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I am in such a rut


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How to motivate me.... I have detailed lesson plans for almost all subjects for four kiddos, written down somewhat organized. I have several different student planners, not sure yet which to use, or which format.

 

My dilemma is that I don't want a time-slot schedule (as kids sometimes wake up at a royal time) and I don't want to be a nag or have totally cranky/sleepy kids. So, I have some independent subjects and lots of mother-needed ones (for supervision or interaction more than for "teaching").

 

Do I want to make a weekly check-list, a daily one? Do I want to be the one writing their assignments into their planner (if I go that route)? What do I want to do? Perhaps for ds 14 I'll give him a sheet with weekly assignments and then have him plot them into his own student planner. I am thinking that might give him direction, yet independence.

 

Younger kids are 8, 8, and 11.

 

I realise I am mostly brainstorming out loud here, so bear with me if I have bored you to tears!!

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This fall I have a very focused 12 yo, a flighty 11 yo, a less focused 9 yo who needs lots of attention, an ESL 9 yo who needs lots of encouragement, an 8 yo ESL who needs a kick in the keester, and a rising 2nd grader who gets frustrated very easily. Honestly, I sit with a whiteboard and go through all the possibilities for direct teaching (which at least 1/2 of them still need) and how I can just show interest (actually, I like sitting with my olders!), as well as independent work. And I just can't figure out how to morph into several different people to cover all the bases. I guess we just have to keep plugging!

 

Actually, I am going to try to do this looping thing everyone was talking about earlier. Basically, you work until a set time with your kids, then stop and the next morning you start again where you left off. Maybe you don't get everything done in one day, but I figure you keep going and maybe I will get less stressed if I know that it *will* get covered, just not exactly *when*.

 

Hugs,

 

jeri

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I feel your pain, and I have only one! I haven't been able to do anything in weeks--we're leaving for Toronto on Friday (more hockey) and we've been preparing everything for our move to Michigan--August 12 is our first travel day, with two drugged cats, the boy, the cocker spaniel, and the lizard in my car and my husband towing the ATV in his little jeep with the German Shepherd Dog. Eiiiii....

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How to motivate me....

 

What? We are supposed to be motivated? No one told me...!...I missed the memo.... :lol:

I gave up on motivation last decade. *wink

 

I'm not motivated to do a lot of chores either, but I do those without motivation.

 

As far as the student assignment sheets, I do daily assignment, by subject.

It stays with the Schoolbooks and folder for That subject.

 

:seeya:

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Jeri -Great to hear your voice. You certainly have your plate full. How is it going with the progress of your ESL-kids?

 

I could do the loop-thing, but I don't think that's what I need. Right now I am not even considering seriously the time-issue as I have a riiilllly active toddler. I am still trying to have a positive outlook on next school-year, ya know?! When my kids were young there was (obviously!) two of them so while they wrecked the house then they also did entertain themselves.

 

Anyways, I have two high schoolers one of whom I am not going to have to run after. Ds does need me around in order to remain upbeat and talkative. I think for him I'll do a weekly sheet that he'll transfer to his own planner. Perhaps I'll schedule his interactive subjects for afternoon.

 

Three younger ones...They have a few subjects together and several independent. My issue here is how do they get their assignments (I want this to be logical). Do I want to write them in a daily planner? Or a weekly checklist? That would work for their independent subjects, but not the group-work (which I plan on doing first thing in the AM). Hmm.

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What? We are supposed to be motivated? No one told me...!...I missed the memo.... :lol:

I gave up on motivation last decade. *wink

 

:seeya:

 

Yes, Moni, I *have* to be motivated. I actually try to mini-inspire myself by reading some great homeschooling books and mentally pampering myself prior to the new term. Planning is also supposed to get me in the mood....

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We use a daily checklist, and that seems to work better than a weekly one for us. I have tried different ways, but right now I make one sheet for all three dc (not so easy if you have more.) It's old beginner writing paper, so I fold it into thirds and write down all their subjects (we do what comes next with many of them), chores, etc that they have to do that day. I have motivation issues lately--I think it's because it's summer and it's been raining so often.

