If there is one thing that drives me insane is that fact that God thought it would be funny to cram both OCD Organizer and Habitual Procrastinator into the same body!
I am so not kidding.
This year I choose to pray more and ask for grace as I try (one more time) to be the organized homeschool mama.
First and foremost, each of us has a particular way to organize all of the work that the kids need to complete. By dividing and organizing by day, or week, or (God bless them) by the year.
I am more of a week by week kinda organizer. I would like to see certain goals met by week, and shoot, it is just easier to write out for the week in one sitting than it is to complete it day by day. I’ve done both, so I truly have figured that much out about myself!
I have touched on Homeschool Organization and Planners before and I thought I would break it down a bit further. Some of my ways of trying to maintain the organization, as well as ideas that I want to implement.
There are many different ways to handle the yearly planning and organization of homeschool.
Personally I believe that to each his own but here is a very brief overview of how I do yearly planning.
- Know what is suggested to complete a specific year
- Do our best to complete tasks suggested
- Work on Reading, Handwriting, and Math
- Embrace individuality
- Encourage a Love for Learning
- Help Inspire Creativity
- Allow for some Children Directed Learning
- PRAY
- Ask for GRACE
- Do Our Best
I am sure that you may not feel the same way about school as I do, but ultimately each family has to make their own plans and then be in constant prayer mode.
There are some ways that I am more organized than others, but it would seem that I am still a Fly-By-The-Seat-Of-My-Pants homeschooler even after all of these years.
Some goals as a homeschool mama is that I want to teach independence, responsibility, and individuality. One way that I achieve this goal is to write out the kids required work for the week in a logbook. We use My Student Logbook for this purpose. I like the layout of this logbook. It is easy enough for Joseph to look at it and make sure he gets done the work I have listed of him. Yet detailed enough for Isaiah and Ana.
I take some time on Saturday and/or Sunday to write up the required work for the week for all three of the kids. I make it fairly simply and loose.
For Isaiah, he is 14 and more than capable of following the lesson plans laid out in his Biology book. I write Biology in his logbook, then he will reference his lesson plans in his book for the week. He is also using a Bible study, so I write it down and he knows to complete the work for the daily activities, then we will regroup on Fridays to wrap up his week. He is required to complete his math online, so he is responsible for making sure he does the time. He then marks the total time in his logbook for the week. He is using Illuminating Literature: When Worlds Collide and there are lesson plans written in his student book that he follows for the week as well.
For Ana, since she is 10, I write her logbook out a bit differently. I use the weekly subject areas and make sure she has specific subjects she must complete for the week. Then I use the more information pages to give specific lessons that she is required to complete each day. For instance, she is required to write out her Bible verse daily all week, so I specify which Bible verse for her. Also, I tell her which Spelling List she is to write out for the week and test on Friday. She is doing her math online also, so she must record her time in her logbook at the end of the week. She must read aloud for 15 minutes a day, any book she chooses. Science we do together. All of this (and sometimes more) is written down for her to follow.
Joseph is still in the beginning stages of reading, so his logbook is laid out very similar to Ana’s. I use his logbook to write out his spelling words for the week. And I have his Bible verse written in his book. We are doing math together as well as reading and our science. He sees his book more for the idea of independence than that of keeping track of his work! And that’s okay with me. Next year might be different.
Here are my other ways to maintain some sort of organization.
- I use binders – A LOT
- PDFs that I print out
- answer keys
- I have a printer/copier machine
- I have two small bins for loose papers
- One is for completed work
- One is used to hold items that might be used for the week
- I have an Art Box that holds loose pencils, markers, crayons, etc…
- I have a material cube box that holds scrap paper
- this is for doodling
- scratch paper for math
- grocery lists (LOL)
- I have a huge chalkboard on the school room wall
- I have a white board on the kitchen wall
- I have two shelves dedicated to school books that will be used during this year
- I use a weekly calendar to provide a loose schedule for each week
Breath in Grace
This may not work for everyone but it does work for us as we head Back to Homeschool this year.
It may change next year, it may stay the same. And that is the beauty of being able to homeschool our children. Do what works for you and your family.
Make sure to show some grace to the kids as well as allow grace to be given to you as well mama. Just do your best and do it all for the glory of God.
In His Grace.
Callie
Visit my fellow homeschool blogging mamas as they share their own Back to Homeschool posts below.
The Schoolhouse Review Crew partnered with Homeschool Blogging Connections to bring you a week full of back to school encouragement.
Meet Your Back to Homeschool Blog Hop Hosts
Marcy @ Ben and Me
Debra @ Footprints in the Butter
Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses
Amy @ Homeschool Encouragement
Missica @ The Open Window: An Autism Blog
Misty @ Year Round Homeschooling
Jennifer @ A Glimpse of Our Life
Heather @ Only Passionate Curiosity
Clarissa @ Counting Our Blessings
Christy @ Unexpected Homeschool
Monique @ Living Life and Learning
Rebecca @ Raventhreads
Karen @ Tots and Me…Growing Up Together
Rebekah @ There Will Be A $5 Charge For Whining
April @ ElCloud Homeschool
Brenda @ Counting Pinecones
Tara @ This Sweet Life
Tara @ Embark on the Journey
Jennifer @ Chestnut Grove Academy
Annette @ In All You Do
Lisa @ Farm Fresh Adventures
Tauna @ Proverbial Homemaker
Joanie @ Simple Living Mama
Aurie @ Our Good Life
Jennifer @ A Peace of Mind
Jenn @ Treasuring Life’s Blessings
Kemi @ Homemaking Organized
Wendy @ Life at Rossmont
Katie @ DailyLife
Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory
Kim @ Homestead Acres
Melissa @ Mom’s Plans
Annette @ A Net In Time
Cristi @ Through the Calm and Through the Storm
Meg @ Adventures with Jude
Dawn @ Double O Farms
DaLynn @ For the Display of His Splendor
Monique @ Mountain of Grace Homeschooling
Steph @ Indy Homeschool
Kym @ Homeschool Coffee Break
Laura @ Four Little Penguins
Tawnee @ Adventures in homeschooling
Lisa @ Tales of a Homeschool Family
Jennifer @ Organized Home Organized School
Erin @ For Him and My Family
Lori @ At Home: where life happens
Margaret @ Creative Madness Mama
Nicole @ Some Call It Natural
Crystal @ Crystal Starr
Bonnie @ Write Bonnie Rose
Shawna @ Tenacity Divine
Carol @ Home Sweet Life
Kelli @ Adventure Homeschool
Jacquelin @ A Stable Beginning
Leah Courtney @ As We Walk Along the Road
Leave a Reply