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Planning and Ordering our Days
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Angel
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Posted: May 04 2009 at 7:40am | IP Logged Quote Angel

Take me step by step through your planning process, please?

I'm finding myself horribly distracted, bouncing around here and there. I'm not just breaking books down into sections and doling out page numbers each week, and -- as I have mentioned in various places before -- I am very non-sequential and have ADDish problems with organization, working memory... etc. I need to make *myself* a plan in order to plan, but am having a hard time figuring out where to start.


Here's the situation:

My oldest (12 yo) needs/wants more structure, so I'm trying to actually put things on paper for him for next year. While he wants more structure, he also wants to have a fair amount of choice. So I'm trying to set up a science course as a collection of units he can choose from -- written kind of in Boy Scout merit badge style -- and then I'm trying to plan our family history (which functions as our spine) kind of the same way. I'm also going to assign some books to my ds this year, which I have only done sort of loosely in the past... but he's \pretty narrow in his reading otherwise.

Anyway, I seem to be attempting to do this all at the same time. I'm using Inspiration visual organizing software to brainstorm topics, and that's working very well. Going from there to an actual plan, though, I'm finding myself dealing with a bit of unfocused paralysis. Do I read the books I'm thinking of using first? Do I just make some book lists? Do I start with history or science, or -- what?

Of course it is not helping that I am trying to do all this while finishing up the school year, planting a garden, discussing with my dh where and how to fence in large numbers of poultry, dealing with hyperactive twins, and a toddler who doesn't sleep very well. Any little thing sends my attention spinning in another direction, and then I forget what I had decided I was going to do. I know that many moms deal with these same distractions, but they just push my concentration over the edge.

Help???


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Angel
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Posted: May 04 2009 at 8:05am | IP Logged Quote Angel

Angel wrote:


Of course it is not helping that I am trying to do all this while finishing up the school year, planting a garden, discussing with my dh where and how to fence in large numbers of poultry, dealing with hyperactive twins, and a toddler who doesn't sleep very well. Any little thing sends my attention spinning in another direction, and then I forget what I had decided I was going to do. I know that many moms deal with these same distractions, but they just push my concentration over the edge.


Ok, replying to my own post, but I just wanted to say that I don't think I should have characterized any of the things mentioned above as *distractions*. "Distractions" implies that they aren't important and can be filtered out. The problem is, of course, that all of the above *are* important (for us at least), but I need to figure out how to do something *equally* important -- giving my ds (and other dc) what they need to learn.

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teachingmyown
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Posted: May 04 2009 at 10:24am | IP Logged Quote teachingmyown

Angela,
No help here, since I have the same (but different) challenges in planning: I am also ADD and have trouble knowing where to start, how to plan and I get easily overwhelmed.

My only advice would be to finish up this year first. Then rope off a couple of days where planning IS your only concern and give it all of your attention.

good luck!

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Posted: May 04 2009 at 12:05pm | IP Logged Quote Lauri B

Melisa at Little Garden Flower did a three part youtube series on planning. Here's the . the link to part 1

It's a very visual format and a good way to break down the year into bite-sized pieces.

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Posted: May 04 2009 at 12:38pm | IP Logged Quote Birdie

Earlier in the year Michele at Family Centered Life asked readers to write about their philosophy of education. I did and the article turned into a four articles on educational philosophy and planning. The articles start
here

http://birdiestweetlife.blogspot.com/2009/03/toward-philosop hy-of-education.html
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Posted: May 04 2009 at 2:52pm | IP Logged Quote Jody

Angela,
I agree with Molly. Finish up this school year and set aside a few days strictly for planning purposes. This way you can give your full attention instead of getting pulled in a hundred different directions. If you can cut out as many distractions as possible your planning session will be much more productive.

Hope this helps .

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Angel
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Posted: May 04 2009 at 4:23pm | IP Logged Quote Angel

That's the problem -- I'm not sure setting aside a few days to plan is possible. I have no access to babysitters, and my dh is busy in the garden, etc. on weekends (and often out of town on week days). And my twins are capable of demolishing the entire house in about 15 minutes or less. Plus, we need to go into June to finish up the year. I'll need to take time to put away the old year, write up my quarterly report for the school district, etc. Then comes July, the absolute busiest month of the year -- when all outside activities and rec soccer happens in upstate NY. So - unfortunately - for better or worse -- I really have to do my planning a little at a time.


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Posted: May 04 2009 at 8:41pm | IP Logged Quote Mackfam

Angela -
I apologize ahead of time...this is very lengthy! But...you did ask for how we plan...and it isn't a short process.

