The Interviewing Experience

One week ago I was given the opportunity to participate in a mock interview for the position of an agricultural educator at Mifflinburg Area High School. Ms. Shearer, the principle, was more than happy to take the time to meet with me. I really appreciate all the great advice she gave. This interview lasted the full 40 minutes of 1st period.

http://www.rivercitystaffing.com/2013/07/24/the-basics-of-interviewing/

1. What questions did the administrator ask you?

The questions that were asked were pretty straightforward but really took some thought. One question was "What experiences do you have that would qualify you for this position?"
I responded by talking about my experiences coordinating the Badlands Jackpot Show and all the planning that goes along with that. It is also a necessity that you communicate well with all the stakeholders so "everyone is happy".

Ms. Shear told me to also make sure I talk about my experiences landscaping. By looking at my resume she could see I have worked there for 9 years. She also stressed to communicate what all I had done in the company. My experiences stretch from repairing trucks to planting flowers. She stressed the importance of industry experience, especially in agricultural education.

2. Do you feel you were prepared for the questions?  Why or why not?  In other words, how would you evaluate your responses to the questions?

I feel that I did well with the responses, however I need a lot of polish. I believe my answers are good but they don't sound the best. I do not like to talk myself up or make people think I am something I am not. I answer each question honestly. Sometimes that isn't exactly what people want to hear, but I need to be true to them and myself.

3. What questions did you ask the administrator?

I asked what their vision of the agricultural program looked like in the future. What will this program look like in 5 years? Where do you want the focal point of the agriculture program?

4. What impressed you the most about the interview?

The time that Ms. Shearer was willing to spend with me was really impressive. We talked for a full 40 minutes and would have went longer if I didn't have to teach 2nd period. We tried to schedule another time slot but it just wouldn't work with our schedules.

5. What impressed you the least about the interview?

The only detail I could comment on here was, it was difficult to set up the experience. It took a while to hear back and there was little imput on what exactly I should bring.

6. In what areas do you need to prepare prior to an interview for a “real” teaching position?

I need to read through some questions and really think about what I would say when asked that. How would I respond when asked a question of the same type.

I thought this was a great experience and will definitely help me in my future interviewing.

Student Teaching Week 15: The End of the Beginning

As I reflect on this past week and my experiences I can finally say that it is all worth it. There have been many bumps along the road over the past year. The struggle has been real at times. However, that is the journey and it is what keeps things interesting. We learn best from our struggles and failures. It is okay to fail as long as you don't make that mistake again.

Students have pushed my limits and provided many interesting situations. When faced with these situations you need to do what you think is right. I have had several discussions with Mr. Kessler and Ms. Spurrier on how to handle these hairy situations. At the end of the day we need to be able to live with ourselves. If we handle situations the best we can and in the best interests of our students we did no wrong. It is important that we are also mindful of how students look up to us. As educators and role models we need to ensure we are being positive role models and showing students the right way to do things in life. Whether it is volunteering after hours or attending church on sunday morning, they are watching.

Next Year's Seniors.

This Year's Freshman.

During the last period, of the day, yesterday my students threw a surprise going away party for me and thanked me for my time and commitment. At that moment I finally realized that these students do appreciate my effort and actually like me as a teacher. Students pay attention to us and what we do more than we realize.

I asked a retired ag teacher for some advice because I am just starting out. He said to teach them what they need to know after graduation. Teach them how to work hard and pay their taxes. But more importantly make it fun. Be a positive impact on their life and teach them some content along the way. I focused on taking a step back and enjoying my last week student teaching. Harassing some students and laughing with them the next minutes. That's what they enjoy.

The Mifflinburg Experience

Yesterday I closed another chapter along my journey. My post secondary education has forced me to experience new things and take on new challenges. This has shaped me into who I am today. 

The Mifflinburg Experience extends far beyond the school walls. It stretches from the West End, through the Buffalo Creek Valley, and down to the powerful Susquehanna. I’ve witnessed it on Sunday mornings as everyone travels to share in faith and fellowship. It becomes a part of you and who you are. I’ve had some great experiences and have reflected deeply upon each one.

The School Environment

http://miffclass1966.org/

From day one I have been impressed with how the Mifflinburg High School Administration puts emphasis on the agriculture program. Mr. Kessler and Ms. Spurrier have done a great job over the years. The administration recognizes this and sees the importance in the agricultural program. Both teachers have continued to impress me with their expertise in all subjects and more importantly their rapport with their students.

I have also been very impressed with the students in the agriculture program. It has been an easy transition for me into the classroom and I feel that I have established great classroom rapport. I was welcomed and respected from day one. These students continue to impress me with their knowledge and skills in certain areas. Some kids already have skills laying block because their dads are masons and have taught them the trade. These students are well on their way to excelling in whatever they decide to do after high school.

