s/o filing system thread...How do you do your actual lesson plans?

[kwickimom]

I was wondering how exactly you are doing your lesson plans if you are scheduling out the 36 weeks?

 

I am wondering how detailed your plans are. I am worried aboput being too detailed and not having wiggle room, yet I also want to have it all done :)

For example, when looking through SOTW plans, there are tons of links and extras. Are you going to dig through it all and get pretty specific on everything for the entire year? or are you going to plan basic and then get detailed the week ahead of time?

 

very interested in everyones thinking!

[TXMary2]

I try to make my plans detailed for science and history, otherwise I just list the text and/or workbook pages that need to be read or completed. If I have a handout on my computer I want to use I write down the name of the file and I print it out to put in our lesson plan notebook (which I am currently re-vamping).

 

As for details on science and history I will include words I want to write on the board, ideas I want to get across, additional resources and projects to do, when I need to buy something I am going to need in the next couple of days etc.

[nukeswife]

I was planning to write out basic plans on index cards. I thought index cards would work best because they can easily be re-arranged if situations change.

I tend to be pretty basic because then I can follow rabbit trails as my kids find them. I've made some pretty grand plans in the past thinking my kids would love them, only to find out they had no interest in it at all.

 

Now I'm not sure if my index card plan will actually happen. I may end up just typing up a list of what lessons I want to do and check them off as we accomplish them. For things like math and grammar, etc I think a list will be better since plans are basically, lesson1, lesson 2, lesson 3... For science and SOTW a list could work for me too because I'm ok with just getting as far as time takes us and if we don't finish we'll just pick it up again next year.

[robsiew]

I tend to plan 6 weeks detailed at a time. I don't write in my plan book though until the actual week. I used my plan book more for a "what we did" rather than a "what we're going to do". Mostly because if we got off schedule on something it made my plans really messy and I hated that. Or I'd have to go through and erase several weeks because we were "behind".

 

Now, I plan out a six week block, pencil in most all of the "just do the next lesson" subjects and just put the chapter number (or week number) down for history and science. Then I fill in the details before the upcoming week. This allows me to plan the actual books I've been able to secure from the library, the project we actually have the supplies for, etc. It also helps me not to feel "behind" if we don't get to something. It's much easier to erase chapter numbers than entire boxes filled with plans....

 

Of course I have an over all view of the year in mind as I go, but with things like science and history I'm not so concerned if we get "behind". I think being bound to a 4 year cycle is a little too constricting. I like being able to dig in deeper where we want to, slow down as well as speed up, and it really doesn't matter to me if we finish the cycle in 4 years or not.

[kwickimom]

I tend to plan 6 weeks detailed at a time. I don't write in my plan book though until the actual week. I used my plan book more for a "what we did" rather than a "what we're going to do". Mostly because if we got off schedule on something it made my plans really messy and I hated that. Or I'd have to go through and erase several weeks because we were "behind".

 

Now, I plan out a six week block, pencil in most all of the "just do the next lesson" subjects and just put the chapter number (or week number) down for history and science. Then I fill in the details before the upcoming week. This allows me to plan the actual books I've been able to secure from the library, the project we actually have the supplies for, etc. It also helps me not to feel "behind" if we don't get to something. It's much easier to erase chapter numbers than entire boxes filled with plans....

 

Of course I have an over all view of the year in mind as I go, but with things like science and history I'm not so concerned if we get "behind". I think being bound to a 4 year cycle is a little too constricting. I like being able to dig in deeper where we want to, slow down as well as speed up, and it really doesn't matter to me if we finish the cycle in 4 years or not.

 

Thanks Robyn, I do like your idea.

I have a basic yearly overview and for things like SWO it was easy to divide up into the 36 weeks. So I filed it, but did not write it in my plans. I made a list of each subject and noted how long I have things filed for, what still needs done/copied/printed, and then another sheet for my 6 week more detailed plan.

