I have done all my lesson plans! I'm so thankful for God's help and my husband's. Together, we created this beautiful spread sheet.
I also needed it in written format, not on a screen. So I have done two weeks in this planner. The idea is I can delete cells if I miss a day, or we get ahead, etc. on the computer. Then every two weeks, I"ll sit down and update the planner below, and use this for what we will actually accomplish. I ended up getting this planner from Mardel, and another one from Michelle Quigley, but that one hasn't arrived yet. Don't ask why I bought two. I'm not sure either truthfully. I really wanted this one, but alas, didn't like the $59 price tag. The two I bought were less than that one.
This blog post is really helpful for some ideas. Actually I like a lot from her organizing and preparing for the year posts. A friend posted the assignment sheets last year. I had all intentions of using them, but didn't. This year, we will be using them, as I love them and hopefully the kids do as well. These are $2, but worth it to me. There is a free one as well, but the $2 packet had several options with chores, Bible study, reading, piano, etc. One, they're fun and cute. Two, they're a checklist. My kids love checklists and being able to mark off what they've done. And I do as well! The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, so hopefully they'll be useful. The other thing I like is if they want to 'get ahead' they can do all their work on Monday if they want. And yes, they just might.
Here are a few pictures of my remodeled school room.
I added a single bookcase to the side, giving us more room for the shared school books, moving some of the bins out of the toddler's reach, and leaving some cubbies for her toys/activities.
I switched the bench and closet and moved the rug over here. This gives a nice little play area for the toddler on the rug.Days of the week and months are still on the front of the closet. The clock is now on this wall, so I can easily see it from my desk.
Inside the closet, I put these great bins that I got used for an amazing price. :) They have all kinds of activities in them- stickers, manipulatives, etc. Soon I will label all the bins.
I had also printed all these cute shape cards last year and never hung them. The only spot I really had for them was on the inside of the closet. Because we're real particular in this house (not!) and the closet gets left open pretty often, I decided this would be a great place to hang them! :)
The bench is now where the closet was. And the school desk is a bit closer to the board.
Each kid still has their own box to keep their school books in.
I moved my desk off the wall, so my back wasn't to the kids all the time. I kind of like having the little "Mom's area" where they technically shouldn't be going. The scanner/transformer/laminator will all be put away soon, but I'm finishing up things still, so they're just hanging out there. The toddler has destroyed the chalkboard, so I will likely be buying a new one when the Ikea down the road opens this month. (she also drew all over my my first week of lesson plans this morning!)
As for the coming year, we have some big plans for curriculum.
We're sticking with Faith and Life for Religion and MCP for Math.
We loved Voyages in English, are using CHC's speller and Explode the Code online.
We haven't really done science in the past, so we're starting to use CHC's science program.
We're doing CHC's Art Pac for all the kids, and starting to use CHC's reading books for 3rd grade.
Handwriting is Handwriting Without Tears- starting cursive for the older two!
My Kindergartener will be starting the Little Angel Readers-I loved these last year!
And then we're beginning RC History, which I'm really excited about.
Bring on the 2015-2016 school year! Staring in 1.5 weeks in our house.
