OT Teacher organization: What are you doing...

[annaz]

while your kids are working independently? Do you need your computer while they work or for school purposes, where is it located? Where are your teacher materials?

Being online is a problem for me (a habit I need to break) while dd is doing her independent work. I'm thinking of moving my computer to the back room, but I fear that'll isolate our schooling together. I can't shut it off because we need it too often to look things up, but if I move it, I don't know where to put my teacher stuff. I just don't know how then to set up my materials in a way, without a desk? I don't want to hover over dd, be locked in a back room, nor my computer to be so accessable that I'm always checking online.

I just can't get comfy and at the same time looking for ways to be mindfully there 100% for dd. Any ideas?

My name is Ann and I'm an online junkie. Please help.

[pjdobro]

My name is Ann and I'm an online junkie. Please help.

I can relate to being online perhaps more than I need to be.

I know my dc aren't doing near as much independent yet as your dd, but when they are doing independent work most of the time I'm not in the same room. I use that time to wash dishes, clean-up other things, throw in a load of laundry, etc. I will pop back in from time to time and check on them especially if I hear a bit too much commotion. So basically I'm in the vicinity with my ear open, but I'm not right there hovering. When I do pop back in I sometimes will check some of the work that they've already done. There are days though that I don't check their work until that evening and if there are problems with it, then they do the corrections first thing next day. This has really freed me up to be doing other things during their independent school time.

My computer isn't in our school room, at least usually it isn't. I have a laptop so it can go anywhere. I typically keep it by my comfy recliner though so when I sit down to rest, I can pop on and check out things. I think if the computer is calling your name a bit too much during a time that you need to be working on school, then it is probably best to turn it off. Perhaps you could arrange the work that needs the computer in one block of time, then turn it off so as not to tempt you. All of my teaching materials are in the school room either on our common work table or on the book shelf. I have wondered sometimes if it might be too much of a temptation for my dc to have the Singapore answer booklet with them, but I don't think they actually notice it. Other than that there really isn't anything in my teacher stuff that they shouldn't have access to so I don't worry about leaving it in the room with them. When my teaching time is done, I usually leave all of the stuff behind because I know that all I have to do the next day is open and go. If I do any preparation ahead, I usually do it later after the dc are in bed.

[daybreaking]

We, too, leave our computer on all the time, so I understand the temptation to be on more than I should. Using a schedule has been the best thing that has helped me limit my computer time. With my schedule, I have a set time each evening that I check e-mails, blogs, etc. The other hours of the day are scheduled for other household and homeschooling tasks. If I'm tempted to hop on-line, but the schedule says I'm supposed to be doing another task, it helps me stay on track and avoid the temptation.

[annaz]

But it never fails...whenever I shut it off, I find that I have to turn it on for either a question, or look up something for dh while he's out....or for school! UGH.

Does anyone use a rolled cart? I just want to be the mom who sits on the floor with their child (provided I can get up ) and do the together stuff, together. My L-desk acts like a barrier. Ack.

[pjdobro]

But it never fails...whenever I shut it off, I find that I have to turn it on for either a question, or look up something for dh while he's out....or for school! UGH.

Does anyone use a rolled cart? I just want to be the mom who sits on the floor with their child (provided I can get up ) and do the together stuff, together. My L-desk acts like a barrier. Ack.

That's the way of it isn't it? My computer is on very much of the time and I find it very handy.

I admire your desire to be that mom on the floor with their child. I can envision that and for me I would be permanently there! We just use a table to do our work on and with that it feels like everyone is sitting around a table working together. It doesn't fell like a divider or barrier at all. Have you tried working at a table together? It might be better than being permanently on the floor.

[MelInKansas]

Time online was a big problem for me with homeschooling. I would "jump on really quick" (like I'm doing now) and all of a sudden its 30 minutes later and the kids have wandered off or started doing something totally different. I suppose your DD has a long period of independent time, mine's is like 10 minutes before I need to check on her and make sure she's still going. I do like another poster, I do some quick tidying, make a phone call, throw in laundry, etc. Actually on some of these days when my 2YO for some reason has taken to getting up early and so I don't get Bible reading done before school, I have sat down with my Bible while my DD is doing her copywork and maybe spelling. I'm sitting in the same room, just doing my own thing. I kind of like that time.

My rule for myself is I can't get online until school is done. Of course there are exceptions, if there's something I need to look up, print, something for business that needs to get done (at which point I invariably get distracted anyway once said task is finished). Generally that makes the day go much better, because I am focussed on what needs to be done. But again, my children are much younger too so they need me to keep driving them so they will get their work done!

