One school year is winding down…and it’s just about time to start thinking about the next one! In Episode 5, Gina and Christyn help you think about ways to plan your school year. From Big Picture planning to the focus on details to fun tools and supplies, take a listen to see how you, too, can ”love it when a plan comes together.”
1:30 — Homeschool planning like The A-Team: “I love it when a plan comes together.”
2:50 — Three easy steps: Big Picture Planning, Nuts-and-Bolts focused planning, fun tools and supplies
3:02 — Christyn talks about using the “What’s next?” method of Big Picture Planning in elementary and junior high; high school is “What’s next?” times four!
4:21 — Gina’s planning technique is an organic process
6:41 — Two types of planning: 1) Big Picture Planning and 2) Focused Plans
9:00 — Plan high school accordingly. There are different needs for college-bound, trade school, or job-hunting
10:45 — Reconciling unschooling with structured planning
12:00 — When a plan goes differently, but ends up being better than you could have imagined
14:10 — When the nuts and bolts come together Christyn’s spiral notebook brain dump gets translated to a weekly planner Gina starts with calendar page print-offs, known dates, and scheduled events
18:00 — Plan for the integral parts of what your kid does (ice skating, choir, etc.)
18:30 — Planning for breaks gives you something to look forward to
21:35 — Tools of the trade: the fun stuff! Christyn: spiral notebook, PDF paper planner, PaperMate click-y pen, Bic Wite-Out Easy Correct tape
Gina: calendars, Me & My Big Ideas calendar planner and sticker, ultra-fine mechanical pencils
Don’t forget the black Ticonderoga pencils!
28:33 — Planning the Big Picture is good, but only schedule the details for one to two weeks at a time so there’s room for modification and flexibility
30:55 — Like all things homeschool, planning is personal and individual
31:31 — Planning a year of educating your child can feel incredibly overwhelming. Just take some easy steps to ensure you love the plan that comes together
31:44 — Our best advice:
1) Start with the Big Picture Planning
2) Move to smaller, focused bits – fill in the details as you go
3) Find fun tools you’ll actually use – it makes a difference!
32:38 — The plan you start with might not be the plan you finish with…but you can love it, anyway