15: I'm Ready!

Blessed...

Here I am with a few of the *many* messages of inspiration that students
gave me today and with a clay whistle in the shape of a pig made by
one of my teacher friends. Mr. Hughes (aka @Potterybob1 on Twitter).

I cannot even begin to describe how blessed I have been in my student teaching experience. A great school, amazing teachers, supporting community, awesome students, uplifting peers, AMAZING TEACHERS... wait, did I already mention my amazing team of 3 super duper Ag teachers? I have been provided opportunities by Mrs. Seibert, Mrs. Anderson, and Mr. Werning that I never even imagined. They have pushed me, questioned me, and supported me through the last fifteen weeks. There were good times and some hard times but everything has always been about growing and preparing me for the real deal. Mrs. Seibert is quite certainly "Wonder Woman" and has taught me to stand up for yourself as a woman ag teacher, don't be afraid to be dedicated, and to make friends and have fun. As I look at my cleaned off desk and prepare to leave today I will admit that I am going to miss Manheim Central and all of the people that I have connected with in my short time here. With that being said, I am excited about what the future holds for me. I look forward to finding my spot in an agriscience program and making an impact on a school, in a community, and with more students. Wish me luck!

My Advice to the Next Student Teacher

My 15 week student teaching experience is over (tomorrow)...

What?! How?!?

I feel like it was just yesterday when I thought that January would never end. Now I'm packing up my things and preparing to head back to Penn State to finish out and get my degree.

Here is my advice for those who come after me...

• When choosing your cooperating center visit as many places as possible! One of the things that lead me to choose Manheim Central High School was the way that it felt while I was there visiting. The connection between you and the teachers that make up the ag department will be vital for success. Believe me, by visiting you will be able to see if there is "chemistry" between you and the potential cooperating teacher. 
• Work like crazy in the Fall. Listening to your professors and completing every task that is asked of you will significantly make your life more simple during student teaching. 
• The SAME goes for while you are student teaching. It will be super hectic and the days will be a blur. Do the work. Write lessons BEFORE you teach them no matter how much of a pain that is. This will make you feel 3,000x better when you need to collect all of your plans to turn in when you head back to college. I feel successful because I started the binders when I started teaching and just kept throwing the lesson plans into the binders as I taught them. It was a great tactic to ensure success!
• ASK AS MANY QUESTIONS AS POSSIBLE. Your cooperating teacher will not get mad at you. They will not be annoyed at you. They will be so incredibly happy that you are interested in learning and taking the job seriously. You might even get an unexpected gem when they answer you! So please, for my sake and your sake and your students' sake...just ask the darn question.
• Do not be in a hurry to get home. Your cooperating teacher is investing their time into you and their students. You should do the same. Plus, cool things happen after the bell rings. This is the time where reflecting on the day and having "teacher talk" is a blessing. Students are there from bell to bell. Don't just be a student.
• Share a piece of yourself with your students. Obviously don't tell them the nitty-gritty details of your personal life but it is totally okay to share that you have siblings. That you have a dog, a car, parents, etc. This makes the students view you as a real human being that they can relate to and confide in. If you act like cold reserved individual then they will treat you as such. Trust me on this one.

May the force be with you while you start out in the classroom and may you always provide your students with information that will one day help them win Jeopardy. :)

-Angela (aka. Ms. Becker)

12: Taking Care of Yourself

R & R

Teachers. Work. Hard. 

With the holiday of Easter being this week, our time in the classroom was shortened significantly. This provided me the chance to head home for the weekend and spend some quality time with my family on the farm. We moved the cattle, sorted some lambs, built steer pens, and played with some puppies. It really has been a lovely weekend thus far and there are now only a few short hours to Easter dinner! (I can't wait for some ham!!)

