What planner are you using for this fall?

[Guest]

I am totally feeling unmotivated, and hoping that deciding on some kind of planner and starting to organize myself and my thoughts will get me back on track.

 

Which planner are you using for the fall? Online or paper? Do you make your own? Any other organization you are doing over the summer?

 

:lurk5:

[CatholicMom]

Paper Sonlight IG. I will write all other subjects and electives into the extra boxes on that schedule.

[edeemarie]

I think I am going to try getting all of our assignments into the Homeschool Helper app. I have had it for a while, but just never used it. I am also debating doing all of my printing over the summer (things like workbook pages, math pages, handwriting pages, etc.).

[Aloha2U]

Well... I'll be using OLLY, but I haven't entirely done away with my spreadsheets yet, so I guess I'm making my own and using a software program. :thumbup:

 

I roughly plan out our school year with my Year-at-a-Glance spreadsheet. I enter that data into OLLY and then work out the weekly details of fine tuning my lesson plans. It basically replaces my Week-at-a-Glance, and eventually my Year-at-a-Glance, and keeps all our records and accomplishments from year to year in one place. I'm still looking forward to some updates for OLLY, but I'm happy with the program overall. I can sync the Mac and iPac via DropBox. The iPad version (which can be stand-alone) is still in beta, but I look forward to using that more in the upcoming year once it's officially released.

[*Inna*]

THIS METHOD

 

Electronic planners don't work for me. This one is very flexible and highly visual. I'm planning one color for each kid, plus another color for combined subjects.

[TraceyS/FL]

I think I have also settled on OLLY, but my rough planning is a combo of paper and this app I bought for my iPad - Index Card.

 

http://www.denvog.com/app/index-card/

 

I can export that to my Mac and copy and paste, or put it into Scrivener if I want. I haven't decided how I'm going to do that - but I love being able to grab my iPad in the middle of the night and add something to a card as I think of it. I figure I can coordinate resources via sequence number for OLLY on it too.

 

I start planning BIG TIME on Friday. I shall spread out on the bed since my other half leaves for a few weeks for work, and type and plan away!!!!! I shouldn't be so excited, but I am - and it means I'm also done with school!!!! :D (for me, not the kids)

[trulycrabby]

I'm only teaching one child, so the online planners seemed like a lot of work.. I've been writing lesson plans/daily work completed in a Composition notebook until I find something that is simple and easy to use.

[TraceyS/FL]

THIS METHOD

 

Electronic planners don't work for me. This one is very flexible and highly visual. I'm planning one color for each kid, plus another color for combined subjects.

 

I like that - there is a meal planner lady that uses post-its for planning!!

 

This teacher couldn't use these in my DDs school - they have to have the lesson plans sitting out and open with all the standards stuff on them at all times. Her K teacher was complaining about it last year! LOL!! (she was a 30 year veteran teacher and just wanted to do what she knew WORKED!)

[ByGrace3]

Scholaric. Love it!!!

[mama25angels]

Probably Homeschool tracker plus, because I already own it. I will probably also use some of DY's sheets too.

[happypamama]

Homeschool Helper app; I have our plans in it already, and it looks really good, like it'll be a good fit for us. I'm particularly pleased about the ability to "bump" lessons with a couple of clicks, rather than having to rewrite things on paper.

[CatholicMom]

THIS METHOD

 

Electronic planners don't work for me. This one is very flexible and highly visual. I'm planning one color for each kid, plus another color for combined subjects.

 

I'm not going to attempt it, but this is a pretty cool idea! Love the color coding and rearranging possibilities!

[Year Round Mom]

I use donnayoung dot org. I've only been "lesson planning" for two years, so I have been able to use two different planners she offers. I love picking out the font and lay-out each year. It feels like I'm buying something, but it's free!!! (Well, barring the insane amount of paper and ink I use, too!)

 

FWIW I do all my printing, photocopying, laminating, cutting, etc. for the year before the new year starts. I did filing this year, but it got messed up because I'm teaching three this year and they all go at different paces in different subjects! Yikes! So next year, I'm going to file the papers by subject.

 

I'm itching to start planning, but I'm forcing myself not to buy anything or plan anything until at least July, because we still have 7 weeks left in this year!

[Ecclecticmum]

I actually currently use four different "planners" rofl.

 

My kids each have a "my student logbook" which is a weekly checklist of their assignments.

 

I have index cards I use for planning (smaller ones I write out supplies I need to get & movies, these go into my filofax pocket, which I take everywhere) larger ones have current "ideal plan" for each day, and are pinned to the corkboard, to give me a visual goal (different colour card for each day, different colour stickers for each child, highlightered (green for group work, yellow for independant group work, and pink for who I am with at a given time).

