Spin off to the Monday morning thread - productive vs non productive days -

[rafiki]

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[Dayle in Guatemala]

I need goals for each day and a plan. We are done when we accomplish the plan for the day. If it only lasts a short amount of time, that's okay, if it takes longer, that's okay, too, but, we have a definite plan for each day or I will loose focus.

 

Our days are productive when we get everything done in a decent amount of time (about 4 hours) and we take the afternoon to nature journal, garden, read, go to an art gallery, bake, etc. But, when we don't get done in a timely manner (usually due to attitude) and the afternoon is used for school things that should have been done earlier and our chores then take the place of other things, that is unproductive to us.

[Pensguys]

I have the "plan" in place each day. I have assignment sheets for the kids. The things I try to get done that take priority are Math, Writing, Latin (for the older). The younger does math, reading, spelling (and vision therapy). Usually we push through and get it all done because I WANT it done. If there is just SUCH a bad day (and usually it would come from my older vs. my younger), then I feel fine skipping everything else except the above.

[Susie in CA]

This is a really tough question. I ask it myself all the time. When should you just simply call it a day even though you are not done?

 

First, I have to say that we are rarely so unfocused that I see the need for quitting earlier than planned for the day. I may have done this a handful of times in 4 years.

 

So what to do when the day seems never-ending and unproductive for a variety of reasons? I can only give you examples of what we do. Hopefully, something here will be useful for your family.

 

1. We have switched to watching a German movie instead of suffering through a German grammar exercise. They were still learning German, however passively.

 

2. We have played a math game instead of doing drill sheets.

 

3. We have done Samurai wrestling as outlined in the SOTW AG instead of doing a narration.

 

4. We have baked a cake instead of doing formal chemistry.

 

5. We have gone for a long walk and called it P.E. This, too, helps us re-focus sometimes.

 

6. Sometimes, all it takes is a simple snack or hot cocoa and a good read-aloud.

 

All this to tell you that sometimes we don't need to quit. Sometimes I (the teacher) just need to switch direction. We are still learning on those days. We almost never quit! We just switch.

 

I want to add that I don't usually tell the boys that we are doing something else because they can't seem to focus. It has not seemed necessary. It is something that we have grown to do intuitively. I hope some ot this makes sense.

 

Warmly,

 

Susie

[Closeacademy]

What helps here:

 

1. Scheduled short and sweet lessons.

 

2. To write a schedule for the month that leaves a few days at the end running short.

 

3. To schedule a week every 4 to 6 weeks where we have fun school.

 

When we have a bad day this all really helps by:

 

1. If we skip something today it is usually something that runs short for the month so it will be ok.

 

2. If we need to slow something like math down then we can work on math through the fun week.

 

3. By keeping it short and intense, it doesn't take as long to get through things so when we are having a bad day we know that school won't take all day.

 

4. When we are ill for a few days or a week we just flip the fun week around to the sick week and don't worry about school that week.

 

Basically, I've been implementing these strategies for about 2 years now and they really seem to help with stress levels and to keep everyone happy.

 

:001_smile:

[Peela]

I cut back on unessentials. Some things don't matter if we skip a day or a week- certain read alouds, our Logic program, our Latin program (one child's, not the other)...they are just ongoing things which we do regularly over a long period of time. There are other things, though, which put us out if we don't do them. For example, our history schedule is quite tightly planned for the term. And we do French with a woman and we have a certain amount of homework to get through. So, I am more inclined to drop the things which are ongoing, except for maths, and make sure we do history or French, because there are consequences for not keeping up with them.

Guilty admission though....I am more likely to drop things if *I* am having a rough day, than if the kids are. If its just the kids, and I am fine, I will help them more, sit with them, whatever is necessary, and maybe let them drop a subject. Use humour to keep going. There is a point where it become futile to continue, but thats rare here. If *I* am tired or hormonal or just feeling ragged, I will often cut out work they need *me* for, and give them more reading to do, or something independent.