We generated some conversation with the first three rocks in our collection, yesterday. Students held and looked at our rocks, making observations about colors, shapes, textures, etc., and recording their observations in their composition books.
 Our first prewriting activity was in the form of a drawing activity. As I played saxophone music to celebrate Charlie Parker's birthday on Tuesday. As the music played, students were inspired to draw scenes and characters on paper.
Music has inspired people for eons. It persuades. Movie makers craft soundtracks to make scenes more dramatic or more comedic. And Hoggatteers listen to music to inspire their imaginations.
There is a wave of thought that we must do all we can to keep the self-esteem of children intact - to the point that we aren't being realistic with kids about their abilities. Why does every child on the Little League team now receive a trophy? They all ain't that good. You know who should get the trophy? The most valuable player. And when you child cries, "Why didn't I get trophy?" you should respond, "Because you aren't the MVP." Period. End of discussion.  Ron Clark is pretty blunt when he talks about entitlement. One may not expect that from a man who teaches in the inner city of Atlanta, but one thing Mr. Clark seems to understand is this: none of his students will ever move forward on his own if all he knows is how to put out his hand. He would rather his students learn and achieve on their own. And they work hard to do just that. Ironically, they get a lot of help from corporate and celebrity sponsors. I'm OK with that as long as they aren't just handing the cash over to the students, but invest in them wisely and encourage personal responsibility. Responsibility. That's that elusive quality that we say we want to encourage, but we act differently. In government schools, we are often relegated to giving away more than empowering. We provide breakfasts, lunches, and sometimes suppers. We provide before-school, after-school childcare. We hand out free food for the weekends and turkey dinners for the holidays. Not that some of those things aren't necessary - after all, we are a compassionate people - but perhaps we should rethink everything. Empowerment would indicate that I teach my students to fend for themselves - earn their income and improve their outcome - not that I hand them a solution. And when I say teach, I mean that they will not come by empowerment , in our society, by natural means. What has happened to America, and why isn't everyone inspired to run naturally? We are a nation built by people with a tremendous work ethic, people who weren't afraid of a challenge. Now, it seems Runners are becoming the rarity, and everyone feels they are owed something. And the sense of entitlement that is so commonplace in America starts with you. No one promised you that you will have the job you have forever. Sometimes being blunt, like in these quotes from Mr. Clark's book, Move Your Bus, is necessary to make a point. It does not indicate that we lack heart, love, or care for our students. It means that we strive to break cycles of poverty, social impotence, and chronic ambivalence for them instead. It's not that we don't want to give a fish to our needy patrons, but that teaching them how to fish will ultimately be more beneficial to them, even when we are gone from their presence.
We have the good fortune to have a class set of iPads at our disposal, and we take advantage of that good fortune daily. This week, students were introduced to some of the websites and apps we will utilize throughout the year. Some of these include Epic!, Front Row, Seesaw, Moby Max, Khan Academy, and Tween Tribune. While technology is not the end-all to our approaches, I have to recognize that with such exposure, my students be more prepared to face their futures.
 I gave my students white beads, Wednesday. Along with the beads, I introduced them to the phrase, Imagine Your Potential. I wanted them to think about the possibilities that will be available to them in the future. I want them to consider themselves ready for amazing things to happen in their lives. Little did they know, the beads changed color when struck by the ultraviolet light of the sun. As soon as they went outside the pigments in the beads activated, showing them that a plain white bead does not have to remain plain. The same is true of their own lives - especially when we consider the potential they have bottled up inside of them. As long as we were experimenting with our color-changing beads, why not answer the age-old question: did out solar viewing glasses really protect our eyes from UV light? I folded some of our viewing glasses in half, placed some beads between the two lenses, and taped the edges. If the UV light permeated the lenses, we would know that the glasses failed to protect our eyes from the rays of the sun during the solar eclipse earlier in the week. Happily, we discovered the beads remained lily white when we ripped the tape off of the glasses!  Returning to the classroom, we did some reading on our first Wonderopolis for the year: What Is the Difference Between a Solar and Lunar Eclipse? We discussed how to respond to the questions and got into a lot of reading strategies in this short reading and lesson. Hopefully, students realized that I did not simply give an assignment and have expectations of completion and correct answers, but that I provided them with steps and strategies to get the results they needed.
