Tips For Organisation
Being organised is a key element to a successful home schooling relationship. Organisation can be the very thing that helps get you through the day without pulling your hair out. That's right, order. You need to have some sort of order happening. So, how do you get it?
Plan
Have a plan of attack coupled with a great plan B. Some days can feel like a war zone, so implementing some resourceful on hand extras may be useful. You are teaching your children life skills and problem solving techniques too. Being orderly is an important skill to learn. The day starts before you even get out of bed so try to be prepared, InshaAllah. Allah is the only one who knows what sort of day you and your children are about to have. However, by being prepared for the best and the worst, you will already be one step ahead.
How to be organised
Have a structured outline of future plans. For example, try planning a term at a time. Have a rough idea of where you might like to be in 12 weeks time. It does not need to be overly detailed, but more of a direction. Next, set aside some time one day a week to plan a weekly lesson. Breaking this down will help you stay on track while following your direction, however, have some flexibility in your plan to allow for adjustments either way.
When to teach
At first, it may seem to be a daunting and everlasting challenge, but stick with it and feel your way around. Don't be fooled into the idea that school must be held within certain time frames. This is your school, your house and your family. ALL are important.
From an Islamic perspective, all have their rights on you, but this is not to say you must bear them alone. Prioritise what is important to keep harmony. No two home schooling families are going to be exactly the same. This is where order really comes in. Your husband will still demand his rights, your children will demand their rights and your house needs your attention too. If you feel you will go crazy with your house being a mess all day and your husband will be upset if the dinner is not on the table at a certain time, then follow this and class them as program determining factors.
Get your children to help you write a schedule and keep it in an accessible place, such as on the fridge. Having it where everyone can see it gives your children some of the responsibility for knowing what they should be doing and when. Getting them to help with the organising and teaching them what is involved in cooking and cleaning for a family can be great by utilising organisation skills and showing them what is involved in cooking and cleaning for a family can be great for PDHPE lessons, as well as an opportunity to teach them the rewards from Allah for helping their mother. Alternatively, set them tasks that do not involve teacher interaction during your 'busy' time. Arrange your curriculum so involvement of 'teacher time' is fitted around your schedule. Your kids will respond much better if you are relaxed.
When writing your schedule, consider the behavioural patterns of everyone in the house. When are they most boisterous? This will be a great time for active schooling. When are they more relaxed? This will be a good time to get schedule some reading in! Is it best when the younger kids are in bed and you can have some peaceful one on one time? Is your husband a shift worker?
Before setting your curriculum and red taping it into an institutionalised program, look at what is around you and work with that. Tailoring your life to fit another family`s routine will only burn you out. Home schooling is as unique as your finger prints. Get ideas from others, but ultimately, choose your own methodology.