I hadn’t intended for my next post to be about scheduling,
but it seems everywhere I look in social media or blogs that people are talking
about scheduling. Maybe it’s the New Year and everyone is trying to make a
fresh start to finish out their homeschool right.
I know new homeschoolers especially are looking for that
perfect sample schedule to follow or adapt which will set their homeschool off
to a successful start. Today, I am going to give you the magic recipe for that
impeccable and seamless schedule.
READY…
Just about every school year (and we’ve been doing this for over
ten years now) I have tried to put together a working schedule. More often than
not, I sit down with paper and pen and work out how to balance my children into
a flow that will work so that I can see to both of their needs. I then take the
time to key it into an Excel chart. I might even color code it by child, print
it out and post it in the rooms for my two boys.
Are you all set to do
that???
And do you know what will undoubtedly happen each and every
time after I’ve spent all that energy on my precious schedule? That schedule will get
thrown out with last nights table scraps only to be usurped by a better working schedule. A natural schedule.
That’s the magic to making a successful schedule. Organically, one will come
together.
So stop stressing!
I’ve found that a starting schedule is good. It makes me
think about the needs we have in our school. I encourage you to do the same.
You might even type it up, but at least write it down. Then as you actually get
to schooling, you will find that your children will really choose their best
schedule with your guidance. And you will naturally flow into the best schedule
for you. Keep in mind that you still need to be in charge here (especially with
multiple kids) but without becoming some kind of schedule police.
For example, I have found that my 9 year old will work best
on independent work first thing in the morning. He’ll do some reading, working
on papers such as handwriting and go into his math lesson. Meanwhile, I can
work with the high schooler doing subjects we need to do together (like
Algebra) while he is at his most lucid. This is not how I had it planned. Originally,
I was working with the elementary student first and had the highschooler
working independently, but that schedule just didn’t work.
I’ve also found that they don’t need to follow the same
schedule everyday. In fact, it works better to mix it up and let them do
different subjects in a different order most days. It keeps it fresh and then they
won’t think, Oh, great, it’s 11am. Time for math…again.
Invite your children to figure out what they like to work on
and when. Once they get to a certain age (3rd grade or so), they
really do have great insight on what works best for them. It also makes them
feel more a part of their education and they might even develop a better work
ethic to keep within the schedule you've put together.
Best wishes to you all as you schedule (or not) or allow it
to naturally occur. Just remember moms and dads, don’t stress over the perfect
schedule because honestly it is about as tangible as the Abominable Snowman.
Some are convinced they’ve found it, others don’t believe it exists and the
rest of us stumble around just wondering and keep on searching it out.