I don't finish my year up before I start thinking of the next year. You may need for the end of this year NOT to be another distraction for you. Depending on how much you've got left, you might want to just gut it out and finish up this year, but I always start planning before my year is up and I think it can be done.

It does help to do some of the exercises at Simply Charlotte Mason. They have a very nice set of planning tools - Planning Your Charlotte Mason Education. I'm very comfortable with the way I plan, but I really benefited from their ideas, particularly the broad scope ones like "Big Picture" planning for S. who is completing some high school work this upcoming year. It helped me make sure I was covering all the bases.

Ok - so here's how I plan from start to finish. I'm not using the software that you are to brainstorm ideas (it sounds VERY intriguing!), but it sounds like a great springboard. So, we're brainstorming differently, but I think the general idea is basically the same.

Brainstorming
I'm thinking of each child in terms of needs and I think on paper. I get out a big yellow pad of paper and each child gets one sheet for themselves and one more sheet goes to General Reflections. So, for me, that looks like this on my notepad:

Page 1 - General Reflections
Page 2 - Sweet Pea - 8th grade
Page 3 - Sparkly - 4th grade - Montessori plans
Page 4 - Peanut - Preschool/Kindergarten - Montessori plans
Page 5 - Doodlebug - Ideas and Activities to strew for her - Montessori plans


No pretty pens - no pretty font - just pencil and scribbles. I jot down...
    **areas of weakness
    **strengths I want to play up
    **philosophies and methods I've seen that are particularly well suited to either of the above mentioned observations.
    **programs/curriculum I'd like to look into by researching here and asking other homeschool friends
    **books I have on my shelves, can borrow from the library, buy from Amazon that may address ideas I want to borrow from
    **anything that pops in my mind that pertains to that child for the next year
    **subject areas I want to cover - not books, not programs - SUBJECTS ONLY!
    **my own weaknesses - I'm brutal with myself as I scribble! This is only for me to see, but I have to be accountable to myself. If I've been the cause of plans that went awry, or the constant, repetitive action of failure in an area of the learning room - I may need to adjust either my expectations, or my plan of attack, or my own self-discipline. These notes become very important to me and are usually the basis for some good solution oriented conversations between my dh and I.

I go back to my notepad and bring forward some of those curriculum approaches I wanted to look into - adding each one to the top of its own new page. I research them, usually here first, and make notes and decisions as to whether this is a right fit with our family, budget, approach.

Homeschooling is such a constant journey - an evolution of thought, maturity both on my part and the children's, a learning curve that I seem to work my way around only to find a whole new curve with a new child, the realization and embracing of a philosophy that perhaps I spoke or lived all along but am now able to live more fully. Couple that with what also seems to me a comfortable relaxing into who I am and who I am not in these learning spaces, becoming comfortable in my own skin - able to see a beautiful idea and recognize that it doesn't fit me...fit us, and move on. Anyway, all that to say, bring yourself to this picture as you scribble, recognize your season of life, your strengths, gifts, weaknesses, scribble them all down on your piece of paper. These are just the jottings - little thoughts - that will be the seeds of the new year.

I do this all spring long. I let the thoughts sit on paper for a little while - much the same way you would plant a seed, water and watch for it to spring up. Then, I start the...

Post-It Note Planning
Get out a big poster size sheet - butcher paper will do - anything big enough. There are some thoughts and pictures here on how to do this. Briefly, I make one column down the left side of the paper and every school age child gets a row. Across the top of the paper, I list those subject areas I want to bring into the next year. Then, I start adding in post-its. Not every subject gets a book or a "curriculum". Often, we may live the learning out through a related study elsewhere - so Literature may be mentioned, but under Lit, I add post-its that point back to History and Religion and Science which is where the majority of our literature is divided up. There really is no right or wrong way to post-it note plan (and you certainly don't have to use post-its)...the point is that you're getting a skeleton built that you can now hang...or stick...ideas onto. You can "see" holes and weak areas and address them. You can also "see" where you've over-planned and expected too much. Subtract, add, rearrange. This is just the big picture for the year - subjects you want to cover and the curriculum/approach you plan to use for each.

Curriculum, booklists, connections...and narrowing the focus
So, now it's time to hit the web, booklists, and resources. I make booklists...on paper...sometimes with post-its...sometimes on the computer...always, I make booklists. I consider carefully how connections can be made when making these booklists. I don't like subjects to be separate or independent of one another. I much prefer to coordinate literature with a religion/liturgical theme connected to a history theme connected to a cultural theme connected to a science/nature study theme. Often (and like you), the period of history we are studying sets the tone of the year and I hang everything from Fine Arts/Music to Science/Nature Study off that period of History. We approach a lot as family learning, so my themes are static across the board, but the work/reading/lessons reflect the age and ability of the child.

