In this encouraging episode of Vintage Homeschool Moms, Felice Gerwitz walks through practical teaching tips, homeschool methods, and a flexible checklist to help moms create a more effective and enjoyable homeschool year.

🎧 Listen to the episode here: 

Sponsored by CTCMath.com

Homeschooling can feel overwhelming—even when you’re doing a lot right.

You may have the curriculum. You may have a routine. And you may even have a plan. But sometimes, a few weeks or months into the school year, you start asking yourself:

The good news? You do not need to scrap your school year and start from scratch.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is pause and use a simple homeschool teaching checklist to evaluate what’s working, what’s not, and what small changes can make your homeschool stronger, calmer, and more effective.

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A homeschool teaching checklist is a simple way to step back and look at the big picture of your homeschool year.

It helps you answer questions like:

A good homeschool checklist isn’t about perfection. It’s about intentional progress.

And honestly? Sometimes just taking time to evaluate your homeschool can bring a huge sense of relief.

Many homeschool moms wait until the end of the year to reflect. But the best time to make improvements is while you’re still in it.

You don’t have to wait until summer.

You can stop right now and ask:

Felice shares that even in the middle of a school year, it’s worth taking time to reassess your approach and make changes that support your child’s learning style and your family’s season of life.

That means if you’ve had:

…it is not too late to make homeschool better.

You are not failing because your homeschool doesn’t look like someone else’s.

That might be one of the most important reminders in this episode.

It’s easy to compare your homeschool to:

But your homeschool does not need to look like theirs.

Your homeschool needs to work for your children, your energy, your schedule, and your goals.

That is what makes a homeschool sustainable.

Use this checklist as a quick homeschool reset. You can print it, save it, or walk through it one section at a time.

This doesn’t have to be formal or fancy.

But it helps to know:

Ask yourself:

A family mission helps shape your homeschool decisions so you’re not constantly chasing someone else’s priorities.

Not just “finish the curriculum.”

Think bigger.

Goals might include:

General goals help keep your homeschool focused.

Academics matter. But they are not the whole picture.

Some of the most important things your children learn at home are:

Felice makes a strong point here:
The best way to teach character is not through a workbook—it’s through your example.

That one stings a little… but it’s true.

If character is a goal, ask:

Felice has created the Character Planners to help homeschool moms build character in their children.

If you’re overwhelmed, come back to the basics.

You don’t have to do every extra right now.

Sometimes the best homeschool move is to simplify and ask:

Because if the answer is yes, you may already be doing better than you think.

This is where many homeschool struggles begin.

Sometimes the issue is not the curriculum.
Sometimes the issue is how the material is being taught.

That’s a huge takeaway from this episode.

Felice shares how one of her children struggled with traditional workbook-style math—but learned much better through movement, hands-on activities, and real-life interaction.

That means your child may thrive more with:

That question can change everything.

If you need a reset, here are several homeschool-friendly teaching methods to explore:

Read aloud and talk through ideas together.

Best for:

Have your child copy a well-written passage to practice:

Choose a topic and connect multiple subjects to it.

Example:

Instead of worksheets, children create a notebook of what they’ve learned.

This works especially well for:

This can include:

Hands-on learning often helps struggling learners stay engaged and remember more.

This means using a mix of methods and resources instead of locking into one approach.

For many families, this is the most realistic and effective long-term option.

This is a big one.

Felice talks about the importance of making room for fun learning, especially when children need motivation.

That doesn’t mean every day has to be Pinterest-worthy.

It does mean asking:

Sometimes homeschool gets heavy because it becomes all output and no delight.

Often, one small fun element can shift the whole mood of your homeschool.

Not every homeschool needs a strict hour-by-hour schedule.

But most families do better with some kind of rhythm.

That might look like:

A more structured start and end time for subjects.

A predictable flow to the day without exact time blocks.

Many homeschool moms thrive when they stop trying to force a school system structure and instead build a family-centered rhythm.

Sometimes the answer is not “be more disciplined.”
Sometimes it’s “stop trying to homeschool like a classroom.”

If you have multiple children, this can feel impossible.

But one-on-one time matters—especially for:

You may not be able to do this for hours.

But even a focused 10–15 minutes can make a difference.

Small moments of focused teaching often go further than we think.

This is one of the smartest homeschool strategies in the whole episode.

Felice recommends having a built-in catch-up day each week—often Friday—where students can:

This is such a simple but powerful homeschool fix.

Because homeschool rarely goes exactly as planned.

A catch-up day gives your week breathing room and keeps one bad day from throwing off everything else.

Homeschool is about more than academics.

Ask yourself:

That may look like:

These are not distractions from education.
These are part of education.

Sometimes homeschool feels stale simply because there’s nothing exciting on the horizon.

These moments create memory and momentum.

And honestly? They help moms too.

This may be the most overlooked part of homeschool success.

Because when mom is depleted, everything feels harder.

Felice encourages moms to build in even small self care moments to:

It doesn’t have to be a spa day.

It may be:

You do not need a perfect self-care routine.
You just need enough margin to stay steady.

Here’s a simple truth:

If your children are learning, growing, being loved, and living in a home where truth, curiosity, and consistency matter…

your homeschool is working.

Not perfectly.
But meaningfully.

And that matters more than checking every box.

Ask yourself:

If yes, keep going.

You can improve without tearing it all down.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t redo everything.

Just start with these 5 simple steps:

That’s enough to begin.

You do not need a perfect plan.

You need a homeschool that is:

That’s what makes homeschool powerful.

And if you need to pause, reevaluate, and make changes?
That doesn’t mean you’re behind.

It means you’re paying attention.

And that’s a very good thing. 💛

A homeschool teaching checklist is a tool that helps parents evaluate their school year, track goals, and ensure they are covering key subjects and learning experiences.

Look at your child’s engagement, progress, and overall experience. If learning is happening and your child is growing, your homeschool is working—even if it doesn’t look perfect.

Core subjects typically include reading, writing, math, science, and history, but each family can customize based on their goals.

Incorporate hands-on learning, projects, real-life applications, and allow children to explore their interests.