Homeschool Science Tip of the Month - Have a teacher in-service day before the year begins.

Sometimes I forget that I am a teacher. As a homeschooling parent, I often feel more like a parent than I do a teacher.  But us homeschooling mommas (and dads) are teachers.

We are solely responsible for educating our children. We may teach through online curriculum, in-a-box programs, or an eclectic bag of tricks! But we are teachers.

And as teachers, we need an in-service day (or a few in-service hours grabbed here and there) to get organized. So, after we spent the last month ruminating about our plans, it’s time to set aside a day or two to get ready for our next school year.

Here are a few things you can do on your in-service day:

1. Write out your plans – You can write out full plans for the first few weeks or a skeleton plan for the quarter or the year.
2. Organize your books – You can put your books in order that you plan on using them throughout the year and then put away in your school cabinet or on your school bookshelf.
3. Gather your supplies – You can get just the supplies you will need for the first few weeks or all year if you are that ambitious!
4. Print out your pages – You can print out and file all those cool printables you found as you research for the year.

Starting next week, we will be sharing a 5-day Homeschool Science Boot Camp This series will help you get ready for science next year in about 5 minutes a day!  If you are not already subscribed to the Tips for Homeschool Science Show in iTunes or your favorite podcasting app, you will want to do so now so you won’t miss an episode.

In the meantime, here are a few links I have found helpful as I grab an in-service hour here and there:

• Lists for Homeschool – I loved this tip from Pam Barnhill and will be trying out lists instead of grids for next year.
• No Silver Bullet: Searching for the Perfect Homeschool Curriculum – This podcast from Julie Bogart is a great reminder!!
• The Well-Trained Mind – I still love this book after 10+ years of homeschooling and refer to it before we begin each year.