Organizing Our Weeks - A Template

I enjoy looking at the ways other people keep their days and weeks organized. I thought I would post a picture of my weekly system. It helps me to make sure that each subject is covered during the week a certain number of times. It also serves as my lesson plan book where I actually write which lessons we're doing.

I post these on the refrigerator and use a highlighter to color each box when the lesson is completed. It's great for the kids to see their progress toward finishing our weekly goals.

These are the templates for ds7, grade 2.

This is the template for dd5, grade K.

Notes:

-I use this for my most structured weeks of the year. We also slip in a week of unit study, literature unit, or other out-of-the-ordinary weeks from time to time. I still use the template to try and cover these subjects during the unit.

-In the beginning, I made a note of which assignments were done independently and which needed to be done with me. That way I could sometimes offer a choice. "Which of these three with-Mom activities would you like to do first?"

-I try to have one working on independent activities while the other works with me.

-I've been trying to experiment with using workboxes and this helps plan out the week.

-I've experimented with having weeks where the kids got to choose to do their assignments in any order. The first couple times we did this ds7 ended up with three or four math assignments left for the last day. I thought it was fine as a learning opportunity, but it was a little much for him.

-One of the negatives is that I have to plan it all ahead of time (instead of getting away with planning a couple days and then planning the rest of the week later) but it's definitely one of the positives, too--lots of work in one day's planning, but more time later in the week for other things I have to do/like to do.

-As the kids have gotten older I've had the chance to ask for their input in the planning. For now it's been input into music, art, some of the science, character education, community goals, and general learning. I haven't experimented too much with letting them help set goals for the other subjects.

-We've also experimented with working ahead at the beginning of the week so that we have some extra time for something special at the end of the week. I think that would probably work out better as they get a little older.

-It's a little small but it saves paper (hello, frugality/get out the bifocals).

Of course, things change from time to time and we try to be flexible and open to that as well.