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melanie
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| Posted: June 28 2010 at 6:54am | IP Logged
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What a title, right?
I'm not trying to be difficult, I promise. It's just that I'm having trouble finding time to plan lessons/activities. There's no big block of time to be had anymore...even if I got dh to take everyone out of the house, I would still have a nursing baby, so he'd have to be gone for a very long time for me to have enough time around taking care of him. I've thought about going out for the day and working at the library. It's easier for me to leave for a long time with the baby than for him to leave for a long time with all the others. But really the most realistic thing is going to be to plan the school year in chunks mostly. This is most overwhelming...it means finding time to plan on a regular basis! Is that really any easier? (sigh) My school age kids use MODG, so at least the bulk of their planning is done for me, but still there's getting things ready and organized, planning any changes/additions I want to make, and planning for the little kiddos, liturgical year stuff, etc. So, when do you plan? Do you plan the whole year, or a bit at a time? And how do you get it done!
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Melanie
homeschooling Maria (13yo), Kain (10yo), Jack (5yo), Tess (2yo), and our newest blessing, Henry Robert, born 4/23!
slightlycrunchycatholic.blogspot.com
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: June 28 2010 at 7:19am | IP Logged
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Hi Melanie,
I'm finding that I have the same struggles here. Do you mean planning for the school year, or the weekly planning that happens during the year?
I'm working on our school year in little bites throughout the summer. This is frustrating for me because I would like to just get it all done. But I haven't figured out how to do that without going away for a weekend!
When our school year starts, I'm going to try planning in 6 week increments. We use MODG too and I'm hoping to plan for 6 weeks then have the 7th week unplanned and use it for catch up purposes (we tend to get behind  ) This should work out since MODG syllabi cover 32 weeks and our school year is 36 weeks (based on my ds's highschool schedule). I know it will be easier for me to hide for a while every 6 weeks and plan than it would be to find time every weekend to plan for the coming week (which has been my routine for 8 years now).
I'll talk to my DH about it. My thinking is that, since I usually do "big grocery shopping" once a month or so, he knows that on those Saturdays I am gone for a 3-4 hour stretch (I go to several different stores when I do it right.) My hope is that every 6 weeks I can get away to the library or even just lock myself in our room (a friend does that) and that way have some time to work. For him, it wouldn't be any different than my shopping trips, and hopefully it wont take as long.
My other thought is to actually pay my 11 year old to babysit during a weekday so I can hide in our room and work. I would pay her because we already revamped our chore charts and each child will have a few more responsibilities which they aren't too thrilled about. She would love the idea of being paid and take her role as babysitter very seriously even though I would be a knock away if she needs any help.
The nice thing I will have is a long break at Christmas because of the new baby. I'm hoping to use some of that "down time" to re-evaluate how things are going and plan for the second half of the year. I hate being in the hospital for 3 days (c-sections). It just drags. I like to have something to work on while the new baby is sleeping.
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Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
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melanie
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| Posted: June 28 2010 at 12:42pm | IP Logged
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I mean planning for the school year, but not just school assignments...liturgical year type activities, fun things for my littles to work on, that kind of thing.
Getting my oldest to babysit is a good idea. hmmm....
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Melanie
homeschooling Maria (13yo), Kain (10yo), Jack (5yo), Tess (2yo), and our newest blessing, Henry Robert, born 4/23!
slightlycrunchycatholic.blogspot.com
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dakotamidnight
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| Posted: June 28 2010 at 12:53pm | IP Logged
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I work on things a little at a time.
If I have a Dr.'s Appt - I carry a few things to work on and a notebook/pen. Same thing with anything where I'm going to have to wait - bus rides, field trips, etc. Then all I have to do is assemble the parts I've already done and make it work as a unit. I do try to take a day here and there to assemble it.
It's the only way I get it done.
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Visit my home on the web The Frugal Catholic Homeschooler
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Faithr
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| Posted: June 28 2010 at 5:59pm | IP Logged
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I like having a general plan and then doing the liturgical stuff, etc. monthly. I like to do it over breakfast with the whole family, kind of a family planning meeting we usually have every Sunday morning to assess what is going on that week. Usually I have a million things bubbling through my brain, but say if its November I'll be thinking about December. We celebrate both the Jewish and Catholic liturgical year. So maybe because that can be overwhelming I like to plan closer to the events. Then I feel I can be more realistic about just what we can accomplish or what the kids really liked that we did before or how they might want to change things. Also I have found that if I plan too far in advance, I'll forget what it is I've planned! Then I'll find something I bought months after the fact! Very frustrating. So for me, being so very present-oriented, it is better to deal with things in little chunks as they come along. Though we do have a general rhythm anyway that we've been following for years, so I guess that makes it more natural feeling.
