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SeaStar
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| Posted: July 27 2009 at 12:35pm | IP Logged
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We use the dining room, which is right off the kitchen. It is definitely a "friendly space"...
I can be in the kitchen and see/hear what the kids are doing.
And being so close to the kitchen (where so many exciting things happen,  ), the kids are content to work in the room.
We spend hours in there.
I don't think that a separate room on another level would work well for us- it might feel too isolated. The kids like to have mom nearby.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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PDyer
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| Posted: July 27 2009 at 12:55pm | IP Logged
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We have a school room. We work in it and all over the house as well. I like having a room to focus (we both get distracted) and where I can close the door on the ummm....rubble.
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Patty
Mom of ds (7/96) and dd (9/01) and two angels (8/95 and 6/08)
Life at Home
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Stephanie_Q
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| Posted: July 27 2009 at 2:38pm | IP Logged
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I am working on getting our new school room organized. This was our "guest room" / office, but we got rid of the extra bed because we don't have that many guests and are setting it up as a space that we can use every day - almost like a "family room" upstairs complete with comfy couch for reading & nursing the new baby, when she arrives!
I "unofficially" homeschooled last year and hope that this space will help us stay on task 'officially' this year with all the 'curriculum' in one place. Last year we tried using the dining room or a desk in the living room, but the little ones got into too much trouble with too much space to roam + a difficult downstairs floor plan to keep track of everyone. Upstairs, all the rooms open to a common area so with doors open, I can hear when the bathroom sink gets turned on (ahem) and I can see into the boys' bedroom so they can go play when "pre-school" is over, but I'm still working with the girls, and they'll be in sight + earshot.
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Stephanie dh 6.01
dd 6.02, dd 8.03, ds 3.05, ds 12.06 at Catholic school.
dd 12.09 at home.
Baby boy due 10.13
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KC in TX
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| Posted: July 27 2009 at 2:45pm | IP Logged
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We use our dining rooms as our school room but it's more of a school stuff storage room. It's awful because it's so cluttered and that's the room right to the left of our front door. I'm going to get curtains to cover up the mess (it's much easier than organizing/cleaning  ).
Our kitchen table is larger so the kids enjoy working there. Also the lighting is better. I would love to convert our bigger playroom into a schoolroom but cannot decide what to do with the toys. I've purged quite a bit, but with 3 girls in one room, there just isn't room for the toys.
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KC,
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ShawnaB
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| Posted: July 27 2009 at 3:12pm | IP Logged
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Candace, I think you DO have the best of both! A designated place to store and access materials, but without being removed from the rest of the house. It sounds great.
Elizabeth, I have not regretted "unschool-rooming." One of my main motivations for wanting a school room in the first place was to avoid the "homeschool look" when guests come. I'm over that. My home is primarily for my family. Guests are second to that...and my pride is third! As homeschoolers, we live a unique lifestyle, (I learned that from you I think!), and I'm learning to be OK with that style being reflected in the way my home looks. We live in our home differently than other families!
I am finding beauty in the quality art materials, cases of good books, and baskets of toys that make up my decorating style. And while we actually do have a 2nd "grown up" living room, more times than not when someone visits, we sit in the family room where the toys, books, and children are!
As for the clutter, here are a few observations I have made:
1. My separate school room was always cluttered and messy from toddlers helping themselves without my supervision, and children being told to clean up without my supervision.
2. Too often, materials kept in the school room were not used because they were "in there", and I was "out here."
3. Learning materials, books and toys kept in our living spaces are cared for better and used more because I can supervise. Clutter is mananged daily because we SEE it, and therefore pick it up.
4. In my home, less is more. I have much, much, much less school and play stuff than I used to have, and its so, so, so much better.
5. As children and families grow and change, so does the way I use the spaces in my home. This is what works now. It may be different in a different season.
I'm enjoying this thread! Its timely as I am planning a basic re-arrange, purge and organize in just a few days! Thanks!
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Shawna, wife of Jacob, mom to Abraham 8 Amelia 5 and Jillian & Jonathan age 3 years http://www.psalm121family.com
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MicheleQ
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| Posted: July 27 2009 at 3:45pm | IP Logged
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Elizabeth wrote:
| Anybody else un-schoolroom their house? Is it working or do you feel like you have school clutter everywhere? |
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We have no schoolroom and haven't for a while. We need the bedrooms for beds too though we do use one small room on the third floor for our business.
We float between the dining room, living room and den (which are all linked). Most of the shelves and cabinets that hold homeschool stuff is either in the den or dining room. It can get cluttered but a quick clean up time here and there throughout the day keeps it in order and I work hard to instill in my children the habit of putting things away --or if they know they will use it again soon it can go on a side table but by the end of the day all "piles" must be dismantled and put away.
We use the kitchen counter too for anyone who needs a bit of quiet (my kitchen is at the very back of the house kind of off by itself --it's an old house).
