DesertBlossom Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 So.... after much deliberation I'm making my own lesson planner and will get it bound once I have everything I want. I've been looking at planners trying to get an idea of what all I want in it. But, I thought I'd ask here too what things you found most useful. For now, these are some of the things I'm including: Year at a glance calendar Monthly calendars Weekly Planner Pages (created by me in Excel with all the boxes I want...I've very excited about this!) Reading Logs Ideas for future curricula (because I read things here and want to remember them down the road!) Table of Contents from several of the books we're using like SOTW and RSO Science (I decided to include this so that I can very quickly reference what comes next, and so I can make sure we're keeping pace to finish the year. Also, the science ToC lists the supplies needed for that week) I know that as soon as I get it bound I'm going to think of something else to put in it. So I will probably wait until the end of summer to do it. What else do you find helpful? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kolamum Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Read lists {books intended to be read} Notes {blank pages for writing things on} Intended school Schedule {weeks on vs weeks off} Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Pages for usernames/passwords for any online things you might use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaMarie6 Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I like to keep mine simple. Yearly Calendar, Weekly Lesson Plan pages and at the back I include a pocket folder for odds and ends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Keeper Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Read Aloud list -books I want to read to my kids. List of books that (in an ideal world) I would like each child to read--this list is books I actually do have on hand Each child has a reading log of the books that actually do get read.... Memory work (poems, scripture, speeches, etc.) Pages for recording field trips and other outside activities. Phys. ed. page--I log the kids' sports teams/karate classes for health/PE credit Blank lined paper/narration pages so I can make a quick copy if needed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpskowski Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Do you need to keep attendance record for your state? I put that in mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I use a 3ring binder so I can update as needed. I have calendars -I think 4 different ones, weekly planner, long range planning, courses of study-generic by grade and specific for each kid, school toy/game rotations for the little ones, art rotation, meal planner, household budget, reading list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshin Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Don't get it bound! Get an ARC planner at Staples. You can make your own pages, but you can remove and shuffle them about as needed. It's just as streamlined as getting it bound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajfries Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Don't get it bound! Get an ARC planner at Staples. You can make your own pages, but you can remove and shuffle them about as needed. It's just as streamlined as getting it bound. Or invest in a :001_wub: ProClick :001_wub: I do like the ARC planners, but I haven't been able to justify buying the special hole punch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emcap Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Seconding the arc. So pretty, so convenient, I love it. I used it for the last quarter of last year and I'm getting it all set up for this school year. I've already shuffled pages a lot as I try to find the best arrangement for me, and I love making my own pages! I keep in mine (4 kids in school): a course of study section, weekly lesson plan section for each child, weekly lesson plan section for subjects we do together, section for reading logs, section for library books/science supplies needed by week calendar of the school year with quarter divisions, days off, etc., current poem in a page protecter in the front, a folder for misc papers that need to be dealt with I may have to get the larger discs, it's getting full! The arc notebook is so much better than a binder because it can fold back on itself and doesn't take up nearly as much room on my desk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I have a proclick but am now using arcs and an arc punch. Still like both, but for different reasons. I have not done my hs planning in an arc yet, but my regular planner is an arc. I just picked up a pile more of arcs on sale recently. Looking fwd to putting them to work. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pehp Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I keep mine very simple. I actually use a store-bought planner from Staples or wherever that is a spiral-bound monthly calendar. It has many blank pages at the back and this is where I keep major projects lists, book lists, and other things that I want to keep throughout the year. It is thin and I can carry it easily to various places with me if I need to do that--which is helpful. Then for the daily tasks I just use a spiral notebook. One page per day. I put everything here, including my to-do lists, people to call, errands to run, notes to self, cute things my children say, etc. When it is full, I go back to see if there's anything I need to keep or transfer elsewhere, and then recycle it. For the weekly school/lesson plans, I just use a chart like the one here: http://trinityschoolhouse.