 

I have my filofax which has a simple version of the "ideal week" (but having it on the board saves me from flipping around too much in my filofax.), it also contains records of my daughters projects, field trips and written notes on what I taught (since most of my "school" comes from me, rather than a book lol, so I need to remind myself (and others) what was taught and how, and just have a general record.

 

Lastly I have a 5 subject spiral lecture notebook. I use the sections for different things, one for notes/planning/bits on current year, another for next year, school stuff I need to address/do and a section at the back I use for keeping track of stuff I purchased/mail I am expecting.

[Erin]

I've gotten everything I need tucked into my Circus Ponies electronic notebook--lesson plans, scope and sequence chart, attendance tracker, curricula-related links, reading lists, gradebook, schedule, diagrams, Buck's assignment page...

I'm going to do a mock transcript in there, too, so I can get a feel for how it will work before 9th.

I'm really loving it. :)

[atozmom]

I always make my own in Word. I start out by making a schedule for each subject, print it out and put it in a folder. (However some are just do the next thing and I don't plan out a schedule for them, just do x amount of lessons each week) Then I make a master weekly schedule with all subjects listed. I print out one for each week, three hole punch them and stick them in a binder. I just write in what we do each day. I used to schedule it all out nice and neat on the computer and print it out. But too many times, for whatever reason, something would come up and we wouldn't get to something printed out on that week. Then I would be flipping back and forth between 2 weeks pages trying to complete lessons. Not a big deal for some, but it bugged me.

[mom31257]

My ds will be using this planner. I order them every year for my homeschool group, and they were about $6 each with the pre-publication price (which has ended for this year). If you scroll down, you can see a sample of the two-page weekly spread. I love the way the boxes are at the top right of each corner. There are enough to record grades there. There are also extra pages that have student helps and much more. I have my own copy of it, too, because I receive a free sample every year since I'm the one who places the orders.

 

The link is to the Christian school version, but there are Lutheran and Catholic versions, too.

[Katydid]

I'm using The Well Planned Day. It's not perfect, but it's really close (for me). My biggest complaint is that I really wish they wouldn't pre-print the subjects down the side (but that is nothing a little correction tape won't fix). But I've been using last year's planner for the past few months and it's really helped me stay on track. Plus it's pretty. :thumbup:

[Guest]

I'm using The Well Planned Day. It's not perfect, but it's really close (for me). My biggest complaint is that I really wish they wouldn't pre-print the subjects down the side (but that is nothing a little correction tape won't fix). But I've been using last year's planner for the past few months and it's really helped me stay on track. Plus it's pretty. :thumbup:

 

Hey that's a great idea. Since I started this thread, I actually ordered it. I used it last year and there's just something about the way it feels in my hands that I like. I tried making my own, but it never feels real. (Whatever that means, it just doesn't.) Last year, I did have tons of room in the history and science boxes, and the English boxes just didn't have enough room. I like your idea, though!

[SFM]

I, too, use The Well Planned Day and love it. I need paper and pencil, the electronic ones never worked well for me. I also wish that the subjects were not pre-printed. I never thought about correction tape. Good idea. Things get planned, it helps me keep track and see our progress, it's the closest thing I have found that works for me.

[Erin]

I like paper ones, also. There's just something about putting pen to paper... But the pre-made ones never have things how I want them. Consequently I've always whipped a template up in Open Office and printed out a bunch that were exactly what I need.

Though with an electronic planner or word program, I can just print as little, or as much, pre-typed, as I want. I can have completely empty pages save for labels, or I can type in the things that always repeat or whatever...

It's perfect! :)

[Chelli]

I'm making my own paper planner. I only put one day on each page because the boxes for weekly view planners are never ever big enough for what I want to put in the boxes. I want all of my teacher notes, discussion questions, etc. all at my fingertips in one spot. I color code the pages for my two girls, I keep reading lists, attendance charts, and read aloud lists for each girl behind their color-coded divisions. The first pages in my binder are month at a glance pages where I write out what our Circle Time activities and focus will be for that month. I have laminate the front and back covers then take the whole thing to Office Depot and have it spiral bound. It's perfect. Exactly what I want without all of the extras I don't want (like menu planning, house reference sheets, etc.) Just a simple, homeschool planner only.

[Kathie in VA]

I have tried a few but never seem to really use them. I'm a 'do the next thing' person, but having something to keep us on track weekly might work. Someone mentioned My Student Planners in an earlier post. These might work here. http://mystudentlogb.../set-it-up.html

I also have homeschool tracker plus somewhere around here. I will be teaching two classes at our co-op so I will be planning those out. I will probably need something for that... probably use a spreadsheet or something.

