Homeschool Planning

Disclaimer - this is really long. Get something to drink, maybe a bag of chocolate . . .

People often marvel when they find out how many children we have. "How do you do it?" they remark. They may hear answers like 1) "I have no idea." 2) "I have good help." 3) "One day at a time." 4) "To the glory of God."
Then we hear comments like, "I could never do that." We did reply, "Sure you could!" But lately we might say, "Probably not." Or, "Well, they aren't your children so you don't have to."
My favorite (said sarcasticly) response when someone finds out we homeschool, "I just don't have the patience for that!" Those people makes me impatient! I laugh because I know what a mean impatient mother I am. What's patience got to do with it? . . . Oh, right! Thats a virtue! Patience will make you perfect and complete, wanting nothing. And keep you from being double-minded. James 1:2-8
It's also called longsuffering (doesn't that word often discribe being a parent).

But the fruit of the Spirit is love,

joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

~Galations 5:22-23 ~

I thought I'd post about how I am doing my planning and organizing for all the MANY lessons we will begin in just a few short days. I enjoy seeing how others organize it all (even if I usually think, "Wow, glad that works for you! That just won't work for me/us.)

I'll start by saying that the biggest difference among homeschools is how different they are.
I haven't meet anyone yet that does it just the same. Some of us have the same goals, but each family is unique, each mom teaches differently, and each kid has different strengths and weaknesses to work WITH. But those differences are just one of the many reasons homeschooling is so wonderful.

Differences are also a great learning tool. Just when I'm about to believe that "this kid" just can't be taught (or one of us is about to be snatched bald!), God opens the door for a conversation with another homeschool teacher, vice principal, curriculum coordinator, bus driver, coach, tutor (those are all one person). And that sweet person says something, and I have an "A-HA!" moment. Or an "ahhhh. . ." moment. Or a "duh!" I've learned something because that family does something different that I've just not ever thought of. (or in many cases, I was encouraged to chill and wait, wait for maturity).

I'll also say, that, for the most part, my kids are VERY ordinary. I'm not striving for genius (although if they get there that's great - I just don't see it coming). Some of them are a little "quicker" than others. Some are extremely "quirky." (wonder where that came from). They are ALL very different.
It still amazes me that people from the same loins can look and act so differently. Plus, the fact that we have the crock-pot fringe benefit of having four loins involved - we have a big crayon box of Different all melting together in this pot we call home.

And the MOST important part of our home and school (one in the same) is teaching our children about God. The Bible is our how-to book. Our Standard. It's our most important subject.

The Shema

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart,

and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children,

and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house,

and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  

And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand,

and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
~ Deuteronomy 6:4-9 ~

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?

and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?

and how shall they hear without a preacher?

And how shall they preach, except they be sent?

as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach

the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

~ Romans 10:13-15 ~

We hold as a promise:

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

~ Proverbs 22:6 ~





God said it. I believe it. (And we also think that training is the responsiblity of those who were given the GIFT of the child. Plus, why wouldn't you want to spend time with your kids?)

Now, back to the topic I started writing about. School planning. (That is what I sat down to write about, but what a nice little trail we just took to get here.)

First, I buy curriculum. Some people are just smart enough to pull-stuff-together. I'm not. And I don't want to. (I go ahead and buy it with our tax return - I think some people are against others receiving tax returns. I think those people don't have as many hungry deductions as we do.)
When the curriculum gets here - I open the box, look at it, put it back in the box, put the box in a corner until June or July. (This year, it was the end of July - cutting it a little close.)

 Next, I put it all on a shelf.

Some people make wonderfully worded yearly goals at this point. I suppose we have goals. We haven't put any on paper. We'd like the end product of these years of learning to be men and women whose lives are commited to God's purpose and plan for each of them. And we often must readjust ourselves back to what matters most.



Then I get totally distracted making a school calendar. (which really means that I write a lot of numbers on notebook paper then cross off days on a calendar for holidays. And we are taking off every fourth Friday. "FREE FRIDAY!" Woohoo!
 I got my calendar, and lots of ideas at Donna Young' Homeschool Resources and Printables)

Then I rearrange all the tabs in my Brain.
I've been using this binder for several years.
The tabs have been different every time. This year I have class rules and the calendar in the front, then tabs for:
Attendance - which must be turned in to the state once a year;
Lesson Plans - that part I'm supposed to be talking about;
Grading - assessment sheets and nothing else so far;
High School Record Keeping - because that tall girl can start getting high school credit for some of her classes this year;
Easter Play and Christmas - we do a separate Christmas lesson or Jesse Tree and we do a play, egg hunt, party before Easter (which is also my favorite holiday);
Reading Rewards - Six Flags, Pizza Hut and other fun stuff;
Notebook/Journal - its my NEW and improved goal to have a journaling or brain teaser each morning - something to ponder and get the brain juice flowing; and Blank Paper - cause I ran out of ideas and there was already paper back there.




