Well, I ended up calling Apologia. They estimate 3 hrs of teaching time per module. So, it looks like it could add 30 minutes or so to her day. Bummer. O'Well...you do what you have to do, I guess. So, does anyone have a schedule worked out?

How did you organize it? Did you read the text first and then watch the DVD or the other way around? How long is each teaching segment? We really like the DVD, but if she has to watch all of that plus read plus work problems, it could take a while each day! How long did it take your dc? I will be your friend for life if you have a schedule that coordinates the DVD with the text in doable amounts of time!!!! Thanks so much! Becky

All I can say is... Praise God!!!!

Hey everyone. I just wanted to update about how our year is going. All I can say is I stand in awe of the Lord. He has been so faithful to help me as I have cried out to Him with a sincere, heartfelt desire for change. Discipline is something that I have desired for so long. It doesn't come naturally to me, though. That is how I know that for all these changes to come together and actually work...it is the evidence of the Master's work in my life!!!! (Not to say that I have arrived or anything...I am a work in progress!) This summer I planned out (in His strength) every. single. class. for the entire year...39 classes! So I have the master planner that some wonderfully wise mom told me about. (Thank you!!!! I can't remember who it was!) I made planners for each child and copy the plans from the master planner each week in an effort to keep us on track. I love this method!!! Also, He has been helping me to get up early each day and stay on track during the day with my MOTH schedule. I am so very thankful to all you ladies for your input. God is so very good...all the time! Blessings, Becky

Two of mine are doing How Great Thou Art I & II. It is a DVD class entirely composed of drawing lessons. (Just FYI, it is a Christian curriculum.) Hope you find a good alternative to the class you had lined up. Blessings, Becky

I'm excited about this curriculum, but I can't figure out how to schedule it. If you have done this, could you help me? It has three components...the video segments, audio segments, and a book. I started out scheduling it by following the book, but it almost looks like the book must have been written afterwards because all the segments that seem to apply to that section are listed. So, the same video or audio segment may be mentioned in several chapters. I think I'm going to have to give up on this tonight...it's getting too late. If anyone has answers for me, I am all ears! Thanks!

Bump. OhElizabeth, are you out there? I bet you would have good advice, as usual. Anyone????

I will be teaching them at the same time. They have had about 1/4 of Shurley 6. I can't decide whether to finish Shurley 6 this year and do 1/2 of Level 7 or just jump in and do Shurley 7 for the whole year. Those of you who have used Shurley 7, what are your thoughts? Thanks!

I'm not offended or anything...we just have different personalities. To me, that school room is wonderful! It is peaceful and allows me to really concentrate. I don't do well with a lot going on at one time. Funny that the Lord has blessed me with 7 children and 2 grandchildren!!! So, I have grown a lot in that area, but when I really need to think, I need quiet. I was that way in college too. I thank you for sharing the way you do things. I took some notes on your post and will refer to them when thinking of how to organize our day. It was very helpful to see things in a different way. I will glean from it what will work for our family. Over the years I have read quite a few of your posts and respect you greatly as a teacher. I am sure you are inspirational for your children and I think that is wonderful! Blessings to you, Becky

I guess it is all a matter of what you are used to. What you are describing sounds foreign to me and what I am describing sounds the same way to you. My situation is not chaotic either. Everyone is busy doing their work for the most part. There is an occasional issue that I have to settle, but they are pretty much used to it. (I don't have a little one at this point so I am not worried that they are getting into something) However, I am always open to ways to improve and make changes that could help. I'm going to pray on it and see how if this is a change I need to implement. Thanks for sharing your routine with me. :)

I am trying to picture this because it is different from how we do it. When I teach, it is one on one with no one else around up in the school room. Is it hard for your dc to concentrate when they are completing work while you are teaching someone else in the same room? So, would you have an order for the computer also? Just wondering if they might end up needing it at the same time. Forgive me...I have been doing things the same way for so long, I just have a hard time thinking out of the box. I just don't want it to feel chaotic.

Now that sounds doable to me. And that is actually what ends up happening despite the beautiful every minute planned out schedule I produce every year. We school by schedule, but after school is over it all falls apart and we don't end up following it. Exhausting is a good word for how following a schedule all day makes me feel as well. Prisoner comes to mind also. :lol:

See, the thing is...I think I would like a routine vs. a schedule. The schedule never really works anyway because I feel like the clock runs my life and we always run over the allotted time. But, I'm afraid we won't get to everything if I do it that way. For example, we have one computer with internet. I have 5 dc that use it for a couple of different things during the day...so that necessitates a schedule so that we can know what happens when or we will have arguments over whose turn it is...trust me. Also, I have classes that I teach to several at a time so we need a time to meet for that. The children also do some DVD classes so we need to know who will be on which TV or computer for that. So, to make up a routine, you just put things in the order you want to accomplish them rather than by time slots? How would I work out the above details? Thanks so much!

