I hope you are reading this in good fun.
I am a huge homeschool advocate, these have just been some of the funny things I’ve noticed in our own crazy homeschool family.

I do plan on sharing all of our curriculum choices, once I make them
and photos of our classroom, once I clean it

But today I will share progress photos with you,
here is where we’re at folks:

Homeschool Curriculum:
Sonlight Core F

Curriculum

Homeschool Classroom:
Crazy Homeschool Mess
Classroom

I took that photo three days ago and posted it to facebook.
It looks the same this morning.
Except now there are flies around that glass. They are new.

I promise to come back and post when those final decisions are made…..and things are cleaned up.
For now, enjoy all the other amazing homeschooling moms who have posted their curriculum this week as part of the NOT Back to School Blog Hop.

I always love reading these before I make my final choices :)

Siggy

Filed Under: Homeschool Classroom, Homeschool Curriculum Tagged With: homeschool classroom, homeschool curriculum, real homeschooling, sonlight

Shabby Adventures

November 4, 2012 By Valerie Mcclintick 5 Comments


Hey.
How are ya?

It’s been a while…

I know.

I’m sorry.

You see I recently bought one of these.

That’s where I’ve been.

Well, actually….this is where I’ve been:

Reading my newest book:The Handbuilt Home by Ana White.

And I’ve been pinning all sorts of things here.

I’ve really been very busy doing things.

Non-computer things.

It’s good for me I think?

To prove that I didn’t just ditch you,

that I was actually doing SOMETHING….

Here are some Recent Projects I’ve tackled
(with inspiration/tutorial links)

I heart Oregon HOME Sign
(Inspiration via The Vintage Lemon and Shanty 2 Chic)
(Painting on Wood Tutorial: My Wonderful Walls)

Wash Your Hands Printed Fabric Bathroom Frame
(Tutorial: My Repurposed Life)
(Graphic: 4 Men and 1 Lady)

Photo Collage
Frames were repurposed from garage sales or goodwill.
I did this in our mudroom bath,
the lighting is horrible, but it really helps
that tiny little room feel a bit more cheery.

Glass Knob Wreath Decoration
Scroll wood from Home Depot and
The rest is just a piece of walnut stained wood,
with a knob and a wreath….simple but pretty!

Printed Fabric Shabby Pillow
(Tutorial: My Repurposed Life)
(Graphic: Graphics Fairy)

Repainted my Mirror
(Inspiration Color via The House of Smiths)

Cedar Planter
(I need like ten more of these!)
(Ana White)

Gallery Shelf Ledges
(Ana White)

And more gallery shelf ledges….

The gallery shelves are simple and cheep. I love them!

Storage Crate
(Shanty 2 Chic)
This turned out HUGE and fits all of our floor pillows,
and even a couple of babies.

Fireside Bench
(Ana White)
Love this one! I still haven’t coated it with poly,
just enjoying the rustic look.

And finally my VERY FAVORITE project this month:

Framed Wall Maps
(Frame Tutorial via Shanty 2 Chic)
I cut my boards with my miter box and a hand saw, just like the tutorial above,
but I actually used this video tutorial from Kreg, for assembling the boards.
My frames were done in a few minutes.

The longest part was beating them up a bit and then waiting for the stain to dry.

Aren’t they wonderful?
Here’s what I used:

Boards: 1 x 3’s
Stain: Minwax Walnut
Maps: US and World (though I might replace with these antique looking ones)

Phew.

That was a lot of work!!

See, it wasn’t you.

It was just me being busy.

And believe me, I’m just getting started on my “list”

I am always finding new links for fun projects on Pinterest!
so if you’re starting to miss me, follow me over there too!

Filed Under: Mommy Crafting, Shabby Chic Decor Ideas Tagged With: chic, decorations, dining room, faux barnwood, frame map, framed map tutorial, gallery shelf, homeschool classroom, ledges, print on fabric, printable, shabby, sign, tutorial, wash your hands

Our Homeschool Classroom

August 12, 2012 By Valerie Mcclintick 14 Comments

Not Back to School Blog Hop
It’s week 2 of the Not-Back-to-School Blog Hop,
and that means Homeschool Classroom photos!

Yippy!

I love going through all the different posts for new ideas,
but if I’m not careful sometimes I get Homeschool Classroom envy.

(it’s a real disease)

For me, it’s easy to go from inspired to discouraged if my ideas
don’t pan out the way I had them figured out in my head.

To add to the matter,
We don’t exactly have a separate classroom.
We school out of our dining room,
which means I have to be creative about decorating.

Currently our “classroom” is a work in progress.
I’m starting with a very blank slate and slowly adding too it.

