Help running 3 Guides +

[Sue G in PA]

I am very excited to be using HOD again for most of my kiddos. Last year we were with a co-op that was using a different curriculum that did not allow time for a program as complete as HOD. It was a good year, but in hindsight I wish I had stuck with HOD. Ah well. Anyway, this coming year I will be running Preparing, CtC and WG as well as teaching a 1st grader using another curriculum and an 11th grader using yet another, lol. While I expect that my high school students will be nearly 100% independent, I also know that I will need daily check-ins with them esp. at first. I have a 9yo using Preparing and she is a diligent and very independent student. I do not expect any problems with her and hope that she will quickly "adapt" to the HOD format and be able to use Preparing as independently as it is written. My 2 boys in CtC will be a different story at first. They will need more hand-holding. And, of course, my 1st grader will also need much one-on-one instruction.

I need help coming up with a plan that will work for ME. I do not do well going back and forth between student (think: ping-pong ball, lol). I tried a schedule like that a couple years ago when I was running 2-3 different guides and it made me CRAZY! I do much better with a "block" schedule where I can work with one child/children for a set period of time, getting most of the teacher-led subjects accomplished and then moving on to the next child, etc. Does anyone have a schedule that looks like that? I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed at this point trying to figure out a schedule that will WORK for me. Mine always look really pretty on paper but never seem to work in reality. :/ Thanks.

[MomtoJGJE]

Is your first grader your youngest child? If not then ignore everything I'm about to say

If so then you would need to work based on amount of teaching time compared to amount of independent work. What *I* would do is to start with teaching the WG child anything that you have to teach them. Then you would be done with that child until you checked back in at the end of the day (I'd probably suggest checking in after your younger ones are done for the day and then again after WG is done). I would then teach my CTC child their T and S boxes and be done except for checking in, and then JUST do the S boxes with Preparing child and send that one off to do the rest of the S boxes and the I boxes. I'd use that time where everyone else is working independently to teach the 1st grader. When that child is done the Preparing child would likely be ready for you to do the T boxes with her (I work up to where they are reading their own history by the end of preparing actually. I start with them reading once or twice a week, depending on their age and reading/comprehension). At that point, it's likely that everyone will need a break, and possible that the CTC child will be done and ready for you to check in with them. So I'd use that time to break for lunch. After lunch I would finish up anything left over from the younger guides and check with the older ones in the high school guides.

It seems like you'd be bouncing back and forth, but really you would have 5 blocks of time that would be done at least by lunch time if not before (depending on when you start school).... teaching WG, teaching CTC, semi ind boxes with Preparing, 1st grader, teaching Preparing.

After you really get rolling it almost flows on it's own once they get in the more independent guides.... starting with Preparing!

[Nealewill]

I don't know if you have viewed the "share our schedule" thread that is listed in the board. I typically start with my oldest and get her going on her independent items and then just pick a few boxes here and there to rotate with my younger kids. I personally really like going from the left side of the guide to the right side of the guide. It seems like it is very balanced for me. And we try to do the left side before lunch and the right after lunch. We also try to split our day in half and do half in the AM and half in the PM. That way everyone gets lots of breaks (my kids thrive with breaks).

[Sue G in PA]

Thank you, both, for your suggestions. I have looked at the share our schedule thread...but not recently. I'll have to do that! And yes, my 1st grader is my youngest. My first grader is my early riser so I am thinking it would be a good idea to take advantage of that and get him started first. I could get most of his instruction time in before the older ones get up. But that is exactly the type of "block" scheduling that I want to do. I'm just really feeling overwhelmed right now and having a tough time even thinking about where to start. I've done Preparing before so I know what to expect. I've not done CtC yet or WG. It will be helpful that my oldest is doing MUS so his math will be mostly independent and my 13yo is using TT so he will mostly independent as well. Now if I can just find an inexpensive, independent Algebra 1 program for my 9th grader to use. I have Lial's right now and I've taught it twice already so I am comfortable with it. But, it might be worth it to switch just to find something more independent. Hmmmm.....off to check out the schedules thread.

[4arrows]

We have been using Interactive Videotext Algebra with my 8th grader and so far really like it. It is very independent although you need to check their work and record etc. but very thorough program.
Elizabeth

[8arrows]

I think the best advice for scheduling is this: What gets inspected, gets accomplished. Schedule times for check-ins to grade and listen to narrations and discuss. This is just as important as the teaching time. This is one area I am ramping up this year! Enjoy your year!