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sewcrazy
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| Posted: Dec 17 2010 at 9:12am | IP Logged
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Our school got off to a complete non-start this year. I have been derailed daily and have floundered with no plan in place. So I have committed to using the week between Christmas and New Year to reboot this "school year". My dh is taking the little to St Louis to stay with his parents so I can focus.
Can you please help me set up a plan?
Here is my rough outline:
1. Clean school room
2. Gather books I already own
3. Use those books to figure out what topics to study for the rest of the year
4. Fill in as needed.
5. Write out lesson plans
you would think that after 11 years, I would have a better handle on this 
________________________________________________________
Day 1--
Well my husband decided last night that he didn't feel like going to St Louis this week. He still had work that needed to get done there so he sent our older boys to St Louis. So now I have the younger children under foot and my helpers are gone. My younger children are grumpy and disappointed as they had been looking forward to a week with Grandma and Grandpa.
I am so lost feeling. I had a plan but I am too tired to figure out a new plan  Help....please
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LeeAnn
Wife of David, mom to Ben, Dennis, Alex, Laura, Philip and our little souls in heaven we have yet to meet
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JennGM
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I am making a similar plan of action, as fall was a total bust! No advice, just following along.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Anne McD
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| Posted: Dec 17 2010 at 10:19am | IP Logged
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great idea! now, how do i get the little ones out from underfoot... 
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Anne
Wife to Jon
Mommy to Alex 9
James 8
Katie 6
William 3 1/2
Benedict Joseph 1
and baby on the way! 10/14
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hylabrook1
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My biggest issue right now is with realistic meal plans. I need to generate a list of quick meals, with a reasonable variety, and mostly vegetarian. Between dd's karate schedule and my atrium time, we arrive home starving and needing to eat.right.now. Of course nobody has been home to fix dinner. Dh really doesn't like things from the crockpot, but I think I can sneak in a once a week crockpot soup.. Mostly, I just need some quiet time to think 
Peace,
Nancy
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Elena
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Maybe take your 5 general goals and break them down day-by day?
Like - Monday Clean classroom.
Tuesday: Organize books.
etc...?
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Elena
Wife to Peter, mom of many!
My Domestic Church
One Day at a Time
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Dec 17 2010 at 8:14pm | IP Logged
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sewcrazy wrote:
Can you please help me set up a plan?
Here is my rough outline:
1. Clean school room
2. Gather books I already own
3. Use those books to figure out what topics to study for the rest of the year
4. Fill in as needed.
5. Write out lesson plans |
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This is a FANTASTIC PLAN for re-starting, LeeAnn!!! I'd approach it in almost this order, too!!! I'm going to add a couple of areas to consider in the order I'd consider them below.
Let's take your outline and fill in a little. Then, let us know what areas you feel unsure or most hesitant about and we can target those areas!!!
1. (1.) Clean school room -- This point is so important for so many reasons! In planning and seeking to be a good steward of family resources, it's so important to KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT!!! This could take a few days to go through your room thoroughly, but you will really appreciate that investment of time because you'll know what resources you have, where they are, what books you have on what subjects, and what is fluff. You can purge the fluff as you go to make better use of your spaces. As you clean, consider the placement of the resources around your room --> REALLY TRY TO PLACE BOOKS AND RESOURCES IN A WAY THAT IS MOST INTUITIVE to those that will use that resource most often. Consider your spaces and invest time on the front end so that your space really works for you and the children! This alone yields an enormous value in terms of your time if you aren't constantly hunting for books and tools both as you plan, and as you live it out.
2. (3.) Start with a broad plan and narrow your focus as you plan -- (This is your #3) The reason I consider direction/topics before I start pulling books is this -- it keeps me focused. I have a plethora of great books on my shelves. My planning is more focused and I've found, more likely to live itself out with success if I consider our destination first. Think of it this way, you wouldn't plan for an epic journey and just grab random, nice looking maps off the counter...you'd think about where you're going...you'd map out the best roads and tour guides so you could make the most of the trip and the experience. Planning for lessons is much like this.