How does that look? More post-it note planning... (you can do this with post-its, or in Excel on the computer, or just make lists on paper - whatever is your preference)
    **First column -- list the subjects you plan to cover down the left side of the paper.
    **Second column -- Set out post-its (or type out a list) for your core books. (If History sets the tone for the year, then Literature reflecting that period will be your core books for the year.) If it's too overwhelming to think of an entire year of books, plan for half a year, or even quarterly, or monthly, or you can plan like me this year...I'm not planning in blocks of time at all...I'm planning in 'virtual baskets' around themes. Planning in 'themed chunks' makes planning for the year much more manageable and breaks it down into bite-size bits of time. So the core books will be one column.
    **Third column -- In the next column, add in ideas for books that set the context of the period or theme of study along each subject. These are book titles that prop up the core books/study/focus. This covers a multitude of sources, angles, genre and is usually the beginning of many of our rabbit trails. I don't pre-read every book, but I do rely on abundant book reviews and I am usually able to make a list I'm comfortable with based on the reviews here (found in searching) and Amazon reviews, recommended reading lists from Kolbe, Emmanuel, and MODG.
    **Fourth column -- I add in ideas for field trips, real life experiences, hands on learning, projects that prop up the study.
    **Fifth column -- I search Netflix and other sources for DVD's of History, Nature, Biography, Documentaries, Historical Fiction that support the focus and list them.

In doing this, I've thoughtfully considered a topic or theme, it is literature based, and I've tried to anticipate a variety of multi-sensory angles to approach learning. I make a master booklist from these plans.

If you set a general focus for your year and consider the themes you can weave together to flesh out this focus, I think you can break planning down into bite-size chunks that don't seem so overwhelming. You're not thinking of 36 weeks, but a theme that fits within those 36 weeks. You could certainly consider that you might spend 6 weeks-ish on each theme and then plan accordingly. Or...just keep it open-ended and don't try to anticipate how long it will take to finish a theme, just plan 2 themes ahead. Whatever fits how you live learning!

Order books and materials
I can't get more detailed in planning until I'm holding a book. If you're using the library - all the better (but I'm pretty sure we've talked before and you're in the same situation I am in...). In that case, it takes some time to find good deals, free shipping, used books. At this point, you have themes set with coordinating booklists and books and materials coming in.

Planning down to the weekly details
I use iCal for this (an Apple/mac based calendar program), but you could use google cal or some other software. With iCal, I can build a day of plans and then have it repeat exactly each day after that out to a specific date. This sets a rhythm for the week and the year. This means I only have to set up one day in order to have it repeat (to a date of my choosing) and become a yearly rhythm.

I set up a day using blocks of time that have specific purposes that I call learning blocks. Using my themed plans with booklists, I begin to add details making space in each learning block for notes on chapters, pages, activities, etc. Having the books in front of me helps me be specific on these plans. I set up some blocks to be "choice times" for Montessori work.

Family blocks are built first. These are the blocks that we're all doing the same basic thing (reading from the same book, a read aloud, learning from the same piece of art, etc.), but then specifics and extensions are adjusted to fit the age and ability of the child. I list the focus of study for a block, then I make a space for notes on specific assignments for each child within that block.

Then, there are those blocks where each child is working on something separate. I carefully consider that if I'm teaching an Algebra lesson to one child, I will not also be able to read a book to another while simultaneously explaining verbs to another. Working in blocks of learning allows me stagger my attention and focus throughout the day. So, for a block of time, I list specific tasks for each child to focus on and consider how my time will be parsed in that learning block. I get as detailed as listing ideas for activities for the toddler and preschooler during individual blocks - these are not structured plans for them!!!!! They are life-savers to turn to for ideas when warm beeswax becomes the object with which we shove through the tiny mesh on the window screens.

My oldest will not have the level of detail the other children will receive. This year, a part of her learning will be learning and exercising time management. I will set up some goals for her, we will discuss how she wants to approach them - focusing a little each day on each subject across the board, or focusing on one subject at a time until she completes an entire themed unit I have planned - and I will give her some planning tools to set her own daily rhythm.

At this point in planning I also set out my liturgical year plans on iCal using my file crate system to open to a particular month's notes from past years as well as art and activities notes I've made.