So here are the bones we’re working with:

We’ve got our dining table which serves as our main teaching area.

It’s hard to see, but in the back I have a small white board.
I’d like something larger, but again I don’t want my dining area too “cubicle”
Maybe I’ll get lucky and be chosen to review a Hidden Whiteboard
HINT HINT

*ahem*

A desk area for computer time and for educational videos.

I’ve got a world map, and a U.S. map on either side of the window.
I love having these maps on the wall,
but I’m thinking of getting something a bit more “old world” looking and then framing them.
I will totally share if I ever get around to doing this…

A corner cabinet to store our Notebooking binders.

Storage Drawers in what is supposed to be a pantry.
These drawers are just around the corner and hold the children’s textbooks and everything else.
I have a few drawers to myself to store teaching workbooks and supplies.
(You can tell it’s REALLY organized….. *snicker*)

My favorite part of our classroom are these shadow box displays.
These turned out to be a great way to showcase my children’s artwork
(keeping it OFF my fridge)
and they look wonderful in the dining area.

So there it is! That’s where you’ll find us all year long :)
It will NEVER be as clean as it is now
until it’s time for next year’s post ;)

I’m hoping that by next year I’ll have some really cool “Dining/Classroom” decorations up!

And to ensure I haven’t elicited any feelings of homeschool envy,


Here is a shot from the other side of the room…
where you can see that my couch is loaded with laundry.
Clean laundry….but nevertheless…

This is essentially how it stays year round.
If you ever came to my house and my couch wasn’t covered in laundry,
DO NOT BE DECEIVED!

I have either moved it all to my bed,
or payed the children a ridiculous amount of money to make it disappear.

Such is the life of a blogging homeschooler.

Read about our 2012 Homeschool Curriculum Here.


Filed Under: Homeschool Classroom, Homeschooling Boys, Life Tagged With: back to school, blog hop, classroom decorating, decorating, dining room, hidden storage, homeschool classroom, ideas, kitchen, small room, storage, teaching

Our REAL Homeschool Classroom

August 7, 2011 By Valerie Mcclintick 24 Comments

 

Over the years we’ve had many different methods to our madness,
we’ve actually moved three times in the past 5 years so with each
move, came an entirely different setup.

But we’ve NEVER had an actual ClassROOM.

It’s always been school in our Kitchen and Living Room
which isn’t exactly ideal,
but with a few tips and tricks it’s definitely doable!

First let me say that while I’m thoroughly jealous
impressed with all the amazing photographs of homeschool classrooms I see online,
I simply cannot do that to our Living Room.
(I want to. I DO. but I think in the long run I’d go insane)

So, since our living room cannot LOOK like a classroom 24 hours a day,
I try to keep things tucked away, or disguised, or even integrated
into our living space.

And it took me a while to find a method that I liked,
with things hidden but not so tucked away that it takes a ridiculous
amount of time to get through the day.

So our setup is a bit different then what you might expect,
but it works for us!

Oh! And as I take you through our classroom,
I also thought I’d include a few TIPS to share with you.
Small, Handy little things to keep in mind as you’re planning
out your own school space. Nothing magical….take em’ or leave em’.
(Feel free to leave me your Living Room School tips too, I love new ideas!)

So anyway, without any further ado,
Here is where it all goes down:

The kitchen table.

I put One big kid on each side.
with Mom and Monkey in the middle :)
Baby is on my lap, in a walker, or just maybe even napping!
TIP: Keep kid who needs the most help to the right side. Left if you’re left handed

And here is how I hide organize all of our different resources

Current workbooks and projects are stored in this amazing “Apprentice” desk organizer. I first saw this over on Educating Layton and Delightful Learning and I rushed right out to buy one. (Note: Staples as since discontinued this product).

It was well worth the money. This thing holds everything Sissy and Bubba are doing for the day, as well as basic supplies and tools. It Spins, and has handles on the sides so you can pick it up and throw it in your closet when you’re having people over.
Which is exactly where I put it:

TIP: Spend a few moments during the first week of school teaching children where to put their new things back. Do NOT clean up for them…..teach a man to fish is a much better concept. Break time doesn’t start, Lunch isn’t served, and the school day isn’t over until every last paper and pen is put in it’s PROPER place. Eventually it becomes second nature.
(Okay, that’s a TIP for me….wonder how long my house will stay this clean…hmmmm)

Okay on to the school closet:

This is the closet that I recently cleaned out, remember the before pictures? Yup, still clean….Yea me!! And Yea children!!

