Award winning teacher Zachary Hocchalter

Fargo North is lucky to have the award-winning social studies teacher, Zachary Hochhalter. Known for his upbeat personality, engaging classes, and passion for teaching, it doesn’t take long to see that there’s much more to him than the incredible man bun he’s grown over the past few years. Even his long hair has a wholesome secret that will be revealed later in the article!
Hochhalter teaches world history, North Dakota studies, and economics. When asked why he became a teacher, he said, “I had some really awesome teachers in high school. They increased my desire to learn more about the world around me. I want to be that person for others.” After getting his undergraduate degree in social studies education, he taught for six years in Arizona. This is his third year teaching at North, and he’s already made a big impact.
As an economics teacher in Arizona, Hochhalter’s passion for truly helping his students started immediately. “As a teacher, I don’t know if you want to teach econ right out of college, but it’s one that I found a lot of value in terms of what kids can get out of it. I like that it’s relevant.” His inspiration for social studies came from a teacher he had in high school who would relate the topics of history to personal stories of traveling to different countries. This made him not only want to learn about the world but explore it too.
Immediately after coming to North, Hochhalter was already trying to get North Dakota studies enlisted as a class. “I want kids to know that our history here in the state matters, and there’s a lot of big and important things that have happened here that we may not be aware of. Things that matter not only to our state but to the rest of our country and often get overlooked.” For the first year since coming to Fargo Public Schools, Hochhalter has succeeded and is teaching a semester-long class on North Dakota studies.
Hochhalter’s hard work was recognized when he won the “National History Day North Dakota Teacher of the Year Award.” National History Day is a program that Fargo North participates in where students get to pick a topic in history that speaks to them more personally and create a project about it. After creating the project, students can compete for awards, scholarships, and even the opportunity to go to Washington, D.C. and participate in the national competition.
Abigail Bjorlie, a student whose project made it to the national competition, had this to say about Hochalter’s help in her and her partner’s project: “Mr. Hochhalter helped us a lot. [My partner] and I struggled to find some primary sources and he was really good with helping us find websites and stuff.”
Hochhalter helped every student who needed it, whether it was hands-on help working with kids directly on their project or simply making sure that students were prepared to present and had all their questions answered.
His passion for this project comes back to what motivates him in all subjects and how much he feels it helps the students. “I like the project so much because of all the benefits students can get from it. Tangible awards such as presenting their projects in awesome spaces like the State Museum, or the Smithsonian Museum at Nationals, or just the confidence that they have accomplished something that is difficult and they succeeded at it,” Hochalter said, adding, “I like how you can take a passion project, something you’re interested in, and just go for it!”
When the time came for a teacher to be awarded, everyone who saw how he interacted with the students was confident it would go to Hochhalter. His joy watching as kids would present their projects was visible from a mile away and his excitement was contagious. He was also nominated for the “Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award” on the national level.
When he’s not teaching, Hochhalter enjoys wildlife photography, “I like to go out to the badlands of North Dakota, out at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and photograph the wild horses out there,” he said. “It began as a hobby when I was in Arizona and had the opportunity to photograph wild horses along the Salt River. When I’m out in nature photographing wildlife, I use it as a time to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of daily life and enjoy the natural world without many people around.”
As for the man bun, Hochhalter grows it out not as a fashion choice but as a way to give to those in need. “I actually don’t always have long hair. This is the third time now that I’ve grown it out to donate it to Wigs for Kids. So I’m gonna show up one day, and it’s gonna be gone,” when asked what inspired him to start donating hair, he said, “I had a friend in high school that did it, and then my mom had cancer. I think hair is an important part of our identity, and that can be really hard for kids that struggle with cancer, so I want to help out in that way.”
So if you see Hochalter walking around with a freshly shaven head, don’t be sad to see the man bun go; be happy that a kid whose life was turned upside down has been given something to help them feel more secure.
In just a short time, Hochhalter has cemented himself as one of the great teachers Fargo North is proud to have on staff. He shows students that learning can be fun and inspires those who have gotten to have him as a teacher. His smile and positive attitude radiate to everyone who walks by him in the hallways. Hochhalter is the kind of teacher that students will look back on fondly for years to come.