Where we learn {NBTS Blog Hop}

How do I exactly describe where we “school”?  It looks like our front yard when we study nature.  It looks like our kitchen table when we study character and pray and read the Word.

It looks like my children’s bed when they read living books like Black Beauty and The Run-Away Children.  It looks like our living room couch when we savor family read alouds like Queen Sheba’s Ring or The Children of the New Forest.

But, I guess I make more of a question that what is asked.  This is school room week, so here we go…..

We do have a school “room”.  However, we have done it all.  We have schooled in a bedroom while staying in Michigan in 2009 while unemployed.  We schooled at the kitchen table in Maine and in Honey Grove Texas, in that same year.  We had a dedicated school room with a door to close, in Mansfield, and in Irving it was the room off the front hallway with it’s own fireplace, but no door.  We have schooled outside on a blanket with books everywhere, and on a dock too.  We have done it all.

But here, we have a building.  It is the “school” to us despite it metal sides and lack of windows.  And we love it. 

It is quite large, really larger than  I would have liked, but we have enjoyed the room to add a ping pong table, a fussball table and an air hockey table.  Makes a great hang out room for kids in the hot Texas heat!  (It does have AC and did have a wood burning stove until we found out that was not insurable, so now we just have AC)

We have the room for some toys for the younger gang to play with, an extra table for the kids to color on while waiting too, and a couch to lounge on while reading.  I recently added a $5 chair (Ikea) from a garage sale to lounge on to read as well!

I re-did the room this summer, in preparation for 3 more students this year; moved a bunch of stuff and changed a few things.  So welcome to our school tour:

This is an antique cabinet that came from Robert’ grandparents.  I love it in the school, makes me think of them every day!

We have magazine holders for each student where their spiral notebooks go or anything else.  Then their binders stand next to the holder.  This works well for us!

Our bookcases – neat, but not organized (enough for me).  I plan to label a few shelves for specifics so we know where to look for a book.

Our boxes for our English from the Roots Up cards.

 

Manipulative shelves.  Math blocks, shapes, and such

Our ping pong table – this corner was not too organized this time around.   The cabinets in the back are for fabric and sewing projects.

This is the other side, the extra coloring table and play area.

 

The main school area – the play area is to the left.

Another shot – I plan to get some little shelves on the wall by the dry

-erase board for little things.

Here is our dry erase board I put everything for the week on.  We wipe it off when we finish it.  But Thursday this will be clean!  Yeah!

I love having this building, a real blessing for me and our children.  I get to walk away when we are done.  I can hide the mess, if I need to.  And I can leave the messy kitchen or dirty clothes behind to focus on school.  But, like I said, we have done it all, and there are pros and cons for every situation!!

Happy schooling!  I need to go get on with week 2 of school here!!

If you missed it, see our NBTS Week 1 post about our curriculum!!