Time and time again, Dr. Hogan invites his audiences to embark on intellectual journeys whose singular common thread is the relentless examination of life and learning. Sometimes he will challenge us to broaden our understanding of our world; other times, he will invite us to narrow our focus to consider attitudes and behaviors which impact our effectiveness as teachers, learners, and citizens in our school and community. His words are timeless wisdom for the parents and veteran teachers in the audience, yet also student-centered and relevant to the challenges of today's adolescents. Above all, "Doc" is a master teacher recognizing that caring about his students leads them to care about what we teach. This is why his words are so moving; he honors their dignity as people, as the current, not future, contributors to and leaders of our community. Rich with anecdotes that range from hilarious to poignant, and crafted with literary finesse and imagery, these speeches leave the listener entertained and enlightened, but most of all committed to the love of learning, the love of teaching. David C. McGrath. Director General The American School Foundation of Guadalajara, AC In this booklet, Michael Hogan brings us a lifetime of service, of teaching, and plain old common sense. Reading his speeches, one not only admires his wit and scholarly knowledge but also his charm and lifelong commitment of service to his students. He also debunks the idea that speeches are more or less, well, boring. Actually, one looks forward to finding out the end of a particular story or anecdote, and secretly wishes that the speech would go on longer than expected. Apart from being amused and entertained, one comes, at the end, with a sense of having learned something of value, and, more often than not, quite emotionally. Over his long tenure at the American School of Guadalajara, since 1990 Dr. Hogan has forged a path of outstanding academic professionalism, imprinting on many generations, including my own, the true sense of being a teacher. This work is ample evidence. Moises Hernandez Nuño, President, Board of Founders American School Foundation of Guadalajara, AC
About the Author: Michael Hogan is the author of twenty-four books, one of which, Irish Soldiers of Mexico, has been the subject of a best-selling documentary as well as an MGM feature film. He has worked as a university professor both in the U.S. and Mexico, a high school teacher and humanities chair at international schools, and as the Latin American consultant to the College Board. He is currently Teacher Emeritus at the American School Foundation of Guadalajara where he has taught since 1990.