I know that as a reader you may be wondering why I am telling you all of this... Here is why. Ag teachers are some of the hardest working people that I know. Teachers invest their entire being into their job and students. Teacher burnout is real! As ag teachers, we need to remember to think about ourselves sometimes. Do not feel ashamed that you need a break. Know when to take some time for yourself so that you can keep conquering the world as a super teacher. Now, I am not saying to put aside all of your responsibilities. I am simply saying to make your health and wellbeing a priority. If that means waiting to do your lessons until Sunday night, then so be it. Get a little bit of R & R so that you can be a better teacher! I hope to remember this as I get started in this profession. I hope to one day be a veteran ag teacher and I know that in order to do that, I must take care of myself first.

11: Going Visiting

There was a lot of snow to clear off my car before
heading to Selinsgrove.

One of the best ways to expand your knowledge is to travel to other places. Travel can be across the globe or even as close as right down the street. On Thursday, March 22nd I had the great opportunity to visit my fellow cohort member Macy Fisher at Selinsgrove Area High School. It was great to see a friend and her cooperating teachers.

Macy overseeing students working on their
electrical wiring in the shop!

I took notes on what Macy was teaching, the ag program facilities, and the thoughts of the students. Some fun things that I saw were the tiny trout in the back of the classroom, the large greenhouse being fully utilized, and the four sided wall frame to practice electrical wiring on. With a 2-hour delay, the day went by incredibly quickly but I was glad to meet Mr. Curt Swineford and Ms. Valerie Fry in the short time that I was there.


My major takeaways from this visiting trip are as follows:

1. As I transition into a program of my own I aim to act as a mentor to those who come after me. This means saying "yes!" when I am asked to serve as a mentor whether that be through allowing program visitors or taking on a student teacher. 
2. Seeing other programs can give you some neat ideas to implement in your own. I saw many things that I would like to use on day in my own classroom. 



Lots of plants are growing in the greenhouse!

3. Continuing to build a network of support from other ag teachers is incredibly important and as I grow I hope to never cease in adding names and faces to those who I can help and that can in turn help me. 

9: Re-Writing a Course

Have you ever seen cattle tags used for
organization?

This week I took on a new task. I have already taught one round of our 23 day Environment Ecology class and decided that it would flow better with things moved around some new things added. Allow me to say...this is NO simple task. Writing and re-organizing a class is intense work that takes a lot of time, focus, and patience. Simply making handouts to fit the changes takes hours!

I feel so much better about timing and pacing and how many days lessons may take now that I am out here in the classroom everyday. It's the small steps that I am constantly amazed by. I feel as working together with my cooperating teacher on this reorganization is a great experience and will help when when I am developing curriculum myself (maybe even as early as May)! The practice is appreciated. Personally I think that one of the coolest things about being an ag teacher is the ability to change our curriculum when we see a way for it to better benefit the students. Core subjects do not have that liberty. I am also glad that I have spotted some places for change. Intelligent and driven individuals realize that after doing something one time, they should change for the better before the next. It is insanity to think that just because something was designed or done one way that it has to stay that way. I am grateful for the awesome educators that I am surrounded by each day and their belief in my ability. They have been and continue to be some of the best guides that I have ever had.

Do you have any suggestions for me as I take on this challenging re-organization? Any help is always appreciated.

8: "Next Generation Day"

Our schedule for the day!

The Manheim FFA Chapter had the amazing opportunity this Friday (3/2) to take a great group of students to the Farm and Home Center for the county speaking contests and a few workshops and some speakers. This was awesome! 

I was a judge and interviewer for Red Rose "Star Awards" which was a great learning opportunity. I listened to five students share their hard work and growth over three years of a production SAE. My fellow judges were Deb Seibert and Stephen Geib who made the judging experience quite fun to say the least. I gained a sense of what interviewing looks like from the other side of the interview table which may be helpful to me in the upcoming weeks! After analyzing our scores we called the five competitors back in to give them our remarks and tell them who the winner and runner up were. We had all good things to say as these FFA members have clearly worked hard on their projects and are going to continue to do great things.

Manheim FFA Members "try" to take a non-serious photo

While we were judging Star Awards, the other students were listening to a great motivational speaker and heading in and out of rooms to compete in creed, senior prepared, junior prepared, and extemporaneous speeches. 