After all those distractions I finally get down to business. Unless I can find something else to do.

By subject (not grade) I "take apart" the book. Not literally!!!!! I take my notebook paper and plan out do-able size portions for each day or week.

 This is the beginning of planning Exploring Creation with Botany (Apologia).
This is NOT the final draft but my thoughts on paper - I forget easily.

Weekly Planner

* I should note here that we do elementary science and history as a big group. This year we are doing a science lesson then a history lesson - one at a time, so we can focus a little more.
I made a weekly chart (on my FREE spreadsheet, excel thing www.openoffice.org/download/).

Subjects down the side and days across the top.

I made myself notes in the margin (again, forgetful).

I planned one quarter, 9 weeks worth,

 IN PENCIL!!!!

 Life happens, erasures are cheap.

Then I made one for Ava (two weeks per page) with a check box between each column so she is responsible for her own work.

This year I'm "teaching" 20-ish subjects (that's how many lines there are on my chart anyway).

Bible- We go to Ladies Community Bible Study each Wednesday - so some Godly ladies help teach.

Your welcome to come join in our study of John this year. We begin again Aug. 29th. (Line one)

Language Arts - LLATL = Learning Language Arts Through Literature - I've got everybody planned except Autumn. Still planning that one. (5 more lines)

Cursive - we are doing cursive. All writing should be practice. We are stepping it up with Memoria Press. (Memoria Press is also where I've gotten our Latin from the past two years - we are NOT doing Latin this year). (next 2 line)

Math - Alpha Omega Horizons for the elementary folks. Math-U-See for the middler folks. Its a good thing I enjoyed Algebra! (another 5 lines)

Science - Botany - for Jorja - Autumn - last half of General Science of Ava and then the 1st half of Physical Science. (line each)

History- The Story of the World, Vol. 2 (we get to paint the boys blue at the end of the 2nd chapter!) (one more line)

Spanish 1 for Ava ONLY - Switched-On-Schoolhouse (I only have to track progress = no spanish for me!) (another line - but this one I just wrote "SOS" in because the program does all the lesson plans).

Sign Language - for everyone! We are doing this instead of Latin this year because its fun. (almost done)

Music & Art - the plans for this are also still forming. We've had a decrease in funds for lessons so we are re-thinking what we're doing. Art just happens sometimes but I have a few extra ideas - we'll see if those get anywhere. (this should be all but then I remembered . . .)

Pre-K - I need to plan something for Jacob and Josiah to do, at least in the mornings. I made time on some of the kids schedules to "Play with Little Boys" - I'd like a little structure, even if its just build with blocks, read a book, play-dough, paint, draw, sing a song - that sounds do-able. Right?

 

And Just FYI - I do use a grade book, only in my own special way. Each kid gets a page and the subjects are down the side.
So sometime in the midst of planning I write in their names. And I'll add more paperclips. I have such a hard job. ;)
Legally, we are supposed to make a progress report for each child each year, just for our records. This makes that a little easier.

I'll also add a list of Field Trips and other activities we are involved in during the year and just file it away.
I make a SCHEDULE. Not that we stick to it AT ALL but it does help us get in a routine. And if life happens more than normal we can pull it out and get back in our groove.

Now, for the really FUN part!!!
Yesterday, I went shopping for school supplies ALONE!
(it was a little weird being by myself for that many HOURS)

Its tax free weekend so I started by shopping at WallyWorld. I had a simple little list. Then you multiply that by 6 students and add the extra crayons you know will disappear in the next few months = it really adds up. It was most of my money from sitting for several weeks. And that was NO new clothes!

I went to Dollar Tree for poster board and document frames (the Daddy has ideas too). (And I went to Belk's to replace Gene's pants that I put a hole in with a hot iron).

Then I drove down to Gainesville to go those "teacher-y" stores. I haven't been in some time and needed to replace some posters and stuff. Peirce's Wholesale, under J & J Foods, was a disappointment. They don't have nearly the selection they used to. BUT teachers got 50% off - so, of course I got 2 reams of handwriting paper and some paint (for History - I'm so looking forward to Chapter 2 in History!)
Then School Tools & Office Pros - I could spend LOTS in there. Posters, a bulletin board, some other stuff.

Then to Lowes for Science project paraphernalia (and a squirty thing for the Daddy).

Then every year I come home and take a picture of all the goodies.

Can you see that CUTE little protractor leaning on the stack of note cards? Too Cute! for $0.39 + everything else = $241.17 divided by 8 kids = $30.15 per kid = Not to bad!!! And remember thats with a whole NEW fabric bulletin board!
I bet thats a record or something. Hopefully, some of it will make it past Christmas.

Some of these are the same posters that have been ripped off the wall before.

So, we are almost ready for school to start. We have a homeschool group party this coming Friday and we will officially start counting attendance days the next Monday.
I'm almost excited.
If you've made it all the way to this point you are either board or a homeschooler.
Feel Free to ask questions. I really like talking kids and school and family and Jesus.