For school assignment type stuff, I get curriculum that is basically 'do the next thing.' Then when the student has completed a days work, I mark the date at the top. A few times a year I do have to find time to sit down and kind of recalibrate the general pace we need to take to accomplish/finish something. I usually do this when I have insomnia LOL!
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Erica Sanchez
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| Posted: June 29 2010 at 12:30am | IP Logged
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I am in a chatty mood tonight. I have absolutely nothing good to add to this lovely conversation except to say that this is exactly what I need right now. I want to plan. I need to plan. Oh, how I need to plan. I actually like to plan. I just don't plan and I feel like I have no time to plan. It's pitiful, really. How do I not make the time? I read the threads regarding planning and I am so inspired (Jennifer!!!!!), but it isn't happening. Everyone is planning and I'm still finishing up things from this year. :)
It's funny. I was at our wonderful conference (So. Calif.) this past Saturday and for the first time in 10 years (I used Seton for kinder for my oldest) I felt the need/desire to use a curriculum and MODG was what I was feeling pulled towards. I don't even think we could pull it off financially this year, which is a little funny, too. I think I want someone else just to do the planning for me. :)
Praying for all of us struggling in this area.
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Have a beautiful and fun day!
Erica in San Diego
(dh)Cash, Emily, Grace, Nicholas, Isabella, Annie, Luke, Max, Peter, 2 little souls ++, and sweet Rose who is legally ours!
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melanie
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| Posted: June 29 2010 at 6:32am | IP Logged
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I love MODG, we've used it for years...I've taught every grade K-7 now with the exception of 2nd grade (long story). I guess ideally I'd pull together and plan my own fabulous thing, but I tried that our first couple of years of homeschooling and I just couldn't do it.
I will probably have to plan a bit at a time too. I'm picturing something involving my teenager babysitting...just trying to think what would actually be doable. It's been nuts lately...vbs last week, some summer art classes this week...
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Melanie
homeschooling Maria (13yo), Kain (10yo), Jack (5yo), Tess (2yo), and our newest blessing, Henry Robert, born 4/23!
slightlycrunchycatholic.blogspot.com
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Mackfam
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| Posted: June 29 2010 at 8:17am | IP Logged
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I remembered a few older threads that address this:
** When do you plan?
** Planning - choosing new materials
** Step by step planning
At the risk of being ridiculously redundant (esp. if you read through some of those older threads), I'll list a few tools I use to assist me in planning to plan. Planning within a family and alongside life is just never going to be interruption-free. And, the larger the family, the more time is needed to consider plans...and the more interruptions. Planning alongside life will require some time management and creative brainstorming on your part. There's just no way around it. But, it is TOTALLY DOABLE!!!!
:: Consider your days first, get some routine going and work on some habit development! If the kids are without a sense of routine and order in the home, and are in need of some habit training, do that first. Drop everything and work right there for a while. Nothing will yield dividends in time, routine, and helpfulness like good habits in the children.
:: Settle home life. If your outside the home commitments take you in a million different directions, wait until life settles a bit and isn't as full outside the home so that you can give focus inside the home planning. One way or the other - it's going to be full. But too much fullness = overwhelming.
:: Think about ***HOW YOU*** plan and live and collect ideas. Don't do a filing system if you know you're not a "file it" kinda gal - maybe you do better with stacking and piles...or pushpins and corkboards...or post-it notes lining the hallway...or organizing your email inbox as an idea drop zone. Just consider how you best keep ideas and papers sorted and organized. Think outside the box here - planning has to occur in chunks of time alongside life, and in order to keep up with it, you'll need your method of connecting the dots/ideas to be as intuitive to YOU as it can possibly be. You'll need some way to keep ideas and brainstorming connected!!
:: Plan in layers. Looking at the whole year is daunting; consider the year, and then break that down into smaller parts and plan in those smaller sections. Consider your year as layers: layers of the different ages/abilities of your children layers of the basics of education: reading, writing, religion, math layers of necessities and non-necessities layers of big picture --> term planning --> booklists --> weekly details. Plan in one layer at a time. Working on outlines and moving from a bigger picture inward has always been such a help to me! I consider the whole and bring my plans inward adding a little more detail until I get to a point that I feel like we have a good rudder and guide without it feeling like a straight jacket. Everyone will have a different comfort level with this. Stop at the details you're most comfortable with.
:: Teacher days for considering during the year - these are so helpful for the planning/considering that goes on throughout the year! Last year, I planned on having one at the beginning of every month, and it was a great help to me!!! As I considered my year this year, I decided I needed a bit more time to consider during the year. So, instead of one teacher day at the beginning of every month, I gave myself a week at the end of every term (we have 4 in our year). Knowing that I have a teacher week coming up, I can:Make arrangements for an older child to watch younger siblings certain times of the day gather some special movies for movie times pull out some favorite toys that might have been languishing in the rotation closet for a while How can we brainstorm this more? Is the biggest challenge in finding the time? Having to get up and move on before the task is done? Keeping your thoughts organized and connected from one spurt of planning time to the next? Feeling behind from the get-go? Are there specifics we can brainstorm to look for idea-tools that might work?
