Home School Planning
Is it time to start home school planning? Your first year of home school will probably not be like you 5th, or 10th, or last. So let’s hit on the first year first. When home school planning you should probably not try and plan anything beyond a year your first time out of the gate. This doesn’t mean that you can’t have an idea of what you want your home school to look like, that is probably part of your motivation. But most home school veterans will tell you that they have tried and and been disappointed in certain thing they have tried over the years. And the first year is, in my opinion, the most likely to have that happen.
Keep it simple. Be willing to bend or you will break. Also take careful notice of what is working and what isn’t and be willing to put it aside for a while if it is an all day fight. Decide on your curriculum, then remember that it’s your family’s curriculum, not the publisher or whoever. You can always supplement or discard what providing education for your children. Then decide on a schedule, and try to stay on track. Remember that the first year of home schooling is often more about you learning than your children. Your putting into practice what you think home schooling should be like. Your going to find that some things will cause frustrated children, and some things will cause a frustrated parent. Let it go when you need to and buckle down when you need to.
Maybe your a few years into home schooling and your home school planning just needs some fine tuning. Remember that home educating your children is not public school at home. When home school planning try and set a month aside each year that you will review your plans, throw out what isn’t working and look for what is. Over the month set aside time in your schedule to do this, maybe every Friday morning or after Dad comes home. Just be dedicated to this time. Even unschoolers have to take time and reflect what changes may need to take place in their home environment, outside commitments, and all the activities in and out that the family has. And find pleasure in the fact that this is your call, life is a journey and home schooling can be integrated into all of it.