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Karin,

 

About the chores, then I have made a few lists that we keep for one year. I just did not want to write down chores constantly and the chores needed to be done!

 

So I have a Daily Chorelist where each group of chores (two chores pr. group) has a letter and then each child has one letter pr. day. So here I made five groups of letters (something around 10 chores) since I have five kids. We do chores each day except for one day when we have a major Weekly Chore thing going on.

 

Weekly chorelist is rotated monthly actually. That way the kids have the joy of doing the same grouch-work for four weeks in a row. Some training is expected here. I have the chores by letters again and then each child has specific months where they get each letter.

 

Our third list is for Garbage and I just added Snow Removal to it as well as lawn mowing. These are specific chores. For trash each child gets a whole month (child-labor at its best...). My Lawn Mowing child (oldest ds) has been exempted from garbage as he is lawn mowing.

 

Chores get mostly done in this house. I cannot stand mess and we would not be able to breathe, being so many in a somewhat confined space!!!!

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:grouphug:I'm right there with you in the rut and not sure how much help I'll be in the motivation department. Yesterday I was so perplexed by my scheduling dilemma that I managed to completely rearrange and deep clean the living room furniture and then sort through the game cabinet.

 

Today I'm putting plan A on paper, which happens to be last years plan. My ds's was a weekly plan slipped into a plastic sheet protector. I then wrote in the page numbers etc. in with Vis-a-Vis wet erase markers. (Dry-erase smudges and doesn't work.) DS did like the weekly check list because he could try to get it all done and have an extra day or two free to himself.

 

My real problem is one of work space and schedules conflicting. I'm not sure how to get both of their lessons done without some truly ingenious thinking, and as mentioned above my brain isn't cooperating. Then again, the living room does look pretty good and cleaning often does lead to a few of those...Ah-ha moments of clarity.

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:D Yes well, we've played clue all morning and I've been the murderer every time. I should have never opened the game closet. A my ds keeps commenting on how weird the living rooms looks. It's completely the same only backwards like looking in a mirror. At least someone noticed;).

 

 

The sheet protector does work pretty well and your not out much if it doesn't fit your needs.

 

Tammy,

 

Your post and your signature was hilarious. At least your living room looks great now! I have also gotten a few things re-arranged around here!

 

Hang in there!

 

BTW, your idea with the plastic sheet plan paper is great!

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Karin,

 

About the chores, then I have made a few lists that we keep for one year. I just did not want to write down chores constantly and the chores needed to be done!

 

 

 

Your chore list is so much more organized than mine. I was just putting everything I do on our lists at once, but I have only 3 dc to do this for, and you still have 6 at home. However, I don't think your little one is reading a chore list yet :). I remember how well you kept your house when you lived closer to us.

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Your chore list is so much more organized than mine. I was just putting everything I do on our lists at once, but I have only 3 dc to do this for, and you still have 6 at home. However, I don't think your little one is reading a chore list yet :). I remember how well you kept your house when you lived closer to us.

 

Hehhe, Karin. Don't underestimate me. Tonight when he was getting ready for bath with Huda he put his clothes in the hamper automatically. She was astounded. Guess some skills are learned and then magically un-learned again around age 8!!!!

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Hehhe, Karin. Don't underestimate me. Tonight when he was getting ready for bath with Huda he put his clothes in the hamper automatically. She was astounded. Guess some skills are learned and then magically un-learned again around age 8!!!!

 

 

:lol::lol: Actually, mine did little things at that age, too, and sometimes without being told, and unlearned them! How old is he now? Is he as cute as your twins were at that age? I'm sure he is.

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One of the reasons I don't like the planners I've found is that I don't want to schedule out the days. I want to give my older kids a week's worth of assignments and let them schedule their own days. For the little kids, I just want them to sit down with me when I tell them to, and we'll go straight through their "do the next thing" curriculum.

 

So this year I am trying out Donna Young's quarter planners. My oldest will be able to see, at a glance, 9 weeks of work in each subject. then he'll have daily checklist for the things I expect him to do every day. My 11 year old will have something similar, but he'll need more guidance from me and prefers more of a daily list.

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