Confused with TOG... and please explain the fog??

[Mynyel]

I keep hearing that you can't do it all...

 

All of what exactly?

 

I looked (extensively) and the free three weeks they have online. In the weekly guide it didn't seem impossible. Just a few books that you read and if you stretch it over 5-6 days it seems just fine to me.

 

I am not looking at the supplementary (or whatever it is called, can't remember right now) page for the alternate readings. Just the main page.

 

And *what* is this fog I have heard about? I want to recognize it when I feel/see it!

[lexi]

Typing from my phone:

In some weeks it might be possible to cover all the info from that week. Other weeks, you have to decide where you want your focus to be or if you only want a broad overview. For example, we've been studying Greece in year 1. This week there was a lot of info about philosophers, scientists, art, architecture and drama. I would not have been able to cover it all in one week. For the ages of my kids we are focusing on the drama and art aspect and next time around will cover more of the scientists. So, with all the possible topics in the teaching notes, we don't always cover each thing. Some weeks we do more geography and others we talk more about the important people However, we do get all the reading done. Sometimes I add in extra. We love to read!

 

To me the FOG is just trying to find your rhythm: when to do the history, what day to do vocab, how to set up the mapwork. TOG doesn't tell you that you should start with the history core, introduce vocab on day 2, then do a map on day 3, read lit on day 4, and discuss important people and events on day 5. You have to find a flow that makes sense for you and finding that has been hard for me. I have to pick a focus for each week and only choose the activities that compliment because some weeks are so full of info.

I blog about TOG quite a bit on my Lextin blog. Link in siggy. I'm still new so hopefully some veterans will chime in.

[momofsbandeg]

was having so many options

and so many different grade levels :confused:

and so much information with :confused:

so many different book options and

which map projects to do or not do :confused:

and which writing assignments to do or not do :confused:

.....on and on.

 

To the point that when you start planning it is overwhelming trying to decide what to use, what to leave out, what to schedule for for each student and when....which activities to do or not do.:confused:

 

And it just runs over and over in your mind as you try to decide which options will be the perfect combination for this school year for this particular unit of study for this particular time.:confused:

and which items can be left out:confused:

 

And so the fog sets in ........... until you find a rhythm.;)

 

And that to me is the "fog" and if you experience it......You WILL know it.

If you don't experience it..........praise be.....you have found the absolute PERFECT history curriculum for you and your family!!!!

Edited April 1, 2012 by momofsbandeg

[Mom0012]

I keep hearing that you can't do it all...

 

All of what exactly?

 

I looked (extensively) and the free three weeks they have online. In the weekly guide it didn't seem impossible. Just a few books that you read and if you stretch it over 5-6 days it seems just fine to me.

 

I am not looking at the supplementary (or whatever it is called, can't remember right now) page for the alternate readings. Just the main page.

 

And *what* is this fog I have heard about? I want to recognize it when I feel/see it!

 

I could be wrong about this, but I thought the samples they have on line show you what a weekly schedule could look like. My understanding is that you actually have to come up with that weekly schedule from all the selections they give you and that things are not scheduled out for you the way they are in the sample. Hopefully, someone who knows for sure will either correct me or confirm this, because I'd like to know as well.

 

Lisa

[Annabel Lee]

I could be wrong about this, but I thought the samples they have on line show you what a weekly schedule could look like. My understanding is that you actually have to come up with that weekly schedule from all the selections they give you and that things are not scheduled out for you the way they are in the sample. Hopefully, someone who knows for sure will either correct me or confirm this, because I'd like to know as well.

 

Lisa

 

This is correct. The TOG samples show it all scheduled out. When you order TOG, it doesn't come that way. Things are divided down to a weekly level, but you have to figure out 1) what to do and what to leave out and 2) which days to do it.

[Kathryn]

This is correct. The TOG samples show it all scheduled out. When you order TOG, it doesn't come that way. Things are divided down to a weekly level, but you have to figure out 1) what to do and what to leave out and 2) which days to do it.

 

I must have missed this part. I don't recall seeing anything different in the samples than what I bought.

