Growing up, besides being a big family in a small house, we also home schooled. And there was no school room. Our dining room did double duty serving as school room and the place where we ate when guests came over.
It seemed logical, then, for me, when I was setting up my own home school room, to make our HQ in our dining room. We don't have an extra room to use, and the dining room contains a big table. Perfect situation for accomplishing school work, or at least, fomenting sibling irritations.
This double duty school/dining room had more similarities with split personality than simpatico. Balancing flags and table clothes, maps and white boards? Not the best situation.
This year I am making two major changes to our school room...remodeling the dining room and making a school room.
-Remodeling the dining room...if you were with my a few weeks ago, you saw 3-4 posts about home making as an art, thrift store decor, and home decorating. My heart has really been longing to not use not a decorator as an excuse anymore, but to make my home beautiful with what I have and to make some maintenance upgrades like painting and such.
My dining room has actually been a work in progress. I painted it two years ago, the floors were refinished and the chairs recovered last winter. I made curtains and will be making faux Roman shades for the door. I have been using my table cloth to add color. I removed the flags. And I am enjoying my non-school room dining room.
But, I need to use this room as a school room too. I have 3 students and 1 toddler who have to have a place to do there school work. So, my solution-my main addition-to my dining room, is a custom made Amish corner hutch. I will display dishes and knick-knacks on the open shelves above, but behind the closed doors of the bottom half, I am making my school room concession. This is where I will keep my books and supplies. They will be easily accessible in the school room, but they will be under cover, and not detract from the overall aura of the dining room. Pretty clever if I do say so myself. (Unladylike snort)
-Making a school room...to go along with our Friday school.
Our basement is half finished. The non-laundry room side has carpet, wood paneling, closets, and dry wall. This is the room BMV does his school work in every day.
It is also the room where we are going to do our Unit study school. There is a computer down there for the kids to watch the history DVDs on. I have (albeit full) book cases in there. It seems like it is the time to convert this room into more of a school room complete with maps, timelines, white boards, flags and globe.
I am really excited about this. I think it will be helpful to have a dedicated space for our school stuff to be displayed. It still is going to be the "play" room, but the kids play down there less and less. Especially since the legos are now up in the boys' room. I feel like after almost 8 years, we are growing into our house, and our house is reflecting us, the Barefoot Hippie clan.
What's new in your school room this year? Or maybe like me, you got a school room? Whoot-whoot!
Join the other ladies to find out what is new in each of their school rooms...
Chareen
Nicole
Julie
Savannah
Lucinda
