The Hoggatteer Experience - THE HOGGATTEER REVOLUTION

Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?

9/30/2017

Every Monday, Hoggatteers set goals. As the teacher, I don't monitor those goals closely, but I want them to think, first thing in the week, about constant improvement.

Every Friday, we do a couple of things. First, I ask each students to write down the name of one of his/ her peers whom they see as a good citizen. I'm trying to get them to think of others - to recognize positive qualities in the people around them.

Next, I pull out my set of little buttons and ask students to acknowledge their peers for respect, responsibility, compassion, fairness, imagination, tolerance, cooperation, and honesty. I love the way Hoggatteers support each other.

Too often we go through life in our own "bubbles", not paying attention to our surroundings and not stopping to recognize goodness in others. These are just some of the ways I try to slow down my kids to make them see the trees for the forest.

ButterBike

9/29/2017

Sara Dykman, the "ButterBike Lady", is coming to Cecil Floyd. Sara bicycled the migratory route of the monarch butterflies, this year. She will present the multi-generational monarch migration to our student body on Monday, October 2, along with gardening encouragement to inspire butterfly-attractive gardens in our area.

Once again, we will try to seize the opportunity to conduct some research about Sara and her team before we attend the assembly...and if we get the chance to greet them with handshakes, we will do that, as well.

Finding Theme

9/28/2017

Students have learned how to find the theme of a reading passage. At first, I was guiding them through passages and helping them put their phrases together for the response sheet that I developed, but on Wednesday, they were on their own. They put some effort into it and are certainly steps ahead of where they were when we began the instruction.

Sketching Native America

9/27/2017

In an attempt to get to know some of the native tribes that inhabited our state, I introduced some portraits drawings of Native Americans who lived in our area. I want students to look for details and nuances that make each portrait come to life as they recreate the drawing with their own pencils. Here are a couple I have done in the past.

Looking for details takes some study. We noted the wrinkles and shading. We pondered the clothing and jewelry. We wondered about their personalities and their experiences in life. In short, we became more intimately connected with the people in the portraits.

It is especially interesting to see the progression of the work: how the lines blend and move across the page, how the strength of these characters are portrayed, now by a younger artist.

All in all, of course, these are pictures of pictures, drawings of drawings, but they are more than that: they are a study in character - something of a lesson for both history and the connection between these new works of art to the words of a story.

Thank You for Your Service

9/26/2017

Veterans. They are all around us. We just don't always see them.

Take two and a half minutes to watch this video:

Now for some questions:

Why did the veteran in this video feel neglected?
Are you ever so involved in your own interests that you forget to appreciate others?
Was this a safe encounter for the boy? What made it safe or unsafe?
Does a simple word of acknowledgment really make a difference? Explain.
How can you identify veterans in every day life?
What is appropriate to ask of a veteran? What is inappropriate?

Classroom Wall: Learning Is About Making Connections

9/25/2017

I had always expected my students to learn. I provided them with strategies to learn. However, I had not taught them what it meant to learn. I had been relying on an assumption that learning was what happened at school, and since we all knew that, there was no need to learn about learning itself. After all, we had all been learning our entire lives.

I have long understood that it is not prudent to assume. There's a crude joke about that; it holds some truth within it, but I won't be repeating it here. Assumptions are, for the most part, worthless. They are devoid of reality and full of gullibility. Regardless, we tend to do a lot of assuming.

We also eat junk food even though we know it's not good for us.

That said, assumptions about learning is probably not the reason our youth do not learn the material we present. A lack of understanding the meaning of learning is more likely the culprit. When students do not understand that learning is wrestling with material - that learning is a struggle with resistance from peers, that learning is never supposed to be easy - when students do not understand these, they tend to throw up the white flag way too early in the process.

In Steve Wyborney's book, The Writing on the Classroom Wall, he outlines this concept in the very first chapter - The Hole in Our Conversation and the Space on Our Wall.

Sometimes we find ideas that conflict with each other. Recognizing those conflicts is another way of making a connection. Not all connections fit together smoothly. Sometimes the connections don't seem to make sense.

These connections - with other material, with other subjects, with prior experiences, with prior knowledge - are crucial to moving forward and getting past the blockage. Wyborney explains:

When we struggle to make connections that do not seem to make sense, we are on the brink of powerful learning. Those moments of dissonance are especially important because they call us to deeper questions and stronger learning. So instead of rejecting connections that don't seem to make sense, let's prize those connections.

Mr. Wyborney also touches on something that is very important:

I learned that there is great power in letting opportunities linger. Allowing opportunities to linger invites wonder and insight.

This is wisdom. We used to talk so much about wait time after asking a question. It was hammered into my teaching early on, and it remains a hallmark in my classroom. I will wait before calling on a student or asking the whole group to answer.

But Wyborney is not talking about the wait time that follows a question to the student body. He's talking about leaving a concept posted for days or weeks in order to let it sink in - in order for students to continue to apply it to their problem-solving and to make connections with so many other things. Those connections tend to be little self discoveries - the magical nuances of deeper learning. As a teacher, it is not always to their benefit for me to provide all of the resources and guidance that students need. This year, I have even told students that not only will I not provide them with the answer, but that I may not always provide the question either.