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-week-in-life-year-one-winterspring.html. I made it in Word. Very low-tech. I guess this means I use 3 different things (calendar, spiral notebook, lesson plan checklist) but it doesn't seem like I'm juggling a lot! I do have a small home management-type binder w/ a schedule, cleaning checklists etc in it. I don't reference it often, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertBlossom Posted June 13, 2014 Author Share Posted June 13, 2014 Don't get it bound! Get an ARC planner at Staples. You can make your own pages, but you can remove and shuffle them about as needed. It's just as streamlined as getting it bound. Or invest in a :001_wub: ProClick :001_wub: I do like the ARC planners, but I haven't been able to justify buying the special hole punch. I didn't know either of these things existed. From my quick search, it looks like the ARC notebook plus the hole punch is still considerably cheaper than the Proclick. Or maybe I need to keep looking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajfries Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I didn't know either of these things existed. From my quick search, it looks like the ARC notebook plus the hole punch is still considerably cheaper than the Proclick. Or maybe I need to keep looking? You've got me there :D The ARC is cheaper. I bought my Proclick in a moment of weakness. But I looove my Proclick. I don't think you can go wrong with either! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetC Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 The ARC seems cool, but why not just a three hole punch? My home made planner pages and work samples and printouts of my grade book go into a three ring binder at the end of the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajfries Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I loathe binders :leaving: They are big & bulky and I hate that I can't flip them over on themselves. I'm sure I'm going to have to get over it at some point, but for now I just avoid having to deal with them on a regular basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erin Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 This got long, but I've puttered along for so many years with systems that just kind-of worked for me! My daily planner, a 5x8 notebook, has a two-page spread for the week (four pages total, front and back). ~The first page is my weekly cleaning checklist. ~The second is my main, working page. On it I have a small column, in the lower left, devoted to supper plans and daily checklist. At the very top I have light gray days of the week over which I'll write obligations, meetings, etc. otherwise, it's undated. The rest of the page is like a bullet journal approach (didn't realize that's what it was called until that massive thread sprung up a couple months ago!) Four categories: errands, to do online, school, and around the house, with multiple bullet boxes in each category. Things not finished this week are carried over. ~The mirroring page is just a note page, as is the back of it. The back also has a handful of post-its stuck to it for errands or groceries so I can take it with me. I have it divided (laminated cardstock dividers with notes/quotes/clipart on them) into quarters for the year. The back of my divider page is the quarter's calendar with dates and such marked. The first page of each quarter is my budget/bill paying page, with still more checkboxes. And at the beginning of the planner itself, I have a few photos, my annual goals, a year at a glance calendar, etc. The back is where I have blank note pages, as well as a folder for assorted flotsam. Anything of true importance that gets put in there is marked with a little, plastic post-it flag, rather than being put in a ToC. Front and back covers are cutesy clipart printed on cardstock and laminated in my el cheapo $22 Scotch laminator. The whole thing is wire-bound with my Cinch bookbinder. Not completely permanent, it's fairly easy to snip the wires with a pair of needle nose pliers, but somewhat permanent in that I don't want to waste my wires so am more likely to make what I have work. (I have this bad habit of getting more caught up in the fun of creating the system rather than actually forcing myself to USE it) This has worked so well for me this year that I'm in the process of creating a lesson planner, too. It will also be half-sized (it's just so much easier to carry around when I need to) So far I have: Mirroring lesson plan pages Book list and where to find them A Year-at-a-glace as well as list-style calendar to put school dates on it (we mesh with little sis's PS schedule) a rough, 4-year plan for high school, including entrance requirements for current, preferred colleges curriculum ideas for upcoming years gradebook/report card blank notepages at the back folder for odds and ends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajfries Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I would love to see what everybody has made, whether it's the actual file or a screen shot or a sketch. I'm working on mine now & would love to glean ideas :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajfries Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Erin, I love the idea of having it in a smaller than letter format, do you print it at home yourself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erin Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Yep. I have it all in one .doc file....cover, clipart, everything. Things like my weekly page I just print multiple copies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemom Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I purchased the ARC system a couple of months ago and have been using it for my planning for next year. I love it! I was able to use a coupon for the binding system and got a great deal. Love that I can pull pages in and out or rearrange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I put in a rough out of annual pacing for each subject. Sort of like when each chapter should be coming to a close, or the end of a unit, or when a book should be finished. It helps a lot when I do my lesson planning on the weekly basis to have a long range shot of each subject area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PentecostalMom Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I purchased the ARC system a couple of months ago and have been using it for my planning for next year. I love it! I was able to use a coupon for the binding system and got a great deal. Love that I can pull pages in and out or rearrange. Can you print and add pages with the ARC, or do you have to use pages from Staples? Also, can you add and remove pages like I binder? I have to drive an hour to get to Staples! