Jessica and other organizers-one more question.....

[home4school]

I have been following the threads about the notebooks which sound great! My question is what do you keep in YOUR teacher notebook? What should I try to get ready over the summer in my notebook to be all ready?

 

Thanks!

Kim

[Kim in SouthGa]

One notebook has all my kids past grade cards, copies of Dec. of Intents and attendence forms, and test scores. I just keep adding to this every year. Then I have one that I keep all the info. from their extra activities-handout from karate, soccer schedules, coop schedules and newsletters, etc. This one I go through at the end of the year and throw out what I don't need, which is most of it. :) Binders were getting cumbersome for me to work with daily, so I found a nifty little thing for my answer keys-the best way to describe it is several plastic folders spiral bound together, with a clear view cover. I tear out the answer keys from the back of workbooks and put them in there. I also put my kids' grade records in there. Then I have my TOG binder, from which I will take one week's worth of notes, etc and put in a smaller binder. Then I have a binder with some misc. junk in it that I never get around to using. How old are your kids? That may determine it. I chose to put the kids memory work in a folder with their stuff and not have a copy for myself since they are older. I have a clipboard or spiral notebook that I use for planning notes. I also have a daytimer, but I'm not really sure if I need it now. It may have been a waste of money.

hth

[Trivium Academy]

I'm going to revamp mine to keep it simple

 

-State forms (copies of our Declaration of Intent and Monthly Attendance forms) in page protectors

-Yearly, Quarterly Goals for each child

-Master copies of any lesson plans I need

-Resource/book lists to buy, borrow or just plain want

 

I have created a science resource notebook where I have put all the various science worksheets (tore out of workbooks and 3 hole punched) and helps (online worksheets) I have found into a folder with tabs for each topic.

 

I'm not good at using my teacher notebook to the fullest, so I'm simplifying it. It's going from a 3" notebook to a 2" and it'll be where I keep track of things I need to. The monthly dinner menu will be on our fridge instead of in a notebook, the same with our chores list. I can't function with them IN a notebook, lol.

 

So I will have on my own shelf:

-TOG Unit notebook (not page protected)

-Science Resource Notebook

-Teacher Record Notebook (as described above)

-and the various teacher books that come with our curricula (Horizons TM, ETC TM, etc.)

 

whatever else will be figured out later

[Pata]

My teacher's notebook has a copy of our NOI, my goals for the year, a rough daily schedule and any curriculum overview in the front. This is followed by 36 tabbed weeks of schedules. We use Sonlight, so I have put each week plan and resource there along with my plans(Sonlight doesn't schedule everything for us). Then I have a section for resources that go with the curriculums I am using. We don't really do grades yet, but I will add that to the front when time comes. It's big and cumbersome, but I need to be able to look at the whole picture at a time. Hope that helps!

[Pongo]

I have been inspired lately by Jessica (Trivium). Our BEST years of Homeschooling came from a very well organized mom. In the las 2 years I have been slipping, not reading as much, and definitely not keeping myself accountable by scheduling well. I spent the last several days on Jessica's site and I remember having that "fire" to be pre-pared, it's truly how I execute best.

Anyways, I just had to turn myself in, I think I was secretly mad at Jessica because she was always so organized :001_huh:, ..lol Now I realize that I was really mad because I was not doing am much as I wanted or could (little confession here) THANK YOU Jessica!

 

Okay, now that I got that of my chest,:blush: here is my Teachers notebook (I put it together last night)

 

-CD plastic pocket holder (Loom, Evaluations, Writing Aids)

-Masters in Page Protectors ( pages I will copy weekly; vocabulary, spelling, diagnostic spelling scale, and TOG planning page)

-State forms (copy of Declaration of Intent) in page protector

-Quarterly Goals for each child (spreadsheet)page protector

-Reading lists in a slash pocket folder (extras I'd like to get in)

-Lined Paper

-TOG Unit (one)

I like it having everything I need, I need portable.

I used to have reading logs in it but this year I had 15 pages spiral bound with a cover on the front and I plan on giving 1 to each child.

 

Thats 'bout it.

[rafiki]

,

[Trivium Academy]

I have been inspired lately by Jessica (Trivium). Our BEST years of Homeschooling came from a very well organized mom. In the las 2 years I have been slipping, not reading as much, and definitely not keeping myself accountable by scheduling well. I spent the last several days on Jessica's site and I remember having that "fire" to be pre-pared, it's truly how I execute best.

