Even in homeschooling, failing to plan is planning to fail. How we manage our time can make all the difference in the world. Knowing what to teach and how to teach is only two-thirds of our success trifecta. We are going to explore ways in which you can free up time to achieve a work (teach)/ life balance that will leave you feeling refreshed and your children learning like they have never learned before.
Without partiality or prejudice, each of us gets the same 24 hours. You are about to find out how you can make every moment counts and for heaven’s sake, GET THINGS DONE!
Set a schedule
A great schedule is worth its weight in gold! Let’s assume you chiseled in on stone tablets. One doesn’t just open up Google Calendar and start hashing out time slots simply to hit the ‘repeat weekly’ option. We need to gather some data. That data will be unique to your circumstances and the activities that go on in your household. Anyone that advertises pre-made schedules or time management solutions who has never spent a week with your family, you are entitled to ask yourself the following questions. How can you sell me a pre-fab time management tool when you have no idea how I spend my day? Let’s talk about the vital information you will need to make a rock-solid yet super-flexible schedule that is custom-built for your household.
Many weight loss programs will have you take a little inventory of the snacks and meals you eat throughout the day. This is designed to show you where all those nasty calories are coming from. You end up feeling a little ashamed of your current habits but knowing that you have no one to blame but yourself, puts you back in the driver’s seat.
Time is very much the same way. Before mapping out your new schedule, spend a week documenting what you spend your time on. Be brutally honest with yourself. Two hours of cat videos on YouTube? Write it down. Every waking moment. The good and the bad. How long does it take to put the kids to bed? Meal prep, cleaning, phone gossip. Basically, a super detailed journal with times attached to each entry. Looks for gaps in your entries as well. Denial only robs you of the truth. We need to be honest and only then will you have a better idea of how much time can be reclaimed and reassigned to more productive activities like teaching your child to read.
Create a to-do list
Make a list of the tasks you need to complete each day or week. This will help you stay focused and prioritize your activities.
I use Google Calendar because I can set alerts on my phone and smartwatch. If you’re a paper person, that is fine too. Just keep your schedule posted in a place where it is visible throughout the day. Remember that tasks are different from goals. Tasks are the things you DO to help you reach your goals. One can write “Lose Weight” (a healthy goal) in their to-do list but in reality, “Go to the gym” is the task one needs to write, as that task will help toward achieving that goal.
Use a planner
There is a ‘notes’ section in Google Calendar and I do not advise you to comment or write lengthy notes about lessons and assignments there. It just gets too cluttered and there simply isn’t enough screen real estate on our phones to keep us from going cross-eyed. A planner, on the other hand, can be a wonderful time management tool. This is where we define our to-do list and keep a careful record of what worked and what needs further refinement. Most importantly, it becomes a central place to keep track of your child’s progress. As the entries are date specific, you are in a better position to keep account of when your child has mastered a skill or has shown signs of struggling.
Remember that nothing about homeschooling fits into neatly compartmentalized units of time. Stuff happens (PG-13 version, so both your calendar and your planner will need to be flexible. Please, avoid at all costs, any planner that completely maps out every waking moment of your day. The temptation is there. It’s nice to have someone else do the work for us but these people are not doing you any favors. The moment you miss a single queue, the whole thing unravels fast!
Once you’ve found a planner you are comfortable with and have been using for it some time, review the notes you’ve made regularly to make any needed adjustments when a lesson fails to resonate with your child for any reason. Use the planner to help you deal with unforeseen disruptions that may temporarily throw you off track, like a doctor’s appointment or a box of kittens left on your doorstep.
Focus on the most important tasks
Prioritize the most important tasks and complete them first. This will help you stay on track and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Schedule THE most important activities first and use these as an anchor point for the less critical tasks. Set little goals and achievements within the week and be sure to reward yourself for completing these tasks. If these tasks require your child’s participation to complete, then celebrate a job well done. You might choose to prioritize your activities by asking yourself; “If I can only do one thing this week, this day, or this hour, what would it be? Work around those “one thing” items. Use them as time anchors.
Take breaks
Allow time for breaks throughout the day to prevent burnout and help maintain your energy levels. Taking short breaks to stretch, move around, or have a snack can help you stay focused and productive.