"I have never been lost,
but I will admit to being confused for several weeks." (Daniel Boone) We worked on some beginning-the-year concepts again, yesterday. Students were challenged to inflate these colorful windbags. Simple enough, right? Wrong. Some tried blowing directly into the tubes. Others held their tube open and ran back and forth across the classroom trying to fill their tubes with air. Finally, they discovered the tubes were open at the far end, as well. Still, they couldn't seem to effectively fill their windbags with air. Interestingly enough, I had to demonstrate how one of these long tubes can be filled with a single breath.
And lots of leadership skills came into play. First, I told them that they needed to step back from a problem before beginning to solve it. In other words, they needed to evaluate to see what the other end of a problem would look like. Until all the loose ends are tied up, a problem will never be solved correctly. If your effort is in vain, you might as well stop what you're doing. Second, it's important to step back and not take complete control for yourself. A real leader does not jump right in. Instead, the leader should try to figure out how to bring others with him/her. A real leader doesn't try to do all the work, but should delegate and foster teamwork instead. One of the secrets to inflating these windbags is to blow from about eight inches back - not directly into the tube. Finally, by blowing from eight inches back, one can put more air into the tube than just what is exhaled from the lungs. In fact, air from the surrounding area is also swept into the tube (much like leaves chase after a car when it zooms down the road). Air from the lungs plus surrounding air can fill most of the tube in one breath. A good leader brings others along for the ride. We will complete our beginning the year materials, today, but the concepts students are learning should last all year and for the rest of their lives. Character is important, and I don't want any of my students to miss out on the important core behaviors we've stressed in the first few days. A full moon in the middle of the day? And it was the dark side of the moon at that! Yesterday's solar eclipse provided us with a few seconds of amazement. Our viewing "glasses" were on the approved list, so we were able to slip out, five students at a time, to view the eclipse as it progressed. Today, we'll do a little follow-up to the viewing - which happens to work along with the beginning of the new school year.
Need information about the solar eclipse as seen in Joplin, Missouri? We're using timeanddate.com to for scheduling and info.
You will find important information about feeding, nesting, and other behaviors at this Audubon page.
Superintendent Moss stopped by our classroom for a short morning visit, yesterday. She was all smiles as she addressed students. "You're very lucky," she told them. "Do you know why you're very lucky?" "Because we have Mr. Hoggatt for our teacher!" came their answer. We are almost half-way through my Back-to-School routine. Some things have sparked a lot of discussion regarding the way we plan to treat one another. Most students are really starting to realize that this year is going to be different. I've seen some terrific moments of reaching out to others, during these first two days; I look forward to seeing many more. We are a family!
Who's ready for our first full week of this?
We are!  This has never happened. We went the entire first day of school with no classroom discussion of procedures. The first day was more for introductions and movement around the classroom. We got to learn about our new Hoggatteer family. With all the activity, I didn't get many photos. At left are two from our first Team Challenge.
On the second day, we will definitely get into the rules and expectations for a successful fourth grade year. I was happy to see at least 95% of my new students represented at Open House, Tuesday. We had the highest attendance for the fourth grade classes. That, friends, is always a good sign. Family involvement is always encouraged. Just as important to me were the visits from former students. One hailed from our 1996/7 fourth grade class. Two or three are currently students at Joplin High. Others were from the middle school and from our own fifth grade. The brief conversations I was able to have with them are priceless to me. 
For these and more, we are thankful May we fill the hungry
May we heal the injured May we comfort the cold May we regard the neglected May we inspire the complacent May we calm the distressed May we love the unloved May we teach May we learn May we thrive
Maybe we will never convince you that wisdom marinates. In a profession where every worker is on the same pay schedule, no matter how much extra work one person does or how far one person takes the organization, it's hard for a conscientious educator to find respect from the rookies.
