The Hoggatteer Experience is something out of the ordinary. Something mysterious. Something weird! It is unusual and unconventional. It's magical, joyful, and special. And it is a constant work in progress.
The Hoggatteer Experience is one that allows students to explore and discover. It gives students opportunities to wonder and pursue their passions. It provides students a framework of safety, compassion, and family.
I want my students to dream and to stretch forward into the sunshine of the 21st Century. While they need to know the basics (math, science, and communication), while we thrive on our successes in both academic and extracurricular areas, while we want and strive for great improvement in test scores, these are not the highest priorities I have for my students. Before any of those things come the ability to make friends, to treat others with respect, to do a little extra everyday, to reach out with a firm handshake and greet people with dignity, to impress a boss, to press on with a desire to improve.
We talk about these things every day, and when it works the other things - the curricular things - come along for the ride. The discipline, the manners, and rigorous instruction, coupled with safety and a lighthearted, yet engaging atmosphere make the Hoggatteer Experience unique.
I know it’s not always easy. To quote my Teaching Philosophy:
The Hoggatteer Experience is one that allows students to explore and discover. It gives students opportunities to wonder and pursue their passions. It provides students a framework of safety, compassion, and family.
I want my students to dream and to stretch forward into the sunshine of the 21st Century. While they need to know the basics (math, science, and communication), while we thrive on our successes in both academic and extracurricular areas, while we want and strive for great improvement in test scores, these are not the highest priorities I have for my students. Before any of those things come the ability to make friends, to treat others with respect, to do a little extra everyday, to reach out with a firm handshake and greet people with dignity, to impress a boss, to press on with a desire to improve.
We talk about these things every day, and when it works the other things - the curricular things - come along for the ride. The discipline, the manners, and rigorous instruction, coupled with safety and a lighthearted, yet engaging atmosphere make the Hoggatteer Experience unique.
I know it’s not always easy. To quote my Teaching Philosophy:
Life does not expose itself one isolated topic at a time, changing every 20 minutes and breaking on a regular schedule. Life is multi-dimensional, rocketing toward us at a million miles an hour, with remarkable passion and mystery. That’s why we shatter the traditional mold of school. We go outside; we use real tools; we surround ourselves with exciting, real-life scenarios.
My expectations are high, and I don't want to hear empty excuses for failure. I don’t want it to be easy; I want it to be real, relevant, and rich. It is the Hoggatteer Experience!