There are some toys in the den too but most of them have been moved upstairs so the littler kids know that at clean up time they go up there. My computer is on one side of the den and the kid computer on the other side. We got rid of the big desks and my son Kyle made us custom --attached to the wall-- type desks that take up much less space so that helps.
It's not ideal but it works for us.
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Michele Quigley
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Stephanie_Q
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| Posted: July 27 2009 at 3:54pm | IP Logged
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After reading back through all these, I wanted to add that I am hopeful that our upstairs schoolroom will work not only because we have a more conducive floor plan upstairs but also because I feel like I need the basic 'curriculum' part of school to be separate and focused. I won't be multi-tasking. It's not my personality and I need to be able to give my little kids focused attention. Rather than folding some laundry or working in the kitchen while my older two are working on something independently, I need to be able to get down on the floor with the little ones. That means that chores will get started before breakfast and finished after lunch; "school" gets done between breakfast and lunch in the morning upstairs; and hopefully we'll have plenty of time for "real learning" in the afternoons downstairs and outside.
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Stephaniedh 6.01
dd 6.02, dd 8.03, ds 3.05, ds 12.06 at Catholic school.
dd 12.09 at home.
Baby boy due 10.13
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Erin
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| Posted: July 27 2009 at 10:10pm | IP Logged
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Elizabeth wrote:
I'm thinking about dismantling my schoolroom for many of the same reasons as Shawna cites. I also think I was more active and less sedentary we primarily spending our days in the living spaces of our house instead plopped down in that one room. And, because we truly could use the bedroom space for, well, beds  . Right now, we have a large upstairs room dedicated to "schooling." I'm thinking about doing pretty much what Shawna did. Anybody else un-schoolroom their house? Is it working or do you feel like you have school clutter everywhere? |
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To answer I need to explain our situation a little.
Two years ago we lived in a huge split level house, bedrooms on the third level, with a learning room downstairs; in the learning room were the majority of the books,toys and learning games. There were also 2 large learning tables and a lounge.
The study was in the middle level of the house with the computers, the rest of the books were in the loungeroom. This worked really well except for having the study away from the learning room. If I went to type a narration with one child all children left behind would either disappear or wreck havoc.
We then moved to this house, now admittedly it is small (compensation is the 140acres outside). What I previously had four rooms do I have to cover with one room. So books line my girls bedroom walls and school supplies dominate our loungeroom/dining/study/schoolroom. I feel like we are swimming in books, paper, supplies etc.
Currently dh and I are drawing plans for our extensions to be started at the end of this year. My TOP priority is for learning areas; a library, study and learning room. I want books out of the children's bedrooms and all together (we would have about 5000 it will be so good to get them out of storage). Dh is trying to talk me into combining the study and library, we'll see, I'm trying to visualise his ideas. I know I want the computers in an open space, to easily keep an eye on. And the learning room will have a lounge for read alouds.
All three/two rooms will be grouped together flowing easily into each other. The plan is to have these rooms central in the house, and definetly the best plan is to have them close to the kitchen.
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Erin
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JennyMaine
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| Posted: July 28 2009 at 4:52am | IP Logged
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So glad this thread was pulled up.
I just spent the weekend creating a new school space for us out of a large upstairs bedroom. A couple years back I had converted our attached garage bay into a school room. And in the long run, I realized I needed that space for storage (no attic, no basement, very few closets). So storage it is.
In the upstairs bedroom I have a futon and a large comfy chair. Since it's just myself and two teens, this should work nicely. The room can still double as a sleeping space thanks to the futon. There is one computer work station, a medium sized whiteboard, and we will be stringing up our timeline figures. I have 3 large Peterboro baskets that are set out in the corners of the room - these will house only the books we currently use. No shelves, no bookcases. No desks in the room, instead we are in the middle of a fun project. . .turning their old-fashioned cherry desktops (outgrown) into lapdesks. Their bedrooms are on this same floor, and they each have large desks in them. If more space is needed to spread out for a specific task, they can migrate to their rooms.
This should work well for me. I hate visual clutter, so keeping all the books and supplies we own in the learning space just doesn't work for me. This room looks so large and airy, and I love that. It is a soothing pale green, with some country features, such as a lap quilt and a Shaker clock on one wall. I love having a designated space to homeschool. It keeps me on task and productive!
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--JennyMaine, Mom to Catherine (17) and Sam (15) "The countenance is a reflection of the soul. You should always have a calm and serene countenance." -- Therese of Lisieux
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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: July 28 2009 at 7:46am | IP Logged
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Must be the season because I'm sketching in my head room changes and furniture upheaval.
Coming from another angle over here. We don't have a a "school" room and I wish we did...if, for no other reason, to have a place to put alllll the books, allll the arts and crafts, alllll the papers, alllll the games, and allll the science equipment. Then to simple close the door.
