Monday, March 11, 2013

March Madness Giveaway Day One: When the Plans Fly Out the Window


When the Plans Fly out the Window
Source


As a new homeschooling family we have encountered many instances that PLANS had to be set aside because the madness stepped in.  The one thing that has drove me to the edge of the cliff is that my children have been in public school and for lack of better words have been programmed to the structure and the institution of Public Education.  Now that we homeschool, I’m constantly reminded that, that is not the way Ms. A or Ms. B does it.  Or we do math after reading or we watch a movie on Friday.  I have to restrain myself from saying well “We don’t go to XYZ Elementary School anymore and I stayed up to 3:00 am this morning planning out this day and I don’t feel like convincing you that this is how WE do it.

The thing that has been the maddest moments and the most rewarding is when the plans flew out the window and we just enjoyed learning about a particular subject.  Once I stopped trying to force a strict planning structure in an informal setting was the moment the madness subsided.  I still have my plans because I am a teacher and we were taught to make lesson plans, schedules and routines.  I just use these tools a little differently now.  They are more of a guide and we try to cover what is planned for the week but we welcome encounters with learning throughout the day and learning happens all the time.  Not just when the box says at 10:00 am complete math assignment 2.

What has been a maddening moment for you?  What do you do in such cases to bring back sanity into the situation?  Please share your comments below and don't for get to enter the Giveaway to win: 











Please remember to join us tomorrow at Hands-On Learning with Susan Evans.

11 comments:

  1. Plans fly out the window often at our house!

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    1. Well we must always have a window open huh. :-)

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  2. I loved this post Richetta! I have heard from many former teachers that they struggle with this and as a former public school student, I have really had to learn to let go of trying to emulate the school in our home. I used to try and stick with the public school schedule for the year and everything! Yeah, we quickly found that did not work for us and we didn't need that kind of structure, we needed to learn to enjoy the freedom homeschooling allowed us. Right now, with a baby due, our plans have definitely been flying out the window, and that's just fine. We get the basics done and it's all good.

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    1. I can only imagine being with child and running around behind little ones to get them to do math... I have found ways to make them feel like they are planning their day. When they feel in charge they work better

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  3. Every day seems like madness with homeschooling 6 kids!

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    1. Yes homeschooling a lot of kids at once is a great challenge but very entertaining

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    2. Melanie! You are the winner! Please email me your address so I can ship your Hardcover copy of the Solar System Book! richettablackmon1977@gmail.com

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  4. I can definitely relate! .This is also our first year of homeschooling and there have been many days where my plans go out the window. On those days we read, play, go outside, or find other ways to unwind. Thanks for this offer, our 9 year old loves space!!

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    1. Your welcome and we are studying the solar system as a family they are really excited about it!! The unit is a little advanced but I take what I need and adapt to younger kids.

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  5. I homeschool in spurts. When we're excited about a topic, we can do a week's worth of work in one day. Other days, as long as we do math, all the rest goes out the window. We end up going out for a walk or something, especially if the kids are grumpy and fighting more than usual.

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  6. It's good to hear that this is normal and I'm not the only one! Some days I would feel like such a slacker when we didn't get much of anything done. But, as time goes on I'm realizing that everything we do is learning. Whether its learning in academic areas, learning how to work together through play, learning how to cook, or just learning how to have fun and relax, we're learning all the time. I feel confident that if they need to know it, we'll get there!

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