Homeschool Planning When You Are Not A “Planning Person”

One of the things that I hear a lot of people say is, “I’m not a planner. It’s just not something I do.” There are a lot of reasons why people feel like they’re not planners and I don’t want to discount anyone’s feelings on the matter. If you’re not a planner, that’s OK. I do however, wonder if there is still something to be gained from creating some sort of plan for your homeschool year.

When You Think You Are Not A “Planner Person”

My good friend Dawn is a great example. She always considered herself to be someone who was not a “planner person”. Over the years however, she has become someone who supports others in their homeschool planning. I asked her a couple of questions to help better understand the hesitancy to plan.

Listen to the Podcast:

Why did you consider yourself to be the kind of person who just didn’t need a plan?

Dawn: For me, having a plan and having things written out felt limiting. I like all the things. I want to try all the things. Ultimately, I end up trying to do all the things. I felt like having a plan kept me from doing all the wonderful things I wanted to do, but I’ve learned this doesn’t always work when you have little kids.

How did you learn to plan in a way that works for you?

Dawn: I realized I needed some structure to be able to accomplish the things I was excited about in our homeschool, but not too much structure. What has helped is realizing that I can do all the things that I want to do, but I don’t have to do them all today. I don’t have to do them all in first grade.

Having A Vision For Your Homeschool

Homeschooling is like a marathon. Planning allows us to think through which parts of the marathon we were going to sprint and which parts we were going to walk. Thinking about it this way allows for flexibility within an overall structure that helps keep you on track.

Even if you don’t plan for everyday, having a plan for your overall homeschool journey can be freeing.

This is where having a vision for your homeschool comes in. When you sit down and you start thinking about the long view of your homeschool and what you want the atmosphere of your home to be like, you don’t feel like you’ve got to do everything right now. You can look down the road and see that there is no rush.

Watch the episode on YouTube:

Homeschool Planning When You Don’t Know Where To Start

What works best for Dawn, and I think for most of us, is creating goals for our learning each year.

For me, this means Identifying what each child needs, what they are strong in, and what they need some extra help with. Then I create only three goals for each child. This allows me to focus on the most important things. That’s not to say that not we’re not going to do the things I didn’t write goals for – the three goals simply help me to focus and to be a better support for each child.

Let’s take a look at this in practice. Dawn is famously known in some homeschool circles for the fact that she switched from a classical curriculum to using the Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling. Charlotte Mason is based on the 20 principles. The reality is, there are a lot of Charlotte Mason options out there with every specific plans already created. Dawn actually uses Ambleside Online, which is a pretty detailed curriculum. So why then did she need to come up with her own plan?

By taking the time to think through the vision, the goals, and her children’s needs, she can adjust the curriculum down to the most important parts for a particular year.

Even if you are not a planning person, taking the time to set a vision and establish goals helps us to really pay attention to the children in front of us and to serve them the things they need most.

Put Your Homeschool Year On Auto Pilot

We support you in doing all of this in Put Your Homeschool Year on Autopilot.

We help you have a manageable, peaceful, and enjoyable way to plan your homeschool this year. This type of homeschool plan allows you to be a friend to yourself. When you’re doing your homeschool planning, you are also answering the question “How can I take care of future me?” Your entire family benefits and you can let go of the worry of not being a planning person.

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Pam

Pam is the author of The Your Morning Basket Guide and Plan Your Year: Homeschool Planning for Purpose and Peace. She also is the host of three popular podcasts -- The Homeschool Snapshots Podcast, Your Morning Basket, and The Homeschool Solutions Show. She lives in the Deep South with her husband and three kids, where she is the go-to lady for great curriculum recommendations or a just a pep talk on a rough day.