Anyways, I just had to turn myself in, I think I was secretly mad at Jessica because she was always so organized :001_huh:, ..lol Now I realize that I was really mad because I was not doing am much as I wanted or could (little confession here) THANK YOU Jessica!

 

I would be a mess if I didn't do what I do. I HAVE TO do it in order to proceed, otherwise my brain would explode with all the little thoughts of things we can/should do. Having a plan allows the other stuff to fall away, so I don't get sidetracked by what someone else is doing that looks good or the million little things I feel I lack in for my kids.

 

I love that other people are more pick up and go without much thought- I wish I could be like that but my neurons are constant firing thoughts through my head, I also have an authority/rebellion complex- I just cannot follow someone else's plan as it is laid out, I have to do something to make it mine. So those out there that secretly hate me or think I go overboard, I do all this to preserve my sanity, self-esteem and actually be equipped to educate my children instead of running around in circles like I did our first year trying to accomplish everything.

 

I read all the veteran posts I could, explored websites like Donna Young and other moms that have years more experience than me. The ones that I felt the most encouraged by were the ones that were organized, had a plan, and followed it. I spun my wheels for a while, making plans and never following through but that was because I was making idealistic plans, now I can make realistic ones and we do put them into action.

 

I want to sit down and plan out next year so badly!!! The packing/cleaning end of moving absolutely stinks. :auto: 12 more days to go and we'll be in our new home and I'll have more organizing than I'll know what to do with. I'm grateful that what I've shared is helpful, I don't want to be just posting stuff just to post it, I truly do want to help anyone that may need it because *I* so desperately needed it and I know how it feels to feel paralyzed b/c of not knowing how to approach something.

 

You're welcome Pongo, I guess I can remove that dart from my forehead now, huh? Lol. J/K :D

[Peela]

Lol, I feel pretty organised, and I like to have schedules and everything...but, whenever I have tried to put together a teacher's notebook- or even a Flylady control journal...I make it all nice, spend hours on it actually, and then I never look at it. Apparently don't need one.

I have a desk which faces a wall, and I have a cork pinboard on the wall, and I pin weekly schedules (and bills,and notices I need reminding of) on the corkboard. I have a diary which sits on my desk. Between those two things, and my 2 drawer filing system, I seem to be completely organised. Oh, and I have a tray on my desk for papers which I need to look at later (junk mail I havent junked yet, usually), and a space for school books/papers which need marking.

I really wanted to have a Teacher's notebook or something like that. In fact I do, it has a pretty cover and everything. But I just never look at it.

[Pongo]

You're welcome Pongo, I guess I can remove that dart from my forehead now, huh? Lol. J/K :D

 

:lol: too funny, no darts, I promise.

[kellycbr]

I would be a mess if I didn't do what I do. I HAVE TO do it in order to proceed, otherwise my brain would explode with all the little thoughts of things we can/should do. Having a plan allows the other stuff to fall away, so I don't get sidetracked by what someone else is doing that looks good or the million little things I feel I lack in for my kids.

 

I love that other people are more pick up and go without much thought- I wish I could be like that but my neurons are constant firing thoughts through my head, I also have an authority/rebellion complex- I just cannot follow someone else's plan as it is laid out, I have to do something to make it mine. So those out there that secretly hate me or think I go overboard, I do all this to preserve my sanity, self-esteem and actually be equipped to educate my children instead of running around in circles like I did our first year trying to accomplish everything.

 

I read all the veteran posts I could, explored websites like Donna Young and other moms that have years more experience than me. The ones that I felt the most encouraged by were the ones that were organized, had a plan, and followed it. I spun my wheels for a while, making plans and never following through but that was because I was making idealistic plans, now I can make realistic ones and we do put them into action.

 

I want to sit down and plan out next year so badly!!! The packing/cleaning end of moving absolutely stinks. :auto: 12 more days to go and we'll be in our new home and I'll have more organizing than I'll know what to do with. I'm grateful that what I've shared is helpful, I don't want to be just posting stuff just to post it, I truly do want to help anyone that may need it because *I* so desperately needed it and I know how it feels to feel paralyzed b/c of not knowing how to approach something.

