Blog Archives

Evidence!

9/15/2021

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Students might have been surprised to be tasked with investigating items collected in police evidence bags. Each group had unique items to evaluate and describe before creating their own stories to go along with them.

I have been emphasizing the concept of looking for details in all subjects, and this activity fell right into that concept. I encouraged them to look for marks, scratches, printing, etc. and try to include those details in their descriptions.

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Welcome

9/14/2021

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A hearty welcome is extended
to the newest member of the Hoggatteer family: LATRELL.
LATRELL is not a new student to Cecil Floyd, but has has just landed in our classroom.

LATRELL, our wish is for you to feel at home in our classroom,
to feel at ease with making mistakes,
and to desire to constantly improve on your abilities.

Our fourth grade classroom is happier with you in it.

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Music Appreciation: I Think I Love You

9/13/2021

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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?

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Book: The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA

9/12/2021

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Author Brenda Woods wrote a realistic story set in South Carolina in the years following the Second World War. Like many stories these days, The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA is about race relations. The difference here is that Woods sticks to the facts of history and doesn't try to infuse current political opinion into the story.

From Goodreads:

On Gabriel's twelfth birthday, he gets a new bike--and is so excited that he accidentally rides it right into the path of a car. Fortunately, a Black man named Meriwether pushes him out of the way just in time, and fixes his damaged bike. As a thank you, Gabriel gets him a job at his dad's auto shop. Gabriel's dad hires him with some hesitation, however, anticipating trouble with the other mechanic, who makes no secret of his racist opinions.

Gabriel and Meriwether become friends, and Gabriel learns that Meriwether drove a tank in the Army's all-Black 761st Tank Battalion in WWII. Meriwether is proud of his service, but has to keep it a secret because talking about it could be dangerous. Sadly, danger finds Meriwether, anyway, when his family receives a frightening threat. The South being the way it is, there's no guarantee that the police will help--and Gabriel doesn't know what will happen if Meriwether feels forced to take the law into his own hands.

I thought this was a decent story, but it promised a dramatic scene and the scene never happened. Truth be told, I was dreading a scene with some KKK movement, but the author must have decided not to involve the group. With that, I felt like the ending was uneventful, while also being convenient. This, and the fact that Gabriel never gets any followup or closure with the new crush he stole a picture of, is a little disappointing.

But I can also say that I appreciated the author's use of language and phraseology. She fully immersed the reader in the culture and period of the story. For that, she deserves high marks.

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September 11, Again

9/11/2021

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The events of the grievous terrorist attack on our nation in 2001 can be seen from many points of view. Five years ago, I wrote down some of the memories I still have of that infamous day. Those thoughts appear again, with minor edits, below.

2015

Last week brought another anniversary of the terror attacks in New York and DC, and the failed attack that took a plane down in Pennsylvania. As parents and teachers, the protective caregivers of precious youths, days like September 11, 2001 really stick out as important, infamous days. We often find ourselves distraught with everyday obstacles in our lives, but on this day our thoughts were spent on other things.

We worried about our children, their emotional state, and their exposure to life that often crumbles around us.

We worried about our civilization, being reminded of the fragile world. We were introduced to the idea that even our military had been struck, and our great nation could fall given the circumstances.

We worried about our faith in humanity, our faith in ourselves, and our faith (or lack of faith) in a Deity.

We worried about our lifestyles, realizing that our fuel supply might have been in danger and our monetary system could be disrupted.

So many questions surrounded that day, and too many of them remain unanswered.

All we can do, as teachers and parents, is raise our children, positively affect our children, and love our children with all of our hearts. We are preparing them not only for tackling district and state tests, but for their futures in an uncertain world. Is is possible that we don't know what the world will look like in 10 or 20 years? Absolutely. We, and our children, must be prepared to be smart in the face of uncertain times.