 

I've planned everything out, And not run into a fog yet. I think because it's not just the reading, but the vocabulary, mapping, writing, activities, and alternate readings. Plus all your other subjects. You have to choose where to focus and when to do what.

[TracyP]

I have not experienced the fog. However, I sat with my husband for over an hour one night trying to explain TOG to him. He finally said that I knew what I was doing and if I had it figured out he didn't really care. He just couldn't wrap his head around the stages and 4 year cycle and who does what. TOG "clicks" with the way my brain works but maybe that is not true for everyone.

 

AFA picking and choosing, you cannot read every book, do every activity(4 or more are in each week), map/geography, vocab, timeline, and writing assignment. That is where picking and choosing come in.

[besroma]

was having so many options

and so many different grade levels :confused:

and so much information with

so many different book options and

which map projects to do or not do

and which writing assignments to do or not do :confused:

.....on and on.

 

To the point that when you start planning it is overwhelming trying to decide what to use, what to leave out, what to schedule for for each student and when....which activities to do or not do.:confused:

 

And it just runs over and over in your mind as you try to decide which options will be the perfect combination for this school year for this particular unit of study for this particular time.:confused:

and which items can be left out:confused:

 

And so the fog sets in ........... until you find a rhythm.;)

 

And that to me is the "fog" and if you experience it......You WILL know it.

If you don't experience it..........praise be.....you have found the absolute PERFECT history curriculum for you and your family!!!!

 

:iagree:

 

TOG serves up an incredible number of options for reading, assignments, crafts, and activities. For those teaching several grade levels, it is very difficult or impossible to do everything. It hits harder if you are a box-checker or perfectionist like I am who feels like you are "doing it right" if you aren't doing everything.

 

To me, it is like TOG is a buffet table. If you feel like you have to eat one of everything, you will get overwhelmed (to the point you can't come up with a good schedule). Once you accept that it is ok to pick and choose what works best for you and your family, the fog will lift.;)

 

Like others have said, not everyone experiences the fog.

[Mynyel]

This is correct. The TOG samples show it all scheduled out. When you order TOG, it doesn't come that way. Things are divided down to a weekly level, but you have to figure out 1) what to do and what to leave out and 2) which days to do it.

 

I must have missed this part. I don't recall seeing anything different in the samples than what I bought.

 

I've planned everything out, And not run into a fog yet. I think because it's not just the reading, but the vocabulary, mapping, writing, activities, and alternate readings. Plus all your other subjects. You have to choose where to focus and when to do what.

 

See I looked at a hard copy of TOG at the convention in Greenville and it didn't look any different that what was online either, There was no schedule. The readings section reminded me of Sonlight, just without the days scheduled. I found it well organized and easy to adapt to our family.

 

That is why I was asking about this. I keep hearing how it can be confusing and overwhelming but (again just going through the sample with a fine tooth comb) to me is seems rather easy to implement.

 

I can see how we will have to "transition" into it. I won't be doing *everything* the first week. Can't it would kill us. But I plan on doing things one at a time. One thing this week, then add another next week, then another etc... Until all I want is incorporated.

 

I hope I don't get the fog though. That is why I chose to add a little over time instead of all at once! :)

[mom&nana]

I thought it looked easy too. That was until I tried to implement it. Then I found Marcia's Video on her blog explaining how to get started. I always thought the readings would be stretched throughout the week and that seemed doable. I was thinking along the lines of SL or WP where we read a little of the book each day. I didn't realize until I watched the video that all the reading is supposed to be done on Monday and Tuesday, maybe Wednesday. This is done so mapwork, discussion questions, activities can be done the rest of the week. Some weeks that would be ok, however, on others that is just way too much reading to be doing in 2 or 3 days. And that's just for history, there are other more important subjects to cover. I can see TOG being very time consuming. I realized that some people were actually having their students doing reading over the weekend to be ready to do the discussions at the end of the week. Or they were stretching a week's worth of work into 1/2 or 2 weeks. I just didn't think that would work here. In the end, I just felt like TOG was just way too much on all counts...too many decisions to make, too much money, too many books, too much information...

