Elementary Teacher Hoffert Retiring After 44 Years
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Elementary Teacher Hoffert Retiring After 44 Years
By David [email protected]
Starting in 1965, he taught for four years at McKinley Elementary. He then moved to Madison Elementary, where he taught sixth grade for the next 40 years.
At the May 26 school board meeting, it was announced Hoffert was retiring at the end of the school year along with nine other teachers. Of the 10, Hoffert had the most years under his belt.[[In-content Ad]]"It was a bittersweet decision I had to make," said Hoffert during an interview Wednesday morning.
He found it difficult to isolate just one memorable moment during his long career.
"As far as teaching, it's often difficult to pinpoint one specific thing," he said. "I just really enjoy coming to school every day. To me, teaching is not a job, it's something I love to do."
Hoffert said he initially did not want to switch schools from McKinley to Madison. He really loved it at McKinley.
"They had a new reading program at Madison, and that's how I came here," he said.
Madison Principal Bill Farrar and the school superintendent asked Hoffert to move to Madison to teach the new reading program. Lee Harman was working at becoming a principal, so Harman's job at Madison became opened. Harman was assistant principal at Madison and Washington.
"That was a tough decision because I really enjoyed McKinley," Hoffert said of the change in schools.
When Eisenhower and Harrison elementaries opened up as new schools back in the 1990s, Hoffert could have moved to teach there. By that time, he had found his place. He said he likes the students, parents and community of Madison.
Hoffert also was very active with the students outside of the classroom during his nearly 4-1/2 decades of teaching. He coached girls for 16 years in basketball, kickball and track.
He coached boys basketball for 13 years, gymnastics team for 10 years with Penny Cook and Gary Mohler, 18 years of girls intramurals, 30 years of boys intramurals and went on the Chicago field trip with students for 37 years.
Hoffert and sixth-grade teacher Jerry Ryman coached boys basketball for 11 years together. In 1999, 2000 and 2001, the Madison teams won the city championship. In a five-year span, he said Madison lost only two or three games.
"We just had some really good athletes," Hoffert said.
He's been the safety patrol director at Madison for 40 years. It was another opportunity for Hoffert to be with his students outside the classroom. "I did not mind doing the safety patrol," he said.
For 35 years, Hoffert also directed students in a spring play. He rotated three plays, "The Tom Sawyer Musical," "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "The Ransom of Red Chief."
Initially, he said, he had some other plays he would do, but he found those three worked best. When Warsaw Community Schools closed Atwood, Claypool and Silver Lake schools, and the Atwood students joined Madison, the plays had to stop. The stage became a classroom.
As a teacher, Hoffert said he measures success by seeing students' progress. While the students may not have enjoyed writing themes, he said he enjoyed grading them because he could see his students' progress. Hoffert taught writing every year of his teaching career.
Around his classroom, Hoffert kept inspirational posters up. At the front of the classroom a poster read "No one rises to low expectations." Hoffert said he used that one to keep encouraging kids.
Another poster he used quite a bit read "Stand up for what is right even if you're standing alone."
Hoffert said he tried to encourage kids to focus on the positive. Everyone makes mistakes, even himself. As a reminder, another poster read "This is a positive thinking area."
Occasionally, Hoffert is asked why he kept teaching. "I think the kids have kept me young, mentally at least," he said. "That's true in my case."
Each class of students was different, he said. "You have to think of them as individuals, and I tried to think of them as individuals," he said. "I'll give them a pat on the back to encourage them, let them know I notice them."
Along with the students, Hoffert said he's enjoyed working with the staff at Madison. He's taught at Madison next to Ryman for 40 years. "That's a friendship," he said.
When Hoffert had a heart attack in 1991, Jerry and Cheryl Ryman visited him at the hospital in Warsaw and then in Fort Wayne every day. When Hoffert finally was able to go home, the Rymans either called him or visited him at his home.
His retirement doesn't mean Hoffert is going to stop noticing the kids. Along with spending time with his parents, Archie and Edith Hoffert, North Webster, he will be working with his wife, Karen, who teaches second grade at North Webster Elementary. Doug and Karen have been married 41 years.
Doug and Karen also have three children, Chad Hoffert, Jill Tretter and Colleen Kryder, and 10 grandchildren, that he will be spending time with when he can.
"They have jobs for me," he said.
"Being a Christian, I look forward to serving my Lord at Calvary Baptist Church in Oswego," Hoffert said.
He's also a member of Gideon Association. With Gideon, he's held church services at the Fort Wayne Rescue Mission monthly. He also has a church service at the Kosciusko County Jail.
He also operates a 300-acre farm with his family. Forty acres are his.
Hoffert enjoys reading and plans to catch up on some of the books he's bought. "I love history books," he said, as well as Christian novels.
But his greatest passion has been the classroom.