This sounds complicated but is making some sense to me. I will have things filed and a basic written plan for 6 weeks at a time (this way when life happens, I have a decent plan)Then I think I am just going to make a block of time each week while I am doing my menu planning, coupon, and shopping list to pull out the next weekly file and add the supply list to my shopping list, the library book list to my errand list etc. Then I will sort it into day folders and run through any specifics like websites, etc.

[kwickimom]

I was planning to write out basic plans on index cards. I thought index cards would work best because they can easily be re-arranged if situations change.

I tend to be pretty basic because then I can follow rabbit trails as my kids find them. I've made some pretty grand plans in the past thinking my kids would love them, only to find out they had no interest in it at all.

 

Now I'm not sure if my index card plan will actually happen. I may end up just typing up a list of what lessons I want to do and check them off as we accomplish them. For things like math and grammar, etc I think a list will be better since plans are basically, lesson1, lesson 2, lesson 3... For science and SOTW a list could work for me too because I'm ok with just getting as far as time takes us and if we don't finish we'll just pick it up again next year.

 

I am still mulling this over big time. I have my plans written on a weekly sheet thus far so i hate to recopy it all on cards, but I may give this a try for my next 6 week block :)

[LunaLee]

Mostly, I just put all the lesson/chapter/page numbers and titles into HST+ for the whole book and then a few weeks out go through and make things more detailed. With HST, I don't usually plan my weekly assignments too far in advance, because it's a pain to have to go through and change stuff if sometihng comes up, so that's why I usually only do a few weeks at a time and why I love the Lesson Plan option. The assignments are already listed by subject and I just add them as needed.

 

This year, though, after I entered in all the books I went through and added writing assignments, literautre and projects to specific lessons. I'm still fine tuning, but I really would like to get to a place where I have created my own Sonlight-ish IG that is more by subject than by date and have all the files in my new hanging file system mostly filled out. I go through these cycles of extreme fatigue and some days it's all I can do to get up, so I think if everything already done, we won't fall behind while I try to get my act together.

 

Also, this year in an effort to keep us on track, I've added those 6 week goal/objective pages to my planner so I can list where I think we should be done at the end of the six weeks and to remind me to do the fun stuff like nature study, handicrafts, and particular life skills I want ds to learn,

Edited July 4, 2010 by LunaLee

[Geek]

Have you seen the free spreadsheet planner at Donnayoung.org? It's excellent.

 

(If you don't have Excel, you can download OpenOffice for free.)

[woolybear]

I think the more I can get planned out ahead of time, the more chance things will actually get done. I have tried the plan six weeks at a time method. It doesn't work for me. I might get through the first 2 six week blocks, but things start to slide after that. Also, MUCH doesn't get done if it is not planned out ahead of time. By that I mean, if I fly by the seat of my pants I only get a hole in my pants and we get nowhere fast. We might read some good books, might do history, science, etc. Then again, might not. Too many days I get up in a fog, thinking "Wha......." and find it hard to pick up the threads. So, that is a long winded way of saying if I don't plan out the extras now, they probably won't get done. My wiggle room is that I can still add on, take away, adjust, but at least the frame work is there. As to being locked into that work in that schedule, I think I will just have to be able to move things around if need be. I don't actually expect that to happen too much. I am following Melanie's approach, it is better to do a little regularly than skip it altogether because I can't get it all done. And then to keep going!!! I think I am leaving enough room for rabbit trails too.

 

One of my uncertainties is TOG. I am using year 2 and I want to take it slowly. I had initially thought I would stretch unit 1 possibly through the whole year. I've been looking at it, though, and I am thinking maybe just half the year. I think it will work better if I prepare both units and file them and then if I decide we are going to take longer for unit one it will be easier to adjust that way than to start scrabbling mid year to pull together unit two.

 

If I were doing SOTW I would not plan for all the extras. Maybe none, maybe just a few. Then I would print the pages with the links and extras and put it into the appropriate week folder.

