Once again we are trying something new.
A new curriculum, a new technique, new game plan, new planning style…. It will probably change again before Christmas.
Life changes and homeschooling gives us an amazing opportunity to change with it; to make adjustments that keep us working effectively no matter what the circumstances.
I knew having a new baby in the house would mean a few more ‘frazzled’ days then usual. Planning would be hard. Being the ‘fun’ mom would be hard (as I would be tired). I also knew planning our school work would be overwhelming. I felt that feeling coming on long before the baby arrived last June.
So instead of giving up, I changed the game.
I broke the year down into tiny pieces that were more manageable. (Funny, I broke it down into the same bites as the public schools 🙂 )
I’m planning in SIX 6-week sections. I have a composition notebook for each six weeks. This way if I don’t like my method I only have to put up with it for a bit, then I can change my mind.
See my little tabbies? They are mailing labels, folded in half over the edge of a page. I skipped 6 pages (one for each week for notes and such), tabbed our first subject, and left 6 pages in between each tab. Each page lists the objectives, work, ideas, etc. for that subject for that week.
Some of them specify a day to do the work. Some of them are blank waiting to be filled with the title of the book they read, or the recipe they learned.
Last week, I sent it to my mom’s house with the kids and their binders (I’ll show them in another post). She LOVED it! She knew exactly what the goal was, and had a place to write notes to me about how they did, or what she had to change.
We’re on week 4 this week. At the moment, I think I’m going to keep it this way for another six week period.
How do you like to plan your lessons?
I’m not/wasn’t into making my own lesson plans. It’s too much work to keep up with. That’s why I bought “boxed” curriculum that come with those big thick lesson plan books that tell you exactly what to do in each subject every day. I want what’s easiest. And that was easiest for me.
Totally love this idea!!! And why did it not occur to me to do 6 weeks instead of 9? I think we did 9 when I was teaching in the public schools. But 6 weeks is more manageable. I’m going to change my calendar right now! I have spreadsheets that list each subject, for each child per quarter and I fill them in as we go.