It is time to start thinking about/planning the next school year. Planning strongly influences the flow of your school and family life. There are a few steps I go through for planning. First, start
with an overall evaluation. The key areas evaluated are academic, social, character, habits, and family cohesiveness.
1.
Evaluate
the previous school year.
o
Did
everything run smoothly? If not,
why?
o
What
worked?
o
What didn't work?
o
Discuss
with your children/spouse their thoughts for the year.
o
If
there is time have them complete a questionnaire.
2.
Evaluate
each child.
o
What
areas need improvement?
o
Where
did he/she shine last year?
o
What
habits do they need to work on?
o
List
curriculum used and decide whether it is worth using again or scratching.
o
Use
resources to gain insight of where your child should be. I typically use The Well Trained Mind as my
guide.
3.
Evaluate
time.
o
Did
we manage our time well? Look at each
week, day and the overall year.
o
Did
we playing catch up most of the year?
o
Did
our days seem relaxed or stressed?
o
What activities
did we participate in? Were they worth
the time spent?
o
Was
there time for them to explore new things, be bored, play games, etc.
4.
Evaluate
yourself.
o
Decide
your strengths and weaknesses.
o
Did
you take care of yourself and not just the family OR too much on yourself?
o
Were
you approachable by your children?
o
Did
you feel stressed or overwhelmed? If so,
can you pinpoint why?
o
Did
you use your time wisely?
This overall
evaluation should not take long. It is just
taking a quick glance at the year and what stands out. Do not be too critical. This process helps you begin to think about
what is going well and changes that you might need to make.
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