 

As far as being specific goes, I will only be as specific as I think I need to be. I mean with something like science I will have the teacher's notes, student pages and materials list.

 

I compare the wiggle room aspect to following a curriculum. After four years of doing this, I know I like to have a pre-planned curriculum laid out for me. That being said, I still know I don't have to follow it to the letter. This is the same for me. However if it is there, printed and ready to go, there is a good chance I will use a lot of it. I have always been pretty loose and am looking to tighten things up a bit, so I'm not concerned about being able to be loose. I'm more concerned about being able to be a bit more ....looking for the right word here...don't like tight, rigid, whatever. I want to have a plan for the year and basically follow it.

 

Whew!! This is incredibly convoluted and long winded. Sorry. I'm in a bit of a daze due to a cold. Okay. I just reread this whole thing and it sounds like I contradict myself several times.:lol: Let me know if this makes any sense at all.

[prairiegirl]

After reading that humongous filing system thread, I came to the decision that this just might be the answer to my problems. I am having troubles in making everything work and getting it all done. I never used to have that problem but with now teaching 3 kids and the oldest doing a different track for history and science, I think I need things to be more structured.

 

I have started writing out our history plans and I am being very specific. We are using SOTW with the two youngest. I am writing out books to read, links to look at, what pages in enc. to read, what activities to do, etc. I need there to be details so that I am not flustered when the time comes. I am not being as detailed in the skill subjects. I just put the page number or topic that we will be learning.

 

 

In my plans, though, I do not put dates. When I get the filling system set up, I will not use dates for that, either. My files will read 'Week 1' Week 2, etc. This way, if we miss a day, if I want to add something to what we have been doing or if it is taking us longer to do what I had planned then we will just bump our plans over a day. It will be no big deal if I give them generic numbers.

[MamaMamaMama!!]

Since most of my "lesson plans" are made for me in my TM I dont really make lesson plans for everything else. Just tear apart workbooks and file..That is my lesson plan. :)

[Mommee & Baba]

Last year I bookmarked so many websites and blogs that had crafting ideas, worksheets and stories...and later this summer found them! I didn't remember to look at them.

 

This year anything I find that I want to incorperate into our school I hit PRINT and I file immediately!

 

I am in the process of prepping all our timeline figurines and adding velcro to them now...and just putting them into an envie and placing them in the appropriate week/month folder. Same goes for any crafts. Instead of filing the supplies and such things I have purchased colored index cards. These will be used for writing supplies and materials needed for a certain project/craft. Then I'll file it with the week/month that we're going to do it. Then I know if I see the colored index card that a craft/project is coming up. I've also incorp. a little storage tupperware with lid that is labeled "This Weeks Craft/Project Supplies"...and I know when preparing my weekly folders from my filing system to also prepare the tupperware with any supplies needed for any filed and listed crafts/projects.

 

I hope that made sense.

 

We use a filing system. Weekly folder system and Workbox system. I file my entire year in the filing system. I file 5 days of school work in a folder system then transfer into workboxes daily.

[I.Dup.]

Last year I bookmarked so many websites and blogs that had crafting ideas, worksheets and stories...and later this summer found them! I didn't remember to look at them.

 

This year anything I find that I want to incorperate into our school I hit PRINT and I file immediately!

 

 

 

This is how I am. For workbooks, I just write down the pages we need to do. For things like history with more activities and books needed, I make the lesson plans include EVERYthing I want to do or else it won't get done!

[Mom_Abear]

I am a planner. The more I do ahead of time, the better off I am. If we have a crazy week, I can go on "autopilot" and my decisions are reduced. If I don't have my act together, it is too easy for me to skip the projects that make history and science so much more fun! ;)

 

I plan "weeks" instead of dates, and I also leave Fridays sort of open so we can be flexible that way if a need arises.