Students Layer Barn Placement.

I feel that I have done well teaching and the students have learned a lot, but we all have things that we would do differently in the future. Individual classes change a lot from year to year, so we must always be adapting. The biggest lessons come from our largest failures. I am excited to make changes after this experience and continue to evolve as an educator.

The Community Involvement
Before arriving in Mifflinburg, I had no idea that agriculture was so huge in Union County. The heart of Union County is nested in the numerous chicken houses and thousands of acres utilized for crop production. Agriculture is always evolving and so are these farmers. The Young Farmers Program here in Mifflinburg has continued to impress me with their dedication to agriculture and the success of all farmers. The Young Farmers Program also provides farmers with great social interactions which generate partnerships between Union County Farmers. Just last night, one of the members had a tour of their brand-new hog barn. Afterwards we had our meeting and meal as a community, for anyone, free of charge. Farmers can accomplish so much more when they work together. 

Thank you Mr. Kessler for all the advice and support.

My experience student teaching has extended much farther than the school walls. I have gotten to see how much the community values agriculture and agricultural education. Meeting with the Young Farmers at meetings and banquets, talking with the Pikrite manufacturing team, and visiting hog and chicken farms has really opened my eyes and inspired me to be a great teacher. Mifflinburg was and still may be the perfect fit for me.

Action Research Project: Determining the Power of Previous Experiences

When brainstorming ideas on what would be beneficial to research, I began to think of my freshman class and the different experiences each of those students have had. Throughout my student teaching experience I have been in charge of grading the freshman SAE books. This has given me a sneak peak into their interest areas and where they spend time outside of school.

I wanted to design a research project that would determine the effect that previous experiences have on new learning. A large portion of my freshman class have livestock entrepreneurship SAE projects, so I saw my livestock judging unit as a good match. On the first day, students were given a survey asking questions on what experiences they have had with pigs, lambs, steers, and dairy cattle. These are the species we discussed in this unit. The numbers worked out perfectly. My section of 12 students were divided equally. Six students had prior experiences with these species and six students had no prior experience with the animals. The groups were arranged as follows: 2 teams with 2 experienced students, 2 teams with 2 inexperienced students, 2 teams with 1 experienced student and 1 inexperienced student.

http://adams.uwex.edu/4-h-youth-development/youth-livestock-sale/

Students were all given the same instruction while I introduced the different species so limit the variables. At the end of the unit, students were evaluated in their groups on their ability to judge classes of the four species. The scores for each team were recorded and graphed to search for any trends.

I found that in this case previous experiences had little effect on the students performance level. This is not what I had expected at all. At the beginning of this study, my hypothesis was that the students who had raised market animals before would preform better that students who haven't had any experiences yet. Although the students did not perform better overall, they were noticeably more familiar with the anatomy of the four different species. I believe this did have a positive influence on the quality of the reasons students gave. You need to know the language in order to talk evaluation.

http://blog.cauvin.org/2013/09/5-ways-companies-make-product-decisions.html

I would like to conduct another study the same way but assess the students before the unit as well. This would give me a baseline starting point as to where all students began knowledge wise. This would allow me to see the growth of all the students and further determine the effects of prior knowledge.

SLLC 2017

Several weeks ago I was given the opportunity to travel to the SLLC Conference in Harrisburg with Mr. Kessler and Ms. Spurrier. We made the trip down on a Sunday to grade state proficiency awards for the previous year. This was a great experience that will benefit my future students. Just seeing and witnessing how the proficiencies are graded gives me a much better understanding on what is evaluated. These are graded the same at the national level as well.

There are a couple different stances you could take on volunteering to help with this. Some people believe that teachers only do this so they can see exactly what their kids need to do in order to win. The amount of state winners is seen to reflect the quality of the program. I mean, what teacher doesn't want a lot of winners? However, this is not entirely true. For myself, I see this as an opportunity to determine the most important parts of the application. This provides more guidance as to what is seen as important and what is not. You can then stress the importance of each portion respectively.



http://www.brianvellmure.com/2014/01/09/anatomy-growth-insights-fuel-dynamic-growth-organization/

As educators we are always looking to better our instruction for our students. You would be surprised by the many different ideas that are developed by our students. Each of these proficiencies provides a story that we could take ideas from for future students. Taking advantage of opportunities like this allow for growth as teachers and facilitators. I look forward to helping with this process in the future and continuing to learn.

PAAE North Region Meeting

Attending the regional PAAE meeting stimulated my reflection on how much can be done when great agriculture teachers get together. During the meeting fellow educators met to discuss different competitions and opportunities for their students at the regional and state levels. The following areas struck me the most as a future educator.