Consider the topics & subjects you're studying for the last half of the year. Consider the direction you want to go in for the last half of the year. What period of history will you cover in these months? Where will you start? How far will you go? How about science topics? Any formal studies there? Think about the subjects you're going to plan for, and then consider details and direction from there so that you know the what of what you're planning. This part doesn't need to be super detailed, but the idea is that with each step of your planning you're going to narrow your focus. It will look like this:
History --> 5th century - 12th century --> yearly booklist --> booklist divided into terms --> term booklist divided into reading assignments for the day --> narrations
TIP -- Purge your booklist as you go. Once you start narrowing your focus to the term booklist, you should be able to see if you have added a wholly unrealistic number of books to your booklist...for one child...for one term. Purge. Keep the best. The best guide for determining how many books per child/in specific grades that I've found all pulled together in one source (you can find all of this if you want to pull a fine tooth comb directly through CM's volumes) is Simply Charlotte Mason's Books and Things Seminar. Some people just have a really good "feel" for this, so don't think this tool is absolutely necessary, but it is helpful.
3. (2.) Gather books you already own -- See...you've got it!!! Use what you have! I really like to make use of inexpensive $1 dishwashing tubs that you can find practically everywhere. I probably have at least 10 of them and use them throughout the year for various planning projects, but they are mostly in use at the beginning of the year. Since you're doing a "reboot" of the year, I'd like to suggest them to you. These simple plastic tubs are great for collecting books & resources...whether it's a collection on a particular theme, or for a particular child/grade...or resources you're finding and gathering for artist study, etc. It gives books and tools a place to land, and I find it immensely helpful since I plan for more than one child/grade at a time. As I go through my shelves, I just drop into a bin and set it aside. At this point, I'm just pulling books and resources I own that I want to use. Another use for these bins is to let a couple be ?? bins. You may find materials as you clean your room that don't really have an obvious home in your spaces. These bins allow for these ?? items to have a place to land as you clean and consider.
4. (3.) Use the books, and the roadmap for the year (last few months in your case), to flesh out more details -- Now you begin to take a closer look at your books. Narrow your focus a bit more. You might make some lists as you look through your books and your roadmap...other areas you'd like to cover? special seasonal projects? projects or crafts that coordinate with that study?
5. (4.) Fill in as needed -- At this point, you should have a pretty good book list, books gathered, some ideas for fleshing out studies, and a clean/organized room. You're almost ready to get some details down on paper. Have you discovered any holes as you gathered materials? Did you decide to study Earth Sciences? Perhaps you have some really good books you've gathered for that from your shelves. Are you missing some resources...fill out your booklist with library resources or from other sources.
6. (5.) Write out lesson plans -- Once you get to this point, lesson plans are simply a matter of simple division. You decide which books and topics you want to cover during the week and list them on their appropriate days. You've got your term booklist at this point --> # of pages DIVIDED by (number of times child will read from the book during the week MULTIPLIED BY the number of weeks in your term)
I write lesson plans one term at a time now. My format preference is a weekly grid. Every week for a term looks essentially the same. This allows me to print a new weekly grid for each child, each week. It means that once I put in my planning time at the beginning of a term, other than slight tweaks, I'm done writing plans. It frees me up to live it, observe it, answer needs, work with my littler people.
FORMAT -- Spend a little time looking around at different types of lesson plans shared by others. What kind of format works best for you? What is the most intuitive way to get notes and lesson plans down so that they behave as a guide and rudder for your days? Work with that format. It won't be perfect...ever. But, it needs to be as intuitive as possible or it won't work for you AT ALL.
