Blank paper and blank walls have a lot in common (ironic analogy with me being an author and a teacher, huh?)—both can bring this feeling of, Well, where do I even begin? And I experience that same sentiment every time we start a new homeschool year. Preparation for the 2020-2021 school year was no different. Take a look at my progress from empty walls to a brand new homeschool classroom for this school year.

The Very First “Before” Shot

I forgot to take a “before” photo, so forgive this random shot I found from when we first moved in. It’s the only one I could find with empty walls.

“Before” Video…Kinda

Thankfully, something did prompt me to catch somewhat of a “before” around the start of my design. Here’s a video from my Instagram stories.

A Workdesk and a (Wall) Station

Once I got the student dry-erase boards up and aligned, I couldn’t figure out what to do around them. So, I went to work on my “teacher’s area/writer’s desk/office space” while my mind tried to sort it out.

I love my yellow sliding cushion stool by the way, came up on that gem for less than $30, and it was just one left! Also, found the storage cart (under my printer) cheaper than all the other stores I checked (even Amazon) on sale at Michael’s.

Once I got my area together (pictured L), I still hadn’t figured out how to best make the space function for a 3-student classroom. Therefore, I turned a wall section (pictured R) into a station area mainly for our 1st-grader. However, the middle bookshelf holds, exclusively, middle school chapter books for our older students. 

Counter Work, Counterproductive?

Finally, I decided I should outline my boards and design the walls around them…with hopes it would inspire me to figure out how to make it a teachable space. I didn’t want to do our usual desks this year, but I just wasn’t sure how to replace that seating concept.

In the meantime, I planned to use the counter during instruction, and would send them to their bedroom desks (I hadn’t found any at the point pictured, due to COVID, but that was the plan) for independent lesson practice. After all…that would be a perfect solution for quiet concentration right?

Multiple-Grades Teachers Need…

Wrong! I found the answer to the question above was “wrong.” Counter seating had me flipping all around the island, which kept me on my feet most of the school day, and made it hard to maintain order. In prayer for a solution to teach multiple grades (at the same time) more effectively, I was led to get an adjustable folding table from Home Depot; the matching folding chairs were cheaper at Walmart.

I love sitting with all of our students! It’s more of a connection, promotes order and creates ease. And although I prefered the open center space, the adjustable table perfectly allows me to fold it up and put it away when we’re not doing school.

Mission “Classroom Design” Complete

What was your classroom design process this school year?