Colleges graduate students who find themselves in charge of classrooms across the land...and for some reason, many of them feel like they have learned all about the education process. They throw around lots of lingo, but they often fail at the practical. They persist in trying to prove that they have retained all of their four-year education, in spite of what the veterans tell them. They reduce their students to zoo animals. Their job becomes pest control. In effort to please their supervisors, they fall for every new initiative, every new catch phrase, every new gimmick. But as Ron Clark explains in Move Your Bus, there are people around who might just be wiser. Odds are, they got into the biz for the same reasons as you, but they have seen the world (so to speak). They have many more experiences than you have. They probably have some wisdom that you, Rookie, do not have. You'll get there if you stick it out, but you're not there yet. Perhaps it is the tone in which the message is delivered. Sometimes the veterans are cranky. Cynical. Sarcastic. Sometimes we exaggerate. Sometimes our memories are embellished with time. And sometimes our passion is expressed differently than yours. We may not jump in with both feet every time an expert speaks to the faculty. We temper our solutions with reluctance and patience. We see things through a different lens. If you can crack that hard outer shell, you may find that we're not filled with eggy slime. We are filled with soft chocolate and gooey sweetness instead. CHOOSE ONE AND JUSTIFY YOUR ANSWER MATHEMATICALLY:
The mug shots...er...I mean...photo booth pictures here were taken
at the district's recent Teacher Orientation gathering. It's often the first thing a person will ask of a teacher. When does school start? Or maybe this: Are you ready for school to start? And the teacher on display will often roll her eyes. Or sigh. Or return a snide comment. It seems she doesn't want to go back to school any more than her students. She's dreading that first day. She's uncertain about the quality of life she will have when classes begin. But is that really the image that she wants to portray? Is she being aloof because she thinks it's a funny response, or does she really feel that way about her chosen career?  I wonder how a corporate secretary or assembly line worker would respond if, once a year, we asked him about his impending days. How would the clerk at the store or the janitor at the hospital answer the questions.
Actually, they would probably roll their eyes and sigh, as well. Maybe that's just human nature. Dreading the work. Feeling the impending burn. Being forced back into service for another nine months.
I think we might do well to rethink how we answer. Our constant response of, "Don't remind me," just doesn't cut it when we maintain that we are teachers because we want to make a difference. Well, do we or don't we? You just can't sigh about it and still be passionate about it. I wonder why we don't anticipate August in much the same way as so many anticipate baseball season or football season. If we feel like we have one of the most important jobs in the world, why do we play it down so much when somebody asks if we want to do it? That's clearly the wrong message to put out there. We don't accept such from our students, so why do we accept it from ourselves? We don't have to demand respect from the general public, but we would garner a fairer amount of it if we humbly and cheerfully anticipated getting to do it for another year. It's time to rethink our response to Are you ready?
This puts things into perspective. It is my annual display of annuals, my yearly display of yearbooks. From my first year (1990/1) to last year (2016/7), I now have a complete collection of 27 of these precious mementos. Really! Twenty-seven years.
This is more than a pile of pages, a plethora of pictures, a menagerie of moments. These are the last 27 years of my life - a big chuck of them anyway, 27 years of connections with other human beings, 27 years of entertaining and teaching, laughing and crying, 27 years of living. This, the 28th year of this great experiment, and I continue to tweak and tighten my teaching. Those in the know have long realized that a teacher never "arrives", that we never experience mastery in this profession. I suppose that's because there is certainly a human factor to our job. We don't assemble our products on the conveyor in a standardized line. Here are some observations:
On and on we could go, filling the pages of a book with thoughts concerning our students. At this time of the year, I tend to have double vision: I look back to almost three decades of elementary students, and I look forward to the next one. We're all a little apprehensive. Nervous. Anxious. We're all a little frightened about what lies ahead - but all we need to know is this:
Are you ready?
