Homeschool Vision Planning

Do y'all ever feel that burn out even as you BEGIN the spring semester in January? It's like this marathon to get through the Christmas holidays, and then--BAM! Hit the ground running and you are grinding out lessons again.

One thing I've loved about the pandemic (are we allowed to say this?) is the major downshift of activities we are demanding of ourselves and our kids. I love that they have tons of time to just...be kids. And I love that I have time to organize my stuff, sew Barbie clothes with my daughter, have Nerf wars with my boys (or at least wear safety goggles while they have Nerf wars around me), and take the time to teach them things like how to bake grandma's stew and cornbread. I have to admit, this was possibly the most calm and relaxing Christmas holidays I can remember since having kids--and that's with eating at home every. single. meal. (and this is coming from a girl who LO-O-O-O-VES to eat out!) 

All this to say, the monotony seems to hit me hard in January. I have fresh goals and a to-do list a mile long, but SCHOOL feels like a drag. My overall vision and drive to teach and the joy of the calling before seems somehow way more distant than it did back in August when those freshly-sharpened-pencils and crisp new curriculum were lined up on my schoolroom shelves. 

Enter, the homeschool vision planning challenge. 

I have no idea who started this--it was not me--but my sister got me to join a homeschool vision challenge on Instagram one year, and it was immediately the incentive I needed to dig in and remember the privilege and excitement of this homeschool adventure. Vision boards, Instagram, and vignettes are all super helpful tools for me to visually express or clarify concepts for me (I don't consider myself really to be an artist--maybe more of a creative consultant?) and so an opportunity to visually express my plan, method, goals, and the "why" behind it all is a perfect refresher for me when I get in this slump. I highly recommend going through the process, even if you aren't prone to Insta your life like I am! 

The process is this: I came up with 15 items and you start whenever and do one a day for fifteen days. I like to come up with a picture symbolic or showing the item, and then a concise-ish summary of my ideas (to caption the pictures). It's especially powerful when you can do it with a community of like-minded friends, because often I'll see what my girl over here is doing and think, "Whoa! Why didn't I think of that?! That's brilliant and PERFECT!" and then next year, I tag her as she was the inspiration for our renovated (and usually much better) system. (And that is why I love doing it on social media--because you can encourage each other and grow together!)

The Scriptures are full of examples of God's people setting up reminders and memorials of God's faithfulness, and every time I engage in a project like this, I feel like I'm raising my own personal little "Ebenezer;" recounting the Lord's goodness in the past, and holding my future plans out with an open hand before Him, asking His blessing and direction as we strive to pursue His calling as stewards and educators of these children entrusted to us. I hope some of you will join me in this!

Happy planning, my friends, and may 2021 be a year of thriving in your homeschool!