Help with lesson planning/scheduling/organization?

[mykdsmomy]

Oh my goodness!!!! This year has brought on some huge changes. For one thing, I'm here at WTM (where I never thought I'd be ;) ) I'm coming from a very disorganized (just being honest here) homeschooling place. We've been Hs'ing off and on for several years and yet none of them have been very "productive".

My philosophy is shifting (thanks to a dear friend ;) ) and I realize the importance of a classical education.

 

Just for some background, we have 4 children. Two of them are special needs. Three of them are in a public charter school where I was able to hand pick the curriculum (IEW, GWG, ETC , SOTW, etc). One of them is still with K12 virtual academy. (long story).

 

I am working on trying to integrate the two in some ways to lessen my workload but it's nearly impossible since ds10 (K12) is doing American History and dd11 is doing World History. I'm trying to find the common objectives while not drifting too far away from K12 for Ds10 because we still need to give samples, etc.

 

Ok, herein lies the biggest problem: Organization!

My two special needs kiddos have lots of in home therapy now which takes away from our school time. My oldest dd15 has 2 classes she attends outside of our home too. I was hoping someone could give me some pointers on scheduling/organizing my curriculum and my day? Here is our schedule so far:

 

Monday: 11:30am play therapy for ds6

2:30pm swim lesson for ds6

3:30pm VI therapy for ds 10

 

Tues: 11am drop dd15 off for Lit class

12:30pm pick up dd15

1pm ds10 has online math class

 

Weds: 3:30pm VI therapy for ds10

 

Thurs: 10:30am drop dd15 off for Biology class

12:15pm RSP support for ds6 (1 hour)

3:30pm Speech therapy for ds6 (1 hour)

6pm dance class for dd15

 

Fri. 12:15pm RSP for ds6 (1 hour)

3:30pm Speech for ds6 (1 hour)

 

*** OT has not yet been set up for either of my sn children but will start soon and they will both be seeing two separate OT's at different times!

 

I also didn't add in Dr's appts for ds6 which happen at least once a month right now. I am also going through health issues so I'm at the Dr on an average of once a month as well. Then there is all the phone calls, meetings, emails, etc that go along with all of this and I am ready to head for the hills!!!!

 

Any input/advice/tips are greatly appreciated. I don't even know how to begin using a planner at this point. I have one but I need a big wall chart or something to help me visualize everything :confused:

[PeterPan]

We're doing the speech/VT/OT thing, so I know what you mean! Couple observations. One, you need to start stacking things all onto one day. We do our VT sessions back to back with a break between. If you do those appointments in the afternoon, you can get in a morning of school work.

 

Two, I'd pay someone to take dd15 to those classes or drop them. What benefit is one day a week of a lit class? There are tons of online classes. Bio once a week??? Is it just labs??? I'd do some serious evaluating of all that driving.

 

For me, I decided I could get by with dd11, for a light year, with 3 or 3 1/2 days of schoolwork. Because your appointments are so spread out, you're not even getting that in. You're going to HAVE to move things and combine them. Get brutal. I'd do OT, VT, SLP, everybody in one day. Well that's not totally true. My dd gets worn out from the therapies. But if multiple kids are having single therapies, I'd stack them all on one day. Then have another day where you hit the OT with all the kids.

 

On that swimming, I'd consider getting brutal there. Does a kid really need swimming on top of OT?? I'd move that to Saturdays and let daddy take them while you get your hair done and unwind. You need to move anything that doesn't HAVE to be during that school week, or your not going to get your work done. Swimming doesn't have to be during school time. You also need to carve a few hours a week for yourself, time where someone else takes over. Otherwise you'll get burnt out.

 

Seriously look at carpooling or paying somebody to take that dd15 to those classes. You can get bio labs online or on a dvd. Trim down the time it's costing you. There are dvd classes for bio (DIVE, etc.). Trim and hack till you actually have in a reasonable number of school days a week. Remember, you still have the HOMEWORK for those therapies!!!

[Hedgehog]

When we started HSing, I came across a book published by the Maxwells, called Managers of their Homes. It's an excellent method for organising the day to day activities of a family, working out how much time you actually have to do what needs to be done. When I started out, I found that I was trying to do far more than I could ever fit into my days.

