Hawthorne Brook history teacher receives an honor
By Karen Mann Journal Correspondent

Hawthorne Brook Middle School teacher David Boggio was recognized by the Massachusetts Academy of Mathematics and Science for former student Michael Carkin, who nominated him for the award. Journal Photo/Karen Mann

Hawthorne Brook Middle School teacher David Boggio admits he pushes his students hard and sometimes is pragmatic.

“I don’t make everything fun all of the time,” said Boggio, an eighth grade history teacher.

Boggio’s ability to get his students to excel was recently acknowledged by one of his former students, Michael Carkin, who nominated him for an award by the Massachusetts Academy of Mathematics and Science. Boggio honored at a Teacher Appreciation Luncheon at the last month.

Carkin was a student of Boggio’s three years ago. Boggio described Carkin as an exceptional student, and allaround nice kid.

“It was a pleasant surprise to be nominated by him,” said Boggio. “You don’t think about stuff like that. I’m not in it for the popularity.”

Robert Salvatelli, the director of Mass Academy, said every 11th grader is asked to choose a teacher who has had a terrific influence in his/her life.

“The idea of the activity is to identify an outstanding teacher in their life,” said Salvatelli.

Carkin attends Mass Academy, which is a public high school for about 100 eleventh and twelfth graders who are academically gifted.

Salvatelli said most students come up with the name of a teacher very quickly.

Boggio was not sure what to expect going to the ceremony, but said it was very pleasant.

The teachers were given a tour of the school then went to lunch with the students. Afterward, each student stood and spoke about why he or she chose that teacher to be honored.

“It was very emotional,” said Salvatelli describing the ceremony.

Boggio said it was nice to hear the students speak in front of their peers. He noted praise usually comes from parents, not students.

“It matters more coming from the kids, because they are the customers,” he said. “You can get no higher praise.”

Boggio has taught at the middle school for seven years.

After retiring from the United States Army in 1995, Boggio decided to teach Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps classes to high school students. He decided he was still too much of a soldier while teaching these classes and felt like he had to “take himself out of the uniform.”

Boggio had already earned a middle school teaching certificate and had always been fond of history. When he came across the opening at HBMS for an eighth grade history teacher, he thought it would be a good fit.

He tries to make some of his lesson plans fun, because he finds his students like anything that takes creativity.

During the course of the year Boggio has his students try a variety of projects. The students write songs related to the medieval period to the tune of holiday songs.

When they study the Roman Empire, Boggio dresses up like a Roman legionary and puts the kids through military drills.

He also focuses on making sure his students improve their reading and research skills.

“Kids don’t want to read, but it is my belief that with history, people need to read to know what is going on,” said Boggio.

He likes to teach his students how to outline their reading and really pull apart what they are studying.

“Some of it is just plain hard work,” he said.

Boggio enjoys working with students at the middle school level, because the kids are at an impressionable age.

“They are at a point in their lives where there is one last chance to really influence them,” he said.

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Karen Mann is a 2006 graduate of Emerson College, in Boston, where she studied journalism. She resides in Townsend.