1) This group of teachers are extremely supportive of each other. Everyone wants to see students become successful no matter what school they attend. I felt this at the area CDE contests. There were a couple students from other schools that I wanted to give advice to. I had to hold myself back because this was a competition.

2) This network of teachers are very resourceful and can get things done. They are "movers and shakers" so to say. When you bring this many knowledgeable agricultural leaders together and compile their resources and resource people, tasks can be accomplished quickly. These tasks could range from finding judges for public speaking contests to sharing lesson plans as a community.

3) This is a great place to talk with people just like you! Everyone here knows the struggles that teachers go through on a day to day basis. This is a great place to crack a few jokes or share some stories that only Ag teachers will relate.


http://www.goodmorningquote.com/inspirational-teamwork-quotes-sayings/

Going forward I believe that it is essential to remain an active member of the PAAE. Membership provides countless benefits for not only the teacher but all the students as well. This association provides many opportunities for improvement in the world of agricultural education. It is important that we take contribute and take from these opportunities.

Student Teaching Week 14: Tying it All Together

Over our Easter Weekend, I spent a lot of time reflecting on just how important education is. A person’s education, formal or informal, will contribute to their success no matter what they choose as a career. The knowledge students grow through high school will stick with them for the rest of their lives. Knowledge looks many different ways. If you are knowledgeable in mechanics you may be able to repair your car, saving you money. If you are knowledgeable in health and fitness you may be able to remain in shape and live longer. If you are knowledgeable in the stock market you may be able to make money through investments. There are benefits for all types of education.


http://www.tufkaf.com/tuf-kaf

It continues to bewilder me on how some students do not see the value in education. But then I take a step back and think about my high school days. Was I the same type of student? Did I try my best and understand how my education will affect my future career? The honest answer is; I was in the exact same shoes. So how do I blame the student? Pretty hypocritical right? I did what was needed to get good grades, but I did not work to reach my full potential. Looking back, I wish I applied myself more than I really did.

So what can I do to expand the students’ perspective of high school education? As agriculture teachers we have an upper hand because of ag education’s “hands on nature.” Our instruction is infused with hands on experiences whether it be completing a butt weld or making cheese. All of these experiences can help our students determine what their interests are.

I could see field trips to different industries being beneficial to developing our students’ perspective on education. Maybe I take students interested in machining and welding to a fabrication shop, such as Pikrite. Maybe I take my students interested in plant science to the local greenhouse to hear from the operators. These people who are already in the industry are generally more than willing to share their educational experiences and provide advice.

http://www.quotesofdaily.com/quote-about-the-importance-of-education/quote-about-the-importance-of-education-1000-images-about-educational-quotes-on-pinterest-education/

It is important that our students see how their education will help them in the future. Often times we get wrapped up in “Covering” material we deem important. This material is important, however we need to make sure we back up and address the “Why” for each lesson. Make the material relatable for each student. If they see it as adding value to their life they will be much more engaged. As I enter my last week of student teaching I want to address the “Why” in every lesson.

Student Teaching Week 13: The Importance of Hands on Reinforcement

Yesterday I was given the opportunity to take a group of my freshman to the Penn State Spring Pig and Lamb Sale. We have already completed units on livestock judging, raising pigs, and are now are finishing up our unit on raising project lambs. This alignment in experiences made the sale experience extra valuable to my students' learning. 

Upon arriving I instructed my group to pick out two pigs and two lambs that they would like to purchase. They were to discuss their choices with their classmates and then share their thoughts with Mr. Kessler and I. I thought they did a really good job sorting both species and had respectable reasons given their experience level. 

Another teachable moment was when I showed them how to carry pigs properly. You do not want to be responsible for hurting someones $200 show pig. I explained the importance behind this concept. There was slight hesitation in washing them up and helping carry them to the buyers' trucks, but the students rose to the occasion like they normally do. I was impressed with how well these freshman boys did carrying pigs that were probably half their weight.

The boys cleaning up the pigs for the sale.

On the ride back from State College, I began to reflect on the days events. I couldn't help but think how cool it is to see students take interest in agriculture. These students gave up the first day of fishing season just so they could go to this pig/lamb sale and learn. These days, many of our students would rather stay penned up in the basement playing video games. Seeing kids take the initiative to go on these trips is really satisfying as an educator. Maybe I am reaching some of them? Getting and keeping our students involved outside of the school day is one way we can keep them out of trouble.

It is becoming more and more apparent that teaching agriculture is a lifestyle and not just a job. I look forward to many more trips like this.

Student Teacher Visit: Miss Hack at Pequea Valley High School

Kayla demonstrating propagation by cuttings.

