Monday, August 18, 2008

Homeschooling Organizer....Complete

For my immediate need, my homeschooling organizer is complete. I have the binder I want to work with, which is not a cheap piece of flimsy, ugly junk. Oh no. This is a very cool binder with an interior pocket, three tabs and a elastic cord that keeps it closed and together. I have ordered some additional tabbed dividers that have pockets. I expect those to come in handy.


The first tabbed section contains a set of 2-page calendar pages so that I may prepare my monthly lesson plans. I like to see everything for the month at one time. When I look at the calendar as a whole, I can visusalize (or actually write down) other commitments and plans. That will help me to be more efficient in my planning. Clearly, I have not had time to write any lesson plans. I did order books this morning so I should have a plan before long. Also, I need quiet to plan and think and that is in short order 'round here.




The second section is my most important part. The weekly plan. My most crucial point was to have everything in one place. When I look at the week, I want to see everything planned in one place: school, obligations and meal planning. I don't want to have to work out of a home planner for meals and appointments and another for school. In this life, the two have to work together and so they need to be together.

(Because this is my handiwork on display and not some professional outpouring here, I want to identify there are columns on the right side for a To Do List and Meals.)

The difference between other organizers and this one is in the way it can be customized to fit each family. For our family, at this time, I can easily write up lesson plans for both girls in the space provided. Large families could implement a separate tab for each child. I have another tab that has a set of 2-page calendar pages and this is where I will plan my menus for the month. We are now buying many of our groceries in bulk from Sam's so as I plan the menu, down the side, I can begin my list.
I think there would be a market for something like this among the homeschool crowd. I also think it could be tailored to families that don't homeschool. At any rate, I'm excited... I am currently working on a name and trying to figure out how to keep from getting sued for copyright infringement.

7 comments:

Lindsay said...

Can I please pre-order?? I've been desperately looking for something this year to help me consolidate all of my planning (meals, groceries, to-do, and school), and I've tried seven different methods, and so far nothing has worked. (And as for the 'quiet' to figure something like this out...well, "short order" is an apt description for around here, too!)

Georgia said...

As a matter of fact, yes, you can! That is the benefit of this type of organizer. You can specify what you want and then you only need to replace the sections that are used.

Tell me what you're thinking...and I'll start getting it put together. If you want to discuss this privately, I'll make sure the email link is activiated.

Anonymous said...

Georgia, that looks great.
What names do you have in mind for it?

Do you like being able to take things in an out with the notebook format as opposed to the spirals or other forms of binding?

I think you would have a market for this. There really is such a limit on what is out there - and not just for homeschoolers. I thin I already mentioned that I do my own b/c I still haven't found anything that meets all my needs.

This is exciting. It looks great.

ls

Georgia said...

I haven't decided on a name yet. Brian and I are still working on it. It seems a little premature to get too invested in it. Only one person is interested enough to buy so far.

The draw of the binder is that I only have to replace what I need each year, and it will lay flat, open to the page I need. If I need to remove pages, I can, and they are not permanently removed. If I choose to put something in, it's easy. You can't do that with a spiral bind. I don't like your folders mainly because they won't lay flat.

What would it need for you to be interested?

Anonymous said...

You mean for me personally to be interested?

Hmmm...well...

Actually, my folder does lay flat out - but my big complaint is that I can't fold it back on itself (like with a paperback book) because my brads could pop out. But I despise the spiral bind and I don't like the notebook so much because it's too bulky. I get the industrial brads so they have never torn or popped so far.

What I WISH I had was a saddlstitch or some type of seam binding like I have with my Quo Vadis date book.

Currently I have my actual date book (Quo Vadis) and my planning guides separated. I really don't mind this so much because the date book is in my purse and the planning guide is separate. Planning guide is a THOUSAND times more than a date book. It is more of a guidebook than an appointment book.

Anyway, I wish that I could have both combined into something seambound that would go in my purse. I'd be willing to get a bigger purse. :)

My big thing is that I do not want to take things in and out throughout the year. I know that sounds counter-productive; however, I have found that I work better if I plan ahead and have everything organized ahead of time. The ability to take things in and out only allows for procrastination and disorganization. The rare loose paperwork can be attached in a folder page (which all good organizers should have anyway, right?) THis is why I force myself to use the loathesome brads. I know there is no way I'm ever going to fool with them twice in one calendar year. Once that stuff goes in - I'm done. I'm sure there's a better way - but until I find an organizer that combines everything I want with the binding I want....well...

I have a lot of information in my planner that I haven't seen in other planners. Or I suppose I should say that I haven't seen all combined in any one planner. You might have all of this in your planner already.

Do you think it might be marketable to offer customized planners? Certain features that the customer picks and you put it all togther for them?

Who knows....

Honestly...I liked the first name you came up with. Can't remember the name, but it was something like Three.Distinct.Words. The three words with the periods was pretty catchy. Kinda trendy sounding. A little funky and different.

I so have to stop typing now. The topic of organizing gets me way too energized. Sick, I know.


ls

Anonymous said...

Just thought you should know there is an organizer on the market identical to what you have shown...Amy Kanpp's Homeschooling Organizer. I used it last year and loved it! It is a spiral bound organizer.

Sarah

Georgia said...

Sarah,

Thanks for stopping by. I, too, used Amy Knapp's Organizer last year, but it wasn't ready for this year in a timely manner so I created my own. It is based on her original concept, but I can situate it any way I prefer.