 

You're welcome Pongo, I guess I can remove that dart from my forehead now, huh? Lol. J/K :D

 

Jessica,

Its a relief to hear you've run in circles and felt paralyzed before. We began our hs journey with ds(7.5) in March. We also have a dd(4). Our kids are close to the same age, so it has been helpful to read your blog and get ideas. Everyone on this board is inspiring to me. Right now, I'm feeling overwhelmed. Organizing and planning isn't my strength, yet I know it would be so helpful to me and my family. Where do I start? Aaahhh!:willy_nilly:

[WTMindy]

The simple answer is that I keep everything in my notebook that I might have to look up regularly. I keep all of our schedules and lesson plans in there. I keep the kids' memory work, I have a clear pocket file folder for each subject where I keep anything I might need for that subject. I keep two weeks lessons of TOG in there (the week we are working on and next weeks so I can look ahead). I keep things like lists of movies we might want to watch with our lessons, or the master timeline figure list. I keep a copy of our learning goals in there. I keep my list of TOG books that I am trying to find used so that I know which books I still need.

 

This year with TOG I have also made myself a spiral notebook for each unit that includes answers I might have to look up (answers to the maps and evaluations, literature and history questions). I also have a weekly page that I stole from Jessica and modified. You can see it here. I don't like to use a schedule that says what time we are going to do things, but I prefer a checklist to make sure we get everything done that needs to be done. I keep this smaller spiral in my notebook also.

[Pster]

...and I guess you call them teacher notebooks. I actually called one of them my "Homeschool Control Journal" - lol.

 

I was all inspired by someone's recent postings about their plans. I took their idea and tried scheduling out what I was planning and it just didn't quite work out the way I wanted it to -to fit the way I do things. It seemed like I was rewriting a lot of information I didn't need to.

 

Notebook #1

Long story short - since I am a sorta "do the next thing" type of scheduler... I decided to take a 3 ring binder - divide it into 4 sections for the 3 kids (1 section for each of them & 1 section for the subjects they will do together) For each student I took their curriculum and just copied the table of contents page.

 

So for dd8 for 3rd gr I have under her tab - the table of contents for Horizon, FLL3, ETC, etc etc..... ; for dd6 for 1st gr I have table of contents for MUS, FLL1, ETC, OPGTR, etc....; then there is dd5's stuff; and then under the "all 3" tab I have table of contents for SOTW, sci, Mininus,.... As we do our daily work -I cross off that Lesson on the table of contents in their section. At a glance I can see how many lessons we have to do. I've gone back and broken down some key subjects - like for SOTW I wanted to know which projects we were doing & if I had to gather any supplies and what pages I needed to print out ahead of time. For Minimus - I want to know what page I need to look for certain information - in the student bk or the teacher bk & what pages I need to print out. So...I typed up more planned-out pages for those subjects and I can just cross off lessons completed on those pages directly.

 

That gives me an outline of what we need to do. Then daily as we do the subjects I just hand write what we do in a blank lined notebook (in a short hand type of way - ex. S - ECT - p.34-36) . Because I can write "freely" - I tend to include notes like "need to prac more" - "wrote letter well" "had trouble focusing" next to the lessons. I can also add if we went to a park or a museum or some place.

 

Notebook #2

I have saved a ton of copies of papers on a variety of hs subjects and ideas. So - I finally took my bin of papers and broke it down into subject areas. I have some copies of "fun" handwriting paper to use. I have a section for hs planning. I have a section for random papers on each subject. I have a copy for all monthly - chore, curriculum, calendar, -type planners too.

 

 

hope that was all clear as mud! I love to plan & organize and I've changed my "record" system 1 too many times! I'm hoping this now works for me and I stick to it. :001_cool:

[HFClassicalAcademy]

This is what I have in my notebook (which I just finished recently for our new year). I absolutely LOVE IT!!!!

 

Calendar

Master Schedule

Weekly Planner (to pencil in what we are doing)

Lesson plans for all subjects along with their schedules

Toddler/Preschool Activities (I use this to help me organized their school-time only boxes every week)

Library book log (to know when things are due back)

 

I bought 15 tab dividers and all our subjects go in each one. I just posted about my notebook earlier, if you are interested in checking it out.

 

Planner Entry

 

Liz:)

[Pster]

{Yep!! It was your previous post about your planner that inspired me to get started & plan for our upcoming year!! I started out with making my own planner that was very similar to yours and then I seemed to go a different direction. lol Nonetheless - I have written out more details for this upcoming year than ever before!

So - thanks Liz for getting me started!}

 

Love reading these planning posts~ I'm always looking to incorporate new ideas!!