[Luckymama]

I've gotten everything I need tucked into my Circus Ponies electronic notebook--lesson plans, scope and sequence chart, attendance tracker, curricula-related links, reading lists, gradebook, schedule, diagrams, Buck's assignment page...

I'm going to do a mock transcript in there, too, so I can get a feel for how it will work before 9th.

I'm really loving it. :)

 

 

What kind of a learning curve does this have? Do you use it on a Mac or an iPad? (Our Mac goes to the office w dh half the time so I'd be primarily entering info on the iPad.)

[Erin]

I'm using a Mac. I haven't played with their iPad version. But the learning curve is pretty small. It's a fairly intuitive program and for that which isn't, there are some basic tutorials out there that fill in any gaps.

I've only been using mine for a week to do what I had been organizing in OpenOffice, much more efficiently.

[MinivanMom]

I have always made up my own weekly planning sheet in excel. I can't fit into someone else's system, so it's better for me to customize my own.

[purduemeche]

I have always made up my own weekly planning sheet in excel. I can't fit into someone else's system, so it's better for me to customize my own.

 

Ditto!

[Lieutenant Stranger]

I am also debating doing all of my printing over the summer (things like workbook pages, math pages, handwriting pages, etc.).

 

Me too! I am so tired of having to go back and print things in the morning while an impatient child is staring at me.

 

I have all my plans (or will, ahem) on paper. I just do not like electronic organizers. I LIKE the feel/look of paper notebooks.

[soufflegirl]

I have The Well Planned Day planner. Like the other posters, I'm not crazy about the pre-printed subjects - I'd rather have it divided into time slots. It's pretty, and I was lucky to win it through one of their Facebook contests, but I don't think I'd pay for it next year. For what I need, I'd be fine with one of those teacher lesson planner/grade books from Staples for half the price.

[thowell]

I have The Well Planned Day planner. Like the other posters, I'm not crazy about the pre-printed subjects - I'd rather have it divided into time slots. It's pretty, and I was lucky to win it through one of their Facebook contests, but I don't think I'd pay for it next year. For what I need, I'd be fine with one of those teacher lesson planner/grade books from Staples for half the price.

 

 

You know the first year I homeschooled I used this https://www.milestonebooks.com/item/1-65680/ which was in a give away book at a sale. Looking back, I think it has been the best system yet. I have used other planners as well as online systems. While they all worked to a point, the simplicity of this one, kept me motivated to keep it up to date and keep us on track. Think I will go back to what works!

[Luckymama]

I'm using a Mac. I haven't played with their iPad version. But the learning curve is pretty small. It's a fairly intuitive program and for that which isn't, there are some basic tutorials out there that fill in any gaps.

I've only been using mine for a week to do what I had been organizing in OpenOffice, much more efficiently.

 

 

Thanks---I'll take a look at it later today.

[Momling]

I've made my own planner book for two years now, but this next year I'm going to try an electronic option with Homeschool Helper on my IPad. When the novelty wears off, I'm curious if it'll be something I like. I figure for less than 5$ it's not much of an investment to lose.

[boscopup]

This will be my 4th year using HST+. I love it.

[Tonia]

I make my own too since I prefer paper and pencil planners. If I had more than one child I would probably be tempted to use an online/computer-based program, but with just one, things are pretty easy to plan. I just did a blog post about this topic today - planning 4th grade.

[Violet Crown]

Dang, you people are organized. I just buy one of these:

http://www.apluswhs.com/products/ward-lesson-plan-book/

Each Monday, I pencil into the Friday row what I hope to get accomplished in each subject that week. As the week goes, I ink in what we actually get done.

[KarenNC]

I do a combo. Going from general to specific;

1) long range plans----I have a folder in Dropbox with word documents related to future planning. This is where I stick notes on resources, great posts, etc that I come across that I want to save for later. These are divvied up into general topics (English, history, literature, etc). There's also a document with a general layout of what I think the next chunk of time (for us, this will be high school) might look like.

 

2) For the next/current year----I put each subject into a document with a table (I'm not comfortable with Excel) that turns it into a "do the next thing" format, noting all the videos, field trips, resources, etc I have that I might want to use. These will get modified as the year goes on---sometimes dropping things, adding things, moving them around as we see how the year goes---but helps me not forget something. I also have a calendar page with a rough layout of how the subjects will fit into the week, as well as any outside classes we'll be doing. By keeping each subject separate and undated, I can adjust them independently.

