In My Dreams - A perfect teacher's planner

It's become a quest. Organizing 4 kids in school/activities/chores plus keeping all my work straight in a mind that's getting more muddled with the years -- I keep thinking, "If only I could find the perfect planner."

I've researched others. There's some VERY good ones. But nothing perfect (it couldn't be because life isn't perfect, could it?)

In my dreams, my perfect planner would incorporate :

room to fit each kid in each subject in my planner
the kids chore list
room for lots of outside activities
more room in the language arts portion (because there's so many seperate subjects we do within that category - spelling, poetry, memorization, writing, handwriting, typing, reading AND grammar)
SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS (because kids sometimes have left-over work to do then!)
*saint and holy days as well as national holidays
a section for each of the kids' spelling words / vocabulary words / items they're supposed to be working on that I forget from day to day and kid to kid what they're working on
*the Sunday readings
*child-centered reflections on the Sunday readings
*gradebook
*gradescale
*periodic table

*These are all included in the nearly perfect planner from Creative Communications.

I've considered making my own, but I don't really like 3 ring binder and everytime I try to concieve of it - my mind gets more muddled...hmmm.....

How do you handle the logistics of a classical education with a large family?

Specifically, this question was addressed with The Well Trained Mind in mind (sorry about the bad alliteration.) Classical Homeschooling may look different in your family during different years and from family to family. Here's some of our version.

I've got 5 children who are presently 13, 11, 9, 7 and 1 1/2.

Things they work on their own :

• Math (Math-U-See and they mostly work on their own)
• Grammar (CHC or Seton Catholic workbooks)
• Spelling (Natural Speller)
• Memory work
• Religion text

Things I pair them up on :

• Prayer memorization
• Latin (2 kids work together on a level)

Things they all work together on :
History*
Science*
Religion discussions
History discussions
History projects

When asking around and trying to implement academic excellence (remember: I said "trying") having a toddler running around dumping the dog's water into the dog's food and all over the floor or/and a baby crying to nurse...it seems incredibly difficult if not impossible. Here's my tip : It seems incredibly difficult because IT IS!! You may look back on this year of toddlerhood or infancy as one of the most challenging (please read - this is *hard*) particularly with several other kids to teach, a house to keep clean, errands, gym class...etc. That doesn't mean you can't get through it. Really, your kids may even learn more than you expected! Hard is not the same as impossible. Hard means life is really sucky right now and you have a lot of suffering to offer Jesus. Hard means He carries you through. Hard means you need carried through.

Back to logistics -

• Every kid takes a turn at "Baby Duty." Some of the younger kids can only handle 15 minutes at a time, but everyone has a turn at my attention (which they may have to stand in line and wait patiently for) and everyone has a chance at doing their seat work and everyone takes a turn on "baby duty." It's like a law at our house.
• I made the preschoolers montessori materials to work with (so they're in the same room as we are) and the toddlers have toys that are just for school time. Here are more toddler tips.
• As soon as a kid can read, he's reading out loud from a book that's on his level, but that we're all on the same topic about - religion, history, science.
• *The big kids read books and have papers due on their own level, but in the same topic we're all covering together. Some of the big kids' books are read aloud (by the big kid to a little kid) -- that's one of the GREAT benefits of living books : The reading level a kid can comprehend being read to is higher than his actual reading level -- so he can enjoy some of the big kids' books.
• *I have one book I'm reading aloud to the majority (if not all) the kids at all times in one topic or another. This is in addition to the books the kids may read to each other. 20 minutes a day gets us further along than we were before. Read aloud time is not always pretty. Some kids need to wiggle quietly, some can draw and others need consistently drawn back into the story with questions directed at them and OFTEN we just quit because I'm too frustrated at kids who can't be quiet or keep their bodies to themselves (boys!) but then we try again the next day.
• This is important : the biggest thing in a classical education is to try again the next day. And wake up and try again the next day. Day to day it can look like you're making very little real progress. A mom gets caught up in wiping noses and cleaning up messes and finding erasers and scrubbing peanut butter out of hair and...then at the end of the day you look at your lesson plans and realize "We didn't get to Latin AGAIN." or, "We forgot to chant our memory items." or even "We haven't hit chemistry in a MONTH." If you wake up the next morning and try again -- it will all come together. A classical education is about the years of learning building on one another rather than looking for accomplishment in the day to day. Don't give in to discouragement (or if you do, find encouragement FAST!)

