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.