I believe the students also sensed that, while I was going to point out some examples of connections, I wasn't going to make all of the connections for them. Learning is not solely about discovering connections other people have made. It is much more than that. It is about reaching for and establishing you own connections.

Dear fellow educators, it's not my job to make the school day easy for my children, but that I provide them with opportunities to struggle and wrestle with one another and with their materials, and with their own minds. In doing so, students may experience more positive growing pains. It means more to them if they find their own connections.

I Fought for You

9/24/2017

Our military veterans are often neglected and unappreciated. Sometimes we don't think much about it, but we can change their lives by showing them some consideration.

Take four and a half minutes to watch this video.

I Fought For You from Andrew Manzano on Vimeo.

Now for some questions:

At the beginning, why is the older gentleman in the car upset?
What difference does it make whether you show appreciation or not to someone?
What kinds of things keep us from showing our appreciation?
We probably wouldn't literally salute our veterans; what are other ways we could express our appreciation?
Have you ever felt like someone should thank you for something that they didn't?
What are some reasons for appreciating our military veterans?

Reading to the Wall

9/23/2017

I love this sound. Twenty students. All reading orally. Books of their choice. Simultaneously. The room is abuzz with fluency practice.

We did this for 15 minutes on Friday, followed by time for protected silent reading, during which students were encouraged to continue reading or reread the same books. I also love this sound, too!

Throughout the year we will work on building stamina in our reading, extending the times for each of these activities. I want my students to have the ability to focus for longer and longer periods of time on reading for their own enjoyment.

Watch the short videos here to see both steps to this "activity".

Reading to the Wall

Protected Silent Reading

The Writing on the Classroom Wall: Introduction

9/22/2017

I've just picked up Steve Wyborney's book, The Writing on the Classroom Wall. Wyborney believes in posting his educational beliefs on the walls of his classroom, making them visible for students to see.

In the introduction to the book, the author touches on the subject of risk-taking - not only of the need to teach students to take risks, but to take risks as teachers. He uses the term risk forward to describe what teachers should do.

Along the way, Wyborney recognizes the difficulties.

My journey was not a rapid one, nor was it without its setbacks.

Some young teachers may think they have what it takes to master the profession. Spectators may see a person who is "good with children" or "energetic and creative" and think that person will automatically make an excellent teacher. Those of us with more experience - even those of us who have long been considered to be effective educators - know that even the most natural of teachers must go through a process of development.

Through my years as an educator, I've become passionate about seeking out powerful truths regarding students and classrooms. I now realize I will never complete my pursuit of learning. Like so many other educators around me, I have a passion to grow, to continue learning, and to constantly reflect.

It is constantly necessary to find and experiment with processes and strategies, postures and tones, color and light, to grow. No one comes into the education profession with every tool, inspired by some spirit, to solve every problem that arises...and no one enters the classroom with a completely intact educational philosophy.

I can point to specific points along my 28-year path that might be classified as forehead-slapping moments. They are often moments when we realize that others have blazed similar trails or that others have made discoveries that can be very useful in our own world. With humility, we share the sentiment of Steve Wyborney in the introduction of his book.

Almost every time an epiphany strikes, I marvel at how I had ever missed the truth. Often, it is an idea...that has been repeatedly poured into my life or a truth that has been standing in front of me for years. Suddenly, what may have been a vague, peripheral concept is clear and obvious. I am not the originator of these ideas; I have merely recognized their validity and power and have been deeply impacted by them...

All the Way from Canada, Singapore, England, and California

9/21/2017

The Verona Quartet consists of players from each of the locations in the headline above.

We didn't get to greet the members of the quartet the way we would have preferred, yesterday. While TAYLOR was chosen for a short exercise, none of my other students were chosen to ask questions, either. I was sorry to not have the opportunities to practice the skills we had prepared, but with such a large crowd of students (with fifth graders from our school, as well as Columbia, Jefferson, and West Central), it would have been difficult for the artists to know who to call on.

At the same time, however, we were treated to 30 minutes of world-class classical chamber music. The very short video clips below will give you some idea of the quality of these performers.

Rehabilitation: Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

9/20/2017

You have been given an assignment by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Someone recently brought in one of these animals:

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

The animal has been injured and will not survive in the wild until you have worked to rehabilitate it.

What skills must the animal demonstrate before you reintroduce it to the wild?
What must you teach it to do for itself?
Where will you release it once it is ready?

Photo by MDC Staff

You will find important information about feeding, nesting, and other behaviors at this Audubon page.

Pro Musica: The Verona Quartet

9/19/2017

On Wednesday, students will have the privilege to view a world-class string quartet right here in our own auditorium. Pro Musica of Joplin extends this opportunity to our students every year with a different group. Says the artists' website:

Hailed by The New York Times as an “outstanding ensemble of young musicians”, the Verona Quartet is a winner of the 2015 Concert Artists Guild Competition, and in just three years, has earned a stellar reputation for delivering a “sensational, powerhouse performance” (Classical Voice America) every time they take the stage. Musical America recently selected the group as “New Artists of the Month” for May 2016, further setting the Verona Quartet apart as one of the most compelling young quartets in chamber music.