 

Here's an example lesson plan page for history and science (we do each twice a week):

 

I've loved reading how everyone else makes their days run smoothly. Many ideas I currently incorporate I've gleaned from these boards. You ladies ROCK!! :)

[kwickimom]

I am a planner. The more I do ahead of time, the better off I am. If we have a crazy week, I can go on "autopilot" and my decisions are reduced. If I don't have my act together, it is too easy for me to skip the projects that make history and science so much more fun! ;)

 

I plan "weeks" instead of dates, and I also leave Fridays sort of open so we can be flexible that way if a need arises.

 

Here's an example lesson plan page for history and science (we do each twice a week):

 

I've loved reading how everyone else makes their days run smoothly. Many ideas I currently incorporate I've gleaned from these boards. You ladies ROCK!! :)

 

I like how you have the reading/activites/usbourn set up! So is all fo column one done in a day?

[Mom_Abear]

I like how you have the reading/activites/usbourn set up! So is all fo column one done in a day?

 

Yes, one column of history (or science) is for one day. Occasionally, the project/activity spills over into another afternoon as well ... but usually we don't mind.

[2cents]

I was wondering how exactly you are doing your lesson plans if you are scheduling out the 36 weeks?

 

I am wondering how detailed your plans are. I am worried aboput being too detailed and not having wiggle room, yet I also want to have it all done :)

For example, when looking through SOTW plans, there are tons of links and extras. Are you going to dig through it all and get pretty specific on everything for the entire year? or are you going to plan basic and then get detailed the week ahead of time?

 

very interested in everyones thinking!

 

I make a plan for all the weeks of our year and then get detailed about a week to two before the actual assignment date. Throughout the year I am constantly assembling resources that I file or bookmark. When I do the week plan, I check the resources and assemble everything for the coming week. That way I have flexibility for the week but still have the peace of mind knowing we still have a solid plan for accomplishing our goals.

[corbie]

My 2 cents - I plan on setting up the files for the year but only setting up lesson plans about three weeks at a time. I want to use Donna Y plans. I did hand written on a grid last year. I figure if I use Donna Y plans, I can save a little time and if we get off track, I can always mark out and re-write. I won't know if this works until we get started.

[kwickimom]

Have you seen the free spreadsheet planner at Donnayoung.org? It's excellent.

 

(If you don't have Excel, you can download OpenOffice for free.)

 

Thanks Natalie! I have been all over that site and somehow missed it. It is PERFECT for me! I printed out the blank version and was gonna go nuts trying to write so small. This way I can type it and easily cut/paste if things change and print as I see fit. Woohoo, easy and FREE :D

[fhjmom]

I use HST+, too, but I just bought it at the beginning of the summer. I tend to think in weeks so I have a basic weekly plan for each subject (or two-week plan in the case of DS' main language arts). The main framework stays the same for each subject and the chapters/page numbers/lessons change each week. I have entered the basic framework in HST+ Lesson Plans for the year. For those unfamiliar with HST+, you can make your lesson plan then you assign the lessons in however big of chunks as you want to the student assignments. My plan is to get more detailed for each week as I assign them to the student assignments, which I may do weekly or every few weeks.

 

I like having a basic framework laid out so I know how many chapters/pages/lessons I need to cover in what amount of time, but this leaves enough flexibiliy to adjust specific lessons through out the year as we go along.

[thowell]

We are using Konos this year for all our history and science and I have decided to plan it all out ahead of time. I created a spreadsheet for each week listing the days of the week. I have a space for the actual lesson, a space for any materials needed and and space for any movies or books. I have also included the call numbers for our library for any books or movies I am getting from them. It will be open and go once I finish. I have a binder where I am listing anything that needs to be purchased. Once I have finished through week 36 I will begin to gather all needed materials for the year and then store them in boxes divided into 4, 9 week quarters. I also print any extra worksheets and activities right away and then file them in the correct week. Now I will not panic! If a day is short and everything doesn't get done, I will pick what I think is most important and the rest will be forgotten! I looked at MFW, Sonlight, HOD, TOG to get ideas of how I wanting to set up my own TG.

