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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The Organizer is finally Happy with Our System

I am a frequent visitor to a homeschooling forum called  The Well-Trained Mind Forums (aka Hive Mind), 
and one of the ladies asked about seeing pics from our set up.  Now I have only been homeschooling for one year...oh my, almost 1 and 1/2! (that snuck up).  I am very into lists, organization and everything having a place and run a tight ship.  We have 6 in our family, and scheduling and organization is important or it just won't get done. 
We have tried numerous systems, workboxes (too much work for mom) to a kinda system with cards for subject, worked okay, but still finding mom is working too much daily or weekly.  I wanted something done, to pick up and go.  I was willing to tweak, but not every week!
To begin with, we stumbled upon this montrosity, from a store closing for $10, it is on wheels and the shelves are on both sides, so storage on the back and each child has a cubby, a locker so to say.  They actually are organized to our daily schedule!!

I read the book, Managers of Their Homes by the Maxwell's,
and it really helped the way our schedules work.  The book is a life saver, and typing this, I just pulled it out and think it is time to reread. 
Back to my schedule.  The kids have their books/notebooks for morning on top shelf.  After their morning break we have History or Science and each has a journal/big notebook.  They put away the morning things and bring out needed supplies for what is next.  I have my schedule on the front of MY BRAIN.  MY BRAIN is my teachers plan for EVERYTHING! 
The tabs on the side go in order of the schedule.  I have 3 in one grade, and one high schooler (he is a bit more independent, but we schedule together, and I can at a glance see his progress and where he is scholastically)    I use Donna Young's free 6 week scheduler. FREE download!!  I make originals with the dates, and then copy for each subject.  I then give each child the schedule, so they can also cross off as we complete.  I don't have it for Math, as it is mastery, and we use Math-U-See and it has a check off sheet, each child uses to put x's and test scores into. Well, my Anna puts big pink hearts around each item she completes!
This is our schedule for Easy Grammar.  You can see we finished today's, by the check marks on the page.  I go thru and look at each page of workbooks and write this out in 6 week increments.  I mark out days we have appointments or field trips.  We only school Monday thru Friday.  
Here is my rolling body for school.  We do bible first in the morning and under that is MY BRAIN.  It is opened all day!  The drawers hold the Teachers book for Grammar, Math, Spanish, Writing Strands, and extra Science and History papers/workbooks.
 I am a dry erase mom, so I have a smaller one that I can lean against my rolling body!!
This is a stationary bookcase by my computer.  I have in order.  Our important paperwork, state test results and financial papers in first binder, then our Art program, Artelier, NaNoWriMo, our November writing craziness, Green binder is our Science, Christian Kids Explore Biology.  I have books for Biology, as I am studying it before teaching. The white binder is the SotW, Volume 1, I cut it out of book and like to have in 3 ring binder. It goes with our History in the Blue Binder, which is Evan-Moor Ancient pocket books.  
There is our set-up, and it is easy to move most of it out of the way, so I can sweep and wax the floor! 


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is really great! I'm the lady that requested. You have given me some great ideas! I'm going to pick up that book tomorrow and get even more organized!

Wonder woman...sorta said...

Very nice! So organized... I love it!

Lisa said...

I really like that huge cubby system, and at $10 WHAT A STEAL!! Love it, thank you for sharing with us!

TheFoleyFive said...

man...you make homeschooling almost look fun!
look at you and your super organizing skills! sheesh lady. you're awesome

Julie (It is.) said...

Gosh, my head hurts. I am in awe.