We will use some class time to research the members of this group and learn more about their musical preferences before we attend their presentation. This will certainly foster an appreciation for the talent when we see them in person. Additionally, we may have an opportunity to greet the artists with handshakes and share our appreciation directly with them.

Whenever the real world enters our school, I want my students to encounter it with all the authenticity we can.

Book: Webster

9/18/2017

I finished this book before school began, this year, but failed to make a post about it. This is the last of twelve nominees for this year's Mark Twain Award (Missouri's annual state award for middle grade literature) that I needed to read. All in all, this year's list resulted in some great stories.

I can also appreciate a good story where the animal characters talk to one another, but this one did not appeal to me. Webster not only talks to his new acquaintances at a plush, country "no-kill" kennel, but he also talks to beavers and an owl. Still, that's fine when well executed, but these animals also break out of their cages every night to watch movies with each other, and they seem to know human things that they probably would never have been exposed to. It's almost as if author Ellen Emerson White was forcing facts and details and information into the story for the sake of a punch line (at times) and for the sake of continuity (in other times). Additionally, events and adventures arise for this stray, "bad" dog that are just a little too convenient.

Read this one for yourself, and see if this Tale of an Outlaw is worthy of the Mark Twain Award.

From the author's website:

A cynical shelter dog learns to let down his guard and form a new animal family in this heartwarming and humorous friendship story for middle grade readers, or anyone who loves rescue dogs!

Webster is too cool to be scared. Or alarmed. Or even a tiny bit nervous. So what if no one will adopt him? He’s had it with people anyway. He’s going to be a loner. Not going to get too comfortable in this new shelter, even if the home-baked treats are good. Not going to get used to the nice soft bed. Not going to make friends, no matter how much he kind of likes Jack the Terrier and even Florence the bossy cat. Nope, he doesn’t need friends. Acquaintances are just fine. And the first chance he gets, he’s hitting the road and living life on the range, just like one of the stoic cowboys he’s decided to model himself after.

But sometimes the best-laid plans (even those of a dog’s) have a way of backfiring. Will a tough pup like Webster find a home and family after all?

Professional Pet Peeve: Stop Settling for Jeans Day

9/17/2017

It's the little things that count.

So they say.

But teachers often sell themselves short. Maybe it's humility, but I hear a lot of "I'm just a teacher..."

Just a teacher? Just a human being with the responsibility of educating tomorrow's leaders? Just?

Maybe that's why we often settle for Jeans Day as if it's a big prize to wear denim on Friday. Really, it's not more comfortable than the slacks I wear on other days. I like small gestures of appreciation, but Jeans Day is just about as small as they get. I'm afraid that they are onto us, dear teacher. They know that they can get us to jump through hoops for their permission to wear blue jeans...and it doesn't cost a thing. Even a seal gets a fish for balancing a ball on his nose; all we get it permission to wear a different pair of our own pants. I wonder if we cheapen our own value when we give this "reward" such credibility.

I like to wear jeans, but it's also no big deal to dress professionally. There is something to be said for presenting ourselves professionally to the public and the community. A proper professional appearance can garner respect and appreciation. Those who wish to be respected as professionals and experts should dress the part.

At the same time, I have to believe that there are times when we should dress for the occasion. When we are trekking through a muddy, wet cavern or doing a project with finger paint, we should be given the leeway to wear clothes that fit the activity.

Dress codes for teachers are pretty simple. If we didn't push the limits like teenagers, we'd probably be given more freedom to choose our wardrobes.

Happy Birthday, J.C. Penney

9/16/2017

J. C. Penney was a successful retail businessman from Missouri. He founded the J. C. Penney Company, a nationwide chain of stores that sells a wide variety of products. Penney strongly believed that stores should be run with honesty and a deep respect for the customer.

September 16, 1865, was the day of James Cash Penney's birthday, and yes, he was the man responsible for that store in the mall. Commemorate his birthday, today, by learning a bit about the man behind the store.

Golden Rule

In 1898, Penney went to work for Thomas Callahan and Guy Johnson, who owned dry goods stores called Golden Rule stores in Colorado and Wyoming.

We often refer to something called the Golden Rule. It's the idea that we should treat one another in the manner we would like to be treated ourselves - not in reaction to the way they actually treat us, but in the way we wish to be treated.

I assume you would like to be treated with kindness, compassion, humility, and respect. Write about one time you treated someone with positivity. Did they treat you with positivity, as well? Why did you act in the way you did? Was it just so you would be "paid back" in the same manner, or was it for another reason?

Why do you think Callahan and Johnson called their stores Golden Rule Stores?

Do you think JCPenney Stores are different today than when their founder was alive?

While We're On the Subject

Learn more about the history
of general stores:

What Is a
General Store?

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