 

3) For the current week---I transfer a week's worth of lessons to a paper planner---The Homeschooler's Journal by Fergnus. I currently use the regular one, but will likely switch to the high school one later. I sometimes put in our upcoming outside classes and appointments a month or so at a time. We go year-round, so I just move to the next one when I fill up the previous one. This serves as a record of attendance and what we've done.

 

4) the part I'm missing----finding a consistent way to give my daughter a copy of the planner for herself. I tend not to be so good at that.

 

Since we go year-round (and I find it fun ;) ), I'm pretty much planning all the time to some degree, or at least tweaking what I've already planned.

[ajfries]

Tonia-your blog post was very informative! Thanks for sharing!

 

I haven't the slightest idea what I'll use. It will need to be paper/pencil. I might plan 6 week terms on the computer & print those out? I'd like to keep track of reading lists, too. I might just end up using a plain old spiral notebook and writing everything out. I'm a planner junkie, but I've never really been able to make them stick very long.

[NoseInABook]

Well Planned Day, the paper version. I used it last year and loved it.

[m0mmaBuck]

I use one like this: http://www.amazon.com/July-2013-Endless-monthly-Planner/dp/B00BM8Z612/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1371619149&sr=8-7&keywords=weekly+planner+8.5+x+11

 

I use the "month-at-a-glance" pages for appointments, field trips, activities, etc. We also count off the days on those pages.

 

I have 2 kids so I divide the "weekly" pages into 2 columns, one for each child. On Monday, I fill in the assignments for the week. Then the kids copy their assignments into their own personal planners. Once the week is written in to the planner, nothing is added. As each assignment is completed, it gets checked off. The kids can work ahead if they like, and if they finish early they can have an extra afternoon/day off.

[tjlcc]

Confessions of a Homeschool has a free planner right now.

 

Arrow Planner

 

I feel as though I'm planner crazy as I've looked at so many ...

[Oakblossoms]

I don't want a planner this year. I think The Well Planned Day was helpful last year.

 

But, I am just back to keeping a monthly log of books read and where they are.

 

Then I put a white board near the desk in the living room where we have been keeping track of what lessons they are on for the current week.

 

Planners and lessons sheets always end up so messy. Logs keep us moving along.

 

I just didn't want any more paper or books that I feel like I can't get rid of. If for some reason, I need to show proof I will have a nice overview of our year and where everyone is at.

[sassenach]

I'm going to give Homeschool Helper a go.  If that doesn't work, I'll go back to the Well-Planned Day Paper planner.  I used that the previous 3 years.  It's great for recording, but I'm really going to try PLANNING this year.

[Mommy2BeautifulGirls]

I use a mix of things, really. I've been meaning to make a detailed blog post about my method. It's a mix of handwritten plans and Donna Young's V Planner. 

[craftyerin]

DIY paper planner. I just it together this week and I'm excited to try it out! 

[FairProspects]

I finally got addicted to HST+.

[Heather in OK]

Paper!  I make my own planners.  

[TeaCookiesBears]

I am planning on using both paper and software for my planning again this year. I have not yet found a paper planner that allows me to plan or log for my girls in one planner the way I like. Right now my system consist of me using plain old composition notebooks for each child where I plan my subjects daily and weekly then checking off when done. I guess this work as my girls like being able to refer to their own lesson book for their assignments. This works also because later on in the week I log subjects and grades into HST+ so l can print out reports later. Plus each child has their own student planners so they can manage their own time.

[mom31257]

My ds will be using this planner. I order them every year for my homeschool group, and they were about $6 each with the pre-publication price (which has ended for this year). If you scroll down, you can see a sample of the two-page weekly spread. I love the way the boxes are at the top right of each corner. There are enough to record grades there. There are also extra pages that have student helps and much more. I have my own copy of it, too, because I receive a free sample every year since I'm the one who places the orders.

 

The link is to the Christian school version, but there are Lutheran and Catholic versions, too.

Well, my sister just told me she bought a Well Planned Day planner for herself, but she thinks it's more than she needs. She's going to give it to me next weekend. I guess I'll have that planner for myself. I can't wait to see it!

[readinmom]

THIS METHOD

 

Electronic planners don't work for me. This one is very flexible and highly visual. I'm planning one color for each kid, plus another color for combined subjects.

 

 

I am using this as well.  I used it for the last few weeks of school and my only complaint was that some of the post-its became loose/fell out when they weren't as sticky as their friends. 

 

I'm aiming for one notebook per quarter with room between the weeks to make notes of what worked, what didn't, supplies, etc. 

[Momling]

I'm giving Homeschool Helper a go on my new iPad. I'm kind of excited about actually planning in advance. I like the idea of staying on track... I'm even going to try to give quizzes and record grades (7th grade seems about right to learn to take tests every once in a while).