[8arrows]

That is my rule too. No computer time (even for me) until after lunch. We eat at 12:30 and do our read-aloud. Then they go outside for 15 minutes so I can have a small break. Then it is back to work until rest time at 2 (but I have 8, so it takes a while to get everyone taught). The kids take anything unfinished to rest time with them. We school downstairs in our finished, walk-out basement. I also have a blocker on our computer. I set it for 15 minutes. Then the blocker kicks me off--time is up!! It is time to move on. As for organization. I have a teacher desk downstairs with two wooden tables backed up to it (short side of tables to long side of desk). There are benches on each long side of the tables and two chairs on the open end of the two table (opposite the desk). I tend to sit on one side of one of the tables (near the space heater) and do together work from there. I also grade there, and they can come and ask questions. I don't get much of a chance, but if I have a few seconds I will throw a load of wash in. I have a desk apprentice on the desk that houses everyone's teacher's manuals. Our computer is upstairs, but I bring the laptop down. We don't need it very much. Each child has a short, wide basket for books. Three slide under a large piece of furniture downstairs, two slide under the side of the desk, and the two high schoolers keep theirs in their room. They generally work there too. I can see their room from the table I sit at. We have five bookshelves and an armoire downstairs to house homeschool materials as well.

[annaz]

Oh my....I know mine would kick me out just as I started a good, long answer to a thread. Yikes!

[birchbark]

LOL, annaz, you are too funny.

My computer is in the office upstairs. We school on the main floor in the dining room. There is a small netbook in there which we use for school. The netbook is blocked to all of the internet except a few select sites. (Wikipedia, the weather, etc.) My computer upstairs is blocked until 1pm, which is our goal for finishing school. Nothing else works! The internet is too much of a time-sucker for me! We use K9 Web Protection for both computers, and it is free.

Since I can't go online during schooltime, I will usually do housework while my student is doing his independent work. I'm working in the kitchen, cleaning, doing laundry, corralling the two littles. If I have time, I like to sit at the table with DS while he works and grab a little reading or needle felting. After lunch, the kiddos go outside and then down for naps, and that is my time to chill with the 'puter.

[MelInKansas]

Ha ha annaz - as much as a 15 minute timer/blocker would be a great thing for me, I too would be infuriated if it kicked me off in the middle of something. I need discipline as much (if not more) as my children do!

[annaz]

LOL, annaz, you are too funny.

My computer is in the office upstairs. We school on the main floor in the dining room. There is a small netbook in there which we use for school. The netbook is blocked to all of the internet except a few select sites. (Wikipedia, the weather, etc.) My computer upstairs is blocked until 1pm, which is our goal for finishing school. Nothing else works! The internet is too much of a time-sucker for me! We use K9 Web Protection for both computers, and it is free.

Since I can't go online during schooltime, I will usually do housework while my student is doing his independent work. I'm working in the kitchen, cleaning, doing laundry, corralling the two littles. If I have time, I like to sit at the table with DS while he works and grab a little reading or needle felting. After lunch, the kiddos go outside and then down for naps, and that is my time to chill with the 'puter.

Ahhhh...I like this! I've wanted a small netbook just for this exact reason! What netbook do you have that would work for this?

I also find with the noise, I can't do my bills or really concentrate. That's it! That's all it took! And now I'll have a place for my Christmas tree ! I need to check that K-9 too.

[my3sons]

We do a combo of some of these ideas. The boys have their own laptop computer, and that is the one they use for anything school related or for educational games. I have my own computer, and it is a laptop that is available all of the time - tempting, tempting. I have made a rule for myself similar to 8arrows, no computer 'til school's done. I do stick to that little rule for myself 99% of the time, but just the other day, I didn't. I got on my computer (for just a minute - as we all tell ourselves ), to import some pictures from my camera. The computer froze, the hard drive said it was overloaded (I'm sure with my many pictures), and I went into a 1 hour panic of trying to fix it. Poor little Riley read his history out loud to me, his storytime out loud to me, and when it was all said and done I felt lousy. I apologized to the little guy, and have made a new vow not to use my computer at all during homeschooling. You are not alone in this temptation, but if we can tame it, we can give in to it later in the day (keeping balance in mind ), and not be a frustration to our dc.

