The new-fangled homeschoolers (admittedly, I am one) have no idea about lesson planning. We think we can start two weeks before school and be ready to go. But that’s not the case!
The brick-n-mortar educator heads back to school about a month before classes start to get the room clean, organized, and filled with anticipation on every wall. Remember the bulletin boards meticulously prepared by our elementary instructors? That didn’t happen with a Big Bang.
And when it comes to academics, planning should begin June 7th if classes ended June 6th. I’ve asked several of my teacher friends, “When do you start your lesson planning for the upcoming year?” They all said, “June seventh.”
So what am I, a year-round home educator to do? Well, I’ll tell you what I’m doing and you can decide if anything fits in your world.
For the next two weeks, we’re having half-days of school. This is when our boys do the review or prep work necessary to start the next level of their respective math and phonics curricula. There’s nothing but math and phonics. So what do we do the other half day?
1. I don’t do bulletin boards, but I can clean off the bookshelves and return ALL the library books regardless of if we’ve finished them all. This applies to everyone in the house. All shelves are being purged of anything with a valid county library bar code. And pay down the fines!
2. Wash all the laundry and have the kids pick out their favorite clothes. We are switching to uniforms this year, so our closets look sparse, but it’s refreshing for me.
3. Revisit the family calendar, chores list, etc., and make your nips and tucks now. Today was spent creating a new planner page for me that is specific to our curriculum. I also put the known commitments into my planner and printed everything through September. I included lunch, dinner, and school time in the planner everyday so that we maintain the boundary. Brick-n-mortar school students don’t have their parents pull them out of school for a Target trip everyday and I can’t teach effectively if those trips are the norm rather than the exception.
4. In two months I’m going to need more time to plan. So…I started a new group. It’s a home educators’ planning co-op. I just reserved the room at the library one Saturday per month for 5 hours. They have wi-fi and plenty of desk space. I emailed other moms in the area to let them know about it. Now I have 5 hours for lesson planning, grading, and research set aside for each month. YIPPEE!!
5. Start planning your fall menus now. When I workout, I’ve been persuing cooking mags for soup recipes so I can make a good stock of something and have it ready to serve on those not-too-distant autumn days.
6. Have the kids get the supplies. We use the Konos online co-op (www.homeschoolmentor.com) and I’ve learned that part of our boys’ education is learning to prepare. So I’m not responsible for getting EVERYTHING ready. No, I sit with them and tell them what we’ll be doing and what we’ll need. Then I let them know what we have and what we don’t have and what we simply can’t afford. True to form, they make the most creative suggestions, “Mom, couldn’t we use this instead of that?” And next thing you know, we only spend $2 on a craft that I had budgeted $17. And take them to the store, let them find the supplies, buy and bag them, and stock them when you get home.
7. Teach your kids how to use the paper shredder. Go through every ounce of overstocked clutter and bills and nonsense in your house. Go to all the boxes of “I’ll go through this when the company leaves” stuff and purge it. OUCH! I know…and I only know cause I do it, too. I’m in the midst of mine right now. Actually, this blog composition is giving me a break from it. But purge purge purge. Shred shred shred. Do NOT let your young children shred…and supervise your older children. Do not do the shredding during naptime; toddlers can’t sleep through it regardless of how far you take the shredder from the bedroom. Tried it too many times with high hopes.
8. In our area, the kindergarten and first grade teachers send their new students a letter before school. My kids were SO bummed when they didn’t get a letter one year when the neighbors did. So I send them a letter telling them how proud I am of their unique gifts, the hopes I have for the year, and the excitement and fun I know we’ll have. They love that letter! I might put a new pencil or eraser in it this year, or maybe a set of stickers. Make it special for them.
9. Mom, give yourself a day off: whether it’s a pedicure or a movie night or a Snickers bar or a 15 minute shower instead of a 30-second rinse, treat yourself to something that makes you feel special.
10. This should be the first thing on your list: revisit the reason why you do what you do. Is there a scripture that you stand on? Have you asked God into your school year yet? Have you discussed the children’s goals with your hubby yet? Make sure your foundation is strong…first!
These are just a few things I’m doing to get things ready for our restart.
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