Last Summer, as I prepared for this academic year, I realized that with the two students I’d be reporting to the district, and a toddler, I’d better switch from my, “count to 900 hours and call it at year.” strategy to something else. I decided to list out assignments for both boys, check them off, and call it good when it was all checked off.
It’s not as easy to incorporate field trips and co-op with tasks, and deciding to skip things, or change things is also trickier. I’m sure that counting hours is still too hard, but I’m not sure what we’ll do next year – I have to discuss it with DH.
Anyway, that explains why we have our calender marked up right now with things to finish – only for some reason, I didn’t set Monday aside as unpack day – so we are “behind.” I am NOT re-writing that thing though no matter how much it makes me feel like a slacker – it’s written in pen.
I am also figuring out next year – I need to teach M his math from a different angle, and B has just finished the Story of the World series – or he will have in 3 weeks. I’m seriously considering using the Living Math unit studies and M’s primary math, and B’s history spine (on his level), while at the same time having B outline the Kingfisher Illustrated Encyclopedia of History as suggested in the Well Trained Mind.
Figuring out next year is so EMOTIONAL. I mean, I love getting books in the mail, but the bill column of the spreadsheet is daunting. And, was Charlotte Mason right about “not making the connections FOR” children, or is the chronological/Unit study method OK? I was trying to explain the preference for random (with examples of the habit training that is not ‘always telling’) to DH last night when he said that Miss Mason was a wonderful educator, but he thought she was thinking too much like a woman on this issue. The oblique method of reminding without reminding is just maddening (at least to a ‘guy,’) not more effective in the long run. And what is wrong with presenting material logically – doesn’t that set a good example to the child?
… to which I responded intelligently with…umm…
Does planning next year wring you out too? what is your process?