Planning vs. Preparing

[Shawna in North CA]

I really enjoyed the thread about being a "Non Planner." That is me too.

 

I have found though, that in order to have a satisifying home learning environment, where we can just "do what is next", I need to prepare.

 

Not plan, mind you. Not write down what we will do everyday. But rather, prepare my materials, supplies and environment to support learning as we go.

 

For example, at the beginning of each term, I:

 

1. Go through my shelves, purge, and gather the materials I have that I want to use.

 

2. Gather books that I want to read. Make booklists to read to the kids and for them to read themselves.

 

3. Load new lectures and audio book on the Ipod.

 

4. Put specific resources, like the VP History card, art cards, the poetry book I've been wanting to read, into a basket for easy access.

 

5. Organize the art supplies. Purge and replenish.

 

6. Organize the game closet.

 

7. Make copies of work pages, copywork, etc., that I want to have on hand

 

Preparing works MUCH better for us that planning.

 

What about you? What steps to you take to prepare your learning environement, to be ready for living and learning?

[Oakblossoms]

I turned an old microwave cart into a learning center for my 9yos. We tend to school over the house. But, the last few months we have been using the kitchen table and it is working really well for him. So, I cleaned up the cart. Then I got out all the stuff he works on and made it really pretty with a tablecloth and a candle.

[melmichigan]

I prepare a lot over the summer, finalizing curriculum, choosing books for TOG, experiments for science, etc. I write up the course of study for each child. I read whatever books I need to read. To me that is preparation. I don't plan anymore in the sense that this is the first year that I will not put together a weekly schedule each Sunday. (I still laugh at the year long schedule I made out the first year I homeschooled.) I am making a master for each child that I can copy each week and fill in at the end of the day. This worked very well for my DS last year and this year it will be the norm for everyone. If I am well prepared I find I don't need to plan. I think the two terms are interchanged a lot on the board, to many I "plan" a lot.

[Pixjen]

:lurk5:

[fourcatmom]

This is going to be my second full year of homeschooling. In the past I have also worked and that has lead me to my need to plan. I did find that it almost never got followed as people say since things come up all the time. I admit that it frustrates me to have it written down and then not be able to implement it. On the other hand, there were many times when I was not home or not with them and they needed to be working independently. This is where I felt that planning came in handy. It's hard to do a "do the next thing" schedule when they are working independently, at least it was for my kids. They wanted a checklist of what needed to be done. I also felt that they didn't necessarily put as much time and effort into things when it was simply a keep moving on type of schedule. The other issue that comes up for me is all the extra stuff that I want to do. If I don't have it on paper then I surely won't have it prepared and it won't get done. More then likely, I would just forget to do it. How do you non-planners deal with those kind of things? I am going to make some kind of schedule but not necessarily assign dates to them. I will have chapters organized and what I want to do with each lesson and move that way, with the intention of moving on daily.

 

I think more then planning this year, I agree that I am preparing as well but also getting organized. I think this is a bigger issue for me. I want copies made, things ready to go and at least an organized plan in my head about the things I want to do with them. I have also been purging, setting up and filing like crazy. I think that this will have a huge impact on our day to day.

 

How do you include all the things you want to remember if you don't plan? If your kids have to work independently-how do make that work?

[Ecclecticmum]

Preparing is part of my planning, they go hand in hand. Every weekend I do some more "preparing" making youtube private playlists, looking at what brainpop videos suit the current week, pre-cutting stuff, moving binders/books/supplies to teachers closet for current week.

 

I can't say what I do, because its all automatic. I have this annoying prissy bee in my head that directs me with all that is planning/preparing/organzing, and starts making me twitch if I don't do something right :lol:

[Closeacademy]

I prepare as well. I have the kids clean out their "art" boxes where their school supplies are kept and put in new. I make sure we have enough notebooks, paper, pencils, etc. on hand and that the supply drawer is all neatly organized and fresh.

 

I clean out the carts we keep their school work in, removing all the old work, books, etc. Then I put in the new stuff.

 

Part of the reason that I do do a day by day schedule is just so I can go over the material and know what is ahead and what we might need on hand and how far things will stretch. Also, how many days a week we will do a subject.

 

We don't always follow the day by day lesson plans but it does help me get in the right mindset and helps us keep on track during those months when we are really busy and the whole house runs on "autopilot."

 

:001_smile:

[momaof3]

This is also my 2nd complete year of homeschooling and I am going to try to get better at preparing. I don't want to plan because when it doesn't get done it irritates me. I do however want to prepare every week what I want to do or need as extra. This year there were many times that I wanted to do something but didn't have the resources ready because I didn't prepare. I don't want that to happen anymore.

[ScoutTN]

Preparing is part of my planning, they go hand in hand.

 

This is me too. :)

[EMS83]

I ended up doing a dailyish thing, just trying to figure out what we would read & do for history and science and when. I also hope that very little will need to be done on a week-to-week basis aside from actually using the books and materials. But I'm curious: for those who just prepare, are you DIYing any curriculum or do you have programs and whatnot that you do? And do the books on your reading lists come from the library or do you own them? With math and phonics and writing so far, it's just the next thing. There's nothing to divvy up or coordinate like there is with books for history and science (not texts, mind).

[mrsanniep]

:iagree:

 

As someone who only plans out a week in advance (and it's subject to change), you nailed it on the head regarding preparation. I'm currently doing most of the things you listed!