I take a LOT of cues from TWTM, but I keep in mind what Susan Wise Bauer said in this article : Here is a great article

7 year old Homeschool Pro-life Activist

Thought you might appreciate our seven-year-old son's submission to Lia's Pro-Life Youth Challenge. Here's the YouTube video link to his entry in the contest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvgmJySxX1g

If you forward on to family and friends or post to your blog, PLEASE do not reference his first name for privacy and security reasons. Thanks for your discretion.

Pro-Life To End Abortion

Thought you might appreciate our seven-year-old son's submission to Lia's Pro-Life Youth Challenge. Here's the YouTube video link to his entry in the contest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvgmJySxX1g

If you forward on to family and friends or post to your blog, PLEASE do not reference his first name for privacy and security reasons. We'd prefer to keep his first name private for now. Thanks for your discretion.

Homeschool Pro-life Activist

This video was posted to Lia's Pro-life Challenge http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALpkxYA3NyQ
Dave and I think this is a prime example of homeschoolers pursuing their passion -and- the difference you can make in the world is not limited by your gender, profession or AGE. CHILDREN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

If you forward on to family and friends, PLEASE do not reference her first name for privacy and security reasons.

The lyrics she wrote are below:

On that day, when the angel came to Mary
Heaven rejoiced,
“You’re to have a child,
You’re to help Him through trials
And God will put His life right in your hands.”

On that day when Jesus was born into a stable
God shared His light,
He made birth a gift,
This baby brought life
Through Christ He turned the darkness into light…

(Refrain)
You were there, You were there
You were watching over them
As You sat on Your throne,
You sent Christ so we’re not alone.

On that day, when my mama’s mom tried to abort her,
God was there,
Through His grace she was spared,
She found those who would care,
His gift of love is why I am alive.

You were there, You were there,
You were watching over us.
By Your grace we were born,
And my daddy’s not alone.

On that day, when abortion became legal,
All heaven cried
‘Cause a baby’s a gift,
And killing’s not right
And though they die they have eternal life.

You are there, You are there
The uncared for are cared for now,
As You sit on Your throne,
You will hold the child alone.

(Bridge)
When life’s hopeless and we can’t bear,
We know that you’re always there,
Watching over us.
Through abortion they cannot share
The gift of life, the gift of love
That comes from God alone.
It’s just unthinkable, incomprehensible,
That such a mistake would be made,
As to take the life of an unborn child,
A gift of God’s own grace.

You are there, You are there
You are watching over us.
Lord we pray, give us strength,
Help us know we’re not alone…
You are there, always there
Help us feel Your presence, Lord.
Give us faith, to choose life,
Help us know we’re not alone…
…You are there

Copyright © 2009. E. MacDonald. All Rights Reserved.
Reprinted with permission.

Educational Choice & National Standards

Thank you Mark Souder!!
I was thrilled to read this article in which Mr. Souder was the voice of reason in defending my rights to educate my children in the manner in which God has called us. He has been so reasonable to look to ALL of his constiuency and preserving what is in their best interest. What we have in Indiana is true freedom of educational choice and I'd like it to stay that way! Thank you Mark Souder!!

Happy B-day, Ds#3!

A man of simple pleasures. Have a party with one other family. Order pizza and have icecream cups. Ride bikes at their house (down the block from us) and watch 'Night at the Museum' (that they own. One family of 5 kids (us) + one family of 6 kids (them) makes for a full family room --- and we hardly heard a sound. Honest.