Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Liking This Lesson Plan So Much!

The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.
~Albert Einstein

We are still adjusting to Tuesdays at the barn each week, but I have to say that today was definitely an improvement over what we were doing when we started. Previously I was trying to stuff our afternoons after the horse barn with Math Drills, Math, Spelling, Sign Language, and Language Arts (Classical Writing) plus Piano. Because we both were tired, it would take the rest of the evening to a late dinner usually. Of course, at that point the Princess probably was not really learning, but just trying to drag her brain through whatever I assigned. After showers and lunch, we begin with our afternoon, which just piano and her horse curriculum. I could take a nap if I need to...and I think I will need to some weeks.

I realize now that formal lessons on three days a week will probably be more productive. Doing more does not always equate to learning more. I knew that, but that sequential side of me is a bit more dominate than that abstract side when it comes to scheduling and planning as I do with homeschooling. Yet, quite a few weeks I would end up taking another day off, because I was worn out or overwhelmed by the schedule. Now I now have two days to satisfy my abstract side when we can be more creative...actually, we also have most of the afternoon on Wednesdays for the same. Science, which we actually did do yesterday, is also mostly fun for both of us as we both enjoy experiments.

Yes, this is much better. I am far more relaxed, at the very least every other day of the week, but just having Language Arts intermixed with History is so much better and relaxed, although it takes more planning on my part. Remember as you look at the lesson plan below that Thursdays we go grocery shopping and run errands, so even though the lesson plan looks like the Princess has hours for her Classical Music curriculum, it is only done the times between stops and I just order it so I might have it next week to start, hopefully.

Here is how it looks:

~ Thank you, my Lord. Just thank you for guiding me. ~