 

In actual fact you don't NEED to get the Managers of their Homes book. You could do it all on a spreadsheet. That's how my schedule ended up. Having made a list of all the things I needed to do and pruned it to fit into a day, I started fitting it into my spreadsheet. I have the days of the week along the top, and times in quarter hour increments down the side. I put in meals first, unalterable activities and chores after that, and then fit the rest in around it. It requires tweaking every now and again, but it's worked really well for us for some time now.

 

HTH.

[anneofalamo]

When we started HSing, I came across a book published by the Maxwells, called Managers of their Homes. It's an excellent method for organising the day to day activities of a family, working out how much time you actually have to do what needs to be done. When I started out, I found that I was trying to do far more than I could ever fit into my days.

 

In actual fact you don't NEED to get the Managers of their Homes book. You could do it all on a spreadsheet. That's how my schedule ended up. Having made a list of all the things I needed to do and pruned it to fit into a day, I started fitting it into my spreadsheet. I have the days of the week along the top, and times in quarter hour increments down the side. I put in meals first, unalterable activities and chores after that, and then fit the rest in around it. It requires tweaking every now and again, but it's worked really well for us for some time now.

 

HTH.

 

 

I love that book! I think I should go reread it!

[mykdsmomy]

Thank you for the suggestions. I have heard of Managers of Their Homes and have looked at it a few times. I probably could set up a spreadsheet but I'm having a hard time figuring out just how to do it.

 

As far as shaving stuff off, I simply cannot. DD15 needs to take these classes because they get her out of the house and last year she was stuck at home every day doing K12 from the computer. She really loves these classes and I wouldn't take that from her. I also cannot move therapy around. It's taken me this long to get it all worked out and the therapists schedules are pretty tight too. Ds6 needs swimming because it's his only "thing" right now. He has just begun but needs something outside the home to help calm him.

 

Basically, I need to figure out how to make this work as is and I realize it's a tall order but unfortunately I don't have a lot of wiggle room :(

 

Thank you again, I really do appreciate all the input :)

[iona]

this is coming from someone who is super unorganized and also has a lot less going on than you, and much younger kiddos so please take this with a grain of salt..

 

if the appointment times are fixed, i'd try to get someone to at least drop dd off at her classes, so that would mean you'd be home until noon m-f. Then try and be as focused as possible in the mornings. Catch up in the afternoon/evenings or even saturday if needed. also, use the drive time for supplemental stuff. (listening to stories, classical music)

 

You have a lot on your plate, good luck.

 

i saw that monday you had something at 11:30...so you'd only have until 11 or so on that day.

Edited September 27, 2010 by iona
missed something in your schedule

[5LittleMonkeys]

Well, without knowing more about how long each subject takes your dc or how how much one on one you have to give to each, I will venture this suggestion and it is probably not going to be something you want to hear but with all the running you do I would suggest you get everyone up at 6 and have school started at 7. The earliest appointment you have during the week is 10:30 so if you start at 7 and end at 10 you will get 3 hours of school done. Probably enough time for your ds6 to get everything done. Your ds10 should be able to get the majority, if not all of his work done. Your dd11 should be able to get most of her work done also. I'm assuming dd15 can stay home while you are running the others around so she could do most of her work in the am but easily be able to complete her work at some point during the afternoon while you are out and about. Make Wednesday your history and science project day since you are free until about 3.

 

With all of the appointments you have every day there is just no way I would want to worry about fitting in education to the few slots in between running. I would think it would be rushed and tense. If you get up early then you could have the majority of your academics out of the way. My two oldest and I get up at 6, start school at 7 and they get close to two hours of school done before the younger three even get out of bed.

[Rosy]

The first thing I would do is change your Wed appt to Thurs or Fri so you can have a full day at home.

 

I would also buy a clipboard for each kid. My kids have all their work for the week on a clipboard, and we've taken them with us to things like dentist appts. It's been great for us--if we're going to be out, DD9 (who has way more work than the others) can just grab her clipboard and a couple books and do school on the road. This doesn't work with every subject, but it can help you make the most of some time on the road. Do you have a laptop with wireless? That could help the kid who's doing K12.

