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Babs
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| Posted: July 18 2009 at 7:54am | IP Logged
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I have been trying to decide how best to keep track of lesson plans for this year. Yesterday our family all took personality tests to try to firm up what we thought the children's temperaments might be. I was mostly sanguine with a small amount phlegmatic, but 0% melancholic and 3% choleric. No surprises there but it certainly explains my planning difficulties and why almost all of the homeschooling moms I meet in real life and online are melancholic/choleric.
I am wondering how you organized ladies keep track of this information. I was thinking of making 36 sheets for each subject with exactly what needs to be done, read, etc., each week and putting them in 36 weekly folders. Last year I used more workbooks and this year I am not using any except Latin For Children, so although I am really excited about our choices it will be more complicated to track things. Because I know myself, I realize how important it is for me to have this all mapped out and easy to follow so I don't get distracted and forget things. Would this take the place of an online lesson tracker or a spreadsheet or do you do both?
Also, last year I used the Good News planner which was a great source of information but I made a spreadsheet to keep track of the actual assignments. I don't like to write them in my planner because we don't always finish everything on a particular day or week and I thought it would be too confusing and discouraging to have to look back or look forward. For those who use this type of planner, how do you use them?
I made a calendar in google calendar where I listed every single solemnity, feast, memorial and optional memorial for the year. If anyone is interested I would be happy to share it with you. I really like google calendar because you can have many calendars which you can show together or separately, as you need at a particular time. My older boys who are away at school share their school calendars with me (make their calendar "public" to me) so although I don't have them showing normally, if I need to know when they are in class or in the hospital so I can call I just click on that calendar and their schedule pops up on mine. Maybe it would be good to have lesson plans on this type of calendar, which brings me to another question.
Jennifer (Wildflowers and Marbles), and Elizabeth,
I saw your ical plans and I thought that might work for me but I have some questions for anyone who uses this method. These ical plans look like a general schedule. Do you print it out each day and write in specifics or do you add specifics online each day as a record of what you actually did? I would assume that you must have a specific plan somewhere else then that you follow to know what to add each day?
We began using workboxes near the end of the school year and that was a lifesaver for all of us. After reading some of the workbox threads I am guessing it would be best to put all of these on one spreadsheet or list regardless of the subject and rotate them instead of putting them on the individual subject sheet in my 36 folders? Is that how most of you are doing this?
Wow, when I read back over this before posting it is such a jumble and yes, I really am this confused. It is good to be able to come here and ask these questions honestly. I so appreciate the wisdom and experience I have gained on this board, thank you all for being so generous with your advice.
God Bless,
Barb
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domchurch3
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| Posted: July 18 2009 at 11:12am | IP Logged
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Hello,
Thanks for the google calendar tip! Is there a way that google will email you for upcoming events? I've always said that a calendar was something to remind me of everything I've forgotten to do. and it would be nice to have a system that reminds me ahead of time. 
As far as planning goes, I'm not one of those ultra-organized and efficient women, but I'm pushing myself and growing in this area because I want to become organized and efficient. I tend to be a perfectionist so I want the perfect plan already before diving in. The problem with that way of thinking is the fact that every family and every member within the family is different. (As your personality test shows, I'm sure). My advice in trying to get more organized would be to set up a plan (keep it simple) and try it out. As you live with the plan for awhile, ask yourself if it's serving you and your family. What's working? What's not? Keep what's working and tweak or ditch what's not. We will be trying the workbox system this year. If spreadsheets seem to complicate the system for you, then don't worry about the spreadsheets. I know there's a lot of moms who like to have everything planned out in their planners, other moms are more unschooly. I fall in the middle. I have a daily assignment sheet with every subject that needs to be covered left blank. I check my workbox master list for every subject and put something in each subject's workbox. As the assignment is completed, or not completed as the case may be, I write this down on the assignment sheet. So, for instance, the assignment sheet before my daughter completes her workboxes looks like this:
Date:
Faith:
Math:
Narration:
Read-aloud:
Geography (M,W) History (T,Th):
Craft:
Science (M,W) Poetry (T,Th):
After she completes each workbox the assignment sheet looks like this:
Date: Tuesday _ _
Faith: Devotional Stories for Little Folks (Yellowstone Bread). Read and discussed questions.
Math: Watched Math-U-See video Lesson 20.
Narration: Read aloud Aesop's fable "The Fox and the Lion" narrated and drew picture.
Read-aloud: Chapters 1-5 in Tale of Desperaeux.
Geography (M,W) History (T,Th): Read Chapter 1 in American Girl Meet Felicity.
Craft: worked for 15 minutes on weaving loom.
Science (M,W) Poetry (T,Th): Read Milne's When We Were Very Young "Twinkletoes" "Lines and Squares" and "The Four Friends".