After lunch students had the option to pick one out of three workshops: Precision Ag, Plant Science, or Animal Science. I participated in the Precision Ag workshop where new ways of using technology to advance crop production were shared with the audience. 

Following our workshops, everyone was gathered back together so that we could hear the results of today's contests. I am proud to say that Miss Reilly, one of my students, won first place in the creed speaking contest and will be heading to regionals! It was a wonderful way to spend a Friday. 

7: National FFA Week!

This week was my first National FFA Week celebrated in a high school. I was impressed! Here is how we celebrated the week of greatness at Manheim Central...

Manheim FFA members posed for a photo
with State FFA Officer Thomas Gabel

Boot Scootin' Tuesday

On Tuesday, FFA members asked their peers to wear their cowboy boots to school It was fun hearing the clicking of boot heels on the ground and see some great cowboy boots around the school. 

After school it was our chance to "Meet Your State Officer" at Hoss' in Elizabethtown. Just a short drive to Elizabethtown brought good food, friends, and jokes (Not only for students but also for teachers!).

Cole shows off his "whipped cream game"

Winning Wednesday

On Wednesday, small cows were hidden around the school with the promise of :find a cow and win a chocolate milk!" During my time here at Manheim Central High School I've come to the realization that students can become addicted to chocolate milk. In Mrs. Anderson's room we sell Kreider's chocolate milk and there are some individuals who can't make it through the day without their bottle. The chance to find a chow and win a milk was a pretty enticing incentive. 

After school FFA members invited teachers to stop by the Ag department for a complimentary sundae. This ice cream social was to show appreciation to the other teachers in the building. Smiles were shared because who doesn't love ice cream!?!?

FFA members posing in their favorite flannel shirts

Thank a Farmer Thursday

On Thursday we took a calmer and more heartfelt approach by writing thank you letters to local farmers. As we all know, it feels great to be thanked but it feels great to be the one doing the thanking as well. Thank you farmers. 

Favorite Flannel Friday

Friday was a day to wear flannels. They were sported all day around the school. Dressing up is always a fun way to show pride and spirit. The FFA members had been working hard for weeks to plan out the first annual Manheim FFA Food For All Banquet. This banquet was a free meal for attendees and all that was asked for was a donation to the three organizations that spoke during the meal. First we heard from 2 Seconds or Less, then from Heifer Project International, and lastly from the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. Students and guests learned a lot about the hungry people across our globe and those that are as close as our school district. We all left the banquet with a sense of purpose and a feeling of hope.

My First Trip to ACES

Ms. Anderson poses our group of students for a quick photo

What a weekend. This was my first time attending ACES and one of my first trips on which I was taking students. There were a few highlights that I would like to share.

1) A heightened sense of connection with my students. This was the first time that I had spent time with many of them. Others I have in class and have seen at FFA meetings but did not know as well as I would like. This trip to ACES, our time spent there, and the trip back allowed me to get to know them better. We made jokes, laughed about eating habits, and reflected upon what they had learned. I am curious as I go back to school this upcoming week, how the relationships with them will change. I hope that they feel more comfortable talking to me about things and interacting more in class. Stay tuned!

Teachers learned about water samples
using the inquiry based approach

2) Professional Development that ROCKS! The workshop on Saturday for teachers was about the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. I LOVED IT. We learned some ways to connect watersheds around us into the curriculum we teach through MWEEs (Meaningful Watershed Education Experience). These experiences have a focus on environmental stewardship but don't have to specifically be about water or on the Chesapeake Bay. Although I am not from the Chesapeake Bay Watershed I recognized that I may be able to implement some of this during my time student teaching that pertains directly to this watershed. I also realize that no matter which watershed I get a job in, I will be able to tie meaningful lessons about ecological sustainability.