 

I would also start rescheduling appts. My rules for myself are nothing before mid-afternoon, piggyback activities whenever possible, do errands while I'm out, and try to have one day completely at home. On Tuesdays we go swimming (3-4), then I work out (4:30-5:30), then I drop DD9 off for karate (5:30-7:30) in the same place, then then take DD7 to gymnastics (6-7). The timing works out perfectly. Thursday we have Bible study (1-3) and then some downtime before DD9 has karate at 5:30, so I use that time to go to Costco and usually one other errand. Our afternoons are crazy but I only have one day a week where I have to leave before 2:30 (and that will end in a month).

 

On the days when you're out running around, what is your drive time like? If you have a couple appts that are near each other but far from home, you might find a nearby library and do school there. You might be able to get a meeting room so you have some quiet. I have a friend who does school at a coffee shop. It's quiet, it has wireless and none of the distractions of home.

 

The only other thing I can think of is to get your kids working independently as much as possible. My oldest has a chart with her work for the week printed out. She needs me to do grammar with her and to check her math, but besides that she's on her own. She likes it that way and it frees me up to help the other kids.

 

Hope that helps!

[Hannah]

I would suggest you get everyone up at 6 and have school started at 7.

 

This was my first thought as well. How much time do you need daily with each child to complete their work? Plan to wake them and start the school day so that you finish everthing before you leave the house. Oldest wakes and starts school first. You may have to stagger breakfast to get this done or start school and then break for breakfast if that works for you.

 

Do the younger children join you when you take one to therapy or are they at home?

 

As PPs suggested, I'd try to find a way to organize a lift for your 15yo to get to classes. You could offer to carpool with someone to pick your daughter up and you then drop their child off. That would mean just one trip out of the house. The ideal would be to find someone who passes your house to pick your daughter up and drop her off. Don't be shy to ask or advertise to organize this.

 

Do you need to attend the children's therapies with them? Is it possible to employ a mature person as a chauffer to do some of your driving? Say 2 afternoons a week? A friend of mine asked for volunteers from her church when she had an eye operation. She got a lovely retired lady to drive her children. This lady so enjoyed the chatting and conversation in the car so that she still drives them once a week. She does her own shopping in the time that the kids are at their activity. My friend pays her a small fee for her service.

 

If you can possible avoid it, I'd definitely not schedule any of your OT before 12h00.

 

As far as the fixed therapy times go, you could try to ask the therapist to ask the person before or after you to swap times if that would make it easier for you. Many times people don't mind doing this.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

To start a schedule, here's what I would do.

 

1. Open an Excel sheet. Make the first column times in half hour increments.

2. Title the next 5 columns Monday through Friday.

3. Set a time for breakfast and lunch each day (be sure to include enough time for prep and clean up). Write in appointments that happen each week outside of the home blocking out from the time you need to leave the house to the time you get home. Write in your home therapy times for each week.

(This will give you an overview of what hours you have available to school. It looks to me like you have mornings until at least 10 every day. I would use this time for core subjects. You also have large open blocks of time on Wednesday at mid-day and Tuesday afternoon. Of course this may change slightly once you have the OT appts added to the schedule.)

4. Block in the hours that you want to spend in school. Now you have a weekly overview, and you know how many hours you have available to school each day.

 

Step 2 would be to figure out your curriculum

 

For each child make a list of what curriculum you are using.

For each curriculum, list three numbers: # of days each week, amt. of time that requires 1 on 1 with Mom, and amt. of time that can be done independently.

Anything that requires 5 days a week, would need to be done in the early morning block. Something that only requires 3 days a week would fit in after 10 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Something that only requires 2 days a week could fit in those blocks on Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

HTH

[Mallory]

I think you have gotten some good advice, especially starting a spread sheet and seeing what you've really got to work with. I need about 3 hours a day (4 times a week) to finish both my 11 and 9yos core classes and another 3 or 4 hours a week for sci and history. My 14yo needs me for about 2 1/2 hours a day and needs to have about 3 more hours to work independantly each day (again 4 times a week).

 

But I just wanted to add in a few ideas that haven't been mentioned.