Planning down to the daily details
Having a set rhythm built, I now print out these detailed plans on a weekly basis. Printing weekly means that I can still tweak my rhythm (iCal plans) each week...so maybe I see that once I start living the plans that I need more for one child, less for another, and have a hole in Nature Studies...I open iCal and tweak it. I hand-write out the nitty-gritty - page number, specific requirements for certain subjects and children needing that level of detail - on a weekly basis because you never know when you're going to have to surrender to...

Leaving the plan behind...
It does happen here. It has to. I like planning, I like the security of having a road map and having spent the time considering where we will stop along this journey. It allows our learning to be much more thoughtful, more connected, more intentional. But, I've lived through seasons that force a major shift in plans - from paring back all the way to bare bones or read-alouds to just dropping side plans. It is prudent to have a plan for the year, it is Providence Who ultimately sets the course.

Sometimes, that course is following the plans I have arranged. Sometimes, that course can't be anticipated at all...it spontaneously bubbles up in the natural rhythm of a day and sends us on a journey so magical I wouldn't trade it for anything! Other times, that course is the living witness of suffering in action within the family. My plans are simply a road map and they have purpose in times of quiet and in times of distress. There have been times when a thoughtful set of plans acts as a rudder when I can't muster the brainpower to add 2 + 2. And there are times when I've let them go completely. I am not the author, the Creator is. And, I'm prepared to let go when He asks.

I've been piecing this together as I had time through bits of my day, Angela. I hope it's not disjointed and is somewhat understandable. Perhaps, along with these other thoughtful posts, there may be something here that is helpful? I'm sorry brevity is not my strong suit.

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Posted: May 04 2009 at 8:54pm | IP Logged Quote SuzanneG

Angela ~ I thought we had a thread last year, where people linked to the nitty gritty of their planning posts. I'll try to search later......

I enjoyed reading Willa's posts last week. She has them on her right side bar toward the bottom:
Considerations
How I plan - overview
How I Plan
When I planStep by step
Prayer and Planning

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Posted: May 04 2009 at 10:40pm | IP Logged Quote KerryK

I love what everyone else has said and I'm enjoying poking around at everyone else's ideas.
I'm still new-ish at homeschooling and I "only" have three kids, but I do have ADD style problems with organization and planning. And I was a teacher before staying at home with my kids and learned how to (somewhat) overcome my struggles with these issues.
Some people do best with the clear-off-a-whole-day (or days)-on-your-calendar style of planning, but I can't do it that way. I can't do anything that way (menu planning, spring cleaning, you name it!)
So instead, I do what works for me, which is to keep the task uppermost in my mind for a few weeks (or months), keep a notebook with me at all times, and take advantage of the moments of inspiration and jot them all down. They are not organized - I am not organized and can't do the whole chart kind of thing. I jot down strengths and weaknesses of each child, areas of focus, etc. I jot down books as I think of them or hear about them. The only organization I use at this point is a blank page with the child's name on it.
From there I gradually get more specific, looking online for specific resources, trimming and shaping my notes until they resemble some sort of plan I can send in to my school district. I do make booklists for each child for the year.
Because our schooling is kind of an odd CM/unschoolish/Classical mix, I do use The Well Trained Mind as a great resource to fill out our reading lists.
Not very specific, I know, but I wanted to show how a disorganized mind goes about it. I've learned that the nice neat organized way I often see online will never happen for me, so I needed to make my own "messier" way of doing it, but still getting it done sufficiently.

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Posted: May 05 2009 at 8:16am | IP Logged Quote mooreboyz

Angela,
My system of planning is very, very much like Jennifer described. I will just add the following:

About this time of the year I tend to start thinking about next year. I start out with just little notes here and there of ideas. Mainly I am thinking of an "area of focus" as I like to call it for each child to work on for the entire year. I choose this base on the child's needs, interests, and also from what Waldorf recommends as fitting for the age. This last year for example my oldest focused on logic and problem solving, my 2nd on writing skills...writing good reports with outlines and creative, my 3rd on maps and US geography.

I also give thought to what will be worked on everyday, what once/week or twice/week...sort of a general plan. I then consider units I want us to cover such as botany, human body study, the Great Lessons, etc and lay them out knowing our yearly rhythm. Having a knowing of your family's rhythm is very useful in planning. Here's a peak into ours...September is very busy with harvesting/preserving and a last look at nice weather because we live so far north and so I plan Botany at this time so we can walk in the woods and enjoy time outside.    I know that the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is very busy and I like to keep it fun and allow time for extra magical things and so I keep our unit to a light subject and also add a book study that they can do independently knowing that I have extra duties at this time of the year. I plan heavy studies for Jan, Feb, and March as we are basically shut in during these months and I find my kids are better off kept busy with school studies than having too much idle time (not that they don't get plenty of free time to follow their interests, but having a few boys I know you understand).

