No matter what your teaching style, there are several issues to consider as you plan and develop your homeschool year.
I can't speak to the child-directed teaching styles, but the others all require a certain amount of structured time, from a fairly relaxed schedule to one that is highly structured.
From a packaged curriculum, which involves being accountable to a third party, to co-ops, in which several families decide on the schedule, to the homegrown curriculum, there is going to be a required amount of time that has to be set aside for schooling.
Some families are very unstructured and relaxed about when and how they school. If this is a proven method and the children are thriving educationally, then no changes are needed.
However, many families find that a lack of structured time spent schooling encourages poor study and work habits and allows the year to pass with a less than optimal result.
Remember:
- Homeschooling isn't a hobby or pastime. Homeschooling is your job.
- Time in the classroom will be more productive if you stay on task with your kids.
- Boys and girls often need different schedules.
- You are not just teaching academic subjects, you are also teaching your children discipline and good habits.
- Others will take you more seriously.
A few proven methods for managing your day:
1. Start at the same time each day. Figure out how much time you need in the day to get the work done. Then figure out how long it takes for the family to get up, eat breakfast, and get the morning chores done. Get everyone up early enough to get started on time AND get them to bed early enough to allow for a good night's sleep.
2. Lay out some kind of agenda for the day. Some people need to adhere to a schedule of subjects and provide their kids with a set amount of time for each one. Other people can just have the list of subjects laid out and let the kids go through them and finish within a reasonable amount of time. As long as you finish the assignments that you assigned that day, it's going to be a personal decision as to how strict you are about the schedule. Some kids need more routine than others. Boys, I have found, need frequent breaks to blow off energy. My system is three subjects and a break, 15 minutes or so. (Math=three subjects.)
3. Be the teacher! You are pulled in a dozen different directions all day long, but do resist the urge to answer the phone, do housework, or schedule appointments during the school day. I have caller ID. I do make exceptions when it comes to the phone, as I have two grown daughters with young children and occasionally there is an "Emergency".
I have had doctors say "Oh, we love Homeschoolers because they can come in in the morning." Well, no. School is our job and we don't just take whatever appointment is most convenient for the doctor. The rest of the world needs to see that you are a teacher, just like any teacher, and your job is your primary concern.
4. Use a planner and calendar. Use both! Teacher's planners are not only vital for keeping school records and for scheduling, they can keep the day moving along by providing an objective measure of time that you can point to when you and your students are feeling less than ambitious. You can see that there are subjects that you have to finish and the kids realize that it's not you driving them, it's the tasks of the day.
5. Try to make the most of the morning hours. This is the most productive time of the day. The momentum is much greater. The tougher subjects like math, English, etc. need the most attention. I usually make sure that they are done before lunch. We have a very hard time getting back on track if we go anywhere and then try to come back and do school.
These are just suggestions, every family has to try different methods and tweak the system, even if we have been at it for years!
