Conference season always amazes me. It is this time of year that Spring has Sprung and our homeschools have sprang a leak. We are all antsy for those glorious, sunny days. We want to be outside and have a much more relaxed schedule so we are on the mad dash to the school year finish line; however, we also can't seem to stop thinking about and picturing the scenarios of what we should do for the next school year. We have the conference dates circled on our calendars and we have begun to make arrangements:
Which children will attend with me, what will the other children do that day, how much school work should I expect or should it be a day off?
Then of course there is the budget woe - what will my spending limit be, how much do I really need and what should I order at a later date?
Conference Day: We arrive. We stand in the middle of the hall or just inside the entrance. We look around at all of the books and vendors and our hearts begin to race. Let's face it - we are homeschool moms and this sight – well, it both excites and overwhelms us. Feeling faint? Don't break out the smelling sauce yet... I've got ideas (of course).
Preparedness - Let's face it; we prepare something every day. It might be a meal, a lesson plan, or even an excuse but we DO prepare something. It's time to channel that inner preparedness and save a conference smile.
• Know which (and how many) children you are teaching next school year. Easy right? I know my children. Still, write them down and name them one by one. I personally use a spread sheet format. Yes – I only have 2 children but its conference season.
• Know the bottom line. I have to teach these subjects. There are so many things that we want to teach our children. I get all of those emails; I know. There are a LOT of cool looking things and I WANT them all. I can’t afford them all. Not in dollars and not in time. Add the bottom line subjects to your spread sheet list. What must I cover (use the law as a guideline) next year?
• Make the fun list (or column). What are those things that you have always wanted to do with your student? I have always wanted to teach a sewing class or I have always wanted to make Lego robots. Write them all down in their own column. If they have come to your mind before – they deserve a place on your list.
• Make the heart strings list (yes, or column). There are certain publishers that tug on my heart strings. I love the elementary level Apologia Sciences. I think the unit studies and books with children from the Bendt ladies are wonderful.
• Acknowledge the need for curriculum. I have to teach science to my 7th grade student next year. What’s available? There are some things that you can eliminate right off the bat. For example, you might say – “I am not teaching from a secular text book.” You might even think that a particular publisher is too dry, too expensive, too watered down, etc. Whatever your reasons, there are some things that you can eliminate right off the bat and some things that you just want to know more about. “I have always heard that teacher CD’s are the way to go in math.” Make note of the things that you are drawn to and make note of the things that you are not and why.
• START NOW – don’t do this in one night (just before you head out to the conference). Do a little bit each day or a few times a week. By the way, once you get this list set up – you just tweak it each year. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
Don’t depend on all of those “notes” you have written on various scraps of paper. Don’t rely on those things that you have “committed to memory.” If you are like me (and the song my niece sang to me for my birthday), The Old Gray Mare Ain’t What She Used To Be. I would like to be able to keep it straight but I can’t and I don’t have to.
Sometimes a picture can be worth a thousand words. If you need a visual idea of what I am talking about – message me. I would be happy to share it with you.
I’m going to let you get started on this part of things and I will post the next strategy soon. Thanks for spending time with me. Have a blessed day.
