How much time is too much for planning

[oceandaughter]

Keep in mind that I am nesting here, due with a baby any day now.

 

I spent the greater part of yesterday afternoon making a copywork/dictation book for my fourth grader for next year. I have spent countless hours designing our own science and history curricula and plans for next year (more of pulling together resources than writing). I'm hoping that by doing this I'm saving a lot of money (which I am) and saving a lot of time.

 

I've also spent time developing session specific weekly plan grids which I'm just starting to do now. Is this all too much? Should I just drop it and relax and take up knitting like a normal pregnant woman? (To be honest, I can't get my mind to stop moving although my body is worn out so this does help.)

 

I did this last time I was pregnant and ended up not really using the schedules. However it was our first year out of unschooling so I didn't know what to expect. Last year I spent about every morning for two weeks doing a lot of planning while my olders were in art daycamp.

 

I'm planning for a first grader and fourth grader. The first grader is focusing on basics and we are doing science and history together. Especially science. (First grader's strongest subject.)

 

:lurk5: (Mmmm popcorn does sound good right now...)

[swellmomma]

You mean you are supposed to have a limit to the amount of planning? I actually enjoy planning, maybe it is the list maker in me, so I spend alot of time planning stuff, putting things together for a curric. tweaking it, starting over etc. There have been times I have gotten so wrapped up in the planning I forget to implement. I think this year I am going to load all of our school books into the van, make a picnic, take the kids to a park and spend all day planning out my year (goals etc) and after that I am not allowed to do major planning again until xmas break when looking to make changes to term 2.

[Mamagistra]

There have been times I have gotten so wrapped up in the planning I forget to implement.

 

:lol::lol: This never happens to me. Never. Never-ever.

 

:leaving:

 

:D

[Cindyg]

When I was in Corporate America as a training manager, one would see industry statistic as high as 250:1 (though 50:1 was more typical). (And in the typical rush, plenty of courses got developed more like 1:1.) That means 250 development "man-hours" would go into one hour of classroom delivery. So, a training and development team might invest 2000 hours preparing a single one-day, eight-hour class.

 

Of course Corporate America isn't homeschool. And the mythological class mentioned above would be packaged, polished, and delivered many times, often by multimedia.

 

Nonetheless, if you have the time, and if you enjoy it, and if your students reap the benefits, and IF YOU DO GET AROUND TO IMPLEMENTING the class you planned :) then, no, it's not too much planning.

 

Seriously, I find that the more I prepare, the smoother our homeschool day goes. Just like I used to tell my boss back in Corporate America.

[probablytracy]

Sounds like a lot! Have you tried the Homeschool Tracker? Love it!

[Peela]

I love to plan.

Much of the time in the past, much of the planning has gone unimplemented.

I however have learned a lot about planning in the process.

Nowadays I try and keep things simple, do the next thing as much as possible, and keep planning to minimum. But thats only because I got a bit sick of planning and the time I wasted.

You will learn what works for you, and in a way, nothing anyone can say will help...you kind of have to live through those first years and see what works. You kids will always throw your greatest plans aside. Its ok. Life is more important than plans.

But a certain structure to the day can certainly help.

[Trivium Academy]

Nonetheless, if you have the time, and if you enjoy it, and if your students reap the benefits, and IF YOU DO GET AROUND TO IMPLEMENTING the class you planned :) then, no, it's not too much planning.

 

If you enjoy it, do it but if you find you're not implementing it- I would say there is too much time spent on planning.

 

I was tailoring our history with SOTW, supplementing and adding other readings until I decided there MUST be an easier way to accomplish what I'm trying to do, because even above planning, I'm a streamliner. :coolgleamA:

 

I have curricula now for every subject with varying degrees of planning and science is my pet subject that I allow myself to either create our own or buy unit study type of material. It's like a Snickers bar, it's satisfying.

 

:auto: Hth!

[Another Lynn]

Hi nesting mate! I'm not quite as industrious as you, but then my due date is still a month away!

 

I did go through past years' school work and put them in storage boxes so free up some shelf space.... reorganized some school materials.... basically straightened up the school room a bit.

 

And I have been thinking about schedules... mostly want to try this "loop" thing I read about last week.

 

And I'm thinking about going my own on science and Bible since I can't find curricula I like.

 

But, my thoughts on planning are this. I am a contemplater. I have to mull something over in my mind, turning it this way, that way and another before I begin to see it's benefits and negatives. I may even talk myself totally into something... get really excited for a couple days.... then re-hash the negatives and realize it won't work at all. So, I'm not saying much for my discernment, but it's a process and maybe someday my judgement will improve :D

 

Happy planning! Happy nesting!