On Friday, I had a great experience visiting one of my cohort members, Ms. Kayla Hack. Pequea Valley has an outstanding agriculture program located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The rich history of agriculture in this community shows through in the students and school staff. I was extremely impressed with the well-manored and courteous attitudes of the Pequea Valley students. These students have promising futures in any area they wish to pursue.

I am very excited for Kayla’s future students! She is an extremely well rounded teacher that has already began to show levels of mastery in my opinion. Kayla is a great facilitator and the hard work she puts in afterhours comes to life in the classroom. She is extremely dynamic and always knows what questions to ask. Among all these great qualities, the one that strikes me the most is Kayla’s ability to connect with all students. Watching her teach makes it obvious that she has established great classroom rapport. She really knows her students and has done a great job giving them the support they need. It is clear that her cooperating teachers, Mr. Doug Masser and Ms. Jasmine Vansant, have done an outstanding job mentoring her and have built a great program.

Kayla showing her engines class how to gap spark plugs.

As I travel to different schools and agriculture education programs I always look for things I can take and implement in my future program. Pequea Valley really does a great job teaching all areas of agriculture. They do a great job incorporating hands on experiences that range from food science experiments to welding projects. I was very impressed with the program as a whole, and I hope to build a program that is as well rounded as Pequea Valley.

Student Teaching Week 12: Make Learning Fun

I am not going to lie. At the beginning of last week I was burnt out. Working late into the night and teaching the next day can takes a ton of energy out of you. Students also expect you to bring the same amount of energy to the classroom each and every day. Coffee is a great tool but it can only take you so far. Some of my lessons were starting to loose creativity and kinda stunk in my opinion. This lead me to doing a little soul searching.

https://elissagoodman.com/lifestyle/are-you-burning-the-candle-at-both-ends/

When reflecting on things and the experience has a whole, I thought back to what an older retired Ag teacher had told me. He said to "make things fun, make it enjoyable for the kids and teach them some life lessons along the way." This got me thinking and recalling my experiences in high school. The best memories took place back in the Brockway Ag Shop. Mr. Norman did a great job giving us real hands on opportunities. The fun/hands-on activities are what we remember and take with us.

https://steemit.com/cocktails/@zyntra/cocktails-101-the-sweet-and-sour-balance-explained-by-a-molecular-mixologist

Going into the rest of the week it was my goal to create activities that were much more engaging and got students up out of their seats. I feel like I accomplished this as I capped it off with a butter making lab on friday. The students literally "ate it up" along with two loaves of bread. Not every lesson can be packed full of these activities. We must still take the time to establish the basic knowledge through small amounts of lecture. However, we must make a constant effort to create more engaging experiences for our students. We must continue to improve our balance of instruction. This week I am looking to keep improving in this aspect and develop as a teacher.

Student Teaching Week 11: Banquet Week

Mr. Kessler and his retiring senior officers.

Woahhh... What a week! This past thursday night I helped Mifflinburg FFA put on their 87th annual banquet. It was a roller coaster of a week in preparation for the event but it was so worth it. Ms. Spurrier was out sick and we still had over 100 flower arrangements to complete. Thank God for Ms. Zimmerman. She was a woman on a mission. No one wanted Mr. Kessler and I arranging their flowers. This was one of the larger obstacles we needed to hurdle, but in the end everything truly turned out great. The level of pride this community brings to the agriculture education program is truly inspiring. 335 past, current, and future members were in attendance along with administrators and community contributors.


This week really showed me how close knit the agricultural community is, especially here in Mifflinburg. On Monday night we had our advisory committee meeting. These community members truly support agricultural education. A Lot of them were FFA members and are now agricultural leaders of the area. As Mr. Kessler would say, "This is a group of movers and shakers." The advisory committee dedicates their time to combat in favor of the program in many different ways. That may be negotiating with companies for educational equipment, donating tools to the program, or contacting administration for change. This is such a unique support system that other teachers do not receive.

Mifflinburg FFA's Retiring Officer Team.

This was a great week for the whole community. The agricultural education team here at Mifflinburg has done a great job keeping the community involved, whether it be through the chicken BBQ, the fair, the Cider sale, the advisory committee, or the annual banquet. It is so important that we make and keep those relationships with people outside of the school. The more people we have supporting the program, the more opportunities our students will have. Creating the environment where everyone is welcome and wanted is key.

The New Mifflinburg FFA Officer Team.

Mr. Kessler has stressed the importance of having the community behind your program throughout this experience and I have now seen it first hand. Ag teachers are not ordinary, you must be able to coordinate everything while staying composed. As Mr. Kessler said, "Ag teachers are like ducks." "They are calm above the water and paddling like Hell under the water." My goal for the rest of student teaching is to absorb as much knowledge in community involvement as possible.

