Homeschool Planning 101: Reflect and learn from the past homeschool year
With the new school year about to roll in, it is very important to reflect and learn from the past year. Only then planning for the next year can be fruitful.
We're very used to repeating what we did the last year and making other plans right after school ends in April. But what happens with this? You don't learn anything! Same mistakes keep on being repeated and the whole year goes by with you having done nothing useful.
The answer to this problem is simple: Relfect, learn and change.
The very first thing to evaluate when planning a new year is:
1. Things that went well this year
Don't be hesistant to sing your praises. Did you have a good schedule in place? Were your supplies always at hand? Were you planning regular outdoor activities? Was your house in great shape?
There will definitely be things that you would want to repeat the next year which you feel bring good results in your day to day life. Take note of those and make a list to keep track of them because its easy to forget what all you did as the days go by.
2. Things that need improvement
But there's always room for improvement. What things do you think would make your days smoother and help your year run better? Do you require more planning for day to day activities? Do you think you scheduled too many things? Were your kids engaged in activities that were a waste of time?
Keep noting these down because you do not want to lose this list. Its very important to keep it on hand as you start planning for the next school year.
3. Set new goals
These will be goals for yourself as well as it sets a good example for kids to continue setting goals every now and then to keep oneself in check. On the other hand, these will also keep you focused on certain things throughout the coming year.
So, do make a list of goals for each of your kids and of course, yourself.
But, these aren't just any goals. The idea is to set SMART goals.
S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Attainable
R - Relevant
T - Time-Based
When you set such goals, they will be easy to check every couple of months to see how you are performing and will be easily adjustable in case improvments are needed.
With these three tips, you will be able to smoothly plan the upcoming school year and remove any mistakes you made previously.
Follow these guidelines every year and see your progress improve. If you are interested in more useful tips like these, stay tuned for the next blog in this three part series where we’ll guide you on to do effective curriculum shopping!
