The Homeschool Reset: What’s Working, What’s Not, and What Needs Changing

Somewhere between the excitement of a new school year and the reality of everyday homeschooling, things can start to get a little off track. Maybe your carefully planned schedule isn’t working quite as well as you’d hoped. Maybe that curriculum everyone raved about isn’t a great fit for your family. Or maybe life has thrown you a curveball you definitely didn’t include in your homeschool planner!

After a few weeks or months of homeschooling, we’ve had time to settle into our routines and get a better idea of what’s working, what’s not, and what might need to change.

Of course, life doesn’t always go according to plan! From health issues to home renovations to hurricanes, I can tell you that homeschooling doesn’t always look the way we imagined it would.

That’s where a homeschool reset comes in. It’s a chance to take a breath, reassess, and make a few adjustments. No need to throw out the whole plan or buy a new curriculum just yet! Sometimes a few small tweaks are all we need to make our homeschool days run a little more smoothly.

1. What’s Working?

Before you start changing everything, take a look at what’s already working. I’d start with progress and routine, because the two go hand in hand. A consistent routine helps kids make progress, and as they get comfortable with their work, they can begin doing more independently.

If you’re on the struggle bus, take a look at your daily routine. Sometimes the problem isn’t the curriculum—it’s that your days need a little tweaking.

Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all homeschool schedule! In my post Homeschool Schedules Explained, I share different approaches I’ve tried over the years. If your current routine isn’t working for your family, it might be time to try something different.

And speaking of progress, look for growing independence! Are your kids learning to gather their things, start their work, or tackle a subject on their own? Those are BIG steps forward!

Finally, sprinkle that positivity like confetti!  It’s easy to focus on what’s not getting done, but celebrate the good stuff, too—whether your child masters a tricky concept or you make it through the day with a little extra patience!  

Your kids pick up on your vibe. Noticing the positives instead of dwelling on perfection can make a real difference.  Before you make your list of things to fix, celebrate what’s going right. You might have more wins than you realize!

2. What’s Not Working?

Sometimes it’s the curriculum. Sometimes it’s our schedule. And sometimes, well, the problem might be a little closer to home….and it might not be the kids!  

I can remember wanting to toss a curriculum out the window more than once! And sometimes, it really was the problem. But before you launch that math book into the yard, consider whether you could change how you’re teaching it. Maybe math with sidewalk chalk on the driveway would go over better than another worksheet at the kitchen table. Same math, different approach! You might not need a new curriculum after all—just a new way to use the one you’ve got.

Next, take a look at your schedule. Are you trying to squeeze six subjects, two co-ops, music lessons, errands, and a social life into one day? No wonder everyone’s exhausted! You don’t win a prize for having the busiest calendar. Sometimes doing less is exactly what your homeschool needs.

Sometimes we need to take a look at our own priorities, too. Is homeschooling getting pushed to the bottom of the to-do list while everything else gets our attention? And if every subject becomes a debate and every assignment a negotiation, it might be time to reset who really is steering the ship. Your kids deserve a voice in their education, but they also need you to set priorities, provide direction, and help them follow through. Life gets busy, and not every day goes as planned, but if school keeps getting pushed aside, it’s time to make a few changes.

The trick is figuring out what’s actually causing the problem before you start changing everything. A different approach, a lighter schedule, prioritizing, or clearer expectations might be all you need to get things moving in the right direction.

3. What Needs Changing?

Now that you’ve figured out what’s working and what’s not, it’s time to make a plan! Don’t feel like you have to overhaul your entire homeschool. Start with one or two things that would make the biggest difference in your day.

One thing we did was take a mini fall break from the books. Sometimes we’d plan a fun little day trip, and other times we’d tackle a home project such as a thorough cleaning, or organizing a space.  When your house feels more in order, your life feels more in order!  The change of pace, if only for a couple of days, gave us a chance to step away from our usual routine without putting homeschooling on hold for a full week.

I also built teacher workdays into our schedule. These gave me time to catch up on grading, organize materials, and brainstorm new ideas for upcoming lessons. 

Whatever changes you decide to make, keep them manageable. You don’t have to fix everything by Monday morning! Make a few adjustments, give them time to work, and see how things go. If something still isn’t working, you can always try again. That’s the beauty of homeschooling—you can change course when your family needs it.

Looking Ahead

Before you know it, November and December will be here, with holidays, family gatherings, shopping, and enough extra activities to turn even the best homeschool schedule upside down. It’s amazing how much a turkey, Santa Claus, or even baby Jesus can derail a perfectly good homeschool day! Now is a great time to think about what you want those months to look like.

Maybe you’ll take a few days off, enjoy some hands-on holiday projects, or lighten your workload during the weeks leading up to Christmas. Whatever you decide, a little planning now can help you enjoy the season without feeling like your homeschool has completely derailed.

And remember, it’s YOUR school! You get to decide what works for your family. The goal isn’t to create a homeschool that never needs adjusting. It’s to recognize when something isn’t working and be willing to make a change.

Whether you’re making a few tweaks to your routine, trying a different approach, or simply giving yourself permission to do things a little differently, remember that you don’t need a brand-new homeschool. You might just need to make a few adjustments to the one you’re already living in!