SAE Visit #2: The Sauers Family Farm

Last weekend I had the privilege of meeting one of my freshman's family and seeing their farm. We began the morning tagging beef and dairy steers. After tagging they took Mr. Kessler and I on a tour of their new chicken barns. They currently have two six-hundred foot long chicken barns. One of these barns is full of broilers and the other full of layers. It was extremely cool to see the advancements in technology between old barns and these brand new ones.

Ryan checking egg quality before they reach packing.

So how does Ryan's chicken barn placement help prepare him for his future?

After graduation Ryan plans on building his own chicken barn similar to his parents. I was really impressed with Ryan when he gave us the tour. He knows a lot about the chicken industry through working with his dad and brother. The experiences he has gained through his placement is the hands on experience he will need to be a successful farmer himself.

How has he improved his projects over the years?

Ryan has always worked on the family farm in the fields, milking cows, and cleaning eggs. He has worked his way up the ladder and has began taking on more responsibilities. These increased responsibilities have included caring for both chicken barns during the spring/summer fieldwork months and working more throughout the school year.

Brad getting the eggs packaged for storage.

Whats his next step?

Ryan already has a gameplan to become a chicken farmer like his brother and father. He also has many more experiences in his highschool years, since he is a freshman. Ryan wants to continue working with his family focusing on poultry to ensure that is what he wants to do post graduation. Ryan shows the potential to keep the Sauers Family Farm running strong.

Getting to meet my students families and see their projects has been my favorite part of the student teaching experience so far. We are so lucky as ag teachers to be able to see our students projects outside of school and see just how much they improve over 4 years.

Student Teaching Week 9: Developing Pride in Your Work

So yes, our students may learn the content better through fun engaging activities and alternative projects, but that's not really what we are here for. We are not here to teach agriculture. We are here to teach students. Kids need a balance of both structure and creativity. This upcoming week I am going to put emphasis on structure and creativity in my instruction.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/146930006570592010/

Looking back on this week, I can't help but think about my students' work ethic or the lack there of for some. Sure every student has their niche where they can geek out, but how can I cultivate a learning atmosphere where students take pride in all areas? How do I create engaging lessons that inspire students to be "All In"? With so many different types of learners differentiation is key. Maybe I need to give students the option for their own projects.

This leads me into my biggest problem with differentiation. If we are truly planning with the end in mind, we need to be thinking about these students getting real jobs. With that being said, I still think that it is important for our students learn the content in our courses. However, the content they learn will never outweigh the work ethic and life skills learned through our program. Their boss is going to give them a task and they must complete it to his specs. If we develop hardworking students that take pride in their work they cannot fail. These are the students who will work their way up the ladder.

http://weinspirefutures.com/idea-bank/overlapping-structure-and-creativity/

Student Teaching Week 8: Team Teaching

This week really showed me how great the team of teachers is here at Mifflinburg, especially in the ag department. We had a super busy week with meetings, SAE visits, CDE practices, and area public speaking competitions. Mr. Kessler has told me before that having a multiple teacher department can be a beautiful thing. However, it can also be miserable. In our talks he has stressed the importance of being a team player and doing your fair share. Mr. Kessler and Ms. Spurrier have a great dynamic going and has helped propel their students success.

https://www.fotolia.com/tag/teamwork

When teachers work together to hold students accountable from class to class great things can happen. This week we had public speaking competitions. While we were away I had my students complete Edpuzzle videos. Edpuzzle is a handy new tool that is compatible with youtube and other popular video sites. Several of my students decided that they were not going to complete the assignment, thinking their would be no consequences. Mr. Kessler then educated them on the fact that they could not work on a shop project in his class until they complete their assignments in my class. This has provided some motivation for those students who are not motivated by grades.

http://barkleypd.com/blog/impact-teachers-showing-belief-students/

It is important that our students see the importance in their assignments, even when the teacher is not present. We do things for a reason. Their should not be a such thing as busy work. We need to show the importance of those less exciting assignments and explain specific ways they might help the students future. Show that you genuinely care about your students and their future and you will see better participation and performance from your students.

Student Teaching Week 7: Maybe I Can Do This Whole Teaching Thing

http://www.aeseducation.com/blog/2012/10/self-directed-learning

As we approach the halfway point of the student teaching experience, I am finally starting to feel that I am catching my stride. Planning for class is becoming much easier, my rapport with my freshmen has drastically improved, and I am getting to see agricultural education beyond the school walls. Teaching is much more work than I had ever imagined, but it is so rewarding. (Especially Ag Ed) We get to see our students develop throughout their whole high school career. Other teachers do not get to see the great projects these students have outside school and therefore do not truly get to know them.

