I have always used my Summers to prepare for the next school year, but this year I have decided to work on it in the Spring. My hope is to get the scheduling aspect of it done before the 2011-2012 school year has ended. (Crossing my fingers for mid-May for that!) During the summer, I'll work on making copies, preparing projects, making up worksheets, etc. I'll do those things on some of those 100 degree days, when I want to be indoors with the central air. We'll see how that goes...
In the past few years, I have tried many different ways of scheduling. I have done the separate schedules: a schedule page for LA, a schedule page for History, a schedule page for Science, etc. One year I did a Kindergarten schedule and a Second/Third grade schedule. This year I have done three grades on one sheet. It's been working okay, but I get some of the subjects mixed up between students. All three of my kids are doing All About Spelling, so I have it listed on there three separate times. Sometimes I check off the wrong students box and it just gets confusing.
This coming year, I will be teaching four separate grades - K/2/4/5. I have been feeling very overwhelmed about that, but know that many a moms have done it before me (with more kids too)! So I know I can do it. It's just a matter of finding what is comfortable for me and my kids. I started by making History, Science, Bible, Geography & Read-Alouds all combined subjects. It's something that we can all do together, everyone can learn, and it cuts down on couple hours extra work. Next, I scheduled more than one grade per subject. I have a feeling this is going to get confusing, so there is a pic below.
Areas with a white blank, signify that I need to teach a lesson that day, but I cannot specify exactly where I will be. For example: Keys for Kids are in the book under the date. Since I don't know the exact date that Week 1, Day three falls on, I have an open blank so I know I need to do a lesson for that day and can do the it according to the specific date it falls on. Make sense? Another example would be TT4. Sometimes my student gets the new concept, other days I need to redo the lesson over and over again. I don't want to feel left behind or feel like I need to push forward to keep with my scheduled lesson plan, so I leave it blank. I place an X on that blank to signify that we did it that day. Another great thing about blanks, is you don't feel like a failure if you didn't get that particular subject done that day, and as an added bonus you're not screwing up your schedule.
Areas with a gray blank, signify that that subject/lesson/book is not taught on that particular day.
Spaces with multiple boxes/numbers are used to separate the grade level in each subject. In Handwriting Without Tears (HWT) I will be teaching K and 2nd grades. After each grade I have the page number, because in that particular subject, I want to make sure we keep up with it and not unnecessarily miss too many days. (It's incentive for me not to get too lazy when it comes to hand-printing, especially since I have a Kindergartner.) In math, three students are doing Horizons. Therefore, I have a box to check off for K, 2nd & 4th grades. The boxes pretty much show me who needs to do work in each particular subject.
What I love about the schedule system I came up with, is that all my subjects are on one piece of paper. I hate flipping through papers trying to figure out what I need to do next. Although, I am going to make a 'note page' after each week. It will just clarify things on the schedule, give me reminders, have a list of supplies and extra worksheets that I need etc. But that will be used more for preparation, rather than the actual school day. So little to no paper flipping should take place. =)
What I don't like about it, is that it looks overwhelming and daunting. When I look at that piece of paper, I start a mini panic attack! I ask myself, "How am I going to fit all of this into one day??? - especially while teaching Kindergarten, a very hands-on, intense grade." I got a couple of things to help me. For one, God & lots of prayer. And two, my daughter is an excellent helper when it comes to school. She loves to teach her younger brothers and often will listen to her brother read for me, or offer to read a Read-Aloud so I can get other things done. I truly do think it's going to be okay.
This coming year will be a test ride for my new schedule. If it doesn't work, then back to the drawing board. If it does work with hiccups, then I'll just have to make a few adjustments. If it works great, then Yipee! I solved my problem of an overflowing lesson binder! I'm hoping for the latter.
So where do I keep extra papers??
I have a lesson binder that is always open on my desk. I have a worksheet binder that I keep on the book shelf and pull out to get any necessary papers at the beginning of the week. I place them behind that week's schedule and pull them out on the days that they're needed. Besides that, I really don't have any other papers or folders that I use.
If you have any ideas or comments, leave them below! I'd love to hear how others schedule their days and what works for them!
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