"I just have loved and still will love teaching," Hoffert said.
Starting in 1965, he taught for four years at McKinley Elementary. He then moved to Madison Elementary, where he taught sixth grade for the next 40 years.
At the May 26 school board meeting, it was announced Hoffert was retiring at the end of the school year along with nine other teachers. Of the 10, Hoffert had the most years under his belt.[[In-content Ad]]"It was a bittersweet decision I had to make," said Hoffert during an interview Wednesday morning.
He found it difficult to isolate just one memorable moment during his long career.
"As far as teaching, it's often difficult to pinpoint one specific thing," he said. "I just really enjoy coming to school every day. To me, teaching is not a job, it's something I love to do."
Hoffert said he initially did not want to switch schools from McKinley to Madison. He really loved it at McKinley.
"They had a new reading program at Madison, and that's how I came here," he said.
Madison Principal Bill Farrar and the school superintendent asked Hoffert to move to Madison to teach the new reading program. Lee Harman was working at becoming a principal, so Harman's job at Madison became opened. Harman was assistant principal at Madison and Washington.
"That was a tough decision because I really enjoyed McKinley," Hoffert said of the change in schools.
When Eisenhower and Harrison elementaries opened up as new schools back in the 1990s, Hoffert could have moved to teach there. By that time, he had found his place. He said he likes the students, parents and community of Madison.
Hoffert also was very active with the students outside of the classroom during his nearly 4-1/2 decades of teaching. He coached girls for 16 years in basketball, kickball and track.
He coached boys basketball for 13 years, gymnastics team for 10 years with Penny Cook and Gary Mohler, 18 years of girls intramurals, 30 years of boys intramurals and went on the Chicago field trip with students for 37 years.
Hoffert and sixth-grade teacher Jerry Ryman coached boys basketball for 11 years together. In 1999, 2000 and 2001, the Madison teams won the city championship. In a five-year span, he said Madison lost only two or three games.
"We just had some really good athletes," Hoffert said.
He's been the safety patrol director at Madison for 40 years. It was another opportunity for Hoffert to be with his students outside the classroom. "I did not mind doing the safety patrol," he said.
For 35 years, Hoffert also directed students in a spring play. He rotated three plays, "The Tom Sawyer Musical," "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "The Ransom of Red Chief."
Initially, he said, he had some other plays he would do, but he found those three worked best. When Warsaw Community Schools closed Atwood, Claypool and Silver Lake schools, and the Atwood students joined Madison, the plays had to stop. The stage became a classroom.
As a teacher, Hoffert said he measures success by seeing students' progress. While the students may not have enjoyed writing themes, he said he enjoyed grading them because he could see his students' progress. Hoffert taught writing every year of his teaching career.
Around his classroom, Hoffert kept inspirational posters up. At the front of the classroom a poster read "No one rises to low expectations." Hoffert said he used that one to keep encouraging kids.
Another poster he used quite a bit read "Stand up for what is right even if you're standing alone."
Hoffert said he tried to encourage kids to focus on the positive. Everyone makes mistakes, even himself. As a reminder, another poster read "This is a positive thinking area."
Occasionally, Hoffert is asked why he kept teaching. "I think the kids have kept me young, mentally at least," he said. "That's true in my case."
Each class of students was different, he said. "You have to think of them as individuals, and I tried to think of them as individuals," he said. "I'll give them a pat on the back to encourage them, let them know I notice them."
Along with the students, Hoffert said he's enjoyed working with the staff at Madison. He's taught at Madison next to Ryman for 40 years. "That's a friendship," he said.
When Hoffert had a heart attack in 1991, Jerry and Cheryl Ryman visited him at the hospital in Warsaw and then in Fort Wayne every day. When Hoffert finally was able to go home, the Rymans either called him or visited him at his home.
His retirement doesn't mean Hoffert is going to stop noticing the kids. Along with spending time with his parents, Archie and Edith Hoffert, North Webster, he will be working with his wife, Karen, who teaches second grade at North Webster Elementary. Doug and Karen have been married 41 years.
Doug and Karen also have three children, Chad Hoffert, Jill Tretter and Colleen Kryder, and 10 grandchildren, that he will be spending time with when he can.
"They have jobs for me," he said.
"Being a Christian, I look forward to serving my Lord at Calvary Baptist Church in Oswego," Hoffert said.
He's also a member of Gideon Association. With Gideon, he's held church services at the Fort Wayne Rescue Mission monthly. He also has a church service at the Kosciusko County Jail.
He also operates a 300-acre farm with his family. Forty acres are his.
Hoffert enjoys reading and plans to catch up on some of the books he's bought. "I love history books," he said, as well as Christian novels.
But his greatest passion has been the classroom.
"I just have loved and still will love teaching," Hoffert said.
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