Our school closet has quite a bit to it:

The bottom levels are dedicated to Monkey (2) who has lots of themed “Big Boy Boxes” I suppose these are like Workbokes, except they have LIDS. Do workboxes have LIDS? I dunno. But these are not really workboxes. They are FUN boxes! These are boxes he can pull out (one at a time of course) and work on while the kids are busy with their school work. Monkey LOVES his Big Boy Boxes, and he is being taught to clean up before he “trades” for another. Yes. A Two-year old boy can be taught to clean up after himself. I didn’t believe it at first, but it’s true.

Some of the different themes I have for him are:

Puff balls w/Ice Cube Tray
Alphabet Magnets
File Folder Games
Blocks
Animals
See & Spell
Board Books
Counting Bears & Cups
Matchbox cars
Education Cubes
Alphabet Matching Game
Wooden Puzzle Pieces

TIP: One trick I only recently learned was to keep his wooden puzzle pieces all together in one box. Then I can easily just slide the boards into the side spaces and not have to worry about the pieces falling out or getting lost or causing mass confusing in the closet area.

Above all of Monkey’s Big Boy Boxes are Sissy and Bubba’s boxes. Some of the different resources I have in those are:

Leveled File Folder Games
Base 10 blocks
Flashcards
Math Manipulitives
Unifex Cubes
Geo Shapes
Rocks and Minerals
Science Tools
Tangrams
Dry Erase Cards
Crayons/Markers/Pencils
Table Top Pocket Chart

TIP: When organizing buy enough containers that you can all of the same color/size. They fit together better, the look nicer, it will give you peace. Got mine from Walmart, $1 each, big ones were $3. $30 makeover.

And let me just say that I love having things organized this way.
It makes it SO simple to grab the necessary tools as we need them.
I labeled each container with laminated flashcards
(Using my awesome new laminator)
and it takes me all of two seconds to find just what I’m looking for.

Okay, that’s all nice and pretty, but now
I’m sure you’re wondering a few things:

Where does she keep all her Teacher Supply books?

Isn’t this THE CRAFTY CLASSROOM….Where are all the craft supplies?

What about all the resources that will be used later in the year?

Where do the children do their online activities?

Where are all the children’s BIG projects, ones that don’t fit into anything.

And for the Love of Peanut Butter what about blogging?

And Here’s the short answer to all of the above: In the Living Room

Okay, that’s sort of a cop out eh?
So Here’s the long answer:

This is my desk. MINE.
Don’t sit in my chair, Don’t mess with my papers,
Don’t put your toys, your books, your trash or your sippy cups
anywhere near my computer and NEVER EVER NEVER play hide and seek
anywhere near this entire corner of the living room.

My desk is not only where I work, but it’s also where I keep upcoming
projects and resources for our homeschool.

It’s also where I blog.
Picture me ignoring that my desk is a mess,
Picture me paying no attention to the gigantic pile of books
that have accumulated across the top
Picture me sipping a homemade Iced Vanilla Latte,
and conjuring up all sorts of funny, inspirational things to tell you about.

Picture me Rollin’
(Sorry, that was a Shout Out to my Bomb-Diggity friend Erica ;)

Sometimes I just can’t help myself.
Ahem.

Moving on…
My children also have their own desk. To share.
(that makes two desks in our living room are you keeping track here?
I swear we have regular furniture too)

This is a smaller desk where the kiddos can do all things on the computer.
Their own computer. (i.e. Not Mine)
They’re happy, I’m happy, Happy computer using family.

TIP: Having a second workstation can do wonders for quieting down your classroom and keeping people happy.

Next to the desk is a junk drawer file cabnient which has become my “catch all” for things
that don’t exactly have a place yet. I repeat this is a “Catch all”, and NOT a Junk Drawer.
Catch – ALL

Come along now…

Most of the current Teacher books that I have are piled on my desk or hidden in this handy little cupboard next the the kitchen table.
TIP: When shopping for furniture, look for things that can double as hidden school storage!

Next to the cupboard is our Kitchen hutch. When my kids do good work on a lesson, I display it on a shelf inside, which has plenty of room for all their craft projects.

They LOVE having their projects displayed this way, like cherished keepsakes….and whenever Grandma comes she knows where to look to see what her little stinkers have been up too.
Me?
I love that my fridge looks like a fridge.

I cannot stand watching art projects slowly slide down the fridge door with each successive slam.
Like nails on a chalkboard.

Is that OCD?
Do you think I’m crazy?
Hmmm….Maybe I should delete that last paragraph before I publish.

