THE HOGGATTEER REVOLUTION
  • Homeroom
  • Orientation
    • Class Handbook
    • Family Involvement
    • Meet the Teacher
    • Place in the World
    • Teachers: File Cabinet
  • Positivity
    • Insightful Poetry
    • Inspirational Prose
    • Meaningful Quotes
    • Positive Behavior Conversations
    • Scripture Studies
  • Exploration
    • Celebrate Good Times (Come On)
    • Cerebral Cinema >
      • Hoggatt-Made Videos
      • Mood Music
      • Music Appreciation
      • Positive Behavior Conversations
    • Coursework >
      • Cultivating America
      • Focus on Science
      • Let's Communicate
      • M4+HEM4+1C5
      • Missouri, USA
      • Recess Bell
      • Scripture Studies

Trees 'R' Us

3/31/2021

0 Comments

 
Fourth graders received sycamore seedlings, yesterday, from the Missouri Department of Conservation.  The trees are in celebration of Arbor Day (still a month away), and have accompanying literature to explain the best planting practices, as well as the benefits to living amongst trees (besides getting to meet Ewoks).

One student gleefully announced, "I never thought I would be getting a tree at school!"
0 Comments

Third Quarter Honor Roll

3/30/2021

0 Comments

 
To have 13 on the list is always impressive.
Picture
​This time around, seven of students have straight A's,
and the rest have a combination of A's and B's (or all B's).
ALEAH
LANNIE
MYRA
ALICE
PRESTON
DOMINICK
KALLI
HANNAH
PARKER
BROOKLYN
OLIVIA
SHAY
LAYTON
0 Comments

Professional Pet Peeve:  Stop Counting Down

3/29/2021

0 Comments

 
Principal Bozarth just sent this message to the staff:
​I also have reflected on the way that many of us approach the end of the school year.  We have all been guilty of counting down the days to summer break as we eagerly look forward to summer vacations, warmer weather, and extra time off.  My challenge to all of us this year is to remember how much we missed our kids this time last year.  Let's not think of these last 44 days as some finish line or light at the end of the tunnel, but rather as 44 opportunities to love & teach our kids.  Let's finish well together, and embrace whatever changes may come with optimism & hope!

​That positive message reminded me of something I wrote a few years ago as a Professional Pet Peeve:

Picture
Teacher friends, the sooner you start counting down to the end of the school year, the longer it will seem to take.

Sometimes we make things harder for ourselves, resulting in our own frustration, than we should.  And it's really not that hard to figure things out.

We find ourselves in the lame-duck days of our year - those last weeks when mandating tests are complete and the last day of school is still ahead of us.  Now is the time to experiment with your dream lessons and test new methods.  Now is the time to step out of the comfort zone a bit more than usual.  But it is not the time to relax your expectations and stop teaching.

As much as you anticipate the end of another year, please don't make it public.  Not only will you make this period seem longer for yourself, but you will send the wrong message to your students.  It may be a perceived message, but it is a message, nevertheless.

  • They will notice that you can't wait to get rid of them.
  • They will see that you have nothing else to give them.
  • They will anticipate the end, and make allowances to endure it just as much as you are.

I have a dream that one day I will come to class and people will surprise me with the news that it is the last day of school.  I don't want to see it coming.

I would rather my students leave me with a different message:

  • Education is important.  We're not finished.  I want to teach and interact with my students right up to the very end.  I shouldn't waste a moment.
  • Time is valuable.  I'm not just babysitting here.  School is not just a place where kids come to get out of their parents' hair.  I need to do more for students than just give free time and fun activities.
  • I will miss my Hoggatteers.  I may not see some of them again in my lifetime, so my parting message is important.  I need to make my last words important ones.

When we analyze even the most innocent of our actions and habits, we may find that we do more harm than good. That's why we need to analyze what we do.  That's how we develop more sophisticated philosophies, and it's how we can answer more fully when challenged.  It is important that we consider adult behaviors in our school, and not only student behaviors.

Leave the countdowns for the Christmas calendar - not the end of the school year.  Even then, don't start more than 10 days ahead of the event.  If you start too early, you're just fertilizing anxiety and distracting your students.