 

My husband works nights so we sleep in late. With your schedule we would sleep until 10 or 10:30 every morning then have breakfast and appointments. We do a lot of school between 5 and 8 in the evening between our dinner about 4:30 and our snack and cleaning around 8.

 

We also only really plan 4 days a week, so math is 4 times a week, my oldest has to get through 4 lessons a week, which she usually does in two sessions. With a 6yo old who is that busy otherwise, the 3Rs is all I would worry about- phonics, handwriting, and math.

 

With your schedule the oldest two don't have to leave the house on M, W, or F and could get most of thier school done then and the 10yo has most days free until afternoon.

 

Without really knowing how things are set up, I'd try to do the 6yo school during the time the 10yo is at VI therapy or the 15 is in class. That might mean doing school in waiting rooms or in the car, but that would be 4 days a week and I think phonics, handwriting, and math could probably be done on the go.

 

I also don't have any problems asking big ones to help with little ones. I would probably pick some classes or times that the oldest needs to help with the middle two. We have similar ages here (almost 15, 11, and 9) and my oldest does art history with the boys and helps teach all thier morning subjects on Tue. when I volunteer at a food pantry.

 

Again, I don't really know how these things work and because of that none of my suggestions are going to fit perfectly, but hopefully with all the ideas you've gotten you are starting to see how things really will work for your family!

 

Good Luck! :grouphug:

[MeganW]

My kids are much younger, so my advice may be worthless.

 

I have 4 kids, and all 4 are in both OT & PT. One in play therapy, and 2 are currently being evaluated for vision therapy, which would be 3 times a week. All 4 go to playschool 4 days a week for 3 hours, and we do gymnastics, AWANA, dance, and swimming as well.

 

The ONLY way that we can do any sort of education is to do it on the go. While 2 are getting OT, the other 2 are in the waiting room working with me. One therapy office was kind enough to offer us an unused office, which has worked out great. At dance, we use the staff locker room - I just work with whoever isn't in class at the time. My kids are good at laying on their bellies to write!

 

We also try to maximize our car time. Memory work is the first thing we do every morning - I just keep my box of cards on the front seat beside me and call out as we go. The kids each have a folder that stays in the car - currently working on skip-counting. We also listen to things on tape or watch educational videos during longer rides.

[mykdsmomy]

Thank you all so much for taking the time to respond! I really appreciate all the input because it gives me lots of ideas!

 

Unfortunately, I cannot switch the schedule around at all at this point but I did just find out ds6 will have OT on Friday after speech. The other thing that I think I didn't communicate well is that most of the therapy is in our home. I'm technically only leaving a few times a week for small amounts of time (for DD's classes and ds6's swim).

 

I love the spreadsheet idea and my BFF that's on this board put one together for me :) It really gives me an idea of what time frames we have open.

 

I'm going to lay it all out tomorrow and see what can fit where by breaking it all down like was suggested :)

 

Oh and our wild card is ds6's behavior. That is what will throw a wrench into our day more than anything. It's definitely a fine balance but I think I can make it work thanks to all of you! :) :grouphug:

[michelle l]

I am NOT naturally organized. I want to be, but have never had the skills to pull it together. I absolutely LOVED Managers of Their Homes because it showed me exactly how to go about making my schedule, step by step, and also gave me a wonderful visual tool. I'm not sure I could have gone straight to a spread sheet without the steps the book took me through. It has been really helpful in managing our time, and dh and I have even scheduled when we need to get to bed based on how much sleep we need. For the first time in our marriage we are up at 5:00am to walk together, which is wonderful as he travels often. I just really can't say how helpful this book was to me.:)

 

One thing I did this year was to use a binders in conjunction with the filing system. (There's a HUGE thread that's easy to search for.) My kids each have a binder with tabs for Monday-Friday. Each weekend I pop in work for the week. It's not all their work, but I've included their math pages, Building Thinking Skills, any cursive work I want them to do, even some fun things like mazes, logic puzzles, or bookmarks to cut out. Today we are going on a field trip. We'll just bring the binders along, as well as books they need to read, and they can get that work done in the car. It's a bit more work for me, but it means I don't have workbooks all over the table and the kids don't have to get up and down all the time to get their material. They can sit down, open up, and get to work! (And they're portable.:))