The new year is upon us! And the wonderful thing about a new year is that it gives a fresh start. It is a great time to examine the different aspects of your life and homeschool to see what is working and what is not. Then, you can make subtle changes to ensure that your goals are being meant.

I wanted to share a few tips with you this month about how to start this new year of homeschool science off right.

How to start this new year of homeschool science off right

Start with a quick evaluation of your homeschool science plan.

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to evaluate how this past year went:

1. Are we completing all that I had planned so far?

• If yes, great!
• If no, do you need to change your expectations or set aside more time in the new year for science?

2. Are my students currently enjoying their science studies?

• If yes, fantastic!
• If no, what can you do to tweak what you are currently using to add interest?

3. Is our current plan for homeschool science meeting my goals?

• If yes, great job!
• If no, what can you do to tweak what you are currently using or do you need to make a change?

4. Am I happy with the current plan for homeschool science?

• If yes, wonderful!
• If no, is it time for a switch in your curriculum or can you adapt what you already have?

Then, adjust as necessary.

Now that you have done a quick evaluation of your homeschool science plans, it's time to make any adjustments.

If you answered yes to all the above questions, congratulations, your current plan is working well!

If you didn't, here are a few tips as you move forward:

• Remember that last year's mistakes and disappointments are in the past. The point is to learn from them, make the necessary changes, and move forward.
• Write down the changes that you would like to make to achieve your goals for homeschool science.
• Formulate a plan for making those changes and place it in a visible place so that you can refer to it throughout the semester.
• Make the necessary tweaks to your plan as you move forward in the new year.

Wrapping it up

It's always good to evaluate your plan at regular intervals to make sure that it is meeting your goals. By doing so, we can catch problems and correct them before they become major issues. These periodic evaluations will ensure that you are starting your new year off right for homeschool science!