Knights Becoming and a Lady in Waiting

Lesson Planning

Does anyone else obsess over lesson planning?

I do.  Before we started our school year, I had the entire year roughly planned out.  By roughly, I mean something like this:

Bible: read xx

           character trait of xx

           memorize verse xx

           memorize books Genesis to xx

Art: read xx

       do xx

History (we were using SotW at the time):

       theme of xx

       read xx

       do review on page xx

       narrate from page xx

      do projects xx

You get the idea.  I'm not going to make you sit through a whole week's plan.  For those who are random abstract thinkers, it would probably make you foam at the mouth.  Those who are sequential concrete probably have a list just like it at home. ;)

I was listening to the workshop tape for Linda Hobar's "Dateless Lesson Planner" in the car the other day and it hit me.  It's not the planning that does me in.  Planning actually helps me immensely, because it gives me a framework to work from that does not require me to reinvent the wheel every single week.  When I don't plan, I often don't do.

However, the way I was planning before left me stressed.  After all, it's week 24 of the school year and we are supposed to be doing xx, but we're really doing xx, from week 22.  Ahhh!  We have to do more!  We have to do longer!  We have to do better!

At this point, of course, my dear children start to bear a strong resemblance to mules, camels, and other animals quite capable of digging their heels in and settling in.

They refuse more.  I push harder.  They refuse more.  We get further behind.  It escalates, tensions rise, Mommy screams, children cry, and the day falls apart.  We don't do any work.  The day is shot.  We are now 2 weeks and one day behind, rather than just 2 weeks.

If lesson plans are undated, though, then we're never behind.  We just haven't left that lesson yet.

DH said he'd mentioned something similar to me before (he is very random sequential, so of course it would occur to him).  He made a few more suggestions that I'm going to put into motion for next year's school.  (I just don't have the energy to start doing it right now.)

I'm rethinking a lot of concepts; I suspect I'll do that on a regular basis for at least the next eighteen years.  Homeschooling is a blessing that way.

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9:23 AM, Apr. 20, 2006 .. Posted by MSAcademy

I often felt this way too - until this year. I started doing the Prairie Primer and planned things WITHOUT dates. Oh what a difference! I was using Abeka and also SOT and felt so pressured with having to finish everything for the day they were assigned. I finally feel ' FREE' and my kids don't feel the pressure which is great. School is actually fun these days. = )

Thanks for the encouragement on my most recent blog entry. I'm so frustrated and am not sure what's going on with my Dad, so I think I need to find a neurologist and have him tested. Maybe meds will help slow things down.

Blessings,
~Kim~

I'm with you....

10:33 AM, Apr. 20, 2006 .. Posted by TRINITYPREPSCHOOL

I love the concept of unschooling and see it works well for many families...... BUT I am a checklist person, a linear thinker and probably need to accept my tempermant is not that of an unschooler.

I blogged about my favorite homeschool tool several weeks ago which has helped me so much in this area. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TRINITYPREPSCHOOL/76920/

If we have a sick day for one of the kids, I can shift the assignments forward a day or two with a touch of a button. If I don't have time for our science lab today, with a push of a button, I can reschedule it. If we read ahead in a chapter book.....another click on the computer and it looks like I planned it that way!.

I print out beautiful assignment sheets and records of what we've accomplished, reading lists, resource lists, report cards and transcripts. When your kids are young, none of these things may matter much. But mine are in junior high and we're gearing up for high school.

It's my favorite homeschool helper!
Maureen

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11:54 AM, Apr. 20, 2006 .. Posted by nsremom

I think you'll find your 'groove' someday. It will not happen this year. Your oldest is 6 and I have to smile thinking about MYSELF back then. My oldest is now 10.5 and I feel a greater sense of freedom every year.

You'll hit a nice medium soon, but until then...do whatever works for you, but just realize that if it doesn't work....YOU being the teacher....can chuck it. Yep. You get to decide if somethings working or not.

Hate a new textbook? Paid $50 for it, (ahem...spelling power) Well. Sell it. No harm done. No biggie. 2 weeks behind? Just remind yourself....behind of what? Of WHOSE schedule are you behind?

Enjoy the ride. Enjoy that you're involved intimately in your childrens learning. How exciting for us to be able to watch our little ones 'catch on' to a new concept. That's what it's all about.

And believe it or not. I haven't done a schedule in a couple years. But.....WAY back when I did. UGH. I felt like I was mud when I didn't keep up. Since you seem to thrive off of structure, this most likely isn't the case. I'm just letting you know that it can be done both ways and be successful both ways. :)