10 Ways to Be a Better Planner

In every homeschool, planning is made to make it easier for parents and children to move towards success in achieving goals. Planning is also made so that homeschooling continues on track and learning targets are achieved. Without good planning, homeschooling will not reach its goals easily.

Making plans is easy, but doing it is difficult, especially if the planning is made carelessly, and doesn’t consider the reality of everyday life. So, how can you make good planning, in the sense that it can lead children to achieve goals in homeschooling appropriately? We’ll take a look at ten ways below, along with the strengths you can focus on achieving each one.

1. Find your kid’s intrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic motivation is the main driver for successful planning. Intrinsic motivation is the motivation that is obtained from within yourself; it doesn’t require an external reward. Your kids and you simply enjoy activities or opportunities to explore, learn, and actualize your potentials on learning. Planning based on intrinsic motivation will make your homeschooling fun and directed to the goals.

2. Know your obstacles.

Kid’s learning difficulties, your hard times, your limitations—recognize them all and consider them as important in making planning to be more realistic.

3. Record your planning on paper or digitally, as detailed as possible.

Taking notes is better than just imagining. You can use paper and a pencil, or a PC if you want it to be paperless. Write down all the things you want to plan in details.

4. Record your planning in a planner that looks good.

Planners that look good, modern or sophisticated will make you more enthusiastic for writing your plan than a messy planner. A good planner has sections for each part of planning to make it easier for you to find a certain part. Make or buy the planner, and enjoy the days of filling it with realistic and committed planning.

5. Planning for a semester, then for three months, a month, a week, and then daily planning.

Not vice versa, because starting from the goals will make planning better and will be more directed to the goals than if it started from zero.

6. Avoid tight schedules.

A tight schedule will be difficult to fulfill, many obstacles and unexpected events that will make it fail. Messy schedules will make you more stressful during your homeschooling.

7. Provide time for prayer and reflection for evaluating yourself in sufficient time.

Praying is a time when we close to God, know the limits of ourselves, and recognize His grace. Praying makes us better human beings.

8. Evaluate the day with family every night.

The purpose of evaluating is to find out whether the plan has been carried out as desired or not, and what improvements need to be made for the next day.

9. Don’t be afraid to change the plan you made.

A change is intended to improve so that the goal can be achieved.

10. Sharing planning with other homeschooling families will bring ideas for better planning.

That’s true: sharing is caring! You will enrich each other through sharing in the community.

My name is Maria Magdalena, I live in a coastal remote area of Indonesia with my teenage son and a lovely husband. We like to travel. I write my homeschooling tips and journal at my blog Living Ideas (www.marcellinamaria.my.id), and sometimes I make printables to share with my blog’s readers. I’m so glad that I have the opportunity to share about homeschooling with The Old Schoolhouse® readers.