Monday, March 22, 2010

The Joy of Making A Plan....A Week of Lesson Plans

Okay, I need to get myself together and prepare for next year.  I began this process back on February 1st. So in order to keep myself on the task at hand, I am doing this in a week of intense planning.  Want to join me?


First things first. You will find a supply list at the beginning of each post and an assignment.  So here is your chance to get some coaching with your plan this week!  So let's get started:

Day 1
Supply List
Year at a Glance Calendar (I like the ones at DonnaYoung.org)
Pencil
Schedules (work, support group, sports)

Assignment: Prepare a yearly calendar noting your school days.


Step 1
Look at the yearly calendar.  (I use this calendar.)
Cross off all days you are not going to school.  For us, that means all weekends.  I am crossing off the days I know my son will be home from college (this may change).  I am crossing off all holidays.  Of course your holiday breaks may be different from mine.  But for us, that means 2-3 weeks at Christmas and a whole week at Thanksgiving.  Cross off vacation days/weeks.

Step 2
Decide your schedule:
5 day/4 day weeks
6 weeks on, 1 week break
9 week quarters
2 semesters
Check with your state as to what your requirements are for attendance.  In Florida, homeschoolers that are registered with their county do not have any attendance requirements. Although, I plan for 36 weeks of school within two semesters.  The semester break is at Christmastime.

When do you want to begin school?  I have a dear friend that begins school 6 weeks prior to Labor Day.  So she then takes that week off.  Seems everyone is in school and vacation deals can be had!  So that is definitely something to ponder.

This year we are beginning school much earlier than I have planned in recent years.  But, once again, I know myself and my children.  We get Spring fever.  So knowing that, I make sure we done with school by May 1. That also means we can begin earlier in the hot Florida summer earlier!  (Yes, my teens are not real excited about this, but they will singing a different tune when our Christmas break is longer than usual!)

 Step 3
Set a goal for your first day of school.  Mark that date on your calendar.  I circle this date.  Then I use a highlighter to note all school days.  Make sure you mark a realistic amount of school days.  The reality is you probably do not want to run from late summer to Thanksgiving with no breaks.  You need a break and so do your kiddos!

Make this calendar work for you!  Do not allow this "plan" to rule you!

Tomorrow we are going to think about our kids!  I'll even have a worksheet for you to print!

Post any questions you have or email me at justamom at tampabay dot rr dot com.

1 comment:

  1. Alice, if you haven't already, you can find a calendar for UT on Spartan Web -- it is three years worth Wanda

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