[johnandtinagilbert]

I have to do different things for different areas b/c materials and grade levels vary. Here are the different approaches.

 

TOG: I designed our schedule, so in my Daily Planner, I just put 3:3:19:4 (year 3, unit 3, week 19, day x according to my schedule), I will enter this every 3 weeks (the length of one rotation)

 

Science: I designed the lesson plan and called each day, Day X, so on my planner, probably every Monday morning or Sunday evening, I'll write in Day X in my daily planner. I don't like to write too far ahead, in case something comes up; and when I do write, it's always in pencil! Seems like science days get moved around here so I definitely won't write those in advance!

 

Math: I do like to go through the workbooks of my elementary school students every Monday morning or Sunday evening and write: M, T, W, R, F on the tops of pages, for whatever reason, they really like this. I write down lesson numbers in my Daily Planner, every week (with history & science) b/c we generally stay on schedule for math; again, if we miss a day, I erase :)

 

For subjects where The Elders work alone, I know we have a block teaching day, so those days look very different in my planner, in fact, they have their own look entirely. I can completely map out the year for these pages by putting Week/Lesson/Exercise X about every 3-6 weeks. Since I use a 3-ring binder, I can simply move the page to the next week if we rearrange our schedule for any reason. We generally stick to these subjects (The Elders don't have much wiggle room in their schedules). Each of these topic areas have lesson plans via author or Momma that are attached to the materials, so it can be pick up and go for all of us.

 

I do, however, write daily reminders for the Elders in my planner b/c if I didn't write them down, I'd forget too! :tongue_smilie:It will say every Monday, for example, WS: final draft due Wed. You have 2 days to complete this assignment. Every other Wed will have: Study for your Latin test tomorrow. I'll type it on labels and stick it where it needs to go :) since I'll use them so often and this will save time:)

 

I have all the major reading, note taking, material lists, copies and all that taken care, with many little post-its or paper inserts throughout so I don't forget small details and then throughout the year, I plug in actual lessons to dates. If I put dates on anything...I'd be crazy changing them ALL the time! Basically, it's takes me about 20 minutes a week to add in those lessons, but over time, I end up erasing too much if I go too far ahead.

 

At this point, btw, the Elders (rising 7th, 8th, 9th graders) do all of this for themselves every Sunday evening, after 4pm (that's when our weekend officially ends). They have to write out daily plans that include all of their school and extra curric. activities. They're getting faster all the time :D

[thowell]

Ok, this has me thinking. As I stated above for Konos I am making lesson plans because I have to. However, with all the other subjects, if I have everything filed in weekly folders and then broken down into days do I need a lesson plan ahead of time. I will be placing the kids daily work in a work box system so can't I just have them write down in their own planner what they have done each day for each subject?

[Geek]

 

Thanks Natalie! I have been all over that site and somehow missed it. It is PERFECT for me! I printed out the blank version and was gonna go nuts trying to write so small. This way I can type it and easily cut/paste if things change and print as I see fit. Woohoo, easy and FREE :D

Here's another scheduling freebie.

 

[ummix3]

How long does it take to schedule 36 weeks? I have 4 girls that I will be planning for and wanted to get and idea.

 

Thanks,

Michelle

[swainsonshawk]

Following with interest. I am trying to plan as detailed as I can. I will skip or drop what doesn't get done and cross it off my plans. I don't have to keep lesson plans for my state, so I just keep what the kids actually do and let go of the rest. It gives me freedom to move along and be done when June comes along and still feel like we accomplished something.

[kwickimom]

I set up my file system last week and did a basic yearly plan based on a 36 week schedule so I can keep on track. I filed 36 weeks of SWO because that was easy. The rest of the subjects I then did a six week basic plan, breaking everything down into days (on a 4 day week adn day 5 of catch up and things like art and computer time)

 

Now after reading some of your plans, I am going through and getting as detailed as possible for my 6 week chunk. I am checking out links, making booklists, figuring out what projects we will be doing and making supply lists, etc. I am using the Donna Young 6 week planner on her website. I really like this spreadsheet because I can copy and paste as needed. If I need to move stuff ahead or whatever its a simple copy/paste. I will then just print out 2 weeks at a time so that I can add supplies to my grocery list and booklists to my errand list for the library to make sure I get everything a week in advance.