Thanks so much, womanintheshoe. I would love to see your schedule. I may be able to glean something from it that could really help. Blessings, Becky

Thank you everyone. Please keep the ideas coming. I think I like the idea of corrections being math homework. No corrections=No homework. Ideally, I would like to correct it as soon as the mistake is made, but it probably won't happen because of the busyness of the day. Any other thoughts?

It does help. Thank you so much for responding. Do you check their planners at the end of the day? What kind of planner have you found works well? So, as they rotate through...is that like a meeting with each? So, during that time you go over mistakes in the previous day's work plus teach any subjects that you do with that particular child? When do you grade work? Are you saying you do it as they finish? Part of the difficulty for me is that I have found that for our school some of the more teacher intensive things are the things that work best. My best estimate of this upcoming year is that my school day (not theirs) will be 7 1/2 hours long. It makes it difficult to get other things done...like the cleaning/organizing/planning you mentioned. I am going to seriously consider a schedule like that..with 5-7 weeks followed by one week off. Once we are schooling, there is no time in the day for those things. I end up getting frustrated because I have a hard time keeping it all balanced. Do you mind if I ask how long your teaching day is? As you can see, I have a bunch of questions...I want this school year to be productive and I know I need to be more structured with going over their work as well as doing a planner. I really appreciate your input. I know you have a lot of experience with juggling a lot of dc.

Or do you do it the next day at the beginning of your math session? I am finding that math corrections are taking a while. Then the lesson takes a while. It makes it difficult to figure out how to schedule the time. I do MOTH type scheduling so I need to estimate the time everything takes for the sake of the schedule. Sometimes after going through corrections, my dc are bummed out that they still have a lesson to do before they are released. (I personally think they are whining over nothing...) Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't go over their work the same day. Let's just say that I could sit in the corner and cheerfully pull all my hair out some days!!!! So, for the sake of my hair, could you please tell me how you schedule/do math? We do R&S math for the most part. Thanks!

How do you make sure they have done their work, stay on track, and actually finish what you set out to accomplish for the year? I am schooling 6 dc. (2 are 4th and the rest are 6th, 7th, 8th, and 10th this year) It is a lot to keep up with. Do you have individual meetings with them on a daily basis? If so, do you have a checklist they use or a student planner that you go over during that time? I need ideas for keeping track of their work. Also, I would love thoughts on using planners. I have the full range of student types...the go getters, the procrastinators, and the in betweeners. :tongue_smilie: Thanks for your thoughts!!!!

Just in case you don't know...the Spanish I DVD is a link class where students have called in, etc. They are retaping the Spanish I class this year so that it will not include the interruption of the other students. My BJU rep told me that last week. It should be ready the following year.

I know this is an old thread, but I've been wondering the same thing. Has anyone used MapTrek with Notgrass EWH? They have a schedule for incorporating their maps with Notgrass and many other curriculum on the website. I liked MapTrek because they provide an answer key. The one used with MFW does not have a key.

I am curious about the dictation method. Why do you suppose it works? Is it because they do the passage over and over until they get the whole thing right?

Do you know how many lectures there are? Are you saying you think she will need the gpb lectures to be able to understand the Apologia chem?

Thanks, Teresa. It is always helpful to hear both sides of the story. I've heard that reason about Geometry also. Does anyone know what Apologia recommends about Algebra? (I keep forgetting to call. Maybe I'll remember tomorrow.)

Thanks, guys. It's looking like it will be okay to do Geometry next year. Now to figure out which program to use...

My dd will have finished Alg. I before taking Apologia Chemistry. I was thinking she needed to take Alg. II at the same time as the Chemistry? Am I wrong about that? I don't see that mentioned on the Apologia website so I'm not sure where I got that idea. I am rethinking her math sequence. A math teacher I know suggested that it is best to do Geometry between Alg. I and Alg. II. But, my dd has an opportunity to do a Chemistry lab with a coop. If she has to do Alg. Ii while doing Apologia Chem, then there's no choice. If not, I may change gears and do Geometry next year. Just trying to figure out the best way to go. Thanks so much for any input.