Next will come researching books/materials to buy and making 1. a "buy" list and 2. a "wish" list. I gather information from the ladies on here, by reading reviews on Amazon, by researching on line, and by checking to see if my library already has the books. I don't generally buy until the end of June or early July. This is good for us financially because it is after the Spring seed, plant, gardening, landscaping purchases and before the August birthdays and anniversary. This also gives me time to tweak my lists and time on the other side to review my materials to make final plans.

After I receive materials I do some more in depth planning...actually planning out a daily schedule and fleshing out unit studies. I will also plan out monthly focuses for my youngest 2 following Montessori goals and the rhythm of the year.

Then I will start cracking on putting materials together if need be...last year I put together the continent boxes and set up areas by subject like a place with all Math learning materials, language, geography, and a place where our unit studies would be displayed. I also made many of the Montessori materials my boys use and gathered practical life stuff for my 4 year old. I also put together a checklist that they were to follow each day...this did not pan out, but was morphed into a Choice Work Sheet which has worked out great. This is sheet they get each week with categories of Math, language, practical life, geography, art, whatever science we are studying at the time, and whatever unit study we are doing, and also other. Sometimes I give them something specific to do and other times they can choose whatever they want. The idea is that they get to pick to work on whatever they want whenever they want from these areas. Each area just needs to have gotten their attention for about 20 minutes (this is a good time for them) once each week. This of course is in addition to our time spent together studying. This also helps me to see, based on their choices, how they prefer to learn and what they like to do. For example, my oldest will always choose reading about each subject if given the choice My 3rd will always choose whatever looks hands on and exploratory. My 2nd varies depending on his mood.

This last year I experimented with saying that between 9-12 and 1-4 they needed to be doing some kind of learning and this actually worked well. In the past I always used the "get busy because when you are finished you can go play". All this did was produce rushed work .   By giving them hours they knew what was expected and they relaxed and enjoyed their readings and projects. My oldest actually thanked me for doing this. Now life can alter this...dentist appointments, getting up late due to illness or late football games the night before; but, we tried to stick to our routine when we could and when we could it worked really well.

Anyway, after the general overall planning I also do planning each month including rotating Mont items for shelf work for my youngest 2, ordering books and movies from the library, purchasing science and art supplies, etc.. Then weekly I write down specific page numbers and daily projects in my large date book/calender. I also write in all the sports practices, coop dates, field trips, days off, and everything else here. It is my diary of events.

Now, I have a giant challenge coming up in that in 10 day s we are moving back to the country after living in a small town for 3 years. We are so excited to have a giant garden again, an orchard, projects, and room to run and run and run...very much like you live from what I see on your blog. I want to allow my boys plenty of freedom to explore outside and do projects in the workshop and learn real life skills and so I'm not sure how much my plans will actually work this year. Time will tell. I'm hoping to gather an idea over the next couple months and then plan out the real details in August.

Hope this gives you some ideas. And just so you know all this is done here and there throughout the day. I put a notepad beside my bed because I always get ideas while falling asleep. I, like you, find it tough to sit down for hours at a time planning. It works for me to keep a pad of paper with me most of the time...when we go outside to play and the kids are busy I can flesh out some ideas. It all helps.

Take care and good luck!


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Posted: May 08 2009 at 8:19am | IP Logged Quote Angel

Just wanted to thank everyone for your advice! (And, Jen, WHY would anyone ever be upset that your posts are too long?! Good grief, the quality of the information you give! I am just upset right now because my printer is out of commission and I am having to depend on my dh to print things for me... and he has been out of the office many days this week. I really need to print this thread and read it at leisure. I find it much easier to absorb important information in hardcopy; I don't know why.)

Anyway, I thought I would also provide a link for that visual organizing software I so casually mentioned at the top of the thread:

Inspiration Visual Planning Software

It's a visual outlining software, designed to help kids organize their writing through mind-mapping. I bought it to help my oldest, who has lots and lots of trouble planning when he is writing. But it also has pre-set templates for lesson planning. I'm not using any of those templates -- just doing the standard mind-mapping -- but I love the way I can manipulate links between topics, move circles around if I think of a better way to organize info, etc.

Now I'm off to work on my books today. In reading all of this and thinking about where I stood in the process, I realized that one of the first things I needed to do was overhaul our bookcases. I'm getting some books trickling in, and I have nowhere to put them and I can't find some of the books I KNOW I have. So that's what I'll be (trying) to work on this weekend...

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