Written by Sheila Petruccelli of Sure as the World.
I always find it hard to re-start homeschooling in January. After our big break in December and all the festivities that month holds, January and February look long, dark and (if I’m being honest) overwhelming.
Even though the calendar is fresh and marks a brand new year, homeschooling is in that middle ground/no man’s land.
So we start small and we start fun. But most of all, we start with intention.
I believe in the power of intention. I know when I approach something with purpose and reverence, I see differently.
Setting an intention looks a little bit like a wish and a lot like a prayer.
During the week between Christmas and New Year’s, I think a lot about where we are as individuals and as a family. I dream about where we want to go and what we want to do during the upcoming calendar year. Then, I choose a subject that somehow captures these intentions on a metaphorical level.
Below are some themes we have studied in years past and also a few ideas I’m tucking away for the future:
Birds
I felt like we found our wings and took flight the year we studied birds. I love the idea of flying, soaring and untethered freedom coupled with the safety and comfort of having somewhere to land.
Not to mention, the boys learned a lot about our feathered friends. (You can see more details of what we did here.)
Boats and Maps
We “set sail” with this nautical theme the year I was struggling with homeschooling.
What we were doing just was not working anymore and middle school was proving to be a lesson in unchartered waters. After trying to unsuccessfully fight my way through this, I took a step back and tried to embrace where we were.
Listening to Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome, making paper mache boats and drawing maps of places both real and imaginary made for a great month.
My older son continued this theme of exploration by studying individual explorers and compiling a notebook full of hand-drawn maps. (I cannot recommend Mapping the World with Art by Ellen Johnston McHenry enough. It is fantastic!)
Animals
I love the idea of choosing an animal to be a mascot or totem for the year.
Need to slow down and put some foundations in place? Choose the turtle. Is everything clicking and running smoothly? Choose the eagle.
Fables are a great complement to studying the animal scientifically. Plus a mascot just begs to created: think paper mache, clay or fabric.
Trees
I love the idea of using trees metaphorically. From seed to sprout to towering, sheltering giant, they are so rich with meaning. Plus a nature study in winter can be so much fun. (Not to mention the bonus of hot chocolate when you come inside!)
Light and Rainbows
Candles, the sun, God’s promise, prisms, the color wheel. So many possibilities of illumination.
Biography
Choose a heroic person to serve as a touchstone for your year. It could be a person from history, a figure from your sacred text or even someone in your community. The lives of others have so much to teach us.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year!!
Do you have big plans for starting this new year?
A dose of homeschool inspiration
A boat and map theme! How creative and fun.
Emily’s latest post: Say NO to New Year’s Resolutions
Yes, we are working our way through the Swallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome. And check out these paper mache boats http://annwood.net/blog/2009/12/11/paper-mache-boat-pattern/
They came out so great.
sheila’s latest post: Happy New Year
Unlike you, January and February are my favorite time of year because they are so much quieter than any other time. There are so many fewer outside distractions that I can relax and enjoy life rather than juggle too many things or experience the angst of having to say no in order to keep a balance.
Your themes are lovely, and I wish you joy in this dark, quiet time of year.
Anne’s latest post: A Week, Briefly (Christmas)
I try to see January and February as the fulcrum of the year. A place of rest and ease. However, I am just not there yet.
Thank you for your well wishes.
sheila’s latest post: Happy New Year
Bonus hot chocolate! Love love love.
Thanks for these gentle reminders…I’ve been planning *my* new year, but need to give the same attention to our homeschool.
kortney’s latest post: 28 December 1999
I’m guilty of focusing more on my year as well. We start Monday and there is a big blank on the schedule . . . I have some ideas, for sure, but nothing concrete.
Hot chocolate and an audio book?
Sounds good right about now.
sheila’s latest post: Happy New Year
Thanks for some timely encouragement! I’ve been feeling sort of – ok, almost completely- overwhelmed and our rhythm is all out of whack with the holidays….your post is just what I needed to get a plan and some shape back into our days for the new year.
LOL, I need to get my own butt in gear as well.
Kindness. Baby steps. And lots of chocolate.
xo
sheila’s latest post: Happy New Year
I love the idea about adopting a mascot for the year. My girls are really into owls, so I think that would be a great project. Happy New Year!
Owls! How perfect!
And I love the idea of it coming from your girls.
Go for it.
sheila’s latest post: Happy New Year
Yikes! I just started planning for our January science…earthquakes. =/ Maybe I should rethink this. That doesn’t sound so good symbolically! Seriously, though, I love these ideas! Great post!
LOL about the earthquakes!
You could also file away the idea and use it at the start of next school year.
sheila’s latest post: Happy New Year
Love the start small and start fun, Sheila. I share your sense of overwhelm at this time of year. It doesn’t usually hit until February when I feel like we should be back in the swing but we just aren’t quite there! Small but with intention is great. And I find it helps to pick something dear to my heart to share with my kids. I always do a poetry & Shakespeare block in the spring. Looking forward to Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 30 (from poets.org) and we’ll go see the Tempest on stage, so I’ve got April figured out!
Hey Jean,
I think when we do share something from our heart, everything changes – and not just with homeschooling LOL. Yes, shifting the focus from “should” to “want” is a wonderful way to start the year.
xoxo to you.
S
sheila’s latest post: Happy New Year
I am feeling very overwhelmed at this point as well. Like we skidded giddily through the holiday festivities right into a sinkhole where I’ve just slumped over. No oomph left to climb out. So this post and its reminders are extremely timely for me. Starting small and fun sounds like just what we need. And I love the mascot idea. We love watching both birds and squirrels outside our big picture window, so maybe there’s a symbolic freedom I can grab hold of right there… Thank you so much for this!
I love all of your ideas! I definitely want to check out the Map book! You always have such creative things brewing:)
We find it tough to start back in January as well. We take it slow starting with lots of reading and art. This year we are doing a lot of bird watching too!
Sharon’s latest post: Second Grade Block-Buddhist Tales