We’ve been homeschooling a high schooler for a couple of years now and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s ways to help your high schooler plan for a successful year. Many people think it’s all about the academics, but I beg to differ. Keep reading for my best tips for helping your homeschooler make the most out of each high school year.
Psst…. scroll to the bottom of this post and enter for your chance to win a FREE copy of my DIY Homeschool Planner for High Schoolers!
5 Ways to Help Your High Schooler Plan for a Successful Year
Teach them how to set SMART goals.
If only I had a class like this in high school, I’d be much further in this area of life as an adult. Like me, you may remember setting goals like making good grades, completing so many classes, or even working certain jobs. However, what if we learned how to set SMART goals?
The acronym for SMART goals is:
- S: specific
- M: measurable
- A: attainable
- R: realistic
- T: timely
Teaching your high schooler how to set SMART goals goes much deeper than just jotting down, “I want to complete 3 elective courses this year.” Setting SMART goals also involves incorporating personal development. Help your high schooler learn how to set mindset goals, personal development goals, brainstorm strategies, and note specific steps to take.
Personal (and professional) development can look like listening to podcasts, reading books, and watching educational videos. And when it comes to setting goals, have them work on goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Tracking their goals will help them stay on track and make adjustments as needed.
Let them help plan their lesson plans.
In addition to setting SMART goals, high schoolers should be ready to help plan their own lesson plans or at least keep track of them. If your high schooler has lots of activities going on like extra curricular activities, co-ops, a job, internships, apprenticeships, and the like – have them keep track of these things in a calendar. Don’t forget to have them include all responsibilities, including chores.
Depending on the level of organization your high schooler prefers, they can keep monthly, weekly, and daily calendars/planners. If you’re a planner-holic like me, then this is music to your ears. And if not, then you know it can be a task to stay organized.
In the end, this is a skill worth teaching to teens sooner than later!
Encourage your high schooler to practice self care.
Self care is a topic that has become increasingly popular in the adult arena. As a woman, wife, and mom, self care isn’t always top on my priority list – but it should be. This is another area of life and skill set that you can’t teach too early. So, while your high schooler is making rapid preparations to enter into the world of young adulthood, teach them about self care.
A few areas of self care to help them pay attention to are:
- their mood and how they feel
- amount of daily exercise
- daily water intake
- gratefulness
Of course, there’s so much more you can add to this list but this is certainly a good place to start.
Help them learn how to keep track of important things.
As adults, we understand how important it is to be able to keep track of important things. If your high schooler could fashion this skill much earlier in life, just think of how much easier it will be for them as young adults! Although they may not have to worry about tracking income, expenses, bills, and the likes of those things, they could still learn this skill by keeping track of things such as:
- assignments
- grades
- college courses
- habits
- income from a job
- expenses
To keep your high schooler from getting overwhelmed, have them start small and slowly add to their list of things to track.
Follow your high schooler’s lead.
The moment we started including all of our children’s input in the homeschooling journey, the easier and more fun it became. If you were public schooled like me – or even private schooled – then you have had the picture of what education should look like painted for you. That picture looks a lot like wake up early, start “school” at a certain time and complete a number of subject each and every day.
However, as homeschoolers, we have the unique opportunity to go where our children’s needs lead. So, if your high schooled homeschooler is showing that they are interested in XYZ, then you get to explore that. If they are showing that they want to spend extra time on a particular subject, you get to do that with and for them. It’s a wonderful thing to include them in their own learning journey.
DIY Printable High School Planner
We’ve talked about several ways to help your high schooler plan for a successful year and I wanted to offer your a customizable DIY High School Planner that includes templated for everything discussed above.
In fact, this DIY Printable High School Planner was made with high school homeschoolers in mind. It features 23 grayscale pages (helps you save printer ink) that your high schooler can use to put together their very own planner. There are several templates that will help them learn how to plan their months, weeks, days, and keep track of other important things in life.
