The End Justifies the Means...

As I reflect on last year and prepare for our upcoming school year, I am always faced with thinking on the new year's goals. Now to some that may sound like a scary thing but to me I find great comfort in this. I think too often we start things and don't really know where we are heading. If this is the case, how will we know when we have arrived?

  • Yearly Lesson Plans - I take time to go through each book or curricula I intend to use, decide how many days I will be teaching from it per week and how many weeks total I will be using this. Then I begin breaking down the book or curricula into bite-size pieces.
  • Daily Schedule - This one is a work-in-progress. It takes a while to observe the natural rhythm of our days but once that is done I begin reflecting on the best way to order subjects and make sure that I have time to spend with each child, plug in any co-op or classes we may be participating in. First I just make a list of everything, then I begin plugging it in. Once I have done I try to imagine the flow of the day as I have set it up on my schedule. I do this periodically throughout the summer and the beginning of the school year. Then I make adjustments. Being flexible is key!
  • Allowing your children to be accountable - Each Monday, I meet with my children individually and give them their weekly assignments. Depending on their age, they are accountable to write the assignments into a blank agenda. A great resource for weekly assignment sheets is www.donnayoung.org . I allow my 10th grader to work independently based on the assignments given. Then we meet again on Accountability Thursdays. We discuss history and literature topics and look over the assignments she's been working on. Then she is ready to turn in her work on Friday...and I am not hit with any "surprises."

If we are to run the race, then there must be an end. If we do not clearly define the end we will not know that we have achieved anything. In the case of preparing and planning your homeschool, grace and goals are key. Without a goal, we will not know how to complete the year. Without grace, we will not be able to forgive ourselves when things occur beyond our control.

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