In Christ,
Julie

[annaz]

I got on my computer (for just a minute - as we all tell ourselves ), to import some pictures from my camera. The computer froze, the hard drive said it was overloaded (I'm sure with my many pictures), and I went into a 1 hour panic of trying to fix it. Poor little Riley read his history out loud to me, his storytime out loud to me, and when it was all said and done I felt lousy.
In Christ,
Julie

Yes, and it never, ever fails that something locks up. But it never fails that if I shut it off, I have to turn it on for a question, a printout, something.
Plus I don't like dd on it. We have frustrating internet service and she clicks wildly if she waits too long. Not good when I have important stuff on it. So I did get a Netbook and she can do her research on it and it has nothing on it, so it starts up quickly, and I can shut my big, comfy computer off.

I think moving my stuff creates a different environment and in turn helps with me trying to change may habit without hindering her schoolwork. I also will put all my teacher materials on a rolling cart DH bought for me. Then I can work in peace if needed and roll it all out when school starts.

[faithful2him]

Well, Ann, if you are an online junkie, I am an online junkie and a laptop junkie. We have 3 different laptops. One is mine and mine alone for scrapbooking. It is the one I use to check emails and surf online. But, school work is not done on it as to keep as much off the memory as possible.

We have a dedicated school room with a table and 2 desks. The one desk is mine with my computer and teacher files next to it. The other desk houses the main school laptop where oldest does his computer math and research. (Preparing) (We actually bought this 2 summers ago at the start of our homeschooling journey so we had a dedicated school computer.)

Then we have another laptop that sits on the dining table during the school day. (this was my first one for scrapbooking but became a school one) It is right off the school room. The middle one does his computer math on it (Beyond) and that is where the little one has computer lab as she likes to call it. LOL

The oldest does independent work and tends to use the school room most because of fewer distractions. Plus with my not sititng in the room it helps to make him more independent. The middle schools at the dining table with me most often. And the little plays at the computer, does her school at the dining table or is in the living room. That is how it works.

Now, as far as online time....I really have to limit myself too. I check email prior to school. I surf at lunch break or after school time. It is a matter of discipline....sometimes I fall back into a bad habit and then do shut my laptop down. I have been known to put a sticky note on my laptop screen that says.... STAY OFF MOM! The kids think it is funny and love to say something whenever I get near it. LOL And, it reminds me to stay off it.

Good luck. And if you find the perfect solution, let me know.

Deb

[annaz]

Well, Ann, if you are an online junkie, I am an online junkie and a laptop junkie. We have 3 different laptops. One is mine and mine alone for scrapbooking. It is the one I use to check emails and surf online. But, school work is not done on it as to keep as much off the memory as possible.

We have a dedicated school room with a table and 2 desks. The one desk is mine with my computer and teacher files next to it. The other desk houses the main school laptop where oldest does his computer math and research. (Preparing) (We actually bought this 2 summers ago at the start of our homeschooling journey so we had a dedicated school computer.)

Then we have another laptop that sits on the dining table during the school day. (this was my first one for scrapbooking but became a school one) It is right off the school room. The middle one does his computer math on it (Beyond) and that is where the little one has computer lab as she likes to call it. LOL

The oldest does independent work and tends to use the school room most because of fewer distractions. Plus with my not sititng in the room it helps to make him more independent. The middle schools at the dining table with me most often. And the little plays at the computer, does her school at the dining table or is in the living room. That is how it works.

Now, as far as online time....I really have to limit myself too. I check email prior to school. I surf at lunch break or after school time. It is a matter of discipline....sometimes I fall back into a bad habit and then do shut my laptop down. I have been known to put a sticky note on my laptop screen that says.... STAY OFF MOM! The kids think it is funny and love to say something whenever I get near it. LOL And, it reminds me to stay off it.

Good luck. And if you find the perfect solution, let me know.

Deb

This is good helpful info Deb, thanks. But don't tell me that I'll become a "netbook" junkie! LOL! I do like that you have a computer for school and for yourself. I have too much on my main computer for my dd to be using it and I don't want her using it in a back room (not that she uses it much anyway). I also wondered when Moms scrapbook, etc. whether it's separate from the kids' schooling computer. For me it's also a privacy issue. I want something that's mine. Childish maybe. But not everything has to be shared with children. Anyway that is helpful in keeping my personal space my personal space, whether it be bills or hobbies and/or removing it's accessibility for just a simple, yet helpful way to stay off of it.

When you homeschool though it's hard to organize all that, as homeschoolers tend to have different needs than the regular household. So I'm not far-fetched in wanting all this separate. But then I battle having too much stuff. LOL...But we won't go there.