0 Comments

Music Appreciation:  Farther We Go

3/28/2021

0 Comments

 
Students are often called upon to read "chorally".
That is, they read together simultaneously 
as a group.

Repeating this practice assists young readers
with reading fluency -
the speed, accuracy, and inflection 
of oral reading.

Why not, since it's called "choral" reading anyway,
​actually read the chorus of a song?
0 Comments

Death Crawl

3/27/2021

3 Comments

 
Here is a lesson about goals and grit.
Take a moment to watch this video:
Now for some questions:
  • Is the coach overbearing in this video?  Do you think he went too far?
  • Which character represents you?
  • Does this short video inspire or encourage you?  Why?
  • What phrases does the coach repeat throughout the "crawl"?  Could these apply to other topics or subjects, as well?
  • What is the point of the blindfold?
  • How does the rest of the team change from the beginning to the end?
  • Could this scene have ended differently?
3 Comments

GWTI Application Review

3/26/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
I finished evaluating 11 applications for the summer's George Washington Teacher Institute at Mount Vernon in Virginia.  Last year I analyzed 14 for an institute that never happened due to a pandemic.  I was happy to do so.  What follows are my suggestions based on my observations.

​I first published these in January of 2020.

​As I think about the experience of evaluating these applications, I want to figure out what I learned from it.  I haven't always taken my own advice when applying for a teaching institute, but it helps to think about it.  If you are an educator applying for acceptance to a scholarship to a location-based teacher institute, these hints may help you as well:

  1. ​Address the questions!  Make sure your thoughts stay on track.  Stay focused and don't try to embellish with side information that wasn't asked for.  Hopefully there will be an open-ended question asking if you have anything to add, but that isn't always the case.  If you really have something important that you haven't been asked, and you simply must include it, think about which question it fits best.
  2. Be forward-minded!  Keep in mind that the institute to which you are applying wants you to use what they offer you.  They want to know that the information will not stop with you, but that you will pass it on.  Of course, each institute is different:  some will want you to follow up by presenting your new-found knowledge to peers and educators outside your normal circle, while others will want you to contribute to the research or a publication for their organization.  Still others may ask you for a lesson plan before reimbursing your travel expenses.  That said, you will want to point to those items when answering questions, rather than simply talk about what you have done in the past.
  3. Include your students!  You are a teacher; the directors of the teacher institute know that, and they want to know that what they are doing - getting usable information and tools into your hands - will impact your classroom.  After all, that's your primary reason for applying in the first place, right?  It's not just so you can receive a free vacation.  Show how your current teaching practices are current and effective. 
  4. Get familiar with Historical Thinking!  Since these are history-based institutes, you need to do you homework and include Historical Thinking concepts in your answers.
  5. Give specifics!  Give specific answers with distinct examples to reinforce your responses.  If asked for a lesson idea, mention more than just the title.  Describe you project or lesson with excitement and details.
  6. Tell how the institute can help you!  Virtually everybody says the reason they want to attend a research is that "becoming more familiar will help me make connections for my students" and that "my excitement will be contagious and get students excited about history".  OK, so you want to make connections, but let's here it:  how are you going to make that happen?  Show the institute what you will do.  Show them you have a reason for attending.  Consider mentioning that you need help or that you are deficient in a specific area and that you are looking for the week at the teacher institute to fill that need.
  7. Be excited!  Did I mention excitement?  Let's see your energy.  Naturally, you don't want to go all Wheel of Fortune on your application, but you absolutely must demonstrate that you want to attend.
  8. Agree to collaborate!  Not a team player?  Don't like working with small groups?  Then you probably don't need to apply.  In reality, I am an introvert.  I love to present in front of audiences, but I do as well in a small group or one-on-one.  In these last couple of years, I have attended teaching institutes at George Washington's Mount Vernon and at Fort Ticonderoga, and I have considered them as welcome challenges to get me out of my comfort zone (though I really dislike that term).  I've met people from across the country and broadened my understanding of human beings.  It is certainly a by-product of being in the presence of other people who share a passion for American history.
  9. Sell yourself with humility!  Yes, you have to sell yourself, but don't begin with, "I am an exceptional history teacher."  Let your answers lead people to see that about you without boldly stating it outright.  This is not an '80s Michael J. Fox movie where the bold and daring ladder climber gets the prize.  You sincerity is more important than you brilliance.  That said, you do need portray a degree of confidence and competence also.
  10. Be unique!  I can't talk about this enough.  I have always striven to be different, to set myself apart from the rest of the pack.  You can probably figure out how most people will answer, so why answer the same way.  Think of something unique, some unique set of words, to present in your answer.
  11. Proofread!  And proofread.  And proofread again.  There is really no excuse for numerous spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors on such an application.  If you are attempting to get a scholarship with travel and lodging provided, in addition to hours of professional and scholarly development, at least take the time to edit and revise a few times before you hit send.  Someone is investing one to two thousand dollars for you to attend; the least you could do is invest some time to do it right.

