My homeschool planner

My goodness, I sure meant to post to my blog more often!  Things have been so busy lately!  I'm getting ready to start high school this year with my 5th child, who begins 9th grade!  I can't believe I've got a high school- aged child again!  I'm also getting ready to begin MFW Exploring Countries & Cultures with my sweet daughter, who begins 5th grade.  I'm loving every minute of these two and can't believe they are getting so much older so fast!

I've got my little home, child care going again...the past two years I've been teaching a friend's child along with mine, but we had agreed to do it for 2 years.  Now, I've begun keeping some of my friend's children after school, and my nieces sweet babies, but summer is so busy with the kids that are out of school coming all day!

I've been asked quite a few times what planner I use to keep organized.  I've seen many, and it seems like I've tried most!  However, the handwritten planners just got tiring...and I didn't want an entirely online planner either.  As a result, I created my own in Excel. 

This has worked for me for several reasons:

1.) When the kids are doing the same lesson, I can copy & paste what I already typed...I can't do that in a handwritten planner.
2.) I can print this out, and hang it on the bulletin board.  It's neat & easy to read, and the kids can check off what they've completed.  If I see them NOT working, I just walk up to the board and take a look at their planner...usually, if they are not done, they are scrambling to grab their next lesson, when they see me checking their planner, and I don't have to say a word!
3.) I have a quick, easily accessible record to look back over their year whenever I need to.  I just copy & paste the sheet below the recently completed week, and then at the end of the year, I have their personal record if I want to see when they completed something.

When I first began doing this, it took me a little while to create each week, but after a while, I was able to complete these in minutes!  It has helped them work so much more efficiently, because they like to see what they need to accomplish and work ahead when time permits. 

I have created a sample of the planner, about 3 weeks worth, in case anyone wants to use this format.  It is easily edited to make it personal for your children.  Here is my planner.  You are welcome to use it and edit to suit the needs of your family.

http://teamvenus.webs.com/apps/documents/documents