3) A chance to recharge my battery with other ag teachers. I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing the friendly faces of my fellow ag teacher colleagues. They are so supportive of us young teachers! I can not count how many times I was asked, "How is student teaching?" My confidence and warm feelings were heightened with each ask as I was reminded that other teachers really care. They are rooting for me and all of the other Penn State 2018 teacher candidates. If that doesn't make you smile then I don't know what will. Remember that there are many individuals out there who are praying for you to succeed and be the BEST YOU. I will never forget the kindness that has been extended from these great teachers and I will be quick to show that same compassion to the ag teachers that come after me.

What to Expect When Interviewing...

I spent a bit of time with the middle school principal talking about educational interviews. I learned some things that I did not know about the interview process all while soaking in some great advice!

1) Just as the great Dr. Seuss said, "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you." The strongest advice that I have been given thus far is to BE YOURSELF! During the first round of interviews, the school is checking to see if you are personable. What type of human being are you? Would you be refreshing to work with? If you sound like a Oscar the Grouch then it would be common sense to think the interviewers might be turned off from speaking with you again.

2) Don't change your beliefs for a position. This is similar to a dating experience for any of you who have gone on a first date. Never change who you are for a person and never change what you believe in for a job. Putting up a facade at the first round of interviews will only leave you beat down and defeated at a later date. Put your best foot forward, bring your game face, and impress them by sharing a piece of you!

3) Express how you will make a difference at their school. Ultimately you are a teacher and are there to serve the knowledge bank and stretch the minds of the students. Let the administration know how you plan to stay up to date with current industry trends and what you will continue to do to ensure you are growing as a teacher.

Get out there and be the best you! Interview strong, ya'll!

5: The Lunch Bunch

In preparation for student teaching, I had heard that having lunch in the faculty room can lead to some "issues" when you are a new teacher. Sometimes a group lunch can bring negative conversation where complaints are scattered through the room like confetti and all teachers try to outdo each other with their horror stories.

Allow me to be the first to say that I am not encountering that scenario with my lunch buddies! I am lucky to have "A" lunch during third block with an amazing group of teachers. There are eight of us "regulars" that come to eat lunch together in the faculty lunch room. This includes myself, the three ag teachers, a photography/cinema teacher, two power and structure technology and engineering teachers, and one wood shop teacher. Some days are more lively than others but it is common to hear jokes and laughter every day. We swap stories, talk about what is happening around the county/community, and jest about what time lunch is over. It is from our time at lunch where I have learned a lot about the school district demographics and fun things to do while I am here in Lancaster County.

My takeaway from this week is to explore what you've been given. If I would have entered the lunchroom with a predetermined mindset that all conversation should be avoided for a fear of negativity then I would be missing out on some great stories from great teachers. My advice would be to scope it out! Don't miss out on a great connection or friendship because of one example that you heard. Have a great week!

SAEs as a Co-op!

The following two Supervised Agricultural Experience visits were at a student's "placement" Co-op. Students at Manheim have the opportunity as a senior in the ag program to leave school at 10:50 to go to their work-based SAE!

The Sweet Secret to Success

Emily poses with a cake that she decorated!

On January 26, 2018 I had the chance to drop by and visit Emily at Cake and Cup Bake Shoppe in Lititz. Emily is a very dedicated and hardworking individual who is currently enrolled in my Applied Animal Science 1 class. Emily was also crowned the Manheim Farm Show Queen at eh 2017 Manheim Community Farm Show. When scheduling her co-op experience, teachers were cautious of sending Emily to a bakery for half of the school day. The hesitation was understandable remembering that SAEs are intended to grow a student's skills in an agriculture career area that they have interest in. However, we are thrilled that Emily has found a passion in cakes and other delectable goodies. She was eager to share the many technical skills that she has gained at Cake and Cup Bake Shoppe. As we spoke to her employer it was evident that Emily has been making the most out of her time there. All of the employees at the Shoppe hope that Emily will consider staying a part of the team after graduation. We couldn't be more proud!

It was fun to drop in and see Emily at her job.

Mane and Tail

Kristen and Spartan.

