Random Questions about Grammar, Planning & Books

[OregonNative]

Planning your day/schedule for teaching-

Do you use a particular planner?

Do you plan a week in advance or more?

Any tips or tricks you can give me?

Blog posts or threads with good info for newbies?

 

 

Thanks:)

Edited September 24, 2010 by OregonNative
Title Change

[OregonNative]

Changed the title to make it more specific. Can anyone help?

[In2why]

I am pretty relaxed with my planner. I started the year with 36 files and planned the whole year, down to ripping apart workbooks. UGGG :glare:

 

It was great in theory but what works for me is to look at the big picture first. What do I want to teach? Then I sit on the floor with everything around me. I take a big calendar and map out when I want to school, then looking at our curriculum choices, I look at where I hope to be on week 1-36. This is easier then it sounds because I copy the table of contents and then just write 1-36 on the lessons. If it doesn't have a table of contents, but its own lesson plan by weeks I use a copy of that.

 

Okay that is the big picture.

Then for weeks I decide how many days....4 and use Friday for things that fall through the week, or field trips, or nothing at all, it just depends.

So I look at Monday -Thursday and decide what I want to do every day,(Math) every other day,(Science) and maybe once a week. (co-op or an art class) I have a weekly planner that I picked up cheap, but last year I printed everything off of Donna Young's website. I still use some of her pages in planning.

The 5 subjects I have are Math, English, History, Science, Arts. I Plan my weeks 2-3 weeks ahead. I also use different color pens for different kids. I only have 2 at home right now. I make simple notes like AAS#20 or MUS #7 2pgs. etc.

As the week goes on I highlight what we finish or add bunny trails as they come up. If something doesn't get done that needs to be done to advance we do it on Friday. If something doesn't get done, but the kids already have the concept I drop it. By only doing a couple of weeks it allows me to speed up, or slow down in ways I couldn't when I planned the entire year. It also makes allowances for unexpected problems, and exciting extras. I also find it important to look at my yearly expectations in contrast to what we are actually accomplishing, because is for some reason we get seriously behind in a subject I can decide what the important ideas are that I want them to learn and skip the less important, and if we are getting way ahead then I can flesh it up, or make plans to order the next level, or find what comes next without it being last minute.

 

I also find it better for us to start with the subject that is most important to me, and sometimes I rotate what that might be. So if we have a really math filled day because he is really going with it, I might scale back on all that we do under the English heading and start with that the next day. I try to stay with him, if he gets passionate about something.

 

I don't think I follow any particular system, but have taken what works for us from a lot of different ideas. I think it takes a bit to figure out what works for each person. (but don't rip up your workbooks unless you are pretty strict with your schedule, or you might find yourself like me and have to put them back together :D)