Home is where you start from: Putting together a homeschool schedule-tips from the edge of reason

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Putting together a homeschool schedule-tips from the edge of reason

Homeschool scheduling for the Bridget Jones homeschool mom-

I know there are some real schedule-type A -homeschool-planning moms out there, and many have posted their schedules on blogs.

Then there are other moms like me...women who loved and identified with Bridget Jones, because finally! A heroine who's mind works like ours!

I am a MOTH drop-out, flylady makes me cringe. And yet, to homeschool 5 kids- I admit it (shaking my fists at the sky) that yes, I need some kind of schedule, or I will never get 1/4 of what we need to get done, done.

So, here is how I approached the mess before me....

I opened up a blank notebook, labeled columns Monday thru Friday across the top-
and then used little sticky labels to place all of the [new to me] subjects I was adding to my year (I actually started this in the fall). Tapestry of grace was our new curriculum for History, geography, church history and literature- so after checking out some other great blog mom schedules like this one for hints of how to approach our TOG studies (like when to do maps, discussions, etc.) I put these topics on stickies and placed them in the appropriate day column.

I did not place the basic 3-R's in the columns since my mind is already programmed to do these each day. I was concerned with placing the new topics and curricula in a slot, along with things that often got pushed around such a piano practice and spelling.

After I had all my stickies placed in appropriate/workable slots...I then went into a word document and worked day by day a detailed day schedule that included everything- the stickies first and then placing the 3-R's around them.

Um, yes, a spreadsheet would look much nicer...but then I realized that the process of learning how to make a spreadsheet would frustrate me to no-end, and I would give up. So, the crude-notebook-sticky thing really was the best go for me. Linear, analytical Sky looked pretty horrified at my notebook thing...but then when I asked him to teach me to use excel, he admitted this was probably my best bet...

I'll post a days finished schedule tomorrow.

So, here it is, schedule tips for the rest of us...
(kind of embarrassing, but keeping it real...)

Labels: homeschool, homeschool planning

posted at 1:10 PM
6 comments

6 Comments:

At 6:25 PM, Amy said...: Just tell your darling husband that he can help you by allowing you the creative space to work out your schedule with the required stickies, then he can type it all up neat and tidy in a spreadsheet. :P
At 9:09 AM, Anonymous said...: That's a great idea...I will look forward to the finished schedule.
At 12:24 PM, Urban Mom said...: Love it! Want to see the final product, definitely! I'm always interested to see how other homeschoolers organize it all...
At 6:44 PM, At A Hen's Pace said...: Interesting!! I have to tell you though--Excel isn't hard to learn at all. The hardest part is getting it set up with the rows and columns--if Sky can get you that far, the rest is a piece of cake.

But I've found I still save myself lots of time by STARTING things out your way. It's much quicker to move a post-it or two than to rearrange things in Excel.

Speaking as a MOTH and schedule drop-out....

We always start out so good!!!

~Jeanne
At 5:31 PM, Sam Lehmann said...: I BECOME that overthinking, sweating it, stressing it, turning grey mom - missing the "watch this firefly, Mommy!" mom with all the scheduling pressure - to be honest - it is why I buy the Calvert all in one box and switch it up for us - also reason haven't bought TOG although ADORE it - the "chatter" about overwhelm freaks me out! Flylady! Uggh! I have organization - it is just not like everyone else's. The tub will be dirty tomorrow, too. NOEO Science isn't challenging my kids - and if I toss a ton of fun books down they run and uggh. What about Nancy Larson's? With fun, of course? And Horizon's Math? My dd's say that MUS is like the teacher in Charlie Brown's voice - think back - wak wak wak wahhh. I am tossing my googling for TOG planners out of the window and pulling out my hidden pink labels and a notebook tomorrow! How do you use this for all your sweeties? Think I will do mine by time and fill it in for each of the 3 kids. They love their workboxes - independent and exuberant (spelled incorrectly, yes) mom leaves them alone. THEY want some Type A, I guess. Ok - we need to chat - think we are very much a like. Some of the TOG families I read stuff from freak me out of buying it. Ironically, we have most of the books for Y1 already! A sign, I guess. And Wishbone series is how I got my kids to listen and like the WTM list from Illiad on. Homer Sweet Homer is my FAVORITE - they think it is so funny! Ahh - you have given me peace. I don't have to be doing "those" speadsheet planners. I'd quit first.... I know it. We'd end up quietly reading and wandering the house all day together....
At 9:06 PM, Hen Jen said...: Thanks for visiting, Samantha, and thank you for the comment! Well, first, this post was written a few years ago...I spent a year and a half with TOG and then decided to move on to something else that would be easier for me to follow. While I loved, loved, loved the book selections for TOG, I found I am too scattered to do much else with the curriculum. It had become an expensive reading list, so the next year I kind of winged it using Story of the World..after that I moved over to Sonlight. My kids gobbled up the sonlight books, much to my delight. Not so hands on, but easier for me to keep the schedule.

I think as far as schedules, if the workboxes are working for you, I wouldn't try to change it! As far as my messy notebook & tabs, that is for me. My younger 3 students just do whatever subject I tell them is next, my 2 older students- I type up a weekly to do list for them on word, with big O's next to each lesson and they check it off as they do it, in whatever order they like.

I love Wishbone! so nice to meet someone else who appreciates him!

hope you visit back and drop me a line! :)

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