(TIP: Keep past projects in a rubbermaid, great to revisit for upcoming lessons…but only keep a few choice items. YOU Seriously don’t need to keep every little dried up corn kernel your kid glued to a empty yogurt container. You’ve got to chuck some of that stuff….lest your neighbor submit your homeschool classroom to A&E’s Hoarders or something.

(I do not speak from experience.)

And finally on to the Crafts. Craft Resources are strategically kept out of the house. I’m so over trusting my children NOT to get into the finger paint, glitter, glue, colored sand, fill-in-the blank with any other craft material you don’t want logged in your carpet, toilet, pillowcase fill-in-the blank with anything that belongs to you and was expensive.

This method ensures harmony and an overall feeling that Life is good.

Okay so that is our entire classroom this year folks!
Hope you found these tips helpful,
or easy to ignore if you didn’t.

Filed Under: Homeschool Curriculum, Homeschool Tools, Life Tagged With: home, homeschool classroom, learning, organization, school, setup, workbox

Primary Sidebar

Tags

activities art art projects bible bible crafts bible printables bible verse children children's ministry christian christmas craft crafts curriculum educational crafts file folder games first grade free games giveaway history holiday homeschool homeschool crafts homeschool curriculum homeschool printables Homeschool Tools japan kids kids crafts kindergarten math mazes mom crafts notebooking preschool preschool printables printable printables science sewing st patricks day sunday school valentines day worksheets

Kindergarten Math Worksheets

Footer

I am a Christian mother of four, with over 13-years experience homeschooling in Southern Oregon. The resources and products I create are designed to keep the prep to a minimum while also bringing a little educational fun to your classroom

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact Us
January Preschool Themes & Printables: Arctic Anim January Preschool Themes & Printables: Arctic Animals, Snowmen, Snowflakes, Hot Cocoa, MLK, Penguins, Polar Bears, New Year, Winter Sports, Hibernation and more! 

 #winterprintables #homeschoolpreschool #prek #distancelearning #tpe #freeworksheets #freeprintables #preschoolprintables #SPED #OT #finemotor  January Preschool Themes
 https://preschoolmom.com/preschool-printables/preschool-themes-by-month/january-preschool-themes/
#freeworksheetsforkids #calendarforkids These mon #freeworksheetsforkids  #calendarforkids These months of the year worksheets will help your students organize, sequence, and recognize months of the year, while working on counting, writing, drawing, numbering, fine motor skills & much more! (Link in Bio) #craftyclassroom #homeschooling #homeschoolmom 
 https://superstarworksheets.com/reading-worksheets/spelling-worksheets/calendar-worksheets/months-of-the-year-worksheets-2
15 Following Directions Skills Worksheets with a L 15 Following Directions Skills Worksheets with a LOVELY Valentine's Day Theme! No-Prep, Print & Go activity pages that are sure to build key listening skills while engaging your students!⠀
⠀
More Than Coloring Pages! Students will be asked to perform a variety of steps that are specifically developed to build key fine motor skills. We've added important skills-based activities throughout our following directions worksheets. Here is a look at some of the skills your students might work on within this pack:⠀
⠀
Prepositional Phrases⠀
Sequential Steps⠀
Writing First & Last Name⠀
Writing Common Words/Sight Words⠀
Underlining, Circling, X's etc.⠀
Drawing Shapes⠀
Drawing Pictures⠀
Coloring (Warm & Cool, Dark & Light, Shading, Blending)⠀
Simple Math (addition and subtraction)⠀
#followingdirections #listeningskills #preschool #sped #distancelearning #tpt  Following Directions: Listening Skills Worksheets for Valentine's Day

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Following-Directions-Listening-Skills-Worksheets-for-Valentines-Day-6442774
Subtraction Worksheets for Kindergarten! Free subt Subtraction Worksheets for Kindergarten! Free subtraction worksheets for preschool & kindergarten. Students will learn to count and take away objects, decompose with number bonds, frame numbers into 5 and 10-frames, solve horizontal, and vertical subtraction equations, solve subtraction word problems, and more!  These free subtraction worksheets, games, and activities will be a great addition to your math curriculum! #mathworksheets #mathforkindergarten #kindergartenmath #freeworksheets #kindergartenprintables #homeschoolpreschool #tpt #kindermath #handsonlearning (Link in Bio) #craftyclassroom #homeschooling #homeschoolmom.  https://superstarworksheets.com/kindergarten-worksheets/kindergarten-math-worksheets/kindergarten-subtraction-worksheets/
Load More... Follow on Instagram

SUBSCRIBER FREEBIE:

Join over 100,000 subscribers and receive our free teaching newsletter!  Join FREE today!

Copyright 2018 Valerie McClintick LLC