Saturday, July 28, 2012

Making your school week easier: Tapestry of Grace Part II

Prepare.  I use the summer time to be ready for the year when time is fleeting. Talking with some of you who read my last post on books think that I am an organizer, but I am NOT.  Actually, I have spent so much time looking for books, that I need to sort them this way to not LOOSE valuable time.



the assembly line for my three children in different learning levels
During my first years of homeschool, I often had the surprise of finding paper all over the place.  Writing assignments, rough drafts, science experiences, worksheets, would show up unexpectedly to my dismay.  It was similar to finding another dirty dish when you think your done cleaning the kitchen. I NEEDED order in my students papers.



The best way for me to organize my children's work is to prepare a working notebook.  Tapestry of  Grace that I use recommends this, but I believe it would be helpful for any program.







Numbered Tabs sold at Tapestry of Grace




I first get a notebook for each of my students.  I really like the numbered tabs to use as a divider for the first quarter (nine weeks). I keep all the weeks work: maps, worksheets, rough drafts, final copies, copy work, under that weeks tab.

Remember if you have a digital version, you will not have a "Loom" cd

    If you have the digital version, you print directly from the computer (no disk required)
  1. Use the Loom or print out the worksheets for your students level for one quarter 1-9
  2. Take the map aids disk or print out the digital version of your maps for each child.  I like keeping the teachers map /answer sheet on the cd so I can glance on it if needed.                                                 
  3. Fill notebooks.  I like to make an assembly line together and have the hole punch and have both the maps and the student activities pages out.  
  4. I like to put the map on the opposite of the geography assignment.

This is how I place the maps on the opposite side of the Geography Assignment on the Student Activities Pages






Don't worry if you don't know what tab to put the pages under.  Y2 means Year 2, W4, means week 4

Evaluations
It is often that I forget about the evaluations that Tapestry of Grace makes.  I learned that if it is not an oral test, it helps to print them out at the beginning of the year. 
  1. Print out each child's evaluations for the quarter.  If an evaluation is a fill in the blank, short answer, matching, I just place them in the week that they are being quizzed on.
  2. If it is an oral test, I keep a separate teachers notebook that is arranged by weeks for all the children.  
During the school year, we just open up the week in the notebook and the children know exactly what is expected from them.  I read to them the Week Introduction for all students.  Then we highlight the books that I want them to read.  We go over the writing assignment.  I use the notebook to put in the rough drafts or final copies under the week.  It makes it easy to find the work samples and my home is a bit of a paper-less mess.

5 comments:

  1. This is great! Thank you for taking the time to share it:)

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  2. Thanks, I really love being able to know what to do in a week. I forgot that I like to add the Students Threads into their notebooks along with the book sheet because they add the vocabulary words to their "Spelling Lists" or look up the meaning. I use the book list from what I have and photo copy them into their weekly notebooks so that they know what to read. Each week is so different and I just have them use a highlighter on the books I choose off the list.

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  3. Thank you so much for posting. Love your tip for putting the map opposite of the geography assignment.

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  4. Thanks a bunch! WE are just starting with TOG this year and are in the process of getting things in order. This is helpful.

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  5. Dear Demetrai,

    If you have need any help or have other questions, feel free to email me.
    EllaEmbree@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete