How I’m Tackling the Great Homeschool Convention

Written by Julia in Homeschooling, Resources

How to Tackle the Homeschool Convention || A Joy-Filled Journey

I’m SUPER excited about attending my first homeschool convention soon! In my anticipation and planning I ran across Dawn Garrett’s post about a convention binder. That’s all the encouragement I needed. I spent some time geeking out as I typed up and organized the pages for my own binder.

I think they will be super helpful, so I’m going to share it with you! And I’d love some input from all you convention and homeschool veterans. So please, if you have an idea, drop me a comment!

Convention Binder Contents

The binder is organized into two sections: Speaker Hall & Exhibit Hall

Speaker Hall

Schedule | I’ll use these pages to plan my own personal schedule while at the convention.

Loose-Leaf Paper | (although it won’t be very loose if it’s in the binder, huh?) This is for note taking.

Book List | I’ll use this list for jotting down any book that is mentioned during the sessions. I can make a notation if I have read it, own it, or would like to read it.

Quotes I Love | a place to jot down all the inspiring quotes I’d like to remember.

Key Concepts | to record all the important themes that jump out at me through the weekend

Action Steps for Now | I’m sure I will come away with a bunch of ideas I’d like to try right away. I’ll make a note of them here so I won’t forget.

Action Steps for Later | I know I’ll come across great ideas for the future too. I put these in a separate place than the ones I’d like to try now and refer back to it when the time is right.

Exhibit Hall

Mission and Vision |One thing I’m hearing over and over during my planning for this convention is that you MUST know your vision. Without a vision I might come home with a van-full of resources that don’t help me accomplish what is actually important to my family.

Rule of Six | Including your rule of six in the binder serves the same purpose as the vision: keeping my sites on what truly matters so I can make informed purchases. If you’re not familiar with the rule of six you can read more about it here and get insta-inspiration here.

Budget | If I didn’t go to the convention with a budget in hand, my husband wouldn’t be very happy! (Or me either, if I’m honest.) This page is generic enough I could even include a lodging and meals along with books and curriculum materials, etc.

Resources I Own |Ok, let’s be honest, this page will remain blank this year! But eventually (probably after the convention!) I will actually own homeschool resources! Haha. And when that day comes I’ll keep track of them here so I don’t purchase duplicates.

Shopping Plan | Ok, I’m such a newbie to the homeschooling world I don’t have a plan this year. (Gasp!) But really, I’ve browsed the exhibitor list for the Great Homeschool Conventions and I don’t recognize hardly any of them! And that list is looooong. But I KNOW after a year or two under my belt this page will be essential. So for now I will tackle the vendor hall with my mission and vision in hand and familiarize myself with all that’s available. (Do you have any favorite vendors? Please share!)

Purchases | a handy page to make sure I don’t go over-budget.

Product Reviews | I look forward to being able to flip through materials and talk to experts on their products, but I know I’ll forget what I’ve learned if I don’t write it down. Having these notes will help me determine if it’s something I’d like to buy in the future or a booth I can skip altogether on the next convention.

Wish List | I know there will be items I’d like, but the timing isn’t right for where we are in our journey now. I can record that here and use this page to create my shopping plan next year.

A Binder that Grows

I’ve dated the pages because I plan to keep the same binder year-after-year (assuming I have a pleasant conference experience- which I’m pretty sure I will!). Won’t it be neat to look back after I’ve been at this for a while and review the Key Concepts of 2019? Or inspiring to reread the quotes that pricked something in me as a rookie homeschooler? Dawn Garrett even keeps her notes from each year in her binder and adds to them when she attends a talk for the second (or third?) time. I predict other pages will also prove useful beyond this year: the wish list, product reviews, and of course resources I own. When I’m in need of a book to read (does that ever happen though?) I’ll grab the booklist and pick one out. And won’t it be cool to compare booklists year after year to see which ones keep impacting the community of homeschoolers?