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I liked having my last page for Notes for Next Year. It was a handy place to jot things down. I'll try to upload a screen shot of my weekly pages. I used a two-page spread for the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajfries Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Can you print and add pages with the ARC, or do you have to use pages from Staples? Also, can you add and remove pages like I binder? I have to drive an hour to get to Staples! You have to buy the special hole punch...I think that's about $40. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaMarie6 Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I have an ARC system, punch and everything. If you like to take pages out and move things around then it starts to fall apart. I ended up purchasing a proclick instead. I love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemom Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Can you print and add pages with the ARC, or do you have to use pages from Staples? Also, can you add and remove pages like I binder? I have to drive an hour to get to Staples! I purchased the punch for under $30 with a coupon. I print my own pages from either excel or word. I actually took out the pages that came with the ARC planner. I am not moving the pages around constantly and haven't had any problems. I have read that someone laminated the pages that they moved all the time. They do make page protectors too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco_Clark Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Going to have to come back later to see what I'm missing in mine :) In my Homeschool Binder I have an "If found" page right in front. Then a "YEAR" tab with a yearly calendar, the year's scope and sequence, a goal sheet for each kiddo, and a rough overview of our intended 5 year schedule. A "WEEK" tab with a generic weekly schedule, that's week's school schedule, and a blank sheet for notes to myself. A "PLANNING" tab with a double sided page for each subject. Every subject looks a bit different but this is basically where I keep listed everything we are doing that year. I cross it out as it's put on our week schedule and actually done. Sometimes I'm also filling this out as the year goes, a few weeks ahead. And a "LISTS" tab with library book lists, supply needed lists, great books to read list, things to add to our memory work list ect. Came back to delete this when I realized it was a homeschool binder thread...but decided to keep it after all :) In my Family Binder I have an "If found" page right in front followed by a yearly calendar and monthly calendars. A "HOUSEHOLD" tab with a cleaning schedule/checklist for daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly work and a list of things around the house that need to be repaired/repainted. A "GARDEN" tab with my planting schedule, plant information, diagrams of what is planted where, ect. A "MEDICAL" tab with copies of our insurance cards, immunization schedule, and a zipper pouch for business cards and appt cards from our doctors. A "KNITTING" tab with intended projects and patterns. A tab for the nonprofit I run. And a tab labeled "INSPIRATION" where I write quotes or take notes on things I'm working on or thinking through. I've tried having a meal planning section but have never been successful with it, mostly because my husband hates dealing with my binder but does 25-30% of the cooking. We have a white board in the kitchen where we write our dinners and a magnet list on the fridge for groceries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imagine.more Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I also have a pro click, I got it on sale several years ago and I do use it pretty regularly. It's super useful, especially for someone like me who is so picky about paper products and who thinks binders are too bulky for things like planners. I'm ridiculous I know. But I like that I can add things to it. I can also re-use the same spine each year by taking it off the old pages and putting it on the new ones. You can also cut the spines to any size you want. I print my daily planner in a 7 x 8.5 size, so not a standard letter size paper. That means I can cut legal size (14 x 8.5) paper in half with my scrapbook paper cutter and use that as my printer paper for the planner. I also recommend slightly heavier than normal paper for a planner, it'll be more durable and ink won't bleed through. 28-32lb is a good weight. I find the 7 x 8.5 size is a good size with plenty of room for writing but small enough that I can fit it in my purse. A homeschool-only planner can be bigger but the smaller size might still be nice if you regularly school on-the-go, do a lot of co-ops, or like to jot down notes while out and about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Watch the sales on proclicks. I got mine for $30ish. It was a super sale matched with a huge coupon. The p50 at $100 is at the high point of the sales cycle. $70-80 is a fairly typical price to find (office depot has it for $72 right now). I hit an office depot sale that had it around $50 and then used a coupon. I cringe when I hear people paying $125 for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I don't completely make my own. I use a cheap commercial teacher plan book for the actual lesson plans. But I keep it in a binder along with tabs for each kid. Behind each tab I keep track of books read, videos watched (educational ones, not disney etc lol ), fieldtrips taken, ideas for future use, certificates of completion from online classes, PE log, high school "map" for teens. In the front I have a calendar outlining schedule for extra currics and online classes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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