Melanie,
I realize that this might be too much detail for your needs, but since I'm not familiar with MODG plans and I'm used to planning from scratch, I hope it was ok to offer my perspective. It sounds like the big picture planning is done for you, and you just have a few layers in need of planning! Be encouraged! You can do this!! How can we brainstorm more to add some tools to your planning repertoire??
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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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JennGM
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| Posted: June 29 2010 at 10:12am | IP Logged
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Erica Sanchez wrote:
| I am in a chatty mood tonight. I have absolutely nothing good to add to this lovely conversation except to say that this is exactly what I need right now. I want to plan. I need to plan. Oh, how I need to plan. I actually like to plan. I just don't plan and I feel like I have no time to plan. It's pitiful, really. How do I not make the time? I read the threads regarding planning and I am so inspired (Jennifer!!!!!), but it isn't happening. Everyone is planning and I'm still finishing up things from this year. :) |
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Erica, you are not alone. I'm still finishing this year. I have my eyes on what we shall do next year, but haven't sat down to really plan. and I need to, as my year was too much flux and flow.
And I'm totally inspired by the planning, but also the implementing and following through, the tweaks and revisions along the way, the LACK of getting discouraged.
Erica Sanchez wrote:
It's funny. I was at our wonderful conference (So. Calif.) this past Saturday and for the first time in 10 years (I used Seton for kinder for my oldest) I felt the need/desire to use a curriculum and MODG was what I was feeling pulled towards. I don't even think we could pull it off financially this year, which is a little funny, too. I think I want someone else just to do the planning for me. :)
Praying for all of us struggling in this area. |
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I have all sorts of good ideas, but I need to pull them together; that's where I fail. Prayers right back for you, Erica.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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SeaStar
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| Posted: June 29 2010 at 11:13am | IP Logged
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dakotamidnight wrote:
I work on things a little at a time.
If I have a Dr.'s Appt - I carry a few things to work on and a notebook/pen. Same thing with anything where I'm going to have to wait - bus rides, field trips, etc. Then all I have to do is assemble the parts I've already done and make it work as a unit. I do try to take a day here and there to assemble it.
It's the only way I get it done. |
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I find this works well for me, too. Even in the car when dh is driving I can take a a book to glance through and write down notes, etc.
It's not ideal, but it does add up towards getting things planned.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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melanie
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| Posted: June 29 2010 at 4:07pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for the ideas Jen...I think I will take advantage of my oldest (poor oldest child...ah well...I was the oldest too, I survived). I got some library movies today and I'm going to mark off three mornings on the calendar this week. She's giong to have some movie time with them and then take them out back to play in the sprinkler and kiddie pool until lunch. Maybe three mornings will be enough, depending on how often the baby wants to nurse. 
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Melanie
homeschooling Maria (13yo), Kain (10yo), Jack (5yo), Tess (2yo), and our newest blessing, Henry Robert, born 4/23!
slightlycrunchycatholic.blogspot.com
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Erica Sanchez
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| Posted: June 30 2010 at 1:16am | IP Logged
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Mackfam wrote:
| Consider your days first, get some routine going and work on some habit development! |
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This is key for me!
I am going to spend the rest of the week working on some MOTH-like chore routines/charts, a more consistent laundry schedule, and a meal plan! I think once these things are in place (and they almost are), the school planning will be much easier for me to wrap my brain around.
I need a super-sized dose of self-discipline.
Thank you, Jennifer, and everyone for the time you take in writing out your ideas and plans. They are inspiring.
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Have a beautiful and fun day!
Erica in San Diego
(dh)Cash, Emily, Grace, Nicholas, Isabella, Annie, Luke, Max, Peter, 2 little souls ++, and sweet Rose who is legally ours!
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melanie
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| Posted: June 30 2010 at 7:47am | IP Logged
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I agree, we need some serious habit development here too. We used to be much more,,,erm, I hesitate to say disciplined because I picture myself all military-ish, but yeah, disciplined, until the end of this last pregnancy...I just allowed everything to slide, and it's still sliding unfortunately....I have made progress...laundry and meals are back in a good system. Cleaning...not so much...
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Melanie
homeschooling Maria (13yo), Kain (10yo), Jack (5yo), Tess (2yo), and our newest blessing, Henry Robert, born 4/23!
slightlycrunchycatholic.blogspot.com
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SuzanneG
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Obviously I'm in bump-mood this morning!
Some good ideas here as we're all in planning-for-Fall mode.
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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4Real Forums : Planning and Ordering our Days
Topic: how do you plan to plan?
