My Simple Teacher's Logbook Setup | Charlotte Mason Homeschool
Hi there, friends! Have you been wanting a simple and pain-free way to document your daily homeschool lessons, activities, accomplishments, and more?! I have the answer! Today, I’m sharing an updated version of how I easily and simply set up my teacher’s logbook in seconds for the homeschool year. A logbook is a designated place where you can record all that you have accomplished throughout your homeschool year! I use a moleskin cahier notebook with my affiliate link below for it’s good quality, durability, and how it conveniently comes with a set of three! My favorite part about it is how customizable it is to fit my own needs. I’ve done this since my first year of homeschooling, and it has been an amazing resource for documenting our homeschool year!
Linked below is a Youtube video from the first year I created my logbook! (It went from being more complex to now, more simple, easy, and what works best for me.) Check out my video in case the previous pages I initially did work for you and your logbook dreams. Share this with a fellow homeschool mama, and I hope you enjoy!
On the very first page of my logbook, I document the term, my goals for the term, and my reflections to later record at the end of the year. In the top right hand corner, I list the children I will be teaching, and their ages (not pictured here for privacy reasons).
I love to record my goals at the beginning of each term because it helps me focus in on the vision I have for my school year. These goals can look like “getting outside more to burn energy, starting piano lessons and being able to perform a song by the end of the year, acknowledging my child’s thoughts instead of unintentionally discouraging them, having a more consistent poetry tea time, not robbing the love of learning, and more.” Whenever I’m having a tough school day, I go back to this first page, and read my goals for the term to inspire and ground me. This always reminds me what matters most!
Once we have completed our homeschooling for that term, I return to read over my past goals and write in my reflection section how I feel I did with them. Did I deliver on the goals I had in mind? Are there any incomplete goals that I need to include again for my next term goals? This better helps me set NEW goals and intentions for the next year! 10/10 recommend!
Now, this is where the fun begins. Based on the Ambleside Online Year 2 schedule that I print from HERE, I am able to map out my weeks and follow that simple set up! (If your child is a different year then mine, just click their year and schedule in the link to print.) Of course, if a book, or activity is present that I do not want to do, I either cross it out and ignore it completely, OR I supplement it with something else I rather us do. I fold that Ambleside Online schedule in half, and keep it in my logbook for an easy visual and reminder of what readings and subjects I need to accomplish each week. I highlight, or cross these off the printed schedule as I go!
I write the term week followed by each day of the week, and any notes that I may want to record for reminders, or thoughts that I must remember for that week or the next. I’ve gotten into an excellent flow of dividing my readings and subjects that I do every day throughout my week for what best serves my family. For example, Math, Spanish, Copywork, and Piano happen every day. I do those after our daily recitations where we recite poetry, hymns, Scripture, and have our worship jam session on the piano. I also know based on the Ambleside Schedule that each day has about two readings either from History, or Literature. I can switch this up as much as I want depending on the day, and on my child! “Is my child feeling unmotivated this particular morning? No problem! I’ll make a switch, and do his favorite subject in place of his lesser favorite subject!” This customizable approach, and a handy eraser literally takes me less than five minutes to switch everything around to fit my family’s needs!
Originally, I learned that a logbook is a place to record everything you accomplish that day, NOT what you didn’t get done. This is supposed to be a more positive way to focus on your accomplishments. However, my style has evolved to writing down the typical schedule I have planned for the day, and whatever I don’t accomplish I circle as a reminder to drag over to the next day, or the following week! This works great, is very flexible to me, and does not feel discouraging.
As seen above, your teacher’s logbook can be super customizable! You can keep separate pages in the back of your logbook to record lists ranging from field trips taken during your year with the place and date, or a record all of the books you’ve read that year! Anytime I hear of a book we want to read, I write it here, and once we’ve read it, I check a simple box to show it was completed! Some other ideas you can document in a list format for the year can be skills or handicrafts you’ve learned, recipes you’ve learned to cook, or desserts you’ve learned to bake. The list for potential areas to document goes on and on!
My 2nd year homeschooling is not yet done, but about midway through my logbook, I print highlight photos from our school year (field trips we’ve taken, favorite nature studies, or art studies, etc.), and tape them into that section to really make this logbook a piece of documented family history worth saving!
So, essentially, my logbook will flow:
Term goals and reflections (repeat this for all three terms)
Weeks 1-10 schedule for each term
Photos from our homeschool year
Books we’ve read
Field trips we’ve taken
Whatever other goodies I want to record!!
What do you think about my simple and easy homeschool logbook? Can you imagine it working for you? Would you add anything? I hope my setup helps you build confidence and inspiration for your logbook journey that you CAN do it! Homeschooling can look different for everyone which is why this simple, customizable logbook may be your perfect way to document your year! Don’t forget to keep the FUN in homeschool. Happy logbook-ing!
Cool, Mom, and Collectedly Yours,
