BJU Press Blog

organizing

Decluttering Your Homeschool

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Clutter stifles. It cuts off creativity, productivity, and efficiency. If you have to climb over math manipulatives and a life-sized cardboard Civil War cannon just to get to that microscope for today’s science lesson, you know it’s time to purge, cleanse, spring clean, and get some fresh air into your homeschool room.

In similar ways, spiritual clutter stifles spirituality. “Cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also” (Matthew 23:26). Thus, decluttering my homeschool room begins inside out. I need to be right with God, so that I can apply the principles I learn from Him to how I organize my life.

So, how do I declutter both inside and outside? Sweep. Stabilize. Shed.

Sweep

Sweep spiritually. The Word of God cleanses us from within. To be a “vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (2 Timothy 2:20–21), I must have a teachable spirit. I set aside a daily quiet time to study God’s Word and draw closer to Him.

Sweep spatially. I start with an empty room. I clear out everything in the room, and then put back only what we need. Since I homeschool in multipurpose spaces, it’s necessary for our family room to be a functional room after we finish homeschooling for the day so that we can eat at our dining table without leaning over stacks of books.

Stabilize

Stabilize spiritually. Sanctification is a continual process (Romans 12:1). I surrender myself to the Lord so that He can sanctify me for service as wife, mother, teacher, and worker. I learn to abide in Christ.

Stabilize spatially. I keep only essentials in my homeschool room. Everything else goes behind doors or under lids. Yardsale bookcases and large containers are cost-effective storage solutions, as are the more expensive options of creating closets by closing off part of a room with louvered doors or installing shelves on empty walls above windows. Don’t be afraid to ask for suggestions from organized moms.

Shed

Shed spiritually. Encumbrances hinder us from running the race well (Hebrews 12:1). I must pay attention to what influences my family. The movies we watch, music we listen to, and library books we read can have a huge effect on my family. How are we pleasing or not pleasing the Lord? It’s not enough to have a Christian curriculum if we don’t live out our testimony before and after learning.

Shed spatially. Semiannually, my family fills up a box to give away. Inside the box are things that we don’t use that are still in good condition.

Yearly, I let go of children’s furniture we have outgrown. I have to be brutal about what not to keep, but at the same time I pray for wisdom lest I give away what I would use next year. Limited spaces can be a blessing, preventing me from accumulating things I don’t need.

I remind my family and myself to clean up as we go. Whatever can be picked up now, must be picked up now. Deferring tasks to a more convenient time means multiplying the mess. Children can be taught to put away toys before taking out the next set. Likewise, putting dishes incrementally in the dishwasher and doing laundry before it runneth over are practical ways to prevent clutter and distribute the workload.

On a spiritual level, whatever the Lord has called us to do now should not be postponed. We have a limited time to serve Him on earth. “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).

In everything we do, let’s work efficiently for the Lord.

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Written by Jan Thompson

Image Source: desk; books

Tips for Organizing Your Homeschool Papers

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Papers
Before the year is out, my third-grade daughter will complete approximately 288 separate math pages (front and back) plus more than 180 pages for reading. That’s a lot of paper! And there’s more—spelling, handwriting, Bible, science, heritage studies, and English all have worktexts or activity manuals too.

My daughter’s days are filled with papers. Those papers are necessary for deep learning to take place. They give her opportunities to practice what she’s learning, and it gives me the ability to assess her understanding.

Still, the amount of paper can be a bit overwhelming. Here are some ways that help me keep all those worksheets organized.

Before the Year Starts

A few inexpensive products I invested in have helped me deal with all those worksheets. Last year, I purchased heavy-duty two-pocket folders in five different colors—one for each day—to keep my daughter’s daily work in. This year, I upgraded a bit to a cascading vertical filing system for the same purpose. Both products work well and should be flexible enough to use with multiple children. (For example, if you’re homeschooling two or more kids, you can buy several different colors of folders and assign each of your children a color). I also buy a fun patterned or character folder to temporarily store graded papers in.

I am required by state law to keep a portfolio of my child’s work, so I buy an accordion-style file system  at the beginning of every homeschool year. I organize it by subject, and it works great.

Before Your Day

When I do my weekly planning, I make note of all of the worksheets that my daughter will need for each day. Each evening, I pull the worksheets for the next day and place them in one of those colored folders. That way, everything she needs for the day is in one place.

After Your Day

Once school is over for the day, my husband/teacher’s aide or I grade all the papers our daughter completed. In our homeschool, not every paper gets a recorded percentage grade, but each worksheet does get feedback (even if it’s just a smiley face at the top of the page). The graded papers then get moved to the fun folder to await our weekly feedback time.

On the Weekend

At the end of the week, we have a weekly feedback time when I give my daughter an opportunity to look over all her graded papers and ask questions. Then sometime during the weekend, I move the papers that got a recorded percentage grade to their assigned spots in the accordion filing system. The other papers go to the recycling bin.

Routine organizational habits like this have saved my sanity on numerous occasions. Do you have a system that helps your homeschool run smoothly? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below. If you’re looking for other organizational ideas, check out my recent post and video about how we set up our homeschool space.