There's 12 workboxes in all.
I will also write notes in different colors under each subject line. I write down things she liked and things she didn't like. This helps me when planning.
My system works great for me because it gives me the freedom to pick from the workbox masterlist without being tied down to a syllabus. At the same time it frees my mind from worrying that I'm not doing enough AND I have the accountability should the government come knocking on my door. (I live in Texas, so I don't have to report to anyone).
Seriously, one of the best investments I made in my efforts to get organized was to spend $9 a month using the Simply Charlotte Mason curriculum planner. It got me organized and I used it for 3 months (until my computer couldn't be used due to major remodeling). By then, I had the system I had developed with their planner memorized and I no longer needed it. It helped me to come up with the plan that I mentioned above. So, if you're taking a CM approach to planning, you may consider simplycharlottemason.com to help you get organized. Or, like I said before, make a simple plan and as you carry it out take notes about what's working and what's not working and tweak as you go.
I don't know if any of this helps. It helped for me to remember that many moms have been homeschooling for years, so they have more experience in what works for them and what doesn't. Also, many of these same moms, although they have been homeschooling for years, still continue to tweak and toss because their families' needs change from year to year. That's the beauty and "the rub" of homeschooling. It's harder than being an "away" school teacher because there's so much thought and love that goes into planning.
Prayers for you as you discern what is best,
Elizabeth
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Daniel's wife and mother to two children on earth, Bernadette (6 yrs old) and another child due in Jan 2009.
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Mackfam
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| Posted: July 18 2009 at 11:31am | IP Logged
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Hi Barbara from one sanguine to another! I'm actually an even split of sanguine/choleric with a touch of melancholic thrown in! So...let's talk lesson plans! One of my favorite subjects...
There are as many ways to plan and record as there are to homeschool. This is really an issue of fit. As you've determined by now, iCal is my favorite way of keeping track of what we're doing. I'll tell you why it answers my needs so well and then answer your specific questions. I can be...well...flighty. I am, after all, a sanguine! So, that means that we have some unschooly days where we're all happily drifting into studies and subjects that we are passionate about. I'm also choleric so I'm  all about order ! It's actually a pretty good balance most of the time. iCal works for me because it lets me lay out a pretty good rhythm for our days. And...when I see that something else would work better, or there's too much of one thing, or I'd like to provide a way to fit in something over here, I can just layer another calendar and go with it. It's very easy for me to work with.
Now, your specific questions:
Babs wrote:
Jennifer (Wildflowers and Marbles), and Elizabeth,
I saw your ical plans and I thought that might work for me but I have some questions for anyone who uses this method. These ical plans look like a general schedule. |
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The iCal plans constitute our rhythm for each day - we vary, and I DO NOT feel guilty about veering from the plan or rhythm, but for the most part anticipating and setting out some healthy boundaries for space, pursuits, passions, reading, etc, allows for some order in the day. I lay out the general rhythm of the day in the summer months - so a learning block at this time, a learning block at this time - and with the children's input and my anticipation of my in/ability to stretch my time, I narrow the focus of the learning block for each child - usually down to subject matter.
Babs wrote:
| Do you print it out each day and write in specifics or do you add specifics online each day as a record of what you actually did? |
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I print mine out weekly. I add in specifics in one of two ways, I may journal the plan out at the beginning of the week (I do this with about 80% of our plans) and I sometimes journal as we go along. I do this for rabbit trails and unschooly pursuits. I have one child who NEEDS to know what is expected of him, so he likes seeing a specific rhythm set out for him. Another child enjoys planning for herself and leaving room for exploration. And...I have to keep fairly detailed records for the state and our record reviews...so this is the format that allows me to answer all our needs in one.
I don't like to get further ahead than a week of specifics. I never know when we might take a bend in the road, and I like to leave space for that. It's also helpful if a child really needs to step back and remediate a bit or slow down in some areas. It allows me to reflect very frequently about how they're doing and where we're heading. It's nothing scientific, I'm just observing and translating those observations into plans.
Babs wrote:
| I would assume that you must have a specific plan somewhere else then that you follow to know what to add each day? |
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Nope. It's easy to see that if we finished Lesson 14 in Algebra I, we're on to Lesson 15 unless I want to pick up some extra practice. I spend the summer carefully and thoughtfully crafting Literature and History booklists. As I plan those I map them out in days...so Day 1, Day 2 and so on. So, I just look to where we are in the day schedule, what we just finished, reflect - are we enjoying a particular period, is there a project we'd like to pursue, are the kids just enjoying reading, do we need more time, less time, ??? - and then I pencil that in on the plans for the week. Our copywork and dictation comes from our Poetry or Literature selections, I just consider those and pull from them and make a note. Is this making sense? Having considered and set out the rhythm of the day carefully at the beginning of the year means actual planning is really just time for consideration and journaling what is next to meet the learning needs and desires of the children each week.