This past week, I not only got to teach livestock judging but I was able to help tag my students fair steers. Visiting my students, meeting their families, and seeing the passion for their projects is the coolest experience I have had yet. It is the best part of agricultural education in my opinion. I see SAE as being the cadillac of self driven learning. Students pursue projects that align with their interests and passions. As educators it is our job to steer them in the right direction and provide advice when necessary. Students seeing adults take interest in their projects is the ultimate motivator.

https://www.pinterest.com/motivationalv/motivation/

As I look into the upcoming week I need to find new ways to push my more advanced welders. I am toying around with the idea of a small project for students who complete all the welds earlier than expected. I have several ideas for small projects they could complete. Is it better to move onto a project or spend more time mastering the basics? I guess it depends on your definition of mastery. I believe incorporating a small project would help with student motivation and rapport. However, which better prepares them for a career in welding? I'm not sure how I feel about this yet, but I have time. Teaching is not easy by any means but I am already seeing the rewards through my students.

Student Teaching Week 6: Putting Your Foot Down

https://imgflip.com/memegenerator/18724297/Drill-Sergeant

Six weeks in already? This experience has been flying! This week I have been thinking about how lenient I should be as an educator. Where do we draw the line for our students? How do we pick our battles? Great teachers can see through all the bs that is thrown their way and divert students attention back to the day's objective. However this is easier said than done. We need to keep our students on task to help them reach their full potential, but we don't need to seem like a drill sergeant. We need to push students without pushing them over the edge, and every student has a different edge. Teachers gain respect from students only when the student feels respected. If respect is not mutual you will have problems.

I feel that I am very laid back as a teacher, as long as my students are being respectful. Students appreciate it when you work with them on due dates. This makes me think, are the due dates really that important? Students learn at different speeds so why shouldn't we be flexible. I understand that we must use due dates as checkpoints to keep our students on track, but isn't it more important that the students learn the first concept well before moving to the next? We need to be able to read our students, determine if they are truly struggling, and work with them individually.

http://www.researchhistory.org/2012/06/16/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs/

We can be extremely obsessed with getting through all the material at times, thinking the students have to know it all. The top 2/3 (academically) of the class will be successful no matter what. It is the bottom 1/3 of the class that we need to worry about. Life skills are much more important than the actual content for these students. We need to be mindful that we are already doing more for these students than anyone else by developing these life skills. The content will come later, if we make learning neverending. Our students need to develop in character before we can expect them to reach the higher levels of Maslow's hierarchy.

Student Teaching Week 5: Finding Your Stride

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/glimpse-identity-disability

As week five comes to an end, I finally feel like I am starting to find myself as a teacher. When I began this experience I was not sure what my identity would be in the classroom. I have little experience actually teaching. The challenges and obstacles are continually shaping me. I have heard many teachers talk about how important flexibility is but never realized just how big it is. We need to be able to make the change to plan B, C, or D at any given moment, especially now with snow days. These changes happen within the class period as well. What if the internet does not work? What if the supplies for the next unit have not come in yet? What if half of the class does not show up?

It is important that we have that "side shooter" in our pocket and can teach the subject matter in several different ways. This all goes back to being prepared and forward thinking as an educator. For example, I have several different games planned to review cattle anatomy in my livestock judging unit.

Through this experience so far, I am finding that students will respect you if you respect them. Don't talk down to them. If they need an intervention, do it separately. Don't embarrass them in front of the class. Be supportive. When they need chewed out do it, but let them know you're doing it because you care. When they fix the problem give them a pat on the back.

http://www.lrqconsulting.com/2015/02/13/grow-with-flexibility/

As you know from reading previous blogs, I have had my fair share of struggles managing my freshman class. I feel that I have made huge gains so far by simply respecting my students, making learning fun, and showing that I care about their future. The way you react to the struggles shows just who you are as a teacher and an individual. Change is slow but it is so worth it!

Student Teaching Week 4: The "Speak Week" Experience

https://www.pinterest.com/explore/motivational-memes/

If you read my blog from last week, you would know that I have been challenged this semester with motivating my freshman class. Over the past two weeks, I have spent a lot of time trying to determine what I can do to create a productive environment. Last weekend, I designed and decided to implement what I call "Speak Week", not quite the same as "Greek Week." Students were split from their talkative buddies and placed into teams. These teams were given the chance to compete at the beginning of class each day for 10 minutes. Scores were tallied and the winning teams were allowed to have a pizza party in friday's study period.

This competition drastically helped classroom management because teams would loose points for misbehavior. I feel that this has helped a lot with the class rapport. The students really enjoyed the competition and activities in general. But were do I go from here? I know for a fact that I need to keep providing activities that allows students to get up and moving. I also need to wean them off of the pizza prize. They will finish presenting their prepared speeches this week and begin a livestock judging unit.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/365495325982765197/

Looking into this next week, I need to keep it fun and engaging while being stern with those students who haven't put the work in on their speech. I have kids with tons of potential that put forth little effort and kids with less potential that work their hearts out. As an educator, I want all my students to reach their full potential. I have to continue learning through experimentation on how to motivate my students best.

