The Homeschool Planner!

So, I must admit...

in my 3 previous years of homeschooling a planner has been non-existent.

Well, kinda.

The first year I purchased a well-known homeschool planner and before my first week I filled the entire thing out-in ink people!

That worked so well when I threw out half our curriculum in the first week.

The second year I purchased another one...and never filled it in at all.  Maybe I was scared after the previous year, but the big part was that it just didn't fit 'us'.  

Last year...flying by the seat of my pants!

This year?

I found a planner I can customize and use the way I need it to work!

Alicia @ Investing Love

has created a printable, cheap, perfect planner!

I am not receiving anything for telling you this, I am just honestly thrilled about it!

I'll be honest, I was somewhat anti-planner due to previously mentioned fails, but...I watched Alicia's video because of her washi tape.

You heard me right. She had the loveliest, cutest washi tape I'd ever laid my officesupplylove eyes upon and so, I watched her video to find out where it was from.  And I found a planner I could not only live with, but love!

{I totally went out and bought the same exact washi tape too of course, no shame in copycatting here}

I give you: The Homeschool Planner

Rather than having it bound {one of my things I hate about premade planners} or a three ring binder, I use the ARC system from Staples.   It is basically a punch that you push onto the little circle tabs.  This allows me to have a flat lying planner but the ability to pull pages in and out as needed.  I'll be honest, at this point I am unsure whether it was worth the money.  While the pages do stay in place, ones that get moved a lot wear out quickly and will not 'attach' correctly to the discs.The front page and back are laminated.

because of my obsession with the washi tape, I went with the green and pink theme in my planner, enhancing Alicia's cost efficient and beautifully simple design {thank you Alicia for not making it cost me $60 in ink!}.  I used Martha Stewart Adhesive Tabs rather than dividers.

Each tab is placed at the beginning of each month, which I started with the Goals Sheet.

Each Goals sheet is followed by the Monthly Calendar pages, where I will write out which unit we're on for the particular weeks.

The monthly calendar is followed by the weekly lesson planning sheets, which I have yet to fill in.

 *Since I DESPISE writing in pencil, and we all know how it went for me last time in ink, I will be filling out each weekly sheet in ink...only on the Sunday prior to that week!*

I ended each month with the Books We Read page.  This is something I've always wanted to keep better track of and never have!  yay!

  

 I also have a tab at the top for my Notes pages.

I also printed out Daily Schedule pages for each kid but didn't snap a picture of that.

I didn't print out any record keeping sheets or attendance sheets Alicia has available because I don't use those.

We fortunately have lax homeschool laws in Oregon so I'm not required to record all that.  She also has Quarterly sheets and other things in her download available that I didn't print.  But I love that if I change my mind I can print them out and slide them in wherever. Go support fellow homeschoolin' mama Alicia and get this awesome planner for $7!!!  

The School Room...

a.k.a.  the dining room...

as  much as i desire our own school room, it's not going to happen while we live here.

we have 1500 sq. ft.

4  kids.

and we homeschool.

that means we have no choice but to cram and pile.

shut your eyes now if your idea of decorating means clean lines and no clutter.

i'm all about the clutter.

 

 

 

 

 

  curriculum cupboard{these are 2 separate pieces.  the bottom is a new piece from fred meyers.  the top is the old kitchen cupboard out of my husband's family cabin.  my father in law was kind enough to offer it to me and i love it!}:

inside the cupboard.  everything grouped by subject:

the bottom half holds the kids current curriculum.  each one has a set of drawers labeled with the subjects...

the 3 drawers are 'teacher' only drawers. {i heart office supplies}

next to the curriculum cupboard is the art shelf {the ones with my globes}.

this was a garage sale find from to elderly ladies, it holds the crayons, rulers, pencils, drawing paper, flash cards, etc.

 

 

and then there are these new lockers my aunt robyn {a.k.a. best junker ever} found for me! i'd been looking for.ever.  yay!  thank you auntie rara!



 

the piece next to the lockers was my one and only ever craigslist find.  we can't tell if it's genuinely old, but i believe it is based on the dovetailed joints.  either way, it's probably one of my favorite furniture buys ever.:

 

all the little apothecary-like drawers hold randoms:

 

and the baskets below hold fun learning items like pattern blocks and math multiples:

 

and keepin' it real...that second shelf's stack is my 'to file' school work. ha!: 

on the other side of the window, we have the kid's plants they bring home from the library's master gardener program:

next to it is a hutch i painted that was my moms.

at one time it was ugly honey colored oak. and apparently i was drunk when  this was taken?

it houses my hubby's stuff and extra art supplies, the junk drawer, etc.

