Posts tagged "learning environment"

Home School Supplies – What Do You Really Need?

What home school supplies do you need to create a productive, nurturing learning environment for your child?    Chances are if you are homeschooling, you have a set curriculum that you use.  It might include a list of necessary supplies and then a list of supplemental materials.  Most home schooling parents that I know are very resourceful and know how to utilize their community resources and provide their child with many quality experiences that provide their child with a solid educational foundation.  Home school supplies should not cost a tremendous amount of money.  When you budget properly, your home school supplies should only take a small percentage of your income.  How can you determine what  home school supplies you need?  When is the ideal time to purchase the supplies?  How do you budget accordingly?  Consider the following tips to get your school year off to a great start:

• Assess your needs -  If this is not your first year homeschooling, write down a list of things that have gone well over the past year, and then make a list of things that you want to improve.  If this is your first year, make a list of things you are confident about and then list things that you foresee as being a challenge.
• Make a list – Create a list of items that you need to support your goals and a list of items you want.  Browse K12 School Supplies and find 4-6 items that you believe would enable you to be a successful teacher and create meaningful learning experiences for your child.  Then, find 4 – 6 items that you want, but don’t necessarily need.
• Create a budget – Whenever you create a budget, you first need to determine where your money is currently going, itemize your costs and consider want you want to purchase.  Dedicate a certain amount of money to cover the cost of your home school supplies.
• Talk to other homeschooling parents – By talking to other parents, you will learn the best items to purchase and the best time of year to purchase the supplies.  There are many great deals throughout the year.

What home school supplies do you need?  We would love to hear your ideas!  Please send your comments our way.

Classroom Decorations for Back to School

Classroom decorations can help create a warm, welcoming environment that makes kids feel comfortable in their new classroom.  It is already July and many teachers are beginning to plan for their year.  If you are a teacher reading this you may know what you are teaching those first couple of weeks, but have you thought about new ways to use classroom decorations to help create a strong classroom community.

It takes time and dedication during those first couple of months to create a cohesive and caring community of learners.  Teachers take careful consideration into decorating their learning environment to make it a place where learning happen.  Small items such as welcoming bulletin board sets, or fun charts and posters can add character to any classroom.  I’ve often thought that HGTV needs to have a special series dedicated to teachers where they might come in and makeover a classroom or renovate an area of a school building.  There is no doubt that teachers can create amazing places on a limited budget, but I still think it would be fun to have a design team give it a try.

Think about how much time you spend decorating your house.  Your classroom is an extension of you.  Your classroom decorations reflect your personality.  You should choose styles and colors that you will enjoy looking at as your teach and items that you think will inspire your learners.

There are so many great classroom decorations to choose from.  Start simple and add several things over the course of the year and you will have a beautiful classroom that you will be proud of and your students will appreciate.

What is one of your favorite classroom decorations?  We would love to hear from you!  Also, be sure to check us out  on Facebook and Twitter!  We want to help your go back to school in style!