Simple tips BEFORE planning a great homeschool year

The space at the end of every homeschooling year brings the opportunity for reflection and evaluation. I actually think this is true for all families, whether you homeschool or not!

By the end of the year, our whole family feels like we’re limping and dragging our feet to wrap up the academic side of our school work! This isn’t helped by the fact that, in Australia, we finish school about 10 days before Christmas so all the seasonal activities are added to the schedule and it can all feel a bit crazy and overwhelming! Plus we pastor a church full time and Christmas is a pretty busy time of year… 

January is our time to switch off and prepare for the upcoming year. To think about new curriculum and our daily routine with the commitments of family life. 

So after 12 years of homeschooling, here are a few simple tips BEFORE planning a great homeschool year! 

Full disclaimer: Even as I write this I know there are lots of other ideas, so stay tuned for the next in the series!

Starting with the right mindset

The process of planning and preparing for a new homeschool year is different for each parent whether this is your first year of homeschooling or you’ve lost count!

Some love to jump right in and order the next year’s curriculum to flow straight on from the books their children have just completed. 

Other parents switch off for weeks and approach the next year with a much looser attitude.

Or maybe you’re coming out of a season of hardship, trauma, or big change. You and your children may be exhausted and not at all ready to embrace new things. 

The needs of older children and younger children vary so much as well. In large families, the stretch across year levels brings its own challenges.

No matter what your last year or next year look like, having the right mindset is so important! 

Here are a few reminders that I try to carry forward as a foundation BEFORE I start my homeschool planning.

1. Things will happen this year that are unexpected

Every day is a gift and it is full of unknowns. 

I’m reminded of the Scripture that ‘A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps’ (Proverbs 16:9).

Our homeschool planning should be like every other area of our life! It is good to prepare and plan. I love organising and structuring areas of our family life to maximise learning and growth. I’m also someone who loves the feeling of a fresh start. However, nothing is certain and we should hold our own thoughts and ideas loosely if we are to thrive. 

Real life undergirds our homeschool journey! Responding to significant events, family grief, hard days, and other situations outside of our control takes flexibility and wisdom. We need to allow plenty of time to ride the ups and downs of daily life. 

In all this, we can trust that the Lord knows our paths, even if we don’t! As we walk with Him and ask Him to direct and lead us, He is faithful to carry us through the year ahead.

This leads onto the next tip before planning a great homeschool year.

2. This is one year of many

When we first began homeschooling, I had taken a break from my full time teaching career to stay home with our children. Even though we had the choice to take each year as it came and remain open to different options for our family, Sam and I both felt strongly that homeschooling was a longterm decision.

I think this helped to give us a perspective of knowing that no ‘one year’ could destroy the growth and big picture plans for our home! What a relief!

If you view homeschooling as a lifestyle choice for your family then there is less pressure on your homeschool plans to make each year perfect! Of course we still strive to adapt and adjust to make the changes necessary for our family, but God willing, this year is just one year of many more to come. So enjoy it! 

3. What do you want to remember?

Thinking about what you want to remember from this coming year is another reflective question to consider. Before launching into thinking about the details of your homeschool routine and lists of school supplies, take extra time to write down what is important to you. 

This song has often come to mind when I’ve thought about the things that really matter:

• our journey of faith,
• strong family relationships,
• personal growth for our children, and 
• their friendships and our friendships with other families.

None of these things are based on the curriculum we choose, our lesson plans, or the structure of our day! What we use to help us learn are the conduits or avenues to enable the other, more important aspects of life to be discovered. 

4. Relax and enjoy your children and family life

For me, relaxing does NOT come naturally. However silly that may sound, I’m wired for action and activity and ‘the next thing’! 

Learning to relax will continue to be one area that God has to keep working on… 

Our children are a gift; it’s such a privilege to watch and participate in their growth and learning. 

We’ve all heard the adage that childhood is gone in the blink of an eye. This can feel a bit discouraging at times, but I think it also serves to remind us to keep family life and our children front of mind at the start of a new year. 

These school days will all come to an end. Our relationships and memories with our children will last for a lifetime. This could be the key to your best homeschool year yet! 

Smile, laugh, have fun, don’t take life too seriously, take the day off, stay in pyjamas, dance in the kitchen, throw the schedule out, don’t finish the ‘boring’ book that no one is enjoying! 

Homeschooling affords us a freedom to live life the way we want to, so embrace that challenge and make this next school year delightful!

5. As a parent, keep learning alongside your children

Fostering a love of learning is one of our family values. 

This doesn’t just apply to our children, though! Before planning a great homeschool year, think about what YOU want to learn as well. Sam and I want to keep growing and developing and pursuing knowledge and new experiences! 

Every day homeschooling is another day in our lives as well. 

So how do we learn alongside our children? We can choose interesting and life-giving homeschool curriculum and engage in morning time conversations. We can read books and listen to podcasts, we can discuss points of view and challenge one another’s ideas. 

For us, just living on our farm is challenging and a great way to keep learning! We are absolute novices and we make mistakes everyday. We need the wisdom and experience of others to guide and redirect us.

This models so much to our children. They see us trying hard things, getting stuck with a task, and needing to ask for help! There are so many life lessons our children are learning with us here on our homestead.

The next steps in your homeschool planning

Having a healthy mindest is probably the most important thing to help you be the best teacher for your children.

No matter what grade level you are teaching or your teaching style, the thinking and preparation you do BEFORE you start planning a great homeschool year really matters. 

So, now you’re ready to launch into the next steps! 

I can’t wait to share a few more of the things that we have found really helpful in our homeschool journey – I hope they encourage and support you!