Connections Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Please help me brainstorm ideas to allow flexibility for our rigorous high school level courses. I want to provide specific assignments for my children (because they have asked for them) but also be able to drop everything when something comes up. I have a younger DD in the mix and newly retired grandparents who like to come visit about once a week. (Since they are newly retired they do not like to make plans too far in advance!) I want to be able to drop the school work when they visit and spend time with them. I want to be able to take my DD and my older boys to museums, the zoo, etc.- like I did for the older boys when they were younger. I want us all to share these experiences. We school year round and take breaks when the weather is most to our liking and for holidays. But how do I mesh the request for assignments with the flexibility to drop the assignments when we want to participate in other things? One of the reasons my DSs want assignments is because they feel a real sense of accomplishment when they are "done" for the week. But if we ditch the assignments for other things, then that sense of accomplishments is gone. I am sure the answer is obvious and I am just missing it. I feel like I have tried so many different scheduling approaches over the years. One of the problems is that I prefer to schedule time on task. But, my DSs feel like they are prone to slack when they have time on task- they admit that they do not push themselves as hard as my assignments push them. They want to be pushed. Perhaps they will mature and push themselves. Or maybe the pushing of themselves will only come with outside classes and "real" life. I do see them push themselves in other areas so this is not a problem I am worried about- just a reality I have to work with in our homeschool classes. Please help me brainstorm ideas. Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 How about planning four day weeks (or nine day two week blocks or whatever) with a floater day for things that come up. You'd have to stick to only taking off the one day of flexibility per week, but it might be a good compromise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Instead of planning specific dates, number them. On Day 1, do this. On Day 2, do that. Oops, grandparents are coming today. Tomorrow is Day 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeegal Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 My system might work for you. I post all assignments on Friday, due the following Friday. The children have the flexibility to decide when they work, as long as the work is done by Friday. Sometimes they'll start on the weekends, double up on Mondays, or plan an even workweek. I don't worry about when the work is done, as long as it's handed in on time. :001_smile: Discussions, tests, grading papers, planning the next week, filing papers, etc. all occurs Friday morning. If something comes up on Friday, I'll use Saturday instead but no one cares for that option. I do prefer to have rough drafts due Friday so I can edit the drafts over the weekend, hand them back to the children on Monday, and have the final draft due Friday. The kids usually have 2 papers going at any time as a result. One paper that's being outlined and writing, and one that's being polished. HTH :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 use a college like schedule with assignment due dates posted, but no day-to-day scheduling. All math problems must be turned in on Friday. English paper due on xyz date. Chemistry problems from chapter x must be turned in Monday. Students can pace themselves how to accomplish these weekly (or even more infrequent) goals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connections Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 Thanks, ladies. I knew there were obvious solutions that I was overlooking! I actually think I may need different approaches for my different children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 I break the course down into bite-sized chunks. For some, I may say read one chapter per week - student to schedule how much per day. Other classes, I plan more of day 1, day 2, day 3... I don't assign calendar dates to the plan so it can be easily adjusted. I have endpoint goals and then might say must finish x assignments (or days) per week to finish by x date. If everything is finished early that's great. IF not finished by the end of the semester or year, we just keep going. For me, most of our classes don't have an endpoint of finishing everything by the "end" of the schoolyear. I spell out what is complete for one credit and when the work is done, we move on to another subject. Sometimes my kids want to pack it all in quickly and get it done and othertimes spread it out longer. I give some fixed guidelines, but am pretty flexible. If my kids are finishing multiple subjects early in the schoolyear, then I give them options of how to self-educate. Math and English keep going as long as mom says. They then have the options of spending school time doing more computer programming, more teaching company videos, starting the next science text or history book, reading more literature or working on other projects such as engineering projects or electrical, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrayshire Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Some great ideas....listening in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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