They’ll have access to the following templates:
- Monthly Growth Plans
- Growth Plan Breakdown
- Individual Goals Tracker
- SMART Goals Printable
- Monthly Calendar (block style)
- Monthly Planner (with calendar and other blocks)
- Weekly Responsibilities
- Weekly Planner (with habits and notes)
- Weekly Planner (at-a-glance style)
- Weekly Schedule (with time blocks)
- Week Of (lines for each day + to-do list)
- Daily Planner (self-care style)
- Homeschool Lesson Plans
- Assignment Tracker
- Grade Tracker
- College Course Tracker
- Brain Dump
- Habit Tracker
- Monthly Budget Tracker
- Income Tracker
- Cleaning Checklist
- Notes
Once you purchase the planner, you and your high schooler can use the printable pages to put together the perfect planner style to meet their unique needs.
GET 75% OFF A DIY HIGH SCHOOL PLANNER NOW!
This planner originally costs $17 but I want to give it to you for the low price of $4.25!!! Simply fill out the form to join my email list (below) and the coupon code for 75% off will be revealed to you! Use it to purchase this amazing planner and join my growing community of homeschooling moms (and dads) just like you! I also email a free resource every Friday in addition to sharing other valuable info to help you homeschool with grace and ease!
Final Thoughts
Are you homeschooling a high schooler? I’d love to hear from you! Drop your best tips for helping them plan for an amazing year of homeschooling!
Win My Planner + 5 More Products for Upper Grades!
Are you homeschooling a middle or high school student? Looking for some great resources to help make your year great? Then you’re going to love the Upper Grades giveaway!
Thanks to these amazing bloggers and brands that love supporting the homeschool community, we’re able to give back to homeschool families in the best way!
Check out this AMAZING Prize package!
 |
Autumn & Winter Poetry Copywork from In All You Do – These Seasonal Poetry Copywork packs are perfect for Middle and High Schoolers. The Autumn pack includes 18 different poems with plain lines for copywork. And the Winter pack includes 18 different poems with both manuscript lines and plain lines for copywork. |
 |
Teach Your Children How to Think with Mentoring from How to Homeschool My Child – Can your kids think for themselves? Can they use their thinking skills to influence the world? How well can they discuss what they are learning? How well can your kids make wise, Biblical decisions? How well can your kids solve problems… not just Math problems but real life problems? Are your kids inspired to learn more? If you need help in any of these areas, Teach Your Children How to Think is for you! |
 |
James Inductive Bible Study Course from Homeschool with Moxie – Would you like to use the Bible as your Bible “textbook” instead of having your kids complete worksheets about the Bible? The James Inductive Bible Study Course will teach your teens how to dive into the actual text of Scripture and learn what it says. The James Self Study Workbook and Video Lessons are open and go and will take your teens through a verse-by-verse deep dive into the book of James. |
 |
Guitar Time with Ben online course from Music in Our Homeschool – Guitar Time with Ben is a self-paced online beginning guitar course for ages 10 and up. Your teacher Ben has been playing the guitar since he was 9. Join him through 10 pre-recorded lessons as he teaches you the basics about the guitar, and you’ll end the course playing a few songs! |
 |
DIY Printable High School Planner from With the Huddlestons – This DIY Printable High School Planner was made with high school homeschoolers in mind. It features 23 grayscale pages (helps you save printer ink) that your high schooler can use to put together their very own planner. There are several templates that will help them learn how to plan their months, weeks, days, and keep track of other important things in life. |
Learn more about each of the 2023 Upper Grades Giveaway Sponsors
This giveaway wouldn’t be possible without our amazing sponsors! We encourage you to visit their site and take a look around at all their wonderful products perfect for homeschoolers! Thanks to these amazing bloggers and brands that love supporting the homeschool community, we’re giving away more than $124 in Upper Grades products!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Want to enter to win? Simply enter by following as many sponsors and partners on the form below, and you’re in it to win it!
You are responsible for reading the Terms and Conditions before entering. Entering this giveaway confirms that you have read and understand the terms. a Rafflecopter giveaway