In my own book, There's No Busyness Like School Busyness, I give a few examples of the greeting. It is a pivotal part of my day - greeting students - not only because it allows them to practice their eye contact and firm handshake, but also because of the one-on-one connection it affords each of us. I make an effort to call students by their names in a positive greeting every morning, knowing that for some their names are only used, along with their middle names, when they are in trouble. Using their names in a positive manner each morning helps unravel some potentially negative feelings they may have about themselves. Sit with the Runners When you have assigned seats, this one can be tough. I know because I sit in the teachers lounge to eat my own lunch. It's a very small room - not one that allows a person to distance himself from negativity - but I feel like eating with my peers is a professional thing to do. As a new teacher - even before that - I was always told to avoid the lounge. My college professors seemed to know the lounge as a den of whining and complaining, and they were right. We learners, however, must learn how to face the negativity and perhaps even turn it. When you are a fourth grader, this may require some intervention in the form of a cafeteria supervisor or a classroom teacher, but together, perhaps the positives can influence the negatives rather than the other way around. Change the conversation to change the culture In general, Mr. Clark is right. I want to sit with the winners, too, but if I segregate myself and make no effort to change the conversation of negative people, have I been a part of the solution, or have I only contributed to the problem. If we want a positive culture, we have to actively participate in positively influencing the people around us. Ask for help It can be hard to ask for help. I never enjoyed admitting my shortcomings. I know what it's like feeling as if I am the only person in the room who does not understand something. Perhaps my mind wandered during the instructions or perhaps I just haven't wrapped my mind around a concept. In my high school algebra course, for example, I missed a few days of instruction due to band and speech competitions. Upon returning I was entirely lost and could not seem to catch up for the rest of the year. But as much as I didn't like the feelings that brought, I still did not want to admit I didn't understand. I still have problems with this - a matter of pride, I suppose - but I keep reminding myself that if I ever want to progress, I must admit when I do not understand and when I need someone else's help. My peers and supervisors are great resources for helping me get through my problems. Naturally, if I can get fourth graders to understand that, as well, I can also bring them forward. Of course, that means I also must - Accept criticism Speaking of speech contests, that is the point in my life when I learned that criticism is not all negative. In fact, when the performer deals with criticism well, sorting through anything that might be insulting and getting to the constructive portions, said performer will improve. I've come to understand that even the harshest critics have something to say. Just because they are yelling or calling me names does not necessarily indicate that I should stop listening to them. Just because they lack the tact and respect does not mean there is no validity to at least part of what they tell me. I've received some very tough criticism from certain people. In retrospect, some of that criticism served as a kick in the pants to jump start a new chapter of my career. Sometimes a kick in the pants is exactly what the doctor ordered - even if it is unpleasant at the time. Now, I just need to recognize the value earlier in the process - maybe I would enjoy the ride a little more if I realized I was on it in the first place. Listen more than you talk There's the eye contact thing again. Call if active listening if you must, but a learner's eye contact is the window to his learning. The eyes give away the true object of your attention. If you are not focused on the speaker, you will not reap the full benefits of his or her wisdom. We call it tracking the speaker, and it is an important and impressive skill for nine and ten year olds to develop. It's cool to see it working in class, but even cooler to see it outside of the classroom. I, too, must continue to work on this skill. Eye contact is difficult in one-on-one situations, as well. Stay in your lane OK, Mr. Clark, you caught me with this one. In my efforts to keep the entire school on track, there have been times when I failed to stay in my lane. But in my defense, I don't think this lane-staying is necessarily true. If I don't wish to see my friends fail, isn't it my responsibility to help out from time to time? I don't want to watch them step off of a cliff; shouldn't I put a sign up at the edge to warn them the drop is coming? At the same time, I understand what Mr. Clark has written here - that others also have to learn from their mistakes. If that's true, I have to be willing to let them make their own mistakes. I think his last line in the quote above is the qualifier here: There's a fine line... I just need to be more alert to the placement of that line, and then strive to not cross it. Find solutions I want my students to be creative problem solvers. I want them to look at situations from different points of views. I want them to critique others. I want them to find solutions in unlikely places. I want them to apply the skills they already have to new situations that arise. Then and only then will they contribute to society in general. Their success depends on how quickly they can think on their feet, how accurately they can identify a problem, and how precisely they solve it.
Mr. Clark covers a few other topics in this section of Move Your Bus, but these are the ones that stood out to me. Again, they are real and realistic, and they just make sense. I need to remain conscious of these important skills and ethics as I teach, and I must teach my students to do the same. CHOOSE ONE AND JUSTIFY YOUR ANSWER MATHEMATICALLY:
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