Remember that the application process is competitive, with only the top applicants being accepted every year.  If you're not accepted this time, try again next year, but don't just send the same answers. Study them.  Tweak them. Perhaps you'll make it on your second try, or your third try...

For more about my own experiences, point your browser to my Mount Vernon and Fort Ticonderoga pages,
or take a look at my aspirations to future institutions, as well.
0 Comments

Absorbing the Light

3/25/2021

0 Comments

 
My daughter and I took a quick stroll through the sculpture collection at Mercy Park when we had some time before her rehearsal for the next play at the Stained Glass Theatre.  I've wanted to visit the newest addition to Joplin's park system for some time.  I hope to visit again when the breeze is a little warmer, and explore a little more in the park.

​
I like the way the light interacts with the sculpture in this photo I snapped in Mercy Park, Monday evening. Looking to the sky, which had been overcast all day, I noticed some sunshine peeking through.  Lining up the shot with the light in the background, I think I captured the interplay quite well.

The girl in the sculpture now appears to be absorbing the light and lifting into the air.  There is an ethereal feeling to it.
Picture
0 Comments

Hoggatteer Art on Display

3/24/2021

1 Comment

 
If you make it to North Park Mall any time soon, be sure to check out the artwork on display from local elementary schools.  The first two pictured below are from current Hoggatteers, while the rest are from Hoggatteers who have passed into the fifth grade ranks.
1 Comment

Donating Plasma - Another Adventure

3/23/2021

0 Comments

 
Yesterday's new adventure was a trip to the plasma donation center on 32nd street.  I've always heard about getting paid to donate plasma, but I've never tried it.  After researching about BioLife's process, I decided to make an appointment and try it out.

I found a coupon online that earns $500 for the first five donations before a certain date, which compelled me to try it now rather than later.
Picking up my book to read during the process, I took my required documentation (proof of address, social security number, photo ID) to BioLife and made myself ready for the process.
Picture
Picture
There is more involved in the first donation than usual - a physical, a review of medical history, and the filling our of a lengthy questionnaire on the computer.  In addition to a finger prick and a weigh in, the initial process took a couple of hours before I was ever shown to the process area.

Finally in the chair/bed, needle in arm, the process took about an hour - again, longer than normal, since they monitor first-timers for 15 minutes after the process.  I don't know how the process works, but during regular intervals, while the donor repeatedly flexes his hand, plasma is extracted from the blood.  In the alternating times, the donor relaxes the arm and blood cells are returned to the donor.  At the end of the session, fluids are automatically added into the body to rebuild blood volume.  It's not difficult, it doesn't hurt much, and people with deadly diseases are helped.

It's pretty simple, and I have already booked next appointment for later in the week (One may donate twice a week.).

Before you leave the facility, someone loads up some money on a debit card and sends you on your way.  I know my coupon is a pretty good one, but I will also earn a bonus after my eighth successful donation.  There is also a bonus if I refer someone to try the process for themselves (By the way, if you are at least 18, fulfill the requirements, and find yourself making a donation, tell them Mr. Hoggatt sent you!).
0 Comments

A Successful (and Adventurous) Journey

3/22/2021

0 Comments

 
A year ago, she could not walk. She would black out, tingle in the extremities, and completely collapse to the ground with no warning. She only moved with a walker and with someone supporting her with a gait belt.