Let us know if we can narrow in on any challenging areas, LeeAnn! I think you've got a really workable plan! Don't be discouraged when you're working on cleaning your learning spaces!!! It can be very daunting when you've got everything dis-assembled and pulled out! Do come back if you need some cheerleading or encouragement!! Keep your goals realistic! Nothing will be perfect, but doable and realistic and lovely are well within your grasp! I'm in your corner cheering!!! 
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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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sewcrazy
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| Posted: Dec 20 2010 at 10:12am | IP Logged
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Thank you so much Jen for your thoughtful reply!
Mostly I need a kick in my tush! I am so weary. We have had a lot of family/house/business stress this year. I just want to do nothing 
Last week and this we are going room by room cleaning the house. I have an awesome friend that has come over each day to help keep me on task. I am starting to be able to think again finally  My house and my mind was in chaos.
The thing that really struck me was how much my 11 dd doesn't know.  I hadn't realized that she isn't a reader. Everyone else is in my family. So even if I didn't have a lesson plan for the day, I could had the kids books and they still learned. She has been in her room coloring most of this school year.
So I need to create her a detailed plan first off. I am not sure where to start with that. We are doing botany and latin in a coop so thats covered. She is doing ok with Horizons Math, book 5, so we will continue. She is about 40 lesson behind where she should be.
I have worked as a rep for Hands Of a Child, so I have a copy of over 1/2 of their lapbooks. Once I pick a direction for her, I can find the corresponding lapbooks and then add other stuff materials.
I am going to talk to my dh about getting a library card again. We don't live in a library district, so a card is about $300. But I think that has been one of my problems this school in not having good books for the kids to read. (we lost 80% of our home library 2 years ago in a flood)
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LeeAnn
Wife of David, mom to Ben, Dennis, Alex, Laura, Philip and our little souls in heaven we have yet to meet
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stellamaris
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LeeAnn, have you considered having your daughter's eyesight checked? If that's not the problem, maybe a reading evaluation of some kind might pinpoint what she is struggling with. I think there might have been a thread on this at one time? Perhaps searching "reading problem" might bring up some good ideas from the ladies here at 4Real.
I know you want to get everything in order, but might I suggest that you take a little time while your children are gone just for yourself? Work hard,then go on a walk or take a long, hot bath with bubbles. Stress can be debilitating and the effects are cumulative; exercise or serious relaxation can help you physically heal from the symptoms of stress. Another good idea is lots of Vitamin C.
As far as planning for the next term, Jenn has so many wonderful pointers! The only thing I would add is that once you have all the books out that you want to use (maybe in those dishtubs...they are a great help), go through them and REDUCE the number of items. I find I have a more positive experience if I complete a few books than if I only get through parts of many books. Less is more!
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In Christ,
Caroline
Wife to dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
Flowing Streams
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KackyK
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Jen I love this info! I'm printing and going to do to this!!!! Meal planning is important to fit in for me too nowadays.
LeeAnn I have great empathy and I'm right there with you. Some kiddos have a had a great start and some haven't.
I also have a problem this time of year with filing away what we have done to begin with!
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KackyK
Mom to 8 - 3 dd, 5ds & 4 babes in heaven
Beginning With the Assumption
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sewcrazy
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| Posted: Dec 27 2010 at 10:08am | IP Logged
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Caroline, my daughter can read, so just doesn't like to read. We have had her eyes checked (all of our kids faithfully as my husband and I need glasses) She is reading more than she used to, just not as much as my older children (and I) read.
Thank you for the reminder! I made appointments for next week, as it has been over a year since their last eye exam.
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LeeAnn
Wife of David, mom to Ben, Dennis, Alex, Laura, Philip and our little souls in heaven we have yet to meet
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wifemommy
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Day -trip can your dh take the Little's somewhere for one day this week so you can take a deep breath, and do at least some of what you planned to do or all of it to a lesser extent. Maybe dh could occupy the children for an hour or so everyday you could work on stuff for a bit. I think as a mom and teacher we often short change ourselves. If you were teaching outside the home you and your dh would make sure you had the time to plan etc. ...You know that last sentence was directed at myself too because that is the beginning of a lot of my issues....time to go think Annie
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Dec 27 2010 at 12:41pm | IP Logged
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Another thing to remember is that you use up B vitamins with stress.. and supplementing those can really help you feel better and more able to cope.
