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DianaC
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| Posted: March 26 2010 at 9:31am | IP Logged
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Could anyone share ideas of how they manage to work through current lessons while at the same time reading thoroughly enough through materials that you may choose for your next year?
I find it difficult enough to be prepared on a day-to-day basis so that I can have materials pulled together and be knowledgeable enough to discuss our lessons together. Finding the time to weed through materials for next year's curriculum is very challenging to me. How do you balance the two?
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SeaStar
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| Posted: March 26 2010 at 11:08am | IP Logged
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What I have done is focus on just one subject at a time... for instance, science. Then I look at material that I feel comfortable with using (CHC in my case), and decide if that is how I want to go, if/how I want to tweak it, etc. I also will look at other options (this time I have been looking at Apologia- the flying book, since my ds loves birds).
I don't work on it every day... just as time allows. I know I have all summer to gather materials.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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Mackfam
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| Posted: March 26 2010 at 11:46am | IP Logged
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This is a challenge, Diana!!
I have a couple of strategies in place to help me with this.
1) Let my plans for now work. Just live them. Sounds like you're doing that great!
2) Break big goals down into smaller chunks so they're more do-able in the smaller chunks of time I have to give them.
3) Find creative ways to carve out time for considering the upcoming year.
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In the end, for me, it's about time management. My challenge with time management is if I start something, I like to work, work, work until it is completely done! Ah! Feeling of satisfaction! But, the reality is...you can't do that with multiple children, and living the daily duty. So, I have to be careful and think of tasks in very small chunks so I can work on one little chunk at a time in planning and still feel satisfied that I started something and got somewhere with it. Does that make any sense?
I start with Post-It note planning, Diana. I'm very visual and it helps me get visually organized. I'm afraid I've gone on and on about the way I plan like this before   , so rather than going on and on yet again...here are a couple of threads that will give you an idea of how I start with the big picture and considering ideas for each of the children with Post-its:
Step-by-step planning
Real Learning planning is invigorating
If Post-Its seem not-quite-your-style, you could work the same *IDEA* with simple notebook paper and pencil. The idea is just to consider each child and the direction you're going with each subject. As you look at what you've got - whether on paper, or with your Post-It note grid - you can begin to see if there are areas that could be connected...like History...or liturgical year read alouds...or grammar ideas...and connect them.
Anyway, from there, I begin considering the resources I'll need to fill in.
Your question asked how specifically to go about doing this during the day when you're already busy trying to accomplish the lessons of the day. Where in the world to carve the time out?
** Consider a teacher's day twice a month. Here are some strategies I use to help me be productive on my teacher's days:
--> No formal lessons for the kids on this day - you can plan educational documentary type DVD's :: a good supply of coloring books and art supplies for a free-for-all art time :: Outside time :: special games set up for teacher days :: set aside a shelf of special projects/games/resources that ONLY come out on this day.
** Build lists. Lots of lists. This is not the time to scrutinize everything you find - if it looks remotely possible (this should take you between 30 seconds and 5 minutes to decide) add it to a list. Use bookmarks or Amazon wishlists and set up some categories that reflect how you plan/educate. By that I mean, if you had to think in categories, how would that look --
--> elementary science
--> history/Middle Ages
--> language arts, etc.
** Work on one thing at a time in the evenings. Choose one list to whittle through.
If you've got some kind of big picture idea of the *WHAT* that will be a part of each of your child's day and you have some lists of potential resources, you can start narrowing the focus and making decisions.
Please let me know if this is confusing or leaves you with more questions, Diana! We can brainstorm this some more!
__________________
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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DianaC
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| Posted: March 26 2010 at 9:25pm | IP Logged
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Thank-you for the ideas ladies - there's a lot to chew on, so I'm going to work through the links and come back with questions, if that's OK.
Mackfam wrote:
I like to work, work, work until it is completely done! Ah! Feeling of satisfaction! But, the reality is...you can't do that with multiple children, and living the daily duty. So, I have to be careful and think of tasks in very small chunks so I can work on one little chunk at a time in planning |
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This is me too! But my challenge is once I finish one little chunk of something and move on to something else, my brain seems to completely forget what I accomplished and I feel like I need to start all over again. With me, "out of sight" truly is "out of mind".
I really like the idea of the teacher's days - I've pondered this in the past, but wasn't sure how to work it. Thank-you for these ideas!
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stefoodie
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| Posted: March 26 2010 at 9:32pm | IP Logged
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Ooooh! Teacher's Days!!! I think I'll ask the fam to give me those. 
I have a "day off" (actually a couple of hours) I try to take monthly where I just go off by myself.... I usually end up at the bookstore or Tuesday morning or church. But now I think I'll have another day off to do planning, and now that it's warmer maybe at the park or some other inspiring location. I don't think the hot tub will work well with spreadsheeting equipment and supplies. 
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stef
mom to five
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4Real Forums : Planning and Ordering our Days
Topic: Planning - choosing new materials
