Spring cleaning becomes Spring Planning for homeschoolers! Everyone is talking about next year's curriculums, assessments, testing, etc. Planners are on sale and I can't wait for mine to arrive in the mail!
I love to plan. I love to fill in blank spaces in spiral bound books. I love dreaming of plans and imagining what we will do. Having something to look forward to is a good thing!
Over the years I have learned how often I plan unrealistically. My goal with this year's planner is to set up a good foundation for the coming year: organizing and making general plans, but leaving the detailed planning for later as I get closer to actually needing it. My current planner goes through June, so I don't truly need to start using my new one until then...I just need to have it ready to go.
There aren't many planners created specifically for homeschooling moms, but the most popular two on the market happened to be my favorite. I spent way too much time drooling over them and trying to decide which one would most realistically fit my style of planning.
The first one I discovered was called "the Well Planned Day" by www.wellplannedgal.com. It has a lot of floral designs which actually looked nice and not too flowery for my laidback personality. What I loved most was the tabbed months and the double boxes on the weekly lined lists where I could plan for 6 subjects of curriculum. Along the side of each weekly two-page spread was a place for notes, priorities, and the week's menu plan. I loved it because it very closely fits what I have adjusted my current planner to look like. I liked how complete it was and ready for use. Some of the added features included bible verses, quotes, shopping lists, and articles to read each month.
My current planner is a nice Office Depot weekly/monthly academic spiral bound with a hard cover. I like it a lot, but it is plain to look at and I found myself wishing for some additional features that it didn't offer.
The second planner I found was called "The Ultimate Homeschool Planner" by Debra Bell. Several websites sell it, but the best view of it I found is on www.rainbowresource.com. It is an undated planner in a simpler, more basic floral design which I like okay. It didn't have the monthly tabs that I like, and it had the monthly pages separate from the weekly pages. Two things that in the past I have rejected planners for. The weekly pages are blank with six columns and six rows, along with a seventh column with space for notes, supplies, and appointments. I loved the flexibility of the many ways I could use the blank columns and rows to fit my needs and adjust as the year progresses. Some of the additional features include a user guide at the front with tons of tips and suggestions, areas to evaluate your school year, and a weekly two-page spread for a bible reading, battle plan, and space to write memorable moments and moments of God's grace. I liked the reminders and space to encourage a more godly train of thought in my planning, but it wasn't a feature I was necessarily looking for and I'm not sure I would actually use it, to be honest.
Planners are expensive and I wanted to purchase the best one for my needs...but I could see myself using both planners. I poured over video reviews and repeatedly went back to look at the views of the planner pages. I hated not being able to walk into a store and touch them and flip through the pages to make my decision. Online shopping is a challenge to me in that way. Ultimately, I chose the second planner. It was the one that made me the most excited to use it because I get to set it up my own way. I can use my colored pens and markers to make it my own, and if I need to adjust something as the year progresses, I can. The pages offer so much usable space and nothing is set in stone. I also like the idea of having a reminder to start the week consulting the Lord and plan to have Him be part of our school year. I am excited for it to arrive so I can start planning how to set it up!