That does not mean we will live in fear! Preparation is our defense against such. Improving ourselves and learning more about the world we've been given is all too important to leave it to chance. That's one reason I do the things I do. It's why I am the person I am. It gives me purpose.

How about you? Are you contributing to the futures of your children and grandchildren? If not, why not? It's not too late to start. That's the great thing about life - that we can start over any time we choose. It may not be easy, but it can be done.

2020

Last year, my friend Colonel Lane gave us a run-down of the day (September 11, 2001) he briefed President Bush concerning our military capabilities and the availability of materiel support, along with a time table for the delivery of such. I didn't catch the first part of his presentation, but I did record most of it. The video is still available at this link:

September 11: Now and Then

Students listened intently to Colonel Lane's account of the day, as well as his experiences in operations in Desert Shield and Desert Storm during the Gulf War. Principal Bozarth and Assistant Principal Garrett joined us for this virtual guest speaker, and they remained after the connection to continue the conversation with students.

One of the things we discussed was those moments we live through in history - those times when we remember where we were and exactly what we were doing when we heard about them. For me, that starts with the first moon landing, and continues with hearing about Elvis Presley's death, President Ronald Reagan being shot, the Challenger space shuttle explosion, the Oklahoma City Bombing, the Joplin tornado, and of course, the terrorist attack on our country on September 11, 2001.

2021

This year, the anniversary arrives on a weekend. I'm hoping students will still seek information about events such as this one. Our government depends upon the continuing citizenship of our population. Our nation depends on having an informed electorate. Our future depends on coherent families who educate their children about the past.

Already, we see history repeat in many areas of our lives. Our failure to learn from the mistakes of the past will consign us to making the same weak decisions others made. I prefer to believe we may still choose to make progress, that we can still move this nation forward, and that our lives always have room for improvement. Primary sources of information and oral history coming from people who experienced it are invaluable to our mission.

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Infographic: Ultimate Guide to Good Posture

9/10/2021

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Not only is good posture an important, but this infographic helps you understand
why it's good and how to keep it.

Find More at the Greatist Fitness Blog

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These Are the Times...

9/9/2021

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Thomas Paine wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls..." With his pen, Paine made his attempt to rally Patriots to the American cause - even during a time when it may have been unpopular, uncool, or unprofitable to do so. His words are a demonstration of choosing just the right words to boost the underdogs.

I suppose we could begin our own pamphlet, letter to the editor, or commentary in the same way. The 2020s a most certainly times that try men's souls. A disease is felling our friends. People are rioting in our cities. Elections are questionable. Inflation is more and more evident. These, too, are times that try the souls of our citizens.

Is there anything from which to learn about our current state of affairs? Has anything like this ever happened before? I suppose we could point to a variety of events that could inform our decisions for today - at least as far as our personal choices stand. We should look to times when the going got tough and realize that there has always been a bright light at the end of the tunnel.

Why do we sit back and let things happen to us, when we could just as well be that bright light to one another? Let's get out there - somehow - in the midst of a thunderous storm, and reach out to help the people around us retain their mental health.

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Nature Calls

9/8/2021

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We took to the big wilderness trail behind the school, last week, to notice some details in smaller areas marked by the teacher on the ground. As this year has proven, however, all does not go as planned. Shortly after the groups were placed and starting their task, the edge of a storm struck the forested trail with a sudden and steady burst of wind. The trees bent over our heads, with leaves loudly shushing together. Loose twigs and leaves pelted around us as we quickly abandoned the project and rushed to get back inside the school building.

One might see from the pictures that it was a bright day before the world caved in on us. We'll have to get back into the nature trail sometime soon - hopefully on a predictably clear day.

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Roaring River State Park: Fire Tower Trail

9/7/2021

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Finally. I found the last of the hiking trails at Roaring River State Park last Sunday. The Fire Tower Trail is the longest of the trails in the park, and to make it a loop, an added walk along the river adds another quarter mile to the trail's distance.

