I think I've finally *got* it!

[krazzymommy]

Whew! Well, we are just about 5 weeks in using LHFHG and BHFHG. My kids are absolutely enamored with school, it is amazing. They are both LOVING HOD. I have loved the idea, what is covered, how it all is integrated, etc. That being said, I have been SO frustrated. I'd call my best friend and tell her "I am overwhelmed and don't know why." I was having a hard time seeing the big picture. Everyone talks about HOD being so open-and-go, but that was my problem. I didn't want to be open-and-go, I wanted to understand the big picture and I was missing it. I decided that my problem was the daily grid vs. the other curricula out there having a weekly grid. I even considered ditching HOD for another program, but everytime we actually did school, I just couldn't take this away from my kids. The learning has just been so great. I will be honest that I have entered all the plans into Skedtrack, HST+, a written planner, Excel, etc. to help me see the plan as a "whole". Well, last night, everything just CLICKED! I am so excited. I feel the freedom to ditch all my planners/weekly grid setups that I created! Woohoo!

Basically, this is what HOD Bigger looks like for me:

1. Go through guide and highlight all supplies needed (yelllow)
2. Go through and note Narration days/subjects with an orange N
3. Anything that I want to prepare for by printing something is noted with a blue P
4. Have binding cut off of guide. I went around with this one for awhile, but basically, it works best if I three hole punch the guides I am using and take out the week from each guide that we are on and have in my one teacher binder. (I started off by carrying around two guides, a teacher binder, and DITHOR.) I didn't cut the binding off DITHOR, but I try to keep it at the couch and not carry it around with me all the time. We go back and forth between kitchen table and couch a lot and it is much easier for me to just have one teacher binder to carry around.
5. I switch out the week each Friday night/weekend. So, what I do is pull out the new week. I look and see any *yellow* supplies I need and can gather them over the weekend. I look and see which *blue* preparation circles I need to do for the week - I print up the Bible verse, copy the poem, and I actually make my own science notebooking pages so I print those all out that I need. I also go over the topics that we'll be covering in history so I can get the *bigger* picture.
6. Each night before school, I re-check the next day to go over what we are doing.
7. In the morning I feel ready and prepared.

Obviously, this isn't the way HOD is designed to work and my hat is off to those of you who truly use it as open-and-go. Unfortunately, if I don't see the big picture, I have trouble teaching. The more I go through the guide, the more I see the order and repetition that Carrie has written. This whole setup may be just for this year (or a few months!) and then I'll be able to use it as written. I have used a lot of other curriculum that people complain about "a fog". I never got that from any of those! I was so flustered to be having such trouble with a boxed curric! I guess I just wanted to write this to encourage any newbies who may be feeling overwhelmed, that it does get better! Stick with it! I think the plans are so rich. This is truly such a blessing for our family.

[raindrops]

Couldn't see the forest for the trees phenomenon?

I can't relate (I love how the guide is written, but I never got use to another set up either!) But I am glad you have found a way to become comfortable with it!!

[annaz]

I love your inspiring post! We did the "grid" too a while back and it's nice to see the overview for the week. However, I despised turning page after page trying to find the meat of the grid, the notes. ACK! I love it this way it's all here on the same page in the same box! Now, I do know that HOD has a weekly repetition, so in this case I created a grid "overview". I put an x in the grid when we did certain things. So if there's any rotating box, I'd put for example geography in the first column and an "x" on tuesday, and if the box the next day said something else, I'd put an "x" on wednesday. English I put an "x" on the corresponding days, same for dictation, math with an "x" daily. It's great! And it's one page!

I think it's all what you're used to. And just because it's all laid out, you still need to make it work for you. I think your hilites are a great idea. We all have to ready ourselves for the year in a way that works best for us. Some years I 3-hole punch, some years I don't. This year, thanks to Cole's speedy shipping , I bought my dd her own guide this year. It gives her control over her own "stuff" and I like MY OWN stuff (because sometimes Mom's stuff is everybody's stuff) and "hilites" and plans and checks and marks, etc.

Awesome post!

[lissiejo]

I use a weekly grid too as I did last year and really, REALLY like it. It does help me see the bigger picture and to make sure I don't accidentally miss something in the busyness of the day. I can check off what I've done. I like checking things off too I feel so very accomplished when all the boxes are filled in!

[MelInKansas]

Thanks for this, this is a great idea and one I should consider. I love having the week's plan all together in 1 binder. My Bigger Hearts is unbound, but not the other guides, but I may do that anyway! My problem with having the 3 different guide books and trying to "open and go" is that I often forget to do something!!! I have a friend who checks it off but because I am ending up using them with more than 1 child I don't want to write on it if I can help it.

I like your thoughts for seeing the big picture too. I do miss it sometimes, and it doesn't always bother me, but sometimes it does. You're right, its so rich and there's so much there, it's amazing sometimes to look back over the notebook or things she's learned over the past 3 years of HOD!