Organization Help?

[Above The Rowan]

How are you guys keeping yourselves organized? 

We're about to start "real schoolwork" (as DS likes to refer to it) in January, and all of a sudden as our curric is starting to come in, I'm realizing that I need to get myself in some sort of organizing system. 

 

I am not normally the type to do well with this kind of thing, but I don't think I can keep up if I end up with piles of things, and no plan as to when we're going to do what. 

 

So I guess this is twofold - how do you keep your physical spaces organized (particularly if you don't have a dedicated "homeschool room") and do you guys have a tried and true planner, online or paper, that you use to keep your schoolwork plans organized? 

 

 

[AmyontheFarm]

I've been using an Excel planner that someone linked to on the Hive in the past.  I LOVE that thing!

 

I was able to customize it for each child, and plan out each days lesson quickly in it.  Each week I simply type in what week it is and print it out, place it on their clip board and they are off to study.  So easy!

 

I can't find the link to the original website :(

 

Last January, as each textbook arrived.  I did the following:

1. I sat down and entered the lesson plan into the Excel program
2. Gathered the materials I would need for the lessons and placed them into boxes by subject
3. Photocopied everything I needed for each child and comb bound most of it into our "notebooks"
4. Wrote out my notes for each subject and saved them into a Word file.  Placed sticky notes in the teacher's manual for when I wanted to remind myself to go check my Word file for additional info.
5. Built my Symbaloo (http://symbaloo.com/) dashboards for science, history, etc.  This is where I store internet links I want the kids to have access too.

I'm currently fleshing out our son's grade 8 year this month and next.  Come Feb.  I'll start dd's grade 6 year.

[MerryAtHope]

Here's a link to my  teacher binder, and teacher box. 

 

For organizing the kids' work, I really like workboxes.

 

Have fun looking at systems, and I hope you have a great start to your year!

 

Here are some posts I have on organizing/getting started:

 

• Organization: Priorities and Passions
• Creating a Workable Routine
• Implementing a New Routine
• A Typical Day

 

Merry :-)

[Alice]

For planning, I just use a spiral notebook. I only plan out specifics one week at a time. I have found if I do more than that I end up feeling “behind†if we don’t get to everything or I become too enslaved to the schedule. About monthly I look ahead to what we will be studying and make sure I have library books or any extra materials we’ll need.  Weekly I just write down in the notebook what I want them each to do that week. It makes it easy to plan for the next week as I can easily see what we didn’t get done and needs to carry over to the next week. Often I can jot down what we need to do the next week on Friday as we are finishing up. So as they are working on Math on Friday, I know where we are ending up for the week and can flip to the next page in the notebook and jot down what I want them to do the next week. I also know then what I might need to prep over the weekend. It’s a cheap and simple system. 

 

[HS Mom in NC]

Sometimes it's a "do the next thing" year for a child or all the kids. Some people always keep phonics and math as a "do the next thing" even if they're more "end of the year goal types."   When we "do the next thing" I have to make sure every day a child is working on the next thing for each subject.

Sometimes, we have a more structured plan if I want my kids to be done with certain things by a specific time.  In that case I do the 36 week hanging file folder system.  Each kid has a set of file folders that are all one color.  My oldest (now in college) had 36 red file folders labeled 1-36.  My middle (now in college) had 36 yellow file folders labeled 1-36.  My youngest (now 8) has 36 purple file folders labeled 1-36.  She's still very hands on right now, so her file folders really are for both of us.

 

Each file folder has everything in it that the child should finish by Friday at 3:00. A week's worth of assignments in each subject are in that folder.  That means taking the spine off of workbooks and study guides as needed and copying/printing out what is legal.   Any assigned reading, activities, and other assignments that don't come in a workbook or study guide are listed on a sheet of paper with the week number clearly labeled. 

 

I also have a master chart for each kid with each week and subject labeled and the assignments listed. Mine also includes supplies lists and additional information about library books to check out for each week in each subject. 

 

All of that is done by the first day of school. I spend the whole summer getting all of it together.  It doesn't always play out exactly as planned, but few things in life do, so I don't stress about it.  If, at the end of the week, something very important was left undone because of me or life, then I put it in the next week's folder so we get to it later. If an older kid didn't get it done by Friday at 3:00 because they were being irresponsible, then they have to keep working at it until it is done and they lose their privileges for the weekend.

 

  I always over plan (because it's easier to have it and not need it than it is to need it and not have it)  but I have a very clear idea in my head what is essential and what isn't.  I do the essentials first, and if non-essentials don't get done, it's no big deal.  I just shrug my shoulders and move on. If I have time for non-essentials, they're right there waiting for me. 

 

 

Here are some variations on the file folder and workbox themes:

http://www.pinterest.com/hyppychick/homeschool-workboxes/
 

[TianXiaXueXiao]

I would call myself methodical, but not necessarily organized. I tried using online trackers, but I found it to be inconvenient. I keep it simple with a composition book that I use to write out daily assignments. This works great for my 5th grader. We keep our materials in a built-in hutch. Sometimes they sit in a pile at one end of the dining table, and we are okay with that. My daughter's chores include putting away school things where they go.

[Hunter]

To organize the home for homeschooling, "The Organized Homeschooler"

http://www.amazon.com/The-Organized-Homeschooler-Vicki-Caruana/dp/1581343051

 

For planning the year's curriculum, I use the method in this youtube video, that only requires a folded piece of large art paper.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vzK2LvS6qOY&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DvzK2LvS6qOY