Planning The Next Semester

LESSON PLANNING IS NO FUN

But Someone's Got to Do it

We do lesson planning for the year, then a weekly plan, and a re-evaluation plan for the 2nd semester. It's usually when we clean out curriculum that isn't working, add curriculum we want to try or pause curriculum in place of adjustments to schedule or the child's progress.

Breaking down the school year into 4 quarters and 2 semesters has helped our family make adjustments as needed. Filling in educational gaps is something the shorter quarters or block times help us focus on. As working and homeschooling parents, it gives clear time frames for us to make adjustments and to deep dive into subjects.

TIME FOR CHANGE

It never fails, we always need to drop a curriculum item, condense something or elongate lessons. We've learned to expect it and not get too upset about it. Math and Writing are always an issue for our current student and we have had to prolong lessons in certain areas in order to strengthen and solidify understanding and skills in these cornerstone subjects.

THE QUICK AND DIRTY WAY

Creating a topic list with the subject, page/reading or videos to watch is a fast way to add a new subject or curriculum into the mix. Setting a weekly review of the student’s accomplishments of the list we do with the student’s weekly presentations to the family.

BREAKING IT DOWN

After taking note on how long it may take to finish a subject for the semester, we review areas that can be combined or removed in order to fit the shorter timeframe. We make sure to focus on the key points of the topic. Also, using visual aids and posters to show the information in a condensed manner. This is a great approach for Science, History, Language Arts, Grammar, Reading and Remediation of subjects.

PLAN IN BREAKS

Never forget to plan in for time off. Realistically planning for a four day week with one day of makeup work is doable for most working and homeschooling parents. However, we planned for a five day week with the kids having the weekend as their ‘homework’ period to finish any work they haven’t completed for the week or to review any work that they had problems with.

DON'T OVERBOOK ~ I MEAN IT ~ DON'T

This is one of the major mistakes we made early on in our homeschool and working adventures. Slowly, we learned what our challenge was and fixed the issue (mostly). Once we 'underbooked' it was easier to have time to focus on topics and skills that the students really needed the most help in.

New Year - New Adventures

2016 Goals And Changes

I love the start of a New Year! There is HOPE, WONDER, CURIOSITY of what is to come. I can say 2016 is going to be a BIG year of adventures for our family.

As a working parent who co-teaches with her spouse who also works outside of the home, we realize that scheduling and planning is a big part of our lives. At the beginning of each year My Husband (Hubba) and I do the following:

PREP FOR OUR NEW YEAR: We go out, eat and discuss the following

• Review of 2015 'the positives and negatives'
• Hopeful list of improvements for 2016
• Marriage check ups 'What made us happy, What we need to work on, How to feed our marriage this year'
• Parenting challenges to tackle in 2016, new method, new direction, new hopes
• Finances in review and ways to improve, coming big purchases, expenses and payoffs
• PLANS - the big one, small one, or none

NOW FOR OUR HOMESCHOOL CHANGES

Of course we made changes. We are on a BLOCK schedule where we change up every 16 weeks or so. Especially now since TIGER LILLY is in Dual Enrollment College Classes.

SPEED RACER (age 12yrs) my Blended-Middle Schooler

Homeschooled at 4th grade on.

Course Lineup for 2016 Spring
We are changing gears and adding back on for Speed Racer:

Also, we hired a personal TUTOR from FunCation Academy - to help with Algebra1 and Spanish

Jan-Mar 2016 (Daily Courses)
English, Grammar and Spelling  (Abeka) *will end in March
Biology, History (Abeka) *will end in March

Jan-May 2016 (Daily Courses)
Algebra 1 (Teaching Textbook and Abeka)
Basic Math Review (CTCMath)
Spelling Review (Sequential Spelling)
Spanish (Middlebury Interactive)

Jan-May 2016 (1 day weekly)
Scratch Programming (Landry)
Electricity Science (Landry)
Robotics (Landry)
Vocabulary Building (Membean)
Python (CodeAcademy)

All the classes were discussed with Speed Racer and he is on board to stay on task this year. We went over his REPORT CARD for his 1st 2 quarters and made some adjustments due to our discussions. He enjoys feeling as though he has a personal say so in his interest and what he is learning.

TIGER LILLY (age 14 yrs) the Dual enrolled High Schooler

Homeschooled at 7th grade on. 

 Artwork done by Tiger Lilly for my presentation

She had a great end to her Fall Semesters with a 3.5 gpa and completion of 15 College Credit hours! Woot! Total hours completed: 21 college credits.

She is enrolled in a University as a Full time student now.


Jan-Mar 2016 (Spring 1 Semester)
Java Programming 1 
College Math 1 (this is a redo since she dropped the course with the other college to do this online)
Illustration and Computer Graphics

Mar-May 2016 (Spring 1 Semester)
Java Programming 2
Pre-Calc
Economics

Landry Homeschool Classes: (Jan-May)
C Programming Pt. 2
PC Pro
Japanese

Personal Interest Homeschool Classes:
Animation Part 2: Animation Course.

Tiger Lilly loves this new college experience. It gives her more freedom and she's able to fit in classes during the days she wants to.


WORKING PARENT's LOG


Meals Revised meal planning since Momma is going on a New Year's diet (wish me luck).

