Goal Planning Monday (a link up)

Today I want to try something a little different.  I often have pages of to-do lists, but it seems like I never make any progress -- it's always one thing crossed off, two more written on.  The point of Goal Planning Monday with Real Life: Unscripted is to not just make a list, but to hold yourself accountable. I want to make a list (that doesn't get added to!) and see how much I can accomplish.  (Nothing like having lots of eyes watching to see if you do what you plan, or if you fall short.)




My goals (in random order):

 

1. Finish lesson plans for October.
I have about half the days planned out halfway, and keep telling myself "Make them as you go so you don't plan too much or not enough."  But then I find us going back to the same activities.  After planning the first two weeks of September and making up the rest as we went along, I preferred having to re-adjust rather than think.






2. Catalog my "Homeschooling" Board on Pinterest.
It's sort of become a catch-all spot for parking pictures of "ooh, like that concept," and then it all piles up. I would like to re-organize/divide that board into topics/similar ideas (ie language vs. math vs. science etc.) so that it is easier to to access the pins and actually use them, rather than continuing to amass a cluttered cork board.  

3. Plan 1-2 field trips for the month.
This is going to be a tall order. Part of the issue is we have 2-3 days/week with doctors' appointments scheduled. I'm also not sure what I would like to do, especially since we have little brother tagging along, AND Jude does not do well with crowds, AND we are limited to what we can do between drop off and pick up times. The last one we can solve by having the big kids go to aftercare for a little while, but the solutions to the other criteria may take a little thought. 

 


4.  Gather journal and blog prompts.
We just started working in an "About Me" journal, but it is fairly short.  I would like to do a write-and-draw journal when we are done. Sometimes the journal entry will be tied into what we are doing that day, but I'd like to create a list of fun prompts for alternatives.

I also want to get a semblance of a schedule for blogging. My current plan is to post at least 3 days/week. I also am working on a list of topic ideas so this doesn't turn into just a "what we did today" show-and-share.




5. Organize Jude's math curriculum to be more efficient across the textbook and workbooks of the program.
The plan was to use Progress in Mathematics for his math course, and I do like the program. The problem is that his books don't seem to match up. I did not realize this until we had written in them (of course), so I need to either align the pages in my own, or contact the publisher and find out what book is a common denominator for which series and purchase the correct ones. I thought I had done this when I ordered online but I am thinking I need a live human to help with this one. (And if we continue to use this series, I will order by phone instead of online from the beginning!)

6. Set up Book C of the phonics series.
When we first started the Explore the Code, I found putting tabs on each new letter created sections that made it easy to find where we left off and to review letters. Jude has one page left to do in his current workbook, and my plan is to have it completed by the end of the week (I plan to intersperse other activities this week). I ran out of tabs after setting up Book B, so this goal means getting someplace to get the tabs (probably the more challenging task) and then actually getting them into the book. 

7. CCD.
Partly Jude, partly big kids. Now that two of my older ones are no longer in Catholic school, it means we need to do CCD. We opted for the homeschool program, but that means I better get their lesson plans done. We got our books last week and it just has been crazy. I need to read the Family Support binders and start their lessons. Jude is not doing a formal CCD text this year, so I need to find a way to weave in what we do have with the Bible study program from (Discipleland) that we are using.

8. Damien
He is not ready for any formal lessons, but when I say "It's time to work," he climbs up to the table and wants something to do.  Usually I give him a sheet of scrap paper and some crayons, but I'd like to be able to plan a little better for him.  I'm not trying to be ambitious here -- this goal is more along the lines of "Print out a bunch of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse coloring sheets."

Jude when he's thinking.  Maybe my first goal should be to get a new pencil.