 

I will see whats working/whats not working after this 6 weeks is over. I plan on taking a week break after the 6 week period and then I can have a week to adjust and plan the next 6 weeks.

[Mommee & Baba]

How long does it take to schedule 36 weeks? I have 4 girls that I will be planning for and wanted to get and idea.

 

Thanks,

Michelle

 

For me this was my FIRST year really planning the entire year on paper. And I will admit that it took me 2-3 weeks to plan and be satisfied with the planning. I had to erase and adjust a couple times to stretch out certain things but otherwise I think next year planning will only be about 1-2 weeks on paper, instead of how long it took me this year.

 

Now for the filing system planning..I can imagine with as much prep work and what not it took me this year it won't be as bad next year. I had to actually set up the system this year. I've been going at this for a week now and I have Math and History yet to file in the filing system. I'm setting aside 3 of the 4weeks in July from now on to planning the school year, including on paper and filing.

Edited July 6, 2010 by mamaofblessings

[KerriF]

I use Edu-Track and I plan the whole year in one go. I can always bump lessons back and forth with Edu-track so I don't worry too much about it. I have 36 hanging folders with a folder for each child labled with the week and in their color (just the lable, colored file folders were getting too expensive). When I plan each subject I print off all of the pages I'm going to need for each child and file them in their color of that week.

 

In Edu-track I plan as much as I can. I use TOG so I don't put page numbers for books and such because I can refer back to my TOG assignemnt sheet but each subject in TOG is assigned a day in Edu track and comes up when I print out the weekly assignments. I go through the year pick out the crafts, writing, and extra reading that I want the kids to do and I put that into Edu track. This year we are going to be doing the Old and New Testament lapbooks from Homeschool in the Woods so I printed everything and lined it up with TOG and entered it into Edu-track and then filed in the the appropriate weekly folder by child.

 

I go ahead and assign days for grammar lessons and such because it is so easy to move it around even if we skip a day with Edu-track.

 

One thing that I've done differently this year is created a subject in Edu-Track called MOM and it is scheduled each Monday. In it I've created a list of things that I need to do that week (library books on hold, craft supplies to be bought etc) for the next week.

 

hth

[Zoo Keeper]

My one and only bit of scheduling advice: schedule in make up days. You will get behind. Someone will get sick. Your four year old will have to go the ER when you least expect it. Or when you are down in the basement trying to dig out some meat from the feezer, your two year old will find the markers that are supposed to be washable (but aren't) and will color all over the carpet in the living room and you will have to spend the afternoon scrubbing the carpet over and over while chanting "I will not lose my security deposit when we move out, I will not lose my security deposit when we move out..."

 

Anyway, leave yourself some wiggle room. I staggered mine so that every two or three weeks we had a make up day for a different subject. It worked well for us.

Edited July 6, 2010 by Zoo Keeper

[kwickimom]

My one and only bit of scheduling advice: schedule in make up days. You will get behind. Someone will get sick. Your four year old will have to go the ER when you least expect it. Or when you are down in the basement trying to dig out some meat from the feezer, your two year old will find the markers that are supposed to be washable (but aren't) and will color all over the carpet in the living room and you will have to spend the afternoon scrubbing the carpet over and over while chanting "I will not lose my security deposit when we move out, I will not lose my security deposit when we move out..."

 

Anyway, leave yourself some wiggle room. I staggered mine so that every two or three weeks we had a make up day for a different subject. It worked well for us.

 

I am quite scared of getting off track so I scheduled a heavy 4 days and we can use the 5th for adjustments. Since this is my first go around I am planning for any and all possible scenarios :D