The trail is blazed in brown, and signage warns hikers of ticks, shifting rocks, and falling tree limbs. The grade is not too steep - certainly not as steep as the shortest trail in the collection - but the length of a consistent climb definitely gets the heart beating faster. I had to stop a few times to catch my breath.

I enjoyed my time on the Fire Tower trail, even though it was strenuous at times and bugs kept buzzing in my ears. I highly recommend insect repellent before taking any of the trails through the Ozarks, but I don't always take my own recommendation (and pay the price later).

The Fire Tower trail is aptly named for the tower that stands at about the halfway mark. The tower was built in the 1930s, but no longer peers above the canopy of the forest, so it an no longer be used effectively.

Evidence of lightning strikes illustrates the concern for fire safety in the region, but modern responses are different now than they were 90 years ago.

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Labor On!

9/6/2021

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It's Labor Day in the United States. We're out of school on this first Monday in September...but why? Many celebrate with cookouts and fishing trips, but what is this holiday about? What are we celebrating?

The video below specifically addresses the child labor issues, but other inequalities were also prevalent during the days before workers united to give a voice to the oppressed and help ensure that that voice was heard. It is an effort to protect the less fortunate from the strong arm of the owners and bosses in the working world.

While labor unions often also have their distasteful qualities, this aspect is the one we celebrate, ironically, by taking the day off.

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Back to School: Student Declarations

9/5/2021

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Many have asked about the papers that were hanging on our board at Open House (Not really: no one has asked about them at all, but that sounded like a pretty good opening sentence.). I had highlighted some of the sentences and phrases that were on each sheet that last year's students filled in.

The first section started with, Here are the things that make Mr. Hoggatt's class awesome. The highlighted responses for this section read as follows:

He is nice and relly cool

He is Always kind, Helpful, loving, and patience.

This class is very, very, very, different than others.

He teaches so much more than work sheets

He's smart, He teaches YOU History, and Hes funny, nice goofy, loves History, and Loves Math...

I hope you enjoy and love it because the classroom is amazing.

i have learnd a lot in 4th grade

In the second section, the prompt was, I think you will love Mr. Hoggatt as a teacher. Here is why." Responses follow:

he will help you, like you are one of a [kind]

He is strict

He doesn't teach like normal teachers, why is that you may wonder? Because he throws in fun activities and stories in the lessons, and we learn so much from him.

He is kind, loving, Hardworking, trustworthy, Funny, Brave, careing, patient, and a whole lot more but I would like you to find out the rest yourself.

Mr. hoggatt always says we are a family and familys always aren't the best or perfect but we try...

He believes in every single student that enters the classroom.

Mr. Hoggatt is very, very, special!

I think he is the best teacher in the world.

In history you guys do history activites

He makes every day fun and joyful.

You will love having Mr. Hoggat as your 4th grade teacher.

He's a good teacher, You'll love his Personality, He's funny, He's fun.

OK, so this group didn't always pick up on the best capitalization and punctuations skills, but they were still a loving and lovable class that showed lots of promise. I already miss them.

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Missouri History TOY: Gilder Lehrman

9/4/2021

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The news is out: the selections have been made for this year's 10 national finalists for the History Teacher of the Year. While I was not among the top ten, I remain impressed with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. I discovered the institute a couple of years ago and quickly signed up for my school to be an affiliate school. The Institute provides a free monthly offer of educational materials - books, posters, and other items - for any school that requests them, and I have been privileged to have received many such materials. Their materials, lesson plans, and curricula is based on primary documents and ideally not political agendas or bias.

My students soon learned of the National History Teacher of the Year award, also sponsored and overseen by Gilder Lehrman, and a couple of the students soon nominated me for the award. I applied at their request, and in July of this year, I was informed that I will receive an award as the Missouri History Teacher of the Year.

