"Time is Money"
Time, to our families, is a much more valuable resource than money. Precious time can be used wisely or squandered. Many feel that they can "fly by the seat of their pants" and many others feel that every moment needs scheduling and the family must "stick" to the schedule. Really, balance is needed. Planning and scheduling encourages us plan goals and strive toward those goals. Failing to plan can come at a cost. A dogmatic approach though can discourage a learning environment. How then can balance be attained? Many also feel overwhelmed when even THINKING about organization. Organized educators, they reason, must be "super", "strong", or "one in a million". Truth be told, organized educators do not have a secret, they have just learned how to use their valuable time wisely. YOU CAN TOO!! Extra trips to the grocery store...use meal planning. Unable to find a book, pencil or form...organize your space. Wondering what tomorrow will bring....use a planner. Planning allows us to have MORE time in the long run. Children are happier with structure. Do I always "stick to the schedule"? Not necessarily. I have also found that "spontaneous" learning time can prove to be more valuable than scheduled. So, if you are a planner and scheduler, be sure to schedule "unscheduled" time ;). But, the point is, though we may not feel planning is necessary, plan anyway. Although you may have to chuck them, "fly by" for awhile, or completely redo them. NOT planning is dangerous. Although many can seemingly "fly by", truth is, they too may find themselves drowning if they do not. Did I always, do this? No. Have I had to readjust? All of the time. Do I appreciate this method? Most definitely. My planner is like a bike. If I fall off, I just get back on again rather than being discouraged. This took time to learn. It also took time for me to understand that the goals I set are just that....MY goals. Perhaps my expectations are too high in some areas or too low in others. I can adjust them as needed. Most importantly, I have not lost the valuable time with my children and their valuable learning time. One year, I felt as if I had kept falling off the organization "bandwagon". Then, they astounded me with knowledge they had gained. How many third graders know the life cycle of a Brachnoid Wasp and identify the cocoons on their own in a caterpillar on the sidewalk? Another discovered his love off drawing and aspires to be an artist. I realized that they still progressed and enjoyed learning despite my lack of organization. But, I also realized that I did not enjoy feeling like we never had time and were always "catching up". So, if you want to learn how to plan your home school, start with baby steps and learn balance. You can also be that "super, one in a million, special" educator too without the headache it may seem. Here are some tips: 1. Learn time management The student and the educator, even from an early age, need to learn time management. How long does a task ACTUALLY take versus how long you would prefer it to take? Setting unrealistic time expectations can lead to discouragement and hinder progress. On the other hand, does a task take too long? How can such a task be done more efficiently? For example, rather than long boring Spanish worksheets, utilize Spanish CD lessons when in the car. Errands, doctor visits, and even grocery shopping can be utilized as valuable learning time. 2. Start with goals Starting with goals helps to focus the direction of homeschooling rather than on the details. Symbolically, put the large stones in the glass jar and the sand will fall into place. List your goals, followed by courses, books and lessons. Plan the year, then months and weeks. Working backwards in this manner avoids the educator focusing too much on time allotments which can lead to a dogmatic approach. 3. Involve the student Involving the student in planning instills a sense of "ownership" of their time. Encouraging cooperation as well as responsibility for their actions, children enjoy their involvement. Yet, the educator needs to make the final decisions. 4. Use tools Wall calendars, planners, and software trackers can all assist an educator in planning. Personally, I still prefer the old fashioned way of paper planners and recording with a pen. The nice thing about homeschooling? Not only student tailored education, but teacher tailored methods. Here are some free tools: Software: http://www.homeschoolskedtrack.com/HomeSchool/displayLogin.do http://homeschooltracker.com/tracker_basic.aspx http://www.home-school-inc.com/ Homeschool Planners: http://donnayoung.org/forms/index.htm http://dynamic2moms.webs.com/curriculumplanner.htm http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/gettingorganized/planner.php#readinglog I make a teacher home school planner and student planners. This makes it easy for them to know their plan for the day. Household Planners: http://organizedhome.com/household-notebook/printable-pages http://flylady.net/ Separately, having a household planner keeps the household streamlined. 5. Unschedule or Schedule....Keep a Balance Also, planning is different than scheduling. Planning focuses on goals and scheduling focuses on time increments. Always keep in mind that, although planning AND scheduling are both needed, schedule time where learning is unscheduled. This allows time for exploration, research and creativity. Although we school year round, I use our school "vacations" for this purpose. Overused though, you may begin to feel "behind". "Everything in moderation and moderation in everything" is key to homeschooling success. Take these tips with a grain of salt and use any (or none) to your family's advantage. After all, it is YOUR home school to create and enjoy. Comments are closed.
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