Babs wrote:
| We began using workboxes near the end of the school year and that was a lifesaver for all of us. After reading some of the workbox threads I am guessing it would be best to put all of these on one spreadsheet or list regardless of the subject and rotate them instead of putting them on the individual subject sheet in my 36 folders? Is that how most of you are doing this? |
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I don't do the workboxes, but I do something themed for my 4yo. I had to use what I had available so I decorated and laminated some big envelopes (I laminate EVERYTHING! ) that I stood up in his basket with his picture books. Each week when I consider the rhythm, I add in a few activities, coloring pages, letters, baggies of craft projects, sticker fun, etc., into his envelopes. He has one for each day of the week. I decorated them with some pretty nature themed cards before I laminated them. My oldest dd helps me out and we add a few fun, but educational activities that we usually pull from the web - they're themed activities that usually coordinate with a picture book also in his big envelope. He does some Montessori work, but the envelopes of work help fill in some gaps when he needs something purposeful and my attention is elsewhere. I can't plan too far ahead with this because I like to follow his passions a lot - so he might be enjoying dump trucks and building one week and gardening and planting seeds the next. I know those ladies with the workboxes can help you out way more than I can with these ideas! So, I'll let them address your specific questions about planning...just thought I'd throw in my meager attempt at workboxes.
I'll put up some pdf's of my week in iCal for you to print out and look at. We've been back to the routine for 2 weeks now, so I've had time to tweak this a bit to address our needs this year a bit, but I haven't finished yet...so I'm still shifting and addressing gaps!
I'm definitely NOT trying to draw attention to myself  , but if you haven't read this post of mine...it would at least give you an idea of the HOW I set up the rhythm of my day - Organization of the Day - A Mother's Rule of LOVE seeking HARMONY. On that post I have an early form of our iCal lesson plans for this year.
2009-07-18_114707_Monday_Rhythm.pdf
2009-07-18_114721_Tuesday_Rhythm.pdf
2009-07-18_114738_Wednesday_Rhythm.pdf
2009-07-18_114753_Thursday_Rhythm.pdf
2009-07-18_114808_Friday_Rhythm.pdf
Hope some of this helps, Barbara!!! Planning and theme-ing and coordinating on pretty planners is one of my favorite things to do! Geeky  - I know!
__________________
Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Mackfam
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| Posted: July 18 2009 at 12:20pm | IP Logged
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I wanted to drop in a few more resources here for lesson planning and recording forms in general...
A few of my favorite things!
~ Willa has some wonderful forms and printables available for download for free!
~ Donna Young's free printable site
~ I love the lovely free printables available at Small Meadow Press. They're so Tasha Tudor!!!
~ There are some free things to print on the Simply Charlotte Mason site.
~ Lots of free here.
~ If anyone is looking for an iCal tutorial I posted a lengthy one here. I haven't updated it with instructions for the latest version of iCal, but if you have the version before the latest  this should be a help. I need to update. I'm using the latest release of iCal this year. Sorry, I don't know much about google cal, but I think it works in a very similar way.
More thoughts on planning...
~ help - step by step planning?
~ another how do you plan post~
~ More on lesson planning
I know way more than anyone wanted to read!! But, I did say I was a little geeky! Surely, all of you want nothing more than to print pretty forms and read about how everyone else plans, right? Just consider it a bouquet of planning helps! Now...I'm off to add some layers and specifics to my own week of plans!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Babs
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| Posted: July 18 2009 at 12:29pm | IP Logged
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Elizabeth and Jennifer,
Thank you so much for all of the information. The boys all just left for haircuts (that should take a while!) and I am going to sit here and read every word in peace and quiet.
Thanks,
Barb
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Birdie
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Babs,
This is nothing fancy just five pages of planner templates I made and bound together, it might be helpful. Very simple.
http://acharlottemasoneducation.blogspot.com/2009/07/home-an d-school-planner-templates.html
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Susan (Birdie)
A Charlotte Mason Education
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bfarmmom
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Here is a question. Do you need a mac to download ical? I like the way ical looks however I have a pc.
I am also having a hard time deciding how to plan everything out this year. For whatever reason I can't get my head around it. 
__________________
Peace,
Kirsten
ds13,dd12,dd10,ds7,dd6, dd 4, ds 2
Sonlight Garden
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Mackfam
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| Posted: July 21 2009 at 9:14am | IP Logged
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bfarmmom wrote:
| Here is a question. Do you need a mac to download ical? I like the way ical looks however I have a pc. |
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Yes, iCal only works on a mac...it actually comes with it so you don't need to download. HOWEVER, google cal is very similar, works on a pc, and I believe does many similar things. It's free as well! If you're looking at using a calendar for your lesson plans you might check out google cal.