But on Friday, my daughter and I tackled the most difficult ropes, bridges, and ziplines course at Fritz's Adventure in Branson, climbing some 50 feet to the top of the building and descending through a series of obstacles, drops, and precarious climbs.

I couldn't help but remember the journey she has been on for the last several months. With a lump rising in my throat and the sting of tears in my eyes, I thought about her personal climb and difficult return to confidence and success.

It is with great honor and a soft heart that we completed the course together, Friday afternoon. We know our young lady is resilient, powerful, and determined, but Friday lent a concrete illustration to that knowledge.
The whole family took a well-earned trip to Branson in anticipation of our son's performance at the state archery competition.  During the day before, we were able to take in the ropes courses and other climbing, tunneling, and sliding adventures at the 80,000 square-foot facility.

First up was the four-story Sky Trail ropes course.  The four us us harnessed up and hooked onto the course for tight ropes, swinging bridges, rolling logs, and more along the 20-minute adventure.  Afterward, the kids tunneled through a cement mixer to emerge through manholes, climbed through a water tower to slide back to ground level, weaseled through corkscrew climbing cages into storage containers, and meandered into a series of tree house mazes and obstacles.  My son even tackle a set of warped walls.
The laser room was an interesting addition to the facility.  In turn, we entered the room to avoid lasers with the goal of shutting down the system by pressing a set of buttons located around the perimeter of the room.

Then, after some ground training, my daughter and I attacked the TreeTops Course, quantified as "32 obstacles, including 11 ziplines and 2 death-defying free falls".  This hour-long hike to the literal ceiling and back was taxing on the mind and the muscles, but our successes made the journey worth our while.
0 Comments

Little Boxes

3/21/2021

0 Comments

 
I heard this song on the radio, last Sunday, on the only radio station that would play it in our area - Carthage's KDMO 93.5.  The only difference with the song on the radio was that it was the Pete Seeger version; here, I have posted a more modern version.

Sadly, Little Boxes describes how we have taught teachers to lead their classes for many, many years.  For many years, I have advocated for being different, but it doesn't matter:  while people like to tell us to think outside the box, what they really must mean is to make sure we teach every student using the same materials and the same methods.

How has that worked for us?
Here it is again:  there is no curricular answer to solve all of the issues in our public schools.  There is no computer program or online subscription (no matter how much it costs) that will inspire every student to learn and improve.  There is no teaching method (no matter how popular and no matter who promotes it) that will encourage every student to read, write, compute, and regurgitate information effectively.  Why is this, unfortunately, true?
Could it be that government's answer to education is pretty faceless?  Could it be that a teacher should know students before prescribing lessons?  Our children are not numbers in the State Identification System!  They cannot be "fixed" with a computer code or a patch.

What we have done for years - putting children in small groups, prescribing a program based on test performances, buying materials based on claims that they address the latest federal mandates, accepting shiny new programs because of a sales pitch - has not worked.  In our class, we do things differently.  We accept that every teacher has strengths and weaknesses, and yet we do not pigeonhole the teacher by making him teach with a script.  We accept that students need more than a cold academic approach to knowledge and skills, but that other areas provide the foundation and must be addressed first and often.

I hope students who have me for a teacher do not all turn out the same.  That is not my intention in teaching.  I do, however, hope they can function with other non-boxes in a coherent society.
0 Comments

It's That Time of the Year

3/20/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
How 'bout a long-awaited break?

Take all of next week off,


but don't forget what you've learned.

Come back rested
​
​and ready to improve!
0 Comments

James Madison's Personal Seal

3/19/2021

0 Comments

 
Behind the scenes at our fifth president's house, comes an interesting find - his personal seal being discussed on PBS's Antiques Roadshow.  James Madison, often attributed as the "Father of the Constitution", requested a modest wax seal after his service as president of the United States, and this looks to be that seal.  The monetary value, right or wrong, is none of my concern as much as the historical value as I imagine the contents and importance of any letters he may have sealed using this tool.
0 Comments

Mystery Circuits

3/18/2021

0 Comments

 
A little mystery brings life to a rainy March day.  I presented 12 boxes to the class, and challenged them to find which of the brass brads in the tops were secretly wired together on the inside.  Some boxes had one pair of complete circuits, while others had up to four; one "trick" box had no circuits at all.
0 Comments

String Theory

3/17/2021

0 Comments

 
Is this a great group of kids, or what?