 

If you are good at making decisions as to what is more important to study when and how much.... If you have good library and can juggle when to reserve books, or can afford to buy all the books upfront... if you/your kids can handle a lot of reading..TOG might work for you.

[Mynyel]

I thought it looked easy too. That was until I tried to implement it. Then I found Marcia's Video on her blog explaining how to get started. I always thought the readings would be stretched throughout the week and that seemed doable. I was thinking along the lines of SL or WP where we read a little of the book each day. I didn't realize until I watched the video that all the reading is supposed to be done on Monday and Tuesday, maybe Wednesday. This is done so mapwork, discussion questions, activities can be done the rest of the week. Some weeks that would be ok, however, on others that is just way too much reading to be doing in 2 or 3 days. And that's just for history, there are other more important subjects to cover. I can see TOG being very time consuming. I realized that some people were actually having their students doing reading over the weekend to be ready to do the discussions at the end of the week. Or they were stretching a week's worth of work into 1/2 or 2 weeks. I just didn't think that would work here. In the end, I just felt like TOG was just way too much on all counts...too many decisions to make, too much money, too many books, too much information...

 

If you are good at making decisions as to what is more important to study when and how much.... If you have good library and can juggle when to reserve books, or can afford to buy all the books upfront... if you/your kids can handle a lot of reading..TOG might work for you.

 

True, however :), since we are homeschoolers we don't have to follow the "mold" do we? Just because in her video she has the reading in two days doesn't mean you have too. :) I plan on stretching it out over the week. It will make it much easier!

[mandymom]

I never experienced the fog. We are new to homeschooling this year, and in big part BECAUSE of TOG. We had decided to homeschool our youngest (kindergarten), and when I was looking at curriculum for him and found TOG (long before I found TWTM), I knew that it was exactly what I wanted for ALL of my children. So, we brought them all home.

 

Maybe because of that, I went into TOG differently. Maybe I didn't experience the fog because I had never used anything else. I don't know. But it has been pretty simple for me to implement with my kids, and we are using all 4 levels.

[melmichigan]

I have always tweaked curriculum to fit our needs and maybe that helped because I didn't have any experience with the fog. I will say I understood more when I held a unit in my hand then trying to read it on the computer, but I think that is just the way my mind works. It's like anything else, you pick and choose and adapt to meet the needs of your family. Maybe that is part of the fog, no two people do TOG the same way. You have to find what works for you. :)

[HappyCrazyMama]

True, however :), since we are homeschoolers we don't have to follow the "mold" do we? Just because in her video she has the reading in two days doesn't mean you have too. :) I plan on stretching it out over the week. It will make it much easier!

I always allowed the reading to be done over the entire week. When my older two were R/D I would just copy them a schedule and circle what I wanted them to read (and the SAP with the questions) and discuss on Friday, the only thing they did in addition were maps and writing.

[Hedgehogs4]

I have not really experienced the FOG either, but I think that is due in part to having some really good friends who are also doing TOG at the same time, and we have had VERY LONG discussions and decision-making sessions about what to do and what to leave out. We began planning early, and we got together every week in a co-op. It helped a lot.

[mom&nana]

True, however :), since we are homeschoolers we don't have to follow the "mold" do we? Just because in her video she has the reading in two days doesn't mean you have too. :) I plan on stretching it out over the week. It will make it much easier!

 

Yes, you are right. I guess it's just me. I can't get over the fact that I'm not doing it the way it was supposed to be done...lol. It's just my personality, and I am terrible at making decisions which is why TOG was such a struggle for me.

 

I hope it works out for you. :)

[Susie in MS]

Yes, you are right. I guess it's just me. I can't get over the fact that I'm not doing it the way it was supposed to be done...lol. It's just my personality, and I am terrible at making decisions which is why TOG was such a struggle for me.

 

I hope it works out for you. :)

 

No, it is not just you. I had it in my possession for 1 week and I found the same as you....too much on all accounts. I am usually able to tweak most anything to meet our needs, but this has been the main exception. I am not hard to please either. I usually love most anything we use, so I am not picky.