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Birdie
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| Posted: July 21 2009 at 7:46pm | IP Logged
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I went today to write in the planner and realized I really needed more room, lots more room. I quickly made up eight pages that are very roomy. I loaded them if anyone wants them onto the free share account at Scribd, the link is below. There is also a link to them on my blog. I made one
lesson planner weekly and the other lesson planner daily so I could write in both. I added a page for prayer and praise
journal and made the household planner larger with a market list space. I think this with some of the forms from the other will work better for me.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/17546928/8PagenoFrillsplanner
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Susan (Birdie)
A Charlotte Mason Education
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Mary G
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| Posted: July 21 2009 at 8:26pm | IP Logged
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I LOVE google-calendar! I have EIGHT(!) different calendars and can merge them and see where bi-locating is needed  !
I also use a "planner" but more as a journal than a planner. Each year, I have a general plan with resources, etc all on computer. Than each week I do a rough plan for the younger ones (now that Thomas is going into 5th, I've switched to Seton as it's more predictable and he wants to go to the Catholic hi-school so it'll get him ready for that) ... I then use the PLANNER to record what we actually do ... just basic notes. I also have a private blog that only I can see where I record daily/weekly observations of the kids and what we've done and what we need to work on, etc.
Does that make any sense? Basically, I would never be able to plan to the last detail as life is always interrupting .... I have to keep my plan flexible enough to adjust while still having a basic frame to ensure all are doing the good. But then I do tend toward the unschool end of the spectrum !
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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Babs
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I am finally getting back to lesson planning. Life keeps happening and getting in the way of planning my life! Ok, I have started my ical calendar and I think I understand that part. Jennifer, I have a question for you. For some of the subjects I have several resources I will be using at different times through the year. Do you have a master list for each subject, or how do you keep track of them? I don't want to forget to use the resources I have found. I don't want to plan what we will do each day for 36 weeks now because I know I won't follow it anyway so I will be planning a week at a time, like you do with ical. I am just trying to figure out where I look each week to make sure I don't leave anything out.
Thanks!
Barb
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ekbell
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At the beginning of the year I place the physical resources I most want to use that year in our homeschooling area (bookcase and shelving unit).
I also try to keep my library lists and other resource lists in my planning book (this is the book I use for planning what curriculum/resources to use, not my weekly lesson planner). This planner is also where I keep my shopping lists and note down resources that I may want to buy in the future.
I keep track of my liturgical resources separately in a yearly planner because they do depend on the date.
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Mackfam
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Babs wrote:
| For some of the subjects I have several resources I will be using at different times through the year. Do you have a master list for each subject, or how do you keep track of them? I don't want to forget to use the resources I have found. |
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I have a planner notebook...a 3 ring binder I decorate to be pretty for the year. In the front of the binder are my ical plans, and then behind that there are dividers. In those dividers I keep master lists of plans I have made that are subject specific.
So, for example, history...I made a list/plan with specific pieces of period appropriate literature. I started with a master list of books. From there, I sat down with the books and made a reading timeline - how long it would reasonably take each child to read through each book. I allowed for time to work in their Book of Centuries. Rather than saying that on August 12, S. reads this many pages of this book and M. reads this many pages of this book, I set it up in days...so day 1, day 2, day 3. I divide up my planning into units/centuries...so unit 1, unit 2. ANYHOO....all that planning/setting up is done in the summer (hopefully) and then I insert that in the history divider of my planner notebook. When I write out my weekly plans I can just flip to see what day we're on in our history studies and plug in as I write...adding or subtracting as needed.
I don't do this for every subject. When I plan weekly, I plan the together stuff first, then I plan individually. I get a child's basket of books and bring it to my desk. I look through books as I plan...I plan with my laptop open printing resources as I go...and I journal ideas and plans that coordinate and connect (hopefully...I try anyway).
Does this give you a better idea of how I plan weekly? Let me know if I just muddied the waters further for you and I'll try to be more clear!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Erin
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Babs
I mainly use my learning blog to sort it all out in my head and dh has created a pivot table (press on tabs at bottom to see different functions)that helps me through the day to keep my head on straight and the children to see clearly what they must do. Plus my children like to tick boxes Perhaps these sheets may help you see what I mean more clearly (they're older ones.) This term I have pasted expectations from learning blog notes into word documents for children and stapled to their tick box sheets. To be honest they are not doing enough geography and history but that's probably more laziness than lack of clarity but I am thinking of ways to address this on their sheets.
Faith Filled Days is supposed to help me celebrate feast days more and our Faith Resources but to be really honest I'm still running behind there. I really must try these google calendars everyone is enthused about.
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Lesson Plans
