Welcome back to scheduling week! Our plan for the week looks like this:
Day 2 - The Year
Day 3 - The Weekly Schedule
Day 4 - The Daily Rhythm
Day 5 - Taking a Break
Yesterday, we touched on the Big Picture. Today, we’re moving into planning for the year.
As you’ve probably already gathered from the looks of this site, we’re usually not all that “planny”. We like to follow the lead of the child, see learning in just about all we do, and change on a whim if that’s what the day calls for. It’s what makes homeschooling so much fun! Without that, we’d likely be bored and frustrated, and feel confined by a self-inflicted schedule.
That all being said, routines and rhythms are a welcome part of our lives. They help us meet goals, complete projects, feel accomplished, and discover new things to learn. They also provide regular opportunities for rest, self-care, time together, alone time, and all the other things we want to make time for. Structure is not something we impose upon ourselves and resent, but something we create, embrace, and change when needed.
Step 2 in the planning process involves laying down general plans for the whole homeschool year. As you dive in, keep in mind that everyone’s family is unique: needs, developmental levels, budgets, employment, and spaces vary. Consider and embrace those differences to make it work for YOUR family.
Let’s get started!
As you try to wrap your brain around planning for the year, grab a piece of paper and pencil, and consider the following:
Jot down all the interests: wish list time!
Consider them all! Do your children want to learn a new language? Build Lego? Try parkour? Make things explode? If you don’t know, ask them!
What new things do they want to learn about?
What new things do you think are important to learn about?
Are there grade level expectations that you are going to incorporate into your learning this year?
Are there state requirements that need to be included and addressed?
Is there a style of learning that your child or family leans towards? Montessori, Waldorf, self-directed learning, Common Core standards?
Include your children in this exploration!
Let this be enjoyable and flexible. It’s a great place to start, and can honor everyone’s preferences and learning styles.
Consider how these interests can be nurtured: in a perfect world we could dive into it all, but overscheduling can be a recipe for disaster. Time, money, and logistics restraints will help whittle down the wish list and then it is time to think realistically. How is this learning going to happen?
Planning it on your own?
Classes?
Self-directed research and exploration?
Finding a mentor?
Following a curriculum?
Creating a group with other learners?
Connect interests with areas of learning… and expand!: This is a really fun part once you get the hang of it! On our instagram page, we often list all the growth and learning areas that happen in activities that can often be dismissed as everyday tasks.
Is there math in Lego? Physics in parkour? The scientific method in exploding things?
Going further, how can those interests be used to expand to even more learning? Can area and perimeter be explored with Lego? What about a nature lover… can reading and writing be practiced through creating garden markers?
Consider what your learning community is doing.
Are there friends with whom your child likes to learn?
What kinds of things are they doing?
Can you join forces? What about a group learning situation, or dividing the responsibilities between families?
How long are these commitments?
Consider the areas that feel challenging for your child.
Are these areas that need attention, or need a break?
Embrace the idea that breaks are okay, and needed!
If they need attention, are there new perspectives that can be taken?
If needed, can they be given some space, and revisited after growth in other areas?
Prioritize: What feels the most pressing, the most important, the most inspiring?
Considering all the needs and wants, do things feel balanced? (physical activity/screen based activities/time in nature/independent learning/collaborative learning/passion projects/new learning, etc.) If not, discuss, and add/take away where necessary.
What is your budget? Do these goals and interests fit within it?
Are classes beginning soon and do they require registration?
Are there special needs that need to be considered? Accommodations or modifications that need to be planned for?
Do you have a high schooler who might need to meet graduation or college entry requirements?
Does your state require a portfolio at the end of the year, making some subjects non-negotiable?
Set goals: Refer to the goals you and your child created for the year, suggested in yesterday’s post.
Does it feel like you are addressing those goals?
Do you need to make some new ones?
Post them somewhere to remind you and your family, or keep them in a planner to refer back to.
How long will these goals take? Be realistic, and be flexible. Things change, and working through those changes is where some of the most important learning happens.
Here are a few examples:
Math: Geometry, to learn how to use drawing tools & gain an understanding of some equations. (Complete 6th grade Geometry course through Waldorfish, along with Brilliant.org and other support when needed).
Science: Chemistry, to learn about atoms and the periodic table (Enroll and take online course, 5 months).
Lego, to expand expertise from nano-scale to other scales. (Do online research and practice until satisfied, 6 months-ish).
History: Learn about 3 Ancient Civilizations (Homeschool co-op zoom group & at-home learning, throughout the year).
Math: To complete 4th grade common core standards (Use curriculum of choice, along with supplements, 8 months.)
Personal Growth: To meditate at least 3 times a week (Use Sitting Together Curriculum for support).
Organize: It’s time to create a rough, long-term calendar based on your decisions. Things will change, so use pencil :)
Get a calendar of the year: a wall calendar, calendar app, print out a one page school calendar...whatever works for you.
Block out holidays and family vacation days. Even include breaks if that’s what your family needs!
Think about what time of the year your plans and goals match best with. Think about weather and the feel of the different seasons. Some times of the year lend themselves to more focus.
Sketching in the yearly plan can be general and just cover the big block topics of the year. Ancient Egypt in September, Botany in April/May, Animal Studies in June…
Plot out the topics you are committed to, or that are less negotiable, and allow for change where you can be more flexible.
Add in classes or group learning topics that will have a concrete beginning and end to them.
Many homeschoolers have subjects, classes and activities that will be looping, meaning they will be ongoing throughout the year and those can wait until we get to the weekly calendar.
Phew! Take a deep breath, pat yourself on the back, and get ready for an exciting year!
Next, we’ll dive into taking all this good information, and using it to make weekly and daily rhythms that work for you and your family. Stay tuned!
コメント