[mom&nana]

Thanks Susie, glad to know I'm not alone. I feel the same way. I tweak everything we have ever used, but I just didn't see how I could make TOG work for us.

[Annabel Lee]

Huh, maybe I got the wrong impression or maybe TOG has changed their online samples to more accurately represent what you get when you buy it. I looked at it a few years back, and remember it being scheduled out like WP.

[Mom0012]

Huh, maybe I got the wrong impression or maybe TOG has changed their online samples to more accurately represent what you get when you buy it. I looked at it a few years back, and remember it being scheduled out like WP.

 

:iagree: They used to have samples that had everything all scheduled on a daily basis, kind of like SL's IG. I remember someone who bought TOG DE (nonreturnable) and was upset because she thought that was how the whole program was laid out. She didn't realize she would have to come up with that schedule herself and that the sample was only giving you an idea of what your week could look like.

 

Lisa

Edited April 2, 2012 by LisaTheresa

[TracyP]

I don't know if this is what you guys are remembering, but TOG does have a sample schedule for the 3 week sample. I think it has caused some confusion in the past, but I don't know if that was ever a part of the sample weeks.

[shanvan]

I don't know if this is what you guys are remembering, but TOG does have a sample schedule for the 3 week sample. I think it has caused some confusion in the past, but I don't know if that was ever a part of the sample weeks.

 

Exactly what I was thinking. Both the sample schedule and the exact pages of the 3 week sample are on the site, if I remember correctly. But, the sample schedule is just to give you an idea of how you *could* organize your week.

 

I have never approached TOG with the idea of following exactly how it is *supposed* to be done, but maybe that is because I planned everything myself before. We use it the way I see fit. My dc's reading is not regulated to specific days b/c our days depend on what is happening in real life. I have no idea how long it takes, or when Ds & Dd get their reading done, I just know it's done in time for discussions. I've never worried that they have to be done all reading before mapping, but most of the time they are finished.

[AngelBee]

Yes, you are right. I guess it's just me. I can't get over the fact that I'm not doing it the way it was supposed to be done...lol. It's just my personality, and I am terrible at making decisions which is why TOG was such a struggle for me.

 

I hope it works out for you. :)

 

What has helped me with this is that I start with second spread.....so learning objectives, people to know, vocab, geography, activities, etc......and look that over well.

 

Then I go thru our homeschool room and grab what things could work for that unit. I search Discovery Streaming, Brainpop, and youtube. Maybe Netflix.

 

After that I see what TOG suggested books we can still fit in. :)

 

Kind of makes it more of a unit study then a fully outlined curriculum.

 

I read teacher notes and listen to PopQuiz. :)

 

That releases a look of guilt about not having a certain book or not getting it all done.

 

Easier to see the things I can pick and choose from when I look at the options withou looking at booklist.

 

Hope that makes sense! :lol:

[NancyNellen]

True, however :), since we are homeschoolers we don't have to follow the "mold" do we? Just because in her video she has the reading in two days doesn't mean you have too. :) I plan on stretching it out over the week. It will make it much easier!

 

The reason that Marcia does it this way is because kids at the higher levels (D & R) will need time to complete all of the accountability and thinking questions. My children really appreciate having at least one, usually two, days to work on the questions. The thinking questions, especially, require the student to synthesize all of the reading, and come up with an opinion of judgment, which means the reading needs to be completed ahead of time.

 

Of course, if your students aren't going to be assigned the A & T questions, then it doesn't matter :001_smile:

[5wolfcubs]

I realized that some people were actually having their students doing reading over the weekend to be ready to do the discussions at the end of the week.

 

Just wanted to comment on this. This is my 2nd time using TOG 1, and this time I have 2 at the R level. Between history, literature, geography, philosophy, and government (and for 1 dd, art history) -- TOG takes all 7 days of the week. Granted to earn credit for most of the subjects, we've added to TOG (Ancient Greek Philosophy from the Teaching Company, Hillsdale College's Constitution course, etc).

 

I do have a lot of interaction w/ the older ones...for example, I'm reading The Aeneid aloud. I realized that was the only way *I* was going to understand it! And I love it (never read it before!) but it sure is time consuming...