Professional Development: Exploring AET!

Last Saturday, I made the trip to Bald Eagle High School to participate in the AET (agricultural experience tracker) workshop. We had explored this tool in AEE 311 at Penn State, but not in the depth of Saturday's experience. There are many different avenues and features that I hadn't discovered yet. We learned some of the tricks to teach students and common mistakes that are made. It was very beneficial because we went through the entire process from beginning the project to applying for a state degree.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/record-keeping-zmaz83jfzraw

After attending this workshop, I feel much more confident in teaching students how to use AET. If we as teachers don't know how to use the tool, how do we expect our students to pick up the concept? The program itself can be pretty confusing if you get off course. This is due to the extreme detail that projects can be recorded. I see this as a great tool! But how do we teach this to 14 year olds? After talking with peers, we determined that grouping students by SAE type may be the clearest way. If all students are recording the same types of projects they will have small differences in entries. I am currently trying to incorporate this tool in one of my farm management projects. I believe that it will work well and give my students more experience with this program. I now feel competent using this tool and hope to help students right away.

The Science Classroom Visit: Biology

https://www.amensupport.org/wp/2015/01/18/making-connections-at-aaes/

Last week, I was given the opportunity to sit in on a 10th grade biology class. This was a great fit for me because I lack confidence in biology and the teacher was a master. The day's lesson was on how plants obtain energy and the role of ATP in cellular activities. I was surprised to find myself familiar with the topic being discussed. The instructor seemed to have great rapport with his students, as well as all of the other teachers I have met. During the lesson, I could not stop thinking about how many of these biology concepts are also taught in the agriculture classroom. Agriculture is the ultimate course. It involves biology, chemistry, geography, mathematics, reading, writing, economics, and really any other subject you can think of. This got me thinking about different projects that could involve the agriculture classroom with other classrooms. What if the calculus students teamed up with the senior ag class to determine the needed flow rate of water for a new chicken barn? Or, what if the economics class teamed up with the farm management class to found a farmers market? Breaking barriers between classrooms can work to kill stigmas of what's cool and what's not.

The biology class also reviewed the scientific method during this class period, which made me smile. I had just gone over the scientific method with my electrical wiring students the friday before, in my lemon battery lab. It is important that students make these connections between different content areas and see the value in the higher level thinking that this often presents.

SAE Visit #1: Tagging Dairy Steers

On Wednesday of last week, I had the privilege of traveling to one of my seniors farms and tagging his dairy steer. This reminded me of my days of raising show stock and all the hard work that went into it. It frightens me that this seems to be a dying passion, especially in my home county. I would argue that the lessons that I learned from raising hogs and steers taught me more than any single high school course. The purpose of SAE is for students to conduct their own learning based off of their interests and passions. Present day academia has taken some of these passions out of our students and turned them into test stressed spoon feedees.

Mifflinburg FFA

So how does this SAE project help Jacob's future career plans?
He plans to become a vet. To become a large animal vet you need experience with these animals. Jacob has raised literally every animal from chickens to hogs to steers. He sees SAE as a true opportunity to better prepare himself for a career in veterinary medicine.

How has he improved his project over the years?
Jacob has experimented with different feeding programs over the years. He also has greatly improved his judging/selection skills.

What's the next step?

Jacobs next step is preparing for college. It's looking like he will become a fellow Penn Stater pursing his passion in vet science.

I also got the chance to talk with his parents and sister during the visit. It was really cool to meet jacob's support system.

I want to bring that passion back. It all comes down to creating an environment where all students are educated on the importance of agriculture and individuality. We need to get rid of this spoon feeding mentality. SAE is where we can accomplish this. Pushing our students in SAE opportunities can help to align them into a more self directed learning. When students learn about different aspects of their interest areas and see them as being valuable, they will continue to research and want to learn. We need to get students out in their perspective field so they can see why it is important to become educated. (at least in a certain field) I believe SAE, when used right, can be the ultimate vehicle for self driven learning. I look forward to my next SAE visit!

Student Teaching Week 3: Student Motivation and Incentive

Wow! I can not believe I will start my fourth week of student teaching tomorrow. This experience has been flying by. This week was big for my students because they were allowed to begin actually working in the shop. I have two students in particular who absolutely love to weld. Seeing these students come down to work extra during their study hall, and witnessing the excitement they bring to the class is extremely satisfying as a teacher.