A healthy schedule looks a little like Swiss cheese. Little holes throughout the day that allow for flexibility. Give yourself time between tasks. A buffer so to speak. Don’t start the next task ahead of schedule unless it’s a really fun and amazing task. If you don’t have to do laundry until 3 pm and it’s 2:30 pm, there is that extra coffee you deserve for getting the previous task done ahead of schedule. If you have a decent functioning schedule, don’t feel guilty about soaking in a few unexpected me-time moments. Above, schedule time to rest and recharge those batteries.
Delegate tasks
Consider delegating tasks to other family members or hiring a tutor or homeschooling coach to help with certain subjects or activities.
The first thing you will need to do is to clarify the tasks and activities that set you back. We first need to take time to assess your family’s homeschooling needs. Review your child’s progress. Where are they weak and where do they shine? Where do YOU shine? Which subject do you dislike teaching the most? Do you have the time to educate yourself and deliver that lesson with greater confidence? If not, that task just made the list. Start making a list of friends, family members, and even professionals that you think could lend a hand. One by one, your list of tasks will grow. The next step is to match each task with anyone that can do it to your satisfaction. Even if doing the dishes sets you back from planning a lesson. Are your children old enough not to break every plate in the house? Lastly, add it to the schedule we spoke of earlier where some of the more mundane tasks can be spread out evenly.
Use technology
Use online resources and educational apps to supplement your homeschooling activities and save time.
If you’ve succeeded in reducing screen time, you are to be commended. Tread lightly with this action task and don’t let it take over your precious one-on-one instruction and bonding time. With that said, there are technological resources that, if used in moderation, can complement and even enhance the lessons you teach. I’ve complimented my reading lessons for years with the help of Youtube channels that deliver quality production materials. The following were a few of my go-to’s.
StoryBots
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkd-BQZOkCVYk10rM_IUEcw/featured
Mr. Ts Phonics
https://www.youtube.com/@MrTsPhonics
Phonics Doodles
https://www.youtube.com/@phonicsdoodles4969
ABC Mouse
https://www.youtube.com/@ABCmouse
Again a word of caution with introducing video media into your lessons. One of the main issues is that, unlike one-to-one personal instruction, videos are not variable in pace or intuitive as to detect mastery before piling on a new concept your child might not be ready for. Also, as amazing as some of these videos are in production value, there is no visible, systematic flow anchored to defined objectives. Think of it as seasoning a dish. Doesn’t take much to spice things up but too much and you ruin the whole meal.
Before moving on to apps and games. Please resist the urge, at all costs, to compare the content, rhythm, and flow of popular children’s TV programs to the content and presentation of the lessons you teach at home. Think of how much is crammed into one episode of Sesame Street. One half-hour show can take up to 10 days to shot, master, and produce. The average muppet takes two people to operate. We can’t compete with that! Nor should we try. Children know the difference and at the end of it all, a mama reading to her child with her own brand of warmth and enthusiasm is worth a thousand hours of children’s television.
Then we have apps and games. The same can be said with videos; use them to spice up a lesson or two, however, these are no match for a loving, caring parent who knows how to teach their child to read.
The site below lists and describes 10 of the most popular apps designed to help children with phonics and reading.
https://www.educationalappstore.com/best-apps/phonics-apps-for-kids
Be flexible
Be open to adjusting your schedule or curriculum if necessary. Sometimes unexpected events or changes in your child’s needs may require a shift in your plans.
I’m not asking you to be a soul-sucking pessimist and dream up every catastrophe or tragic misfortune a human could possibly encounter, BUT, you will benefit from anticipating normal events that could derail your schedule and throw you off balance. In doing so, we want to categorize these potential wrenches in our plans and map out a contingent strategy to either work with the issue or around it. Dentist appointment, grandma’s birthday, or a trip to Disneyland. Live a little and by all means, get that cavity filled! A rigid schedule will only set you up for failure and snap back at you, hitting you square in the face every time.
The flu, a common cold, and even pink eye. It happens. Remember one thing, please; health first, education second. Always.
The Takeaway
By implementing these time management tips, you can effectively manage your time while homeschooling and provide your child with a quality education.
As a person that has struggled for years with time management, getting side-tracked, and failing to meet important goals in my life, I can tell you how liberating it is to regain control of the way I spend my time. All of us get the same 24 hours. I sincerely hope this article can help you reclaim some of those wasted minutes and get things DONE! When it comes to your little ones, don’t let those precious moments pass you by.
