I find this photo very, very inspiring! Also, label maker!
Homeschooling cabinet - photo by Reya Aleusey
Okay, homeschoolers, let’s rally to the cause. Some of us may be vaguely contemplating the beginning of the school year, while others may have kept on going over the summer. Regardless, I’m sure we would all enjoy a bit of creative inspiration when it comes to organizing our school areas. Whether it be a dedicated schoolroom, a bookshelf, or a really cramped minivan, Erin Arlinghaus and I would like to see how you’ve set up your space.
It’s a contest! Except not really! Maybe it’s just a drawing!
To sweeten the deal, we are running a not-a-contest drawing. We’re going to fill a Flickr photo pool with your submissions, and randomly choose one photograph on Monday, August 22. The winner will receive a $20 Amazon gift certificate. Edited: I’m not sure why the photos aren’t showing up in the group pool! I know if you’re a member of the group, you’ll be able to see them, but I am hoping they’ll be publicly visible soon. I fooled with all the privacy settings I could find and they’re still hidden…
The Rules:
The general theme is “Schoolrooms, or how our existing rooms accommodate schooling.” Examples would include:
- storage solutions for small spaces
- solutions for multiple children (do they all work together or do they need separate spaces?)
- ways that an area can multi-task, e.g. a table serving both for dining table and schooling table
- if you have a dedicated schoolroom, just photos of how it is laid out
- how you’ve chosen to arrange decor and interior design given that your home is also a school
- any sort of functionality you’ve come up with that works really well and is worth sharing (or works not so well and you want to crowdsource)
- furniture hacks
- underground lairs, if any
Deadline is 11:59 PM Central Standard Time on Wednesday, August 31. (extended from the original deadline of August 21)
It doesn’t have to be a recent photo.
You may enter as many photos as you’d like, but each photo should be of a different aspect of your homeschooling setup – so, don’t post three photos of the same shelf taken from different angles.
If we can get at least 25 different contributors and at least 100 photos in the pool, I’ll dip into my Secret Prize Fund and add another $10 onto the value of the gift certificate.
How to Enter:
If you’re already using Flickr, you can click here and add photos. I am moderating all submissions, so they won’t immediately show up as being added to the photo pool. If it’s been more than 24 hours since you added a photo to the pool and you’re still not seeing it, shoot me an email.
If you’re not on Flickr, you can send me an email: dorianspeed AT gmail.com with photos attached. Please use “homeschool photo” in the subject line.
I want an underground lair.
Holy Books, Batman! It’s the Batcave.
I think what I actually need is an Alfred, more than a lair.
Like. I mean, +1.
I almost, almost bought a label maker, just because it was glossy on the shelf. And as I was reaching out my hand to pick it up, I thought, “What the hell? Am I EVER going to use a label maker after the first printing binge?” So I resisted the urge and backed slowly away, and I’m glad to say the impulse passed.
Then I wandered into the scrapbooking aisle, and thought, “If only I can find American History-themed papers, we could make American History scrapbooks!” And I went through an identical thought process. I just need to never set foot in a crafty store — it gives me delusions of grandeur.
I have made a semi-serious vow to give away any craft materials that remain unused after a year in this house.
One of the reasons I couldn’t wait to start homeschooling is that I wanted to see how the space would work out. I’ve been nesting in a way that I haven’t experienced since the likes of my first pregancy 7 years ago. Looking forward to sending in my photo!
Yes! Nesting! That is exactly the word!
I’m pretty terrible at nesting so I see this as potentially very therapeutic.
Dorian — I didn’t really follow the directions for your contest (“Does Not Follow Directions”), but I did do a blog response here.
And yes, “nesting” is the word! It’s been a long time since I last had a baby, but the instinct never goes away.
Excellent – thank you!
That’s a photo from an exhibit at the Kansas Homeschool Museum. I assume y’all know real homeschool shelves aren’t that tidy.
Oh, BELIEVE YOU ME, I know from untidy.
Having said that, I do have friends who are this organized. We breach the divide, somehow. I think I may be their sponsor friend.
Okay, I sent you some photos to the flicker group. Except that it only lets you put up six at a time. And then I thought, “well, I’ll add more”, but of course, could I be sure which six I had posted. So #7 might be a duplicate. (You’ll know if it looks exactly the same as one of the ones in 1-6.) And I guess I’ll just wait oh so patiently and then I’ll too.
Jen.
um, that comment has so many typos I’m just going to let you guess what I was trying to say.
I submitted some photos last week, Thursday or Friday, but they don’t seem to be showing up? Username was Meinekefamily.
Hi, Kelly – they’re in the pool now, but I think you need to mark them as “public” in order for other people to view them? Not sure – Flickr has been acting a bit weird with all of this. We’ve extended the deadline to August 31, so feel free to submit more, and please spread the word!
Dorian Speed recently posted..Mother of All Bookshelves
They are marked public, and I can see them now, I guess we’re good to go!
My “edu corner” is really a quite place. I cant study with just little noise. The more silence i have the better i study. I build a nice bunker in a garage and am fine. Even when a war starts am fine
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You know, that’s an interesting point – a lot depends on how much noise we can stand when we’re working. I think I would say that I like to have “background noise” on, but at the same time, I can’t focus on reading or working on anything mental if there’s music in the background.
I wanted to belatedly thank you guys for doing the contest. Thank you so much for the prize! I loved seeing all of the photos.
Having said that, I do have friends who are this organized. The more silence i have the better i study. I mean, +1.
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I submitted some photos last week, Thursday or Friday, but they don’t seem to be showing up? Then I wandered into the scrapbooking aisle, and thought, “If only I can find American History-themed papers, we could make American History scrapbooks!” And I went through an identical thought process. It’s been a long time since I last had a baby, but the instinct never goes away.
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I’m pretty terrible at nesting so I see this as potentially very therapeutic. um, that comment has so many typos I’m just going to let you guess what I was trying to say. The more silence i have the better i study.