It would be nice.
Not that I don't want my house to look "schooled" in...well, perhaps.  It's the clutter that's got me. No matter how much I get rid of "stuff", the house keeps burping. 
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Cay Gibson
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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: July 28 2009 at 7:51am | IP Logged
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SeaStar wrote:
We use the dining room, which is right off the kitchen. It is definitely a "friendly space"...
I can be in the kitchen and see/hear what the kids are doing.
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I like that term "friendly space" to school. We school pretty much all over the house so that's not so much an issue as simply having (wanting? ) a holding place.
When we added the sitting room, I really and truly wanted it has a school room. But it's the first room you enter in my house.I do have a tall cabinet in there w/ our arts/crafts and equipment. Also books. And the shelves under the window seat hold our baskets. And we have a table to work at.
Still, something in me wants to keep it presentable.
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
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Lisa R
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| Posted: July 28 2009 at 3:43pm | IP Logged
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We are moving to Ohio in 2 weeks (WOOHOO!!!) and our new home has a main floor library.  We'll be using that as our schoolroom. Our boys do have laptops and a desk in their room so I'm sure they'll work in there as well as the kitchen table. But I absolutely love having a "place" for all the books, crafts, art supplies, etc. and a place for quiet when more concentration is needed. There's just something about being in a room surrounded by books that can make one really get down to work.
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Lisa, married to my best friend, Ray and loving my blessings Joshua (17)and Jacob(15), Hannah(7) and Rachel (5)!Holy Family Academy
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Angel
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| Posted: July 28 2009 at 6:44pm | IP Logged
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Alison, I love those pictures of your school room. A place for hanging flowers to dry, brooding chickens, raising turtles, and reading with battle axes sounds right up our alley.
To answer Elizabeth's question... We have no real school room right now (we need all our bedrooms and we have to eat in the dining room), but I wouldn't want one away from the main living areas because I doubt we would get there too often. What I do want is an art studio. If we ever move again, "art studio" will be high on my list of what to look for in a house.
Anyway, we do have a lot of clutter and what I end up doing is trying to wedge in more bookcases and shelving up the walls wherever they can fit. Our house is not small (about 2700 sq.ft.), but its usage of space is odd. My dh requested a long time ago that any piece of furniture (or shelving) dedicated to school at least look like furniture or shelving that belonged in a home, not a school, and I've tried to stick to that. I like to use natural materials to hold materials whenever possible, and we don't have any schoolish posters, etc on our walls... instead we put up the kids' artwork. (Which I am now looking for more display space for.)
On the other hand, you can definitely tell we're homeschoolers when you walk in the door... but I think it's more a reflection of the people in the house than anything I've artificially created, and so I guess it doesn't bother us that much.
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Angela
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ekbell
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We do seat work and craft work in our kitchen/dining/computer/school room (it's half of the main floor in our small house). We read and discuss books in our living room or outside in good weather.
[There is room in the basement for the older children to do crafts that require material that I don't want the littles getting into but that isn't part of schooling.]
I prefer to be in the room where most of my tasks are. This way I can keep an eye on the children who can do their work but have a tendency to get off track, but don't end up excessively hovering. I can unload/load the dishwasher, wash dishes or wipe down the counters instead.
Schooling with my oldest happens all over the place. She does her independent work where ever she pleases (normally at her desk in the main room) and she tracks me down with book in hand for read-and-discuss material (lots of discussions are over laundry or while nursing babe).
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Cheryl
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| Posted: July 29 2009 at 2:16am | IP Logged
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I love having a schoolroom. I used to "do school" in the kitchen and living room in our old home with the supplies scattered around the house. I prefer not to have all of the visual clutter in my main living spaces. I think my dh appreciates this too!
Our schoolroom is at the top of a stairwell that is centered between the laundry room/mudroom and kitchen. So we run downstairs for snacks, meals and going outside, then back up. I run down the stairs to switch laundry. It's good exercise. I like having everything in one area. It can be a mess if we don't maintain it, but at least the mess is out of view when we're eating and when my dh comes home from work.
I have a lock on the door to keep the little ones out when I can't be watching them, but I've been lax about using it lately because my older ones want to be in there. It has been much messier as a result. I agree that less is more when it comes to maintaining material belongings. Clutter, whether it's in my kitchen, living room or schoolroom all needs to go "out the door" as in out of my house. And the stuff that we use regularly needs to have a place and I need to regularly (with the kids) pick it up and put it all back where it goes.
I need this pep talk as I am tackling the schoolroom this week.
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Cheryl
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Paula in MN
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| Posted: July 29 2009 at 11:58am | IP Logged
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I gussied up our learning room and posted some pictures, if anyone wants to look!
Our Learning Room
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Paula
A Catholic Harvest
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: School room???
