Let's Try This Again

Well, I had the best of intentions. Honest. But those last three months of the school year just did me in, and the whole Weekly Reporter thing was one of the casualties (along with folding laundry and cooking dinner more than three nights per week).

Anyway, here we are approaching a brand new academic year. A fresh start, perhaps?

In an attempt to get myself all energized to start that new year, I've spent some time over the last couple of weeks cleaning up and re-organizing our schoolroom. I even quit practicing denial about Moonheart not schooling with us anymore and moved her desk out of the room. It made me feel a bit misty, such tangible evidence of the end of an era, but we do appreciate the extra floor space.

So, without further ado, here's what it looks like now:



This is the "nerve center" of the space, RobotBoy at his desk on the right (playing a game, truth be told) and my desk on the left. One of the things I like about the new arrangement is that I get to sit right next to the window. RobotBoy didn't like having his desk there, because he didn't like the glare of the sun on his laptop screen. But I just love the view and the natural light.

On the wall between our desks are four timelines from Milliken: Early Africa, Mesopotamia, Ancient Israel and Ancient Rome. They have lots of good graphics and information and should be helpful for quick reference during the year.



Here's the opposite wall, RobotBoy's books and curriculum for this year on the third and fourth shelves (counting from top down) on the bookcase next to the window. My stuff--including answer keys and books I might want to refer to during this year and anything reproducible--is on the shelf above his books. The other two shelves have generic supplies: printer paper, books that didn't have any other home, etc. The bookcase on the left has all of my parenting/education books, dictionaries and other reference things, projects from previous years and assorted arts and craft supplies in the plastic bins.



Here's another view of my desk (near the window!). The plastic bags on the floor are full of supplies waiting to be donated to our church's Religious Education program. One of the things of which I'm most proud is that sheet of white paper smack in the center of the corkboard over my desk: It contains my grading standards for every subject for this year. It's the first time I've ever actually sat down and worked out a logical and consistent grading plan in advance, and the hope is that seeing it there in black and white will motivate my darling son to take his work more seriously.



And, finally, a better view of RobotBoy's domain. The colorful posters are of various Greek/Roman gods and goddesses, tying in with our ancients theme for the year. I moved the world map from its ignominious position behind the door to a place of honor next to RobotBoy's desk. The green strip beneath the map is the portion of our timeline that covers the historical period we'll be studying. The plan is to add a similar strip for each of the other three eras as we get to them. Under that is a map of ancient Persia that my husband found in a recent National Geographic.

So, in terms of physical space, we're about as ready to go as we can get.

The lesson plans are pretty much done, too, but I'll chat about that in another post.

So, now all I have to do is get Moonheart through the final weekend of her current show, make sure she is packed up and ready to head back to college by this time next week, drive her there, move her into her dorm room and drive back. Yep, I should have all kinds of energy left over to start school bright and early the following Monday morning, right?