These wonderful students are a part of the stringed instrument program at Cecil Floyd, beginning a journey of skill development that could follow them into middle school, high school, and beyond.

​The look like quite the sextet, don't they?

Picture
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Anthem

    The Hoggatteer Revolution
    is
    an extensive,
    award-winning, 
    inimitable,
    digital platform
    for Encouraging
    ​and Developing
    ​the Arts and Sciences

    in the beautiful, friendly

    LAND OF THE FREE
    AND THE HOME
    ​OF THE BRAVE
    This site is described as
    "a fantastic site... chockablock full of interesting ideas,
    hilarious ane
    cdotes,
    and useful resources."
    Picture
    Picture
    ...to like, bookmark, pin,
    ​tweet, and share

    about us...and check in regularly for updates, posted before DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT, daily!

    Picture

    History in Residence

    Elementary Schools:
    ​Bring Mr. Hoggatt
    into your classroom
    for a week
    of engaging
    ​
    and rigorous

    ​history programming
    ​with your students.

    ​LEARN MORE

    BUILDING BETTER
    Bible Classes

    Churches of Christ:
    Plan for weekend sessions to train the congregation to become more engaged
    ​ teachers and students.
    LEARN MORE

    Picture
    Picture

    Intercom

    GigSalad Member Since 2022
    Book Mr. Hoggatt Securely
    ​for Your Event
    ​at GigSalad.com.

    Picture
    Follow @DEdHoggatt

    Email Mr. Hoggatt
    Picture

    Trophy Case

    Picture
    Master Teacher, since 2021
    Picture
    Recruited Lincoln Presidential Foundation Curriculum Writer, 2022
    Picture
    Retiree, 32 years serving Joplin and Oklahoma City Schools, 2022
    Picture
    Selected Participant for 2020-2022
    Picture
    Selected Honoree/Celebrant, 2022
    Picture
    Outstanding Achievement, 2022
    Picture
    Ancestry Classroom Grant, 2018-2022
    Picture
    2021 Missouri History Teacher of the Year and National History Teacher of the Year Nominee
    Picture
    Recognized in Joplin Globe, February 2021
    Picture
    Teacher Institute Participant, 2019
    Picture
    Summer Residency Participant, 2018
    Picture
    "The Bus Stops Here" Grant, November 2018
    Picture
    Summer Residency, 2018
    Picture
    Recognized 2017
    Since 2017
    Picture
    MSTA Media Award, KOAM-TV's "Manners Matter", Featuring Our Class, May 2017
    Picture
    Third Place, 2016 Film Festival
    Picture
    Recognized 2016
    Picture
    Slide Certified, 2012
    Picture
    2009 Outstanding Class Website
    Picture
    2005 Nominee
    Picture
    2005 Joplin Teacher of the Year and Missouri Teacher of the Year nominee
    Picture
    2004 Recipient
    Picture
    2002 Excellent Education Program
    Picture
    2001 Nominee
    Picture
    1996 Outstanding Classroom Video
    Picture
    Grant Recipient, 1993

    Picture

    Fireside Chats

    Picture
    Choose Your Platform:
    Anchor
    ​Apple Podcasts (iTunes)
    Breaker
    Google Podcasts
    ​
    Overcast
    Pocket Casts
    RadioPublic
    Spotify
    Stitcher
    Picture

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

    Picture

    Checks & Balances

    Links to external sites
    on the internet are for convenience only.

    No endorsement or approval of any content, products, or services is intended.

    Opinions on sites are not necessarily shared
    by Mr. Hoggatt
    (In fact, sometimes
    Mr. Hoggatt doesn't agree with anyone.)
    Picture

    Lobbyist

The Hoggatteer Revolution

H

O

P

E

Picture