Scheduling Questions and Examples

[RunnerJoy]

Hello Friends,
A friend and I are speaking about scheduling and using the curriculum guides at Sodalitas the summer. We both have schedules that work for our families, but were wanting to share some examples that may be different from ours. Do you have a daily or weekly schedule that you would be willing to share with us and might be shared during our talk? Our time will be spent primarily speaking about school, but as we all know homeschool life is integrated with chores, extracurricular activities, and more. Anything you would be willing to share is appreciated.

If you were to attend a session like this, what information would you want to hear? While we may not be able to include every suggestion, we would like to hear your ideas.

Thanks for your help!

[bean]

When my dd was younger, I had a small cottage school. Rather than have a schedule/ planner for everyone I created an excel spreadsheet where each student's subject was a column and the first assignment was at the top and went down from there. It was tiny print on a legal sized sheet, but I could see at a glance where everyone was at in their semester work. Because MP's assignments are mostly repetitive I had something of a short hand for assignments.

I did that for dd's summer work this year (mostly elective-y stuff that would be tricky in my grading software because of how everything overlaps). I added a column for each subject where I can total grades. She can see what she needs to do for the next 10 weeks all on a page.

[enbateau]

I so wish I could come this year. Next year I'm definitely coming!

With that said, I would love to hear some thoughts on how to get back into a workflow after an interrupting event. For instance, we have a P. E. co-op twice a week around the lunch hour that forces lunch earlier, which forces all work to get wrapped up earlier. Getting back to work after such a fun event makes it hard to get to those end-of-curriculum guide subjects like literature (in MP2) and Classical/Christian Studies (in MP3). How would you all recommend handling a split day where outings are repeatedly breaking up workflow? What types of techniques do you all recommend for returning to a mindset of work?

[bean]

I so wish I could come this year. Next year I'm definitely coming!

With that said, I would love to hear some thoughts on how to get back into a workflow after an interrupting event. For instance, we have a P. E. co-op twice a week around the lunch hour that forces lunch earlier, which forces all work to get wrapped up earlier. Getting back to work after such a fun event makes it hard to get to those end-of-curriculum guide subjects like literature (in MP2) and Classical/Christian Studies (in MP3). How would you all recommend handling a split day where outings are repeatedly breaking up workflow? What types of techniques do you all recommend for returning to a mindset of work?

We always have avoided this scenario as much as possible, but if it’s unavoidable I save the favorite subjects for after the interruption.

[MBentley]

I don't know how everyone does it. If we actually have to leave the house - at all - it's all over. I am in awe of those that do cottage schools or events mid-week and still get it all done.
Here's mine. It's a first year MP so don't put much stock into it. All kids get a weekly printout of their assignments on Monday.

7:am Showers. For everyone. Drippy heads are more awake.
8:15: Start school - cover as many subjects as possible (Scripture copybook, Spelling U See, Latin Boxes, Phonics workbook, Math workbooks)
10:15 Breakfast. It's a bigger breakfast too because kids are finally hungry enough to eat well. Watch Latin DVD during breakfast.
11:15: Mama's break!
11:45: Literature/Penmenship/Science and Latin workbook pages if applicable that day
1:30: break. Start lunch somewhere between 1:30-2
3:00 Enrichment/Christian studies

[jen1134]

I would love to know if/how people are doing loop or block schedules with MP.

[RunnerJoy]

Thank you for the ideas and great questions. I am making notes and we will try to cover these. I do know that block scheduling will be discussed, that's how my co-speaker schools. As for interruptions throughout the day/week, they are not ideal and we also try to avoid them. My best advice would be look at the week ahead of you and shuffle subjects where necessary. Tackle your most difficult subjects before you leave for activities, shift a subject to a different day of the week if you can. Use the guide as just that, a guide. You don't have to do everything exactly as it's laid out, there is grace to make it work for you and your family. We've schooled through many life events and challenges, sometimes switching our schedule in the middle of a school year. We've found it helpful to be clear about the expectations for myself and my children, and we discuss it ad nauseam! Sometimes I need the rallying to get back into school, kids who don't want to school through summer can be motivating (as well as coffee ).

Please keep the schedules and questions coming!

[momgineer]

I only have three left at home and I don’t do full school before 3rd grade. I work with each kid one on one. I started at 9 with my 6th grader and worked with him for an hour or hour and half and write in his planner what his “homework” was in each subject. He then went off to play and eat lunch. I then “did school” with my almost kindergartner. We did a phonics lesson (tried something else but just started FSR and finished book A) and a few pages of math. Then I broke for lunch for 1-2 hours. That “break”
includes doing chores like bill paying and laundry. All morning my 9th grader was doing independent work. At 1ish i would meet with her for one to two hours. I have to directly teach her math and science and work closely with her on writing and other subjects. During that time my 6th grader does his “homework” while my 5year old plays or watches videos. Then I do any school paperwork/cleaning and head upstairs (school in basement) to start working on dinner.
it was NOT like that when I had 6-7 at home, but we didn’t have MP cores back then so what we did isn’t relevant to MP scheduling.

[Nerdmom]

We have had a variety of schedules (next year's unfinished draft is attached), but my basic process is to fill in a time sheet in this order:
1) morning family rosary and daily Mass / meals
2) all outside/online classes, violin lessons and co-op
3) time with mom w/ each kid each day (independent subjects for the other kids in the same time slot)
4) violin practice, Latin, math
5) family read-alouds
6) everything else

I have one kid who very much needs consistency. I keep that in mind while planning all other steps. For outside classes/necessary interruptions, I *highly prefer* later in the afternoon or late in the week.

In some exercise group, I saw the slogan "Never miss a Monday." I've definitely found that to ring true in our homeschool - a solid Monday gives us a great trajectory, a sloppy Monday leaves us floundering all week. I've learned I need to take time on the weekend to make sure the school room is clean and ready, meals are planned, no major loose ends going into the new week.