Early bedtimes can work real well with smaller children.. I like putting them to bed so that they have at least 30-60 minutes before lights out.. it also makes a lovely consequence.. if you don't stay in bed quietly (looking at books or quiet toys) then you lose the light. 
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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Angel
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You know... I think the first thing I would do would be to take a deep breath and maybe read the little ones some books or something -- something low-key and enjoyable that doesn't take much thought. Maybe I would spend some time playing with their Christmas toys with them, or maybe we would pull out some coloring books or I would hand them some cardboard boxes to decorate. Once I had gotten myself calmed down and the little ones a little less grumpy- and gotten them down for a NAP -- I would make myself a nice cup of tea or coffee with flavorings and I would get out a piece of paper and I would ask myself, what is the most important, needful thing to do right now, and I would list out ALL the steps -- even the silly ones you assume you ought to know -- involved in doing THAT thing. Then, as I had time, I would work down the list. THAT thing might not even have anything to do with school -- for instance, maybe it's getting a system in place for laundry so the laundry isn't overwhelming and distracting as you try to do school. Or maybe it's making a flexible schedule that will help you with consistency as you go forward and give you guidelines on what you need to think about next, which will help with planning. Or, maybe fall was indictative of a new need, a new season in life, that needs to be met in a new way. Maybe the most fruitful thing would be to find a pad of paper and write down the errant thoughts that come as you're washing dishes or folding laundry or whatever.
Anyway, you have my sympathies. My dh and I joke that the surest way for a project NOT to be completed around here is to plan on it and tell somebody about it. At some point the only thing you can do is offer up a prayer, take a deep breath, and roll with it.
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Angela
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sewcrazy
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| Posted: Dec 27 2010 at 2:37pm | IP Logged
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Thank you, ladies.
There is just so many problems and so many issues, I don't even know where to start. This past month sounds like a bad joke when I tell it to people, and add it to everything that has gone on since August and you would think I was making it up I really needed this week to regroup. I am not good at working at a job as I can. I am easily sidetracked. I had an hour by hour schedule written out for myself for today and tomorrow, and haven't been able to do any of it. I had to comfort children, pack lunches for teenage boys for their drive to St Louis, run an errand for my husband, feed children, referee, etc. Now my husband just called, and talked to my 6 yos and suggested I take them sledding now. Yes it will tire him out, but it will wear me out too. But now he is jumping around shouting that he is going sledding.
I am just so very very tired and frustrated and overwhelmed
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LeeAnn
Wife of David, mom to Ben, Dennis, Alex, Laura, Philip and our little souls in heaven we have yet to meet
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sewcrazy
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| Posted: Dec 27 2010 at 2:56pm | IP Logged
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Sorry, took a deep breath and settled down
We are going sledding, but I called one of the older grade school girls in the neighborhood to come with us. They will sled and I will sit in the clubhouse with my computer. I am going to sort through all the unit studies and lapbooks on my computer and for a base for the rest of our school year. I will feel better I think, if I get SOMETHING finished.
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LeeAnn
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JodieLyn
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That's why those lists of things broken down into itty bitty parts can help so much.. you CAN complete a part fairly quickly but if you leae the whole job as a single unit it'll take you all day.
It also sounds like you need to talk to your dh about what it is you need. I can't imagine that he's purposely sabotaging your efforts.. so then he's trying to help but without input from you he won't know what type of help you really need.
Can you get one of those older grade school girls to come over other times so that they can be a mother's helper while you work in another room?
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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4Real Forums : Planning and Ordering our Days
Topic: New year/new start-Help derailed already
