New Bee Homeschooler

I have two criteria for lesson planning. One, it has to be EASY and two it has to have a PURPOSE. If it doesn't serve those two elements, it is something else to weigh on me during my already busy day. A lot of curricula companies provide lesson plans, so then next you may wonder why lesson plan?

First, I want to share what I feel is not easy. It is not filling out the entire year. I did that ONCE and guess what, I will never do it again. If I lived in a state where I had to yearly lesson plan, it would contain VERY simple guidelines. What I realized less than halfway into my preplanned year was that life was not just about academics. Interruptions and sickness are part of life. Soon I got "behind and stressed".

Then it got me thinking what is my purpose for lesson planning. Isn't it to see my children's pace for each day, week, month and year and what we actually covered? Do I really care what thirty other children in a classroom setting could do as they went forward on their pace not stopping for interruptions? Boxed curricula providers and yes I do like them, have a purpose. However, their lesson plans are made for a classroom setting.

Also, it's much easier to see my children's work at a glance in ONE spot instead of flipping through a whole collection of teacher's manuals. Even if you have an only child you still have a collection of lesson manuals? It only compiles with more children.

Next, I also want to change without prior planning if need be to a different approach or skill if my children struggled in one area. Too, I needed a place to jot down what supplies I might need the next day or next week. In another area on my lesson plan, I needed to note how well my children understood the concepts or what I actually was trying to teach. Relying on memory is not a good way to lesson plan.

There needs to be one central location you can come to and review your day, month, your week, your year. That is lesson planning backwards. You now have a purpose. Identifying your purpose for lesson planning and why you are doing it helps you to get there. Doesn't everybody need a clear destination or picture of where they are going or what they are preparing for?

My husband was reviewing some blueprints this weekend. He has very detailed plans for a beautiful building. He knew exactly what he was helping to build.

Lesson planning backwards helps us to get a clear image of what we are building first and then work back using our daily lesson plans to create it.

I will share some tips in my next article that work for me when I lesson plan. They will be EASY and will have a PURPOSE.

Hugs to you today,

©2011 Tina Robertson - New Beginnings

©2011 Jupiter Image

Even though New Beginnings is located in Texas, our aim or goal is to help new or struggling homeschoolers anywhere. The workshops are a perk of our program, but the private e-loop is the focus of it. Our support program is not "location specific" but "individual specific".

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