Planning for the Unknown

How do you plan for a semester when everything is unknown? Right now, we have my husband’s work schedule totally up in the air week-to-week (including whether he works in-office or at home); we have several travel plans that may or may not happen; my three highly energetic and social kids are thirsting for outings, field trips, and friends in a world that has embraced cancel-culture and is clinging to isolation as a long-term solution to a problem when it was supposed to be only a temporary slow-down. 

Despite this, our school is going surprisingly well, especially considering how my planning and brain seem to be running a solid week behind-times! Isn’t it cool that we can see God’s extraordinary blessings more when we are leaning on Him in faith? I mean, we’ve probably rarely realized exactly how out-of-our-control life really is, and here is a season where the rubber hits the road;

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior (‘Oceans’, Hillsong)

Do I mean it when I sing those words, or is that something for other people—preferably in a distant foreign country? I mean, nothing warranting those words could happen in America—you have to go looking for an adventure like that—ha ha! And yet, homeschooling takes me there every year, one way or another—though the last 12 months has taken us to new heights (or depths) of learning to trust God! But HOW, as mom and teacher, do I responsibly and in faith work out a plan in this latest context of uncertainty?

Usually, (after praying, like, a LOT) my planning method is super OCD calendar-and-planner-based, and all-over-washi-tape. Yeah, but since all plans for this year are 100% up in the air right now… I’m approaching it a little bit differently. But not the prayer part—that’s still essential and foundational!

My desk shows the current method pretty well. Left side of picture shows my “Best Mom Ever” plaque (haha) and my Bible (which is the duct tape holding this hot mess together); a basket of things to do (everything from store returns to broken toys to insurance papers); and books I’m reading and a notebook (I have notebooks everywhere. These are basically brainstorm lists and checklists). 

Right side of picture shows my wonderful wireless printer, a fun sign hiding my printer ink and also my hidden stash of chocolate; tissues (because this is an emotional season) and more notebooks (dedicated to specific things or subjects); and the elephant tape dispenser is sitting on a basket of printer paper. 

I’m trying to keep it flexible and available and easy to grab-and-go—which is a pretty good analogy for all of life, right now, actually...

The notebook/list/brainstorm method allows me to keep a running list of plans and questions. So, while we stay on top of our basics (math, reading, handwriting) I’m also writing down every question the kids throw at me and every idea of things we think of to do—then I create a weekly plan of practical ways to explore or do each thing. 

So far (week one in 2021) we’ve gone from exploring pangolin facts (thanks, Wild Kratts!), to Christmas thank-you-notes, to making homemade yogurt, to learning how Star Wars movies computer generate “the force,” to learning cursive (because they liked how nice Declaration of Independence looked). We’ve read more of the Hobbit and they discovered Calvin and Hobbes comic books, which leads us to all kinds of linguistic, cultural, philosophical, and historical places. We’ve dabbled in geometry and seeing how math has practical applications in building things, and how essential accuracy and proper knowledge of terms is for both mathematics and communication in general.

So we gradually chug through the notebook lists, learning as we go. It is significantly more haphazard than my usual, but it’s a fun way to handle an unpredictable season!