The year is coming to an end, and everyone is all about resolutions and goal setting. Which I’ll admit, I am too. However, it is important to reevaluate your homeschool for the new year too.
Now, I know January isn’t the mid-way point in the school year for many. However, most of us have developed a routine, used our curriculum for a while, and have a sense of whether things are working or not.
Plus, many of us take a slower pace at the end of December, if not a break. While things are a little slower, it is easier to reevaluate our homeschool for the new year. We can take the time to clear the brain fog and take a good look at things.
Also, many of us see January as a fresh start. So, it can be a fresh start for our homeschool.
Table of Contents
How to Reevaluate Your Homeschool?
As I mentioned above, we all have a few months under our belt by now. So it is safe to say we can accurately reevaluate our homeschool on how things are going. Unlike being in the stress of the new school year and declaring, “This isn’t working!” when we’ve only been at it a few weeks. That is usually the stress of new schedules, new curriculum, and new activities talking. Not a good time to make changes.
Now, several months later, we’ve developed a routine and adjusted to the new curriculum and activities. THIS is the time to reevaluate how we want things to go for the remainder of the year.
So, how should we reevaluate our homeschool?
Well, there are a few areas to take a look at in your homeschool. First, you want to look at all the different parts of your homeschool and decide:
- Is this part of our homeschool stressing the kids or me out?
- Do we enjoy this part of our homeschool? (a.k.a Are we having fun?)
- Do things seem to be running smoothly in this area of our homeschool?
- Is this working?
- Are we happy?
- Are we meeting our goals?
As you look at the different areas of your homeschool, ask yourself these questions. If you find yourself hesitating to answer or saying NO, you may need to make some changes.
Things to Reevaluate in Your Homeschool
So, what are the areas you should reevaluate in your homeschool?
Your Schedule
Is your schedule/routine working for everyone? Of course, there is a difference between a schedule and a routine. Whatever you choose, though, you need to think if it is working.
Maybe you have a nice routine going, but one of your kids seems unfocused, scattered, or agitated during the day. Does that child need a more structured schedule? They might.
Or maybe one child fights you during math. Do you need to switch it to another part of the day? I know I don’t like doing math first thing in the morning.
Think about these things as you reevaluate your schedule.
Homeschool Curriculum
Ahhh, curriculum. The curriculum we choose makes or breaks our homeschool (especially if you become a slave to it and don’t use it as a tool). So now is the perfect time to look at your curriculum see if it is working for everyone.
Do you need to change curriculum mid-year? Don’t panic about switching curriculum during the school year. There are times this just needs to happen.
Extra Activities
This is one of the areas I struggle with. I want the kids to get out with others, learn new skills, and have fun. Sometimes, though, we over-schedule things. When we do, we can become super stressed out. I think that was one thing that 2020 taught all of us. When everything came to a halt, it was like a breath of fresh air, and many of us realized how chaotic our lives were.
If the “extras” are causing stress, you may need to reevaluate what is important for your homeschool.
Reevaluate Your Homeschool Goals
Some homeschool families have a mission statement. Others have concrete goals. Maybe you have a general idea of what you want for your homeschool but don’t have it formally written up.
Now is the time to look at your homeschool’s goals, desires, etc. Are you meeting them?
One of my goals in our homeschool is to get out and do things. I want to show my kids learning is all around, do fun activities, and connect with other homeschoolers. Unfortunately, with surgery this fall, some fell to the wayside. As the new year starts, I’ve already found ways to incorporate these goals and get back on track.
Homeschool Space
So, how is your homeschool space? Even if you don’t have a specific room, it is time to look at things.
Are your materials a mess? Scattered all over the place?
Is your homeschool space working? Is it cramped? Not enough storage?
Do you need to reorganize things?
Your homeschool space is essential. It helps your day flow better if you can find things.
Organizing
The new year is also a great time to reevaluate your homeschool organization skills. But, boy, is this another tough one for me.
Some things to look at:
- Are you preplanning things or winging them? Now winging it is only a problem if this adds more stress to your homeschool. On the other hand, if you love just getting up and figuring it out, by all means, continue.
- Do you keep up with correcting work/grading? Do you need to develop a system to make sure you look over the kids’ work regularly? It stinks when you go several days without correcting and realize your kids have been getting it all wrong. I may or may not have done this a few times.
- Are materials ready to go for the day? Again, if you don’t mind whipping things together right before an activity, continue. I actually don’t mind making copies and such before we work on something. However, there are times an assignment had a lot of cutting and putting materials together. It was a nightmare trying to get it put together the day of.
- Do you have a place to save work that may go in their portfolios? I have an accordion-style folder divided into months for each kid. I tuck a few of these papers for each subject in the folder as I correct work. As a result, I have work samples to choose from at the end of the year.
Evaluating Progress
Now is an excellent time to look at each subject and see if your child is making progress. Then you can decide if you need to do something differently.
Luckily, our kids’ evaluations can look different from public schools with homeschooling. Over at Very Well Family, Sarah shares how to measure your child’s learning. She shares some practical ways to tell if your kids are learning enough.
Are You Having Fun and Happy?
This is one of the most important areas to reevaluate in your homeschool. Ask everyone if they are having fun and happy with your homeschool.
I believe in adding fun to our homeschool, so learning isn’t seen as a chore. That’s why when you look at my site, I have a whole section dedicated to projects and activities.
I just read a great article the other day by Read Aloud Revival on adding in a Just Because We Can Day (JBWCD) that resonated with me. Sarah suggests periodically scheduling a day of something fun Just Because We Can. After all, those are the days the kids will remember.
When you add in some fun, everyone is happy and more likely to cooperate with schoolwork. After all, kids learn that homeschooling isn’t always about the curriculum. It is also about making memories as a family and building relationships.
Reassessing Your Homeschool
So, as one year ends and another starts up, take some time to reevaluate your homeschool. Then, you’ll feel re-energized and ready to go knowing you have a plan or that everything is already A-OK.
Happy Homeschooling!
Fantastic post! I will be taking a couple of days to re-evaluate things, and this is full of great tips!