The modern-day problem, I am convinced, with embarking on any new craft or would-be obsession, is the ability to see what other people are doing via the internet. With everyone else living their best life online, it’s easy to say, “Forget it.”
It happened when I started Bible journaling; it happened when I re-started gardening; and it happened when I began bullet journaling.
Even though the point of bullet journaling is productivity, the Van Gogh-like spreads in cyberspace quickly made me increasingly frustrated with my limited artistic abilities.
Sometime in early August, someone in a Facebook group asked a question:
‘Does anyone incorporate scrapbooking into their bullet journals?’
I thought about all of my scrapbooking supplies, packed (somewhat) neatly under a layer of cobwebs and dust. I am no artist, but this is something I can do. So I got after it.
Later, while I worked on my daughter’s bullet journal/ lesson planner, I had yet another epiphany. A homeschool generally has no traditional yearbook. For us personally, there are notebooks and workbooks of all those moments when our kids were still developing handwriting skills, or completing the pre-adolescent artwork. It makes downsizing hard as I have these “awwwww” moments every time I attempt to throw something away. What if her bullet journal became a keepsake, a “yearbook” of sorts?
I realize that several readers might say, “Bullet journaling? Bujo? What bologna is this??!!” You can read more about my planning adventures and love for bullet journaling here. For those that might think bullet journaling is far too cumbersome for a homeschool planner, I share links later, but at minimum, my spreads might give you ideas about what to track, keep, and even “dress up” in your own homeschool environment.
Like any good keeper of the bujo way, I give the first pages a significant amount of thoughtfulness. Those pages set the stage for the rest of what is to come. In my newest notebook, I wrote Marianne Williamson’s “Our Deepest Fear” because the words speak volumes about what was my life as a young person—playing small so that others feel enlightened. For our daughter, inspiration came from the camp she attended this summer:
We also began with what is becoming a staple in her annual bujo: the visualization of her dream.
(from 2017)
(from 2018)
Finally, I had her list her goals for this year as a reminder of what needs to happen academically and otherwise.
Next in her bullet journal are the foundational pieces of our homeschool: our course listing, our calendar-at-a-glance, and our weekly schedule. We continue with a 4-day week, allowing for a mid-week discovery day, which is about as close as this family comes to an unschooling renvironment. Right now, her day is a combination of dance class, service opportunities, and documentary watching.
The Dutch door concept that I love so much serves several purposes: practically, it allows me to detail certain subjects (like biology) without losing my consistency of format. Aesthetically, it gives an otherwise boring list of tasks an eye-catching appeal (and it is another chance to use washi tape—YAY!) On a more serious note, it allows her to fit more journaling and reflection into each week.
At month-end, there is even more to journal about as we work on that all-important character development that Miss Mason discusses at length. What did you do to show kindness to others? Who did you help? What did you see that was beautiful? What did you do that was hard?
So, there you have it for this year. Of course, if you surf the internet for homeschool bullet journaling, you will find tons of information. If your interest is peaked, hopefully after that search you will continue to be curious (lol). I am posting a few more links below (if you search the blog there are other posts on this subject that also include links). There are even Facebook groups that exist for homeschool bujo enthusiasts. Maybe, just maybe, you might turn those lesson plans into something worth saving.
How other families are using homeschool bullet journaling:
My Homeschool Bullet Journal Set-up
10 Tips for a Successful Homeschool Bullet Journal
How to Use a Bullet Journal for Your Homeschool