 

and next to that, my corner.  under the flour sack is a scrapbook organizer.  the basket has my purse, store take backs, my 1,000 gifts smash book, my camera, etc.  my homemaker's binder and other current books get piled here too.

 

in the other corner is my scrapbook station.  this whole armoire is scrapbook supplies. {um, guess is should have put the broom and vacuum away}

 

  the big wall contains our cork board and white board, etc.

i'm awesome at keeping up with paper work as you can plainly see. ;)

the coolest part about this wall though {no. not my organizing skills}...

my vintage pull down school map!

i love this, but we leave it rolled up most of the time to prevent further damage and access the other boards.

this was a garage sale score for $20!

 

and from there, it's our kitchen:

 

as much as i would love a school room, i am thankful to have a large dining area and this fun space.

but during the winter months, most of the actual school work gets done in the living room hovered around the wood stove!

 

thanks for touring!
linking here!
 

first day of school...

so...

i'm about 3 weeks late.

 

{we call him toothless now;)}

 

 

 

 

 

curriculum 2012-2013

wowza.

time for school is almost here!!!

i get many questions about our curriculum,

so this is for those that care.

those who come for everything but my homeschool posts...sorry;)

for my5th/6th grader:

language arts: intermediate language lessons,

writing strands 3

math: rod & staff 5

the 2nd/3rd grader:

language arts: primary language lessons.

math: rod & staff 3

my k/1st grader:

language arts & math:

the first grade package from rod & staff

&  a science class taught by a friend:)

preschooler:

crayons;)

together,we will be doing science/geography/history using

My Father's World Countries and Cultures.

i am super excited about the my father's world program!

we basically will be 'traveling' the globe,

learning the cultures, climates, ecosystems of that particular country.

it is a precursor to the history program, and sets the kids up for knowledge of the 'wheres' .

we will be doing the activities that go along with the my father's world with a couple other families on fridays which makes it all the better!

i will also supplement language arts with books like the explode the code series {love these!}

i am also super excited to try a charlotte mason, 'gentler' type of learning with the language lessons.

charlotte mason's ideas of schooling immediately resonated with me upon first reading them last summer,

but i got caught up in the school way of thinking anyhow.

this year, we are fully going to the charlotte mason approach. 

we will also have lots of read alouds, poetry, art study, nature walks, etc.

our school year will begin september 10th, and go through the end of may,

with about 4 weeks worth of scheduled vacations within there.

of course, we all know how best laid plans go...

linking here!



planning...

this week is all about the planning...

looks like gobs of fun, huh?
{yep, that's a snorkel on my books.  awesome. probably soaked too.}

i'll be back next week to share all about some summer fun and what curriculum we'll be using next year!

blessings,

mandy



what i've learned in the first homeschooling year...

that's right, what i've learned!

forget the kids!-ha!

i have learned:

1. not all pencils are created equal.

ticonderoga are the best i've found.  and even then they break insanely.

i despise pencils.

{bangs are getting better...especially when hidden under a Third Day hat. thanks for caring;)}

2. i should have bought stock in printer ink.

3. if you happen to spend 25 bucks on a planner...

and you happen to fill out the entire school years worth of curriculum and plans...

and decide to change up your curriculum  2 weeks in to the school year...

don't write in ink.

oops.

4. when your 5 year old yells out , "hey they're Red Coats!" upon hearing a news story about the 'British', it may be time to move on from the Revolutionary War period...

5.waking up early, having some time in the am to prep, really does pay off.

{dang}

6. that when your kid's fav. vocabulary word is "idiot", you may be failing your grade...

7. sometimes being able to recognize a rockwell or monet is better then knowing your times tables.

{oh be quiet, i'm making myself feel better!}

8. that giving myself grace on the days i don't feel well is okay.

no matter what other moms are doing.

whether that means late start, school in the afternoon, or on a sat. morn to catch up.

9. that i can be with my kids 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and still be sane

 {give or take a couple instances;)}

10.  that this has been a blessing,

 it's easier than i had thought,

and yes,

we will be homeschooling again next year!

blessings,

mandy