While the philanthropy of the institute and its efforts to spread the documented history of the American experience, the general public, and even educators, are unaware of its operations. Here is how the institute is introduced on their website's About page:

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History was founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, visionaries and lifelong supporters of American history education. The Institute is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to K–12 history education while also serving the general public. Its mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources.

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. Drawing on the 75,000 documents in the Gilder Lehrman Collection and an extensive network of eminent historians, the Institute provides teachers, students, and the general public with direct access to unique primary source materials.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is supported through the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Institute’s programs have been recognized by awards from the White House, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Organization of American Historians, and the Council of Independent Colleges.

I am very pleased to have been selected as this year's Missouri History Teacher of the Year, and I was honored to be considered for the national award, but there is a possibility of an ongoing relationship with Gilder Lehrman moving forward. I am in contact with the institute's curriculum and education leadership and hope to work with them in an expanded role in the near future.

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Let the Testing Begin

9/3/2021

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On Monday, we began a short burst of tests from the Northwest Evaluation Association (better known as NWEA). This battery of assessments will give us some baseline information about where our students are starting.

Get ready though, because our school district is returning to a schedule that includes even more assessments throughout the year. We tend to swing on a pendulum that empowers teachers at one end of the swing to a system that involves micromanagement on the other. We find ourselves on a trend that takes us away from the former and toward the latter.

While that is not beneficial for teachers like me who thrive on independence and creativity, others are driven by all the data they can collect. I have probably written too much about why I think this is a detriment to our system and how it strips a classroom of personality and joy when it taken to an extreme, so I hope our current trajectory slows to a stop before we find ourselves in the same position we were in a decade ago.

Parents should remember this: in my class, your child is not a number that can be adjusted with a computer program or with a scientific formula. Go back to some of my past articles, and you will quickly see that I understand that there are human beings sitting in the chairs in Room 404. A classroom should never be run like a factory assembly line, our products have hearts and emotions that should never be manipulated like machines, and you child is more than a test score to me.

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Give and Take

9/2/2021

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I am trying to get the point across to these fourth graders that there is an appropriate time to take attention and an appropriate times to give attention. The latter should exceed the former considerably.

In order to illustrate and practice the skills of giving and taking attention, we have played a couple of improvisation (acting) games in class. The first is probably the most basic of these games available. Called Zip Zap Zop, students stand in a circle and "pass" the attention among the group. General attention and direct eye contact are crucial to the exercise, and the game gets us more used to standing up straight and looking other people in the eyes.

A second game is quite a bit of fun. In a circle again, I repeatedly call out "Heads Down" and "Heads Up", and students follow that direction. When heads snap up, they are to look someone in the eye (a different person each time). If the other person is looking back at you in the eye, you have to sit down. The field dwindles until only one or two players remain standing.

Finally, we simply like to exercise a quiet focus and tune out the rest of the room - other students, noises, itches, and wiggles. Students, still in a circle, find a point on the opposing wall to focus on for a full minute. Without smiling, giggling, or wiggling, they have to ignore everything that happens around them or in their peripheral vision. They aren't supposed to scratch, lean, or smile. Afterward, we have had some quick discussions about what makes this so hard and how to do better the next time.

We will continue these games, and add others, as the year passes. This group is pretty wiggly and talkative right now; with some concentrated effort, I am hopeful we can do something about that and start seeing improvement on this front.

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Erudito Est Potentia

9/1/2021

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At the end of the day on Friday, we briefly considered the Latin phrase Erudito Est Potentia, which, as you know, means Imagine Your Potential.

I passed out some cord and three beads to each student, and these became bracelets. The plain white beads represented their potential, their futures. It represented what they could be, what they, with effort, could become. I told them they have tremendous potential to become something beautiful - a person people could respect, an amazing friend, a successful professional, etc.

And I left it at that.

It was time for recess, so we lined up and walked outside.

When I picked up my class after their 15-minute break, my students were astounded. Their beads had changed colors! They had become something different, something "beautiful".

"Of course," I told them. "I told you that you have potential!"

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