However we all have our struggles. My freshman are currently working on their prepared speeches. This is progressing very slowly mostly due to a lack of interest in my opinion. On friday, we did a short impromptu speaking exercise that the kids really enjoyed. Volunteer students were given a random topic to speak about for 30 seconds. If they said uh, um, or any other utterance like that, they were disqualified. Through this activity, I learned that my students love to compete. This week I am planning on incorporating more of these types of competitions, possibly making a three day long "Speak Week." I am still putting pieces together for this contest.

https://memegenerator.net/instance/64813861

What incentives do I use? Maybe a pizza party? A team Trophy? Sheetz gift cards? I clearly have some more thinking to do on this upcoming week. I've often heard it said that teaching is as much an art as it is a science. I look forward to continue refining the art.

Student Teaching Week 2: Shifting Gears (without burning up the clutch)

www.gtplanet.net

I have always heard that no two classes are the same. I've heard this from both advisors and current/past teachers. It was never doubted in my head, but I had difficulty visualizing exactly what it looked like in the classroom. Differences can be attributed to the obvious like class size. However, there are so many other factors that contribute to the class characteristics. Some of these include learning aptitude, learning styles, previous knowledge, genuine interest, and previous experiences. As teachers, it is important that we recognize these differences from class to class and are prepared to shift gears into the type of instruction that will make our students successful.

My 5th period freshman class is very rambunctious and large in number. This presents the challenge of keeping them on task. After teaching them a few days I have noticed that activities work well with them. (especially ones that get them moving) Because of this I have planned out some hands-on activities for the next couple days.

My 6th period freshman class could not be any more different. They are similar in number, but totally different in action. This group is much more reserved and laid back. This all sounds fine and dandy from a class management perspective. However, they can be hard to motivate. This past week I have taken time to talk with each of them to develop a positive rapport. This seems to be working. The quiet kids are beginning to come out of their shell and the "too cool for school" kids are beginning to contribute.

Students' Visual Representation of the Creeds 1st Paragraph.

Although these two classes are the exact same in content, I need to prepare for them in somewhat different ways. I've even noticed myself wording questions and making adjustments from class to class. This upcoming week, I’m challenging myself to challenge my students through their diverse learning styles.

Student Teaching Week 1: Adapting to the life of a Teacher

What a week it was! Starting our student teaching experience at The PA State Farm Show for Mid-winter convention was inspiring for my entire cohort of student teachers. Seeing students compete in the demonstration speeches and safety quiz bowl, on Wednesday, was also really cool to see. Friday was a big step for me in finding who I am as a teacher. My cooperating teacher was out for the day due to a doctors appointment. This left me in charge of the class/shop for the day, plus all the routine things.

The Quiz Bowl Finals.

I was nervous for this day which doesn't happen too often. Would the students behave? Would they be productive? Would they respect me? Do I know how to grade adequately and enter their grades correctly? These are just some of the thoughts going through my mind that day.

The students came to work. (Maybe because it was the last day to get their assignments done and turned in.) That is a pretty favorable possibility. The students being focused on getting assignments done probably helped diminish the amount of goofing off. There were some small misbehavior s that needed nipped in the butt but nothing major. Work periods were mad chaos with students working on multiple projects all over the shop and me trying to record their grades in, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Students giving their demonstration speech on floral arrangements.

I feel that I have more of an identity in the shop now and will continue to build upon Fridays experience. Looking into next week, I want to find if there are differences between me as a teacher in the shop and me as a teacher in the classroom. I have put a lot of time and effort into making learning more engaging through planning, so I also look forward to see if it pays off.

Mid Winter Convention 2017: It this too good to be true?

First, I would just like to take a second and say WOW. What an experience! I am so happy for these students who I have literally just met, from the freshmen getting jackets to the seniors receiving their Keystone Degrees. Seeing the celebration of the hard work from the Keystone recipients and discussing just what they did to qualify for that award was extremely comforting for the future of our agricultural industry. Helping the freshmen tie their ties reminded me of the potential growth in all of them and also that we really need to practice tying those ties for real. (ALL of US)

Freshmen before receiving their jackets.

The students were and are great overall. Sure, you will always have those students who are naturally hyper and also decide they need to drink 3 Monster Energy Drinks on the morning of Mid Winter Convention, before they even get to school. These students especially can test your patience, by being on the rowdy side. However, when it's time to listen to specific directions these students gave their undivided attention and were respectful.

Checking out the Beef breeding classes.

This was a great first time experience at Mid Winter for my six freshmen and myself. The comradery between ag teachers is second to none. This idea has not changed throughout all my experiences. I truly believe that all ag teachers believe in driving success in students in all schools. The big question is: Are we as student teachers coming in on a high horse? Will the realities of teaching day in and day out slap us in the face? Or will we fall more in love with our choice of profession?