Cleaning. We are clearing out our basement in preparation for our move/house sell and it is not fun. Causing lots of 'disagreements' between my hoarder hubby and me who likes to just toss stuff away.

Work & Life Balance. Finally, I think it will be controlled. Had to closeout things with a rather difficult customer and am thankfully transitioning to another. God is good, because the difficult customer actually apologized to me for his behavior and then sang my praises at a close out meeting. "God will do it!"

Also, I am working with my company to transfer my job to Hawaii. It is a rather frustrating experience as I am having to do more legwork than I anticipated, but I know it will work out with due dilligence.

Did you know, I had a part-time business? Well I do, that was suffering some in 2015, but now it's back on track and I revamped my product releases so this will be a promising endeavor. Besides, Tiger Lilly helps me out with this business and loves it.

Lesson Planning. I finished just 1 week so far. Just in time for our coming school semester.

Rest. I am getting more restful sleep now that I am the proud owner of a Sleep Apnea machine. Didn't think I'd ever need one, but it is helping me tremendously! 

Marriage Check Up. Well this moving, and parenting has caused us to have some BIG arguments lately. More so than typical. We decided to have a truce, to stay in our lane, respectfully not argue but redirect. It's been working these last few weeks. Also, we did a few date nights - even locked our bedroom door to be able to watch a movie and eat in bed without the kids bothering us.

Prepping for the 2015 to 2016 School Year!

This Summer Is Amazing!

Time To Start Thinking About Our Coming School Year.

School Space:

This is shrinking for Speed Racer and Tiger Lilly. My older two kids: Rose and Razor Ray, are moving back home from college. We'd agreed to fund one year of 'campus experience' and that year has ended. Our budgets are happy.

So, the space in the basement will move to the dining room.

The new space will have the following for each student:

Folding Desk
Folding Chair
Dry Erase and Cork Board combo over the desk
Workbox drawers
Bookcase

Schedule:

This is changing to a 3 semester schedule. We will change classes 3 times in the year which models a college schedule that the kids enjoyed last year.

Curriculum:

Tiger Lilly is officially enrolled in her Dual Enrollment Community College and will have a combination of Homeschool Classes and College Classes.

Speed Racer will be doing some online classes with Landry and Currclick to get him used to online classes.

Extra Curricular:

Tiger Lilly will be doing dance, martial arts.

Speed Racer will be dancing, martial arts, lacrosse and a track team if I can find it.

The Importance Of Playtime In School time

Weekly Wrap Up.

Due to some doctors appointments and unexpected events we had to augment school a bit. For Monday and Tuesday I shortened the kids schedules and workload. I didn't play the DVD/Streaming course for some of their less demanding classes and they just did the classwork and homework. It shaved off 2 hours of instruction.

The rest of the week went off without a hitch! My helper came over on Monday and Wednesday and got a lot done with the kiddos. They finished school early on those days, 6pm and the other days were our typical 9:30pm nights ending with hubba assisting in the lessons.

This week Tiger Lilly, started cheering at games. Also, she began a new online course with Currclick.com on Logic. She likes it since she gets to talk to other kids her age. They have 18 students in this online course!

She also got help from her sister Rose on her Python project with Landry Academy. My two lady programmers at work.

Things I realized I'd like to make this journey easier for me.


I decided to hire a cleaning lady (hey! I work so I should be able to treat myself). And I hired a yard service (because as much as my dear hubby claims he can mow the lawn - he hasn't because of his bum knee and my oldest son doesn't like coming home from college to do it). And my daughter Rose, made the commitment to continue on as my home helper/tutor who will help out with the students on days my husband's and my work schedule goes crazy. We just have to pick her up the night before and drop her off in the morning at her college which is on the way to my husbands day gig. I'll pay her the rate I was going to pay the other student.

Also, for meal planning this month, we are doing Let's Dish (www.letsdish.com) because I don't have much time this month to prep meals or plan them like I did last month.

These are some benefits of being a working parent that I just haven't cashed in on lately. Now with our busy schedules, it can't be helped.

Now if I can just find someone to do the laundry...



The importance of playtime.

Since momma is a highly active, energetic lady. So are my kids. Therefore, I try to incorporate PLAYTIME into our homeschool day. See my Speed Racer in character?

This weekend while finishing up some projects we didn't have time to work on early last week, my son goes upstairs for a quick change.

Racing through the house dressed as his own hodgepodge of a super hero, we chase him around the house or hide for him to capture us.

PLAYING WITH YOUR KIDS...

Yes, we still make time to play with our kids. We have to. It is fun, relaxes US as well as the KIDS and they NEVER FORGET IT.

SOME IDEAS FOR PLAY...

Hide and Go Seek. Yes, my kids and I still love to play this in our tiny townhouse. Even the big kids - yeah, older teens who would shake me if they found out I told this, would join in and play.

Blanket Tent and Campout. This can be done in the living room, dining room under the table or by placing several chairs strategically together. Food of course is served in lunch bags or is make believe.

Sock Out. We all take our socks, all them up into torpedos, and hide. When the sound "Get Um!" is yelled we have sock wars and whoever lands the most socks wins.

Movie Night (Drive in Movie theatre, or during Blanet Tent Campout). This is our all night movie and munchie marathon. Easy, fun, and kids love to do it.


IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU STILL PLAY WITH YOUR KIDS?