Our second co-op visit took place on February 1, 2018. This visit was to see Kristen who is working as an Equine caretaker at a riding barn in the Northeast corner of the school district.
Kristen introduced us to her gelding, Spartan and they let us snap a quick picture. She is incredibly driven in her pursuit of horse care and she hopes to become a trainer like her boss at the farm. While Kristen is at work, she helps manage the horses nutrition rations, feed them, muck their stalls, and exercise them daily. Her favorite part of the job is that her tasks are always different and she is faced with new challenges depending on the mood that her equine friends are in. Kristen is on the right path to meet her goals and we hope to visit with her again soon!

4: Story Time

In the past 4 weeks of my student teaching time I have been amazed at the stories that veteran teachers can add into their lessons. No matter what the topic, no matter what the lesson, these teachers can share a story that is relevant to the local area and entertaining as well as educational!

As a young pre-service teacher always knowing what story to tell (or even having a story to tell) is difficult at times. The important thing is to avoid comparing yourself to these legendary teachers. Just think, everyone has some stories and the only way to build our story bank is by having experiences that we can add to the bank.

So get out there, do things, gain more stories that are relevant and educational so that you can share them with your students. Never be discouraged just because at this moment you don't feel as story worthy as the teachers you have observed. We are young! We are beginners! We are novices! We have time to grow!

To the current student teachers, aka #PSUAgEd18 believe me when I say this, our cooperating teachers are master story tellers which can add to our story bank. So pay close attention and soak up their stories like a sponge. Take advantage of being in the presence of excellence by using our observation time to the fullest!

#BuildThatBank

3: In the Case of an Emergency

During this week's fire drill, room 3050's emergency bag
sits and waits outside with the students.

Being Ag teachers, we know that sometimes our classes can contain hazards. In the shop there are saws, drill presses, and welders while in the classroom there can be chemicals, sharp objects, and other places where students need to practice extra caution for their safety.

But what about the instances where our actions don't determine if we stay safe?

This week we heard of the high school in Kentucky where a shooter killed and injured many individuals. Nearby in Lebanon county the Annville-Cleona high school was placed on lock down because of a crime committed nearby where the suspect was on the loose with a firearm. Other emergencies can occur when there is a building fire or a natural disaster. 

In these situations the most important thing to remember is student safety. Are my students here? Are they safe? Are they all accounted for? Each school has a different policy that a teacher should familiarize themselves with. To throw another wrench in the safety procedures, have you ever thought about how to keep your students safe if an emergency occurs while on a field trip? My suggestion is to make an "emergency bag" to take with you on every trip! 

What to put in your Emergency Bag:

• Bottled Water
• Pair of Gloves
• Tissues
• Emergency blankets
• Flashlight with batteries
• Glow Sticks
• Whistle
• Hard Candy
• Compass
• First Aid Kit
• Band-Aids
• Gauze Pads
• Antibiotic Ointment
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Medical tape
• Cotton Balls
• Hand Sanitizer

This is a list of items that are suggestions! Be sure to look at school policy to see what the regulations are for items that you can have around students. Add or remove items to this list at your own discretion. Always keep your bag at the ready and remember that student safety is our number one priority! 

2: You've Got a Friend in Me

Camaraderie

This is the word that comes to mind when I reflect upon this week. I was grateful to spend some time with fellow agricultural educators during the week. On Thursday night (1/18/2018) there was a meeting of the Lancaster County Ag Teachers at Lancaster Mennonite High School. It was great to see some familiar faces and meet some teachers that I had never met before. We carried out the business meeting, shared our potluck feast, and got to work scoring record books from kids in the local chapters. Of course the conversation through all of this was pure gold. We laughed about our personal lives, confided in each other about situations in the classroom, and smiled. 

Sometimes a good laugh and a smile is all we need. These are the moments that make you feel light-hearted and good on the inside. Not only do we need friends that can supply an endless amount of joy to our lives, we need a support network of colleagues as well. I find it amazing, just how large of a network we have as ag teachers. There are people to support us locally, on a statewide level, and even across the country. 

I hope that as I "age" in the profession and gain more experience, I can support and mentor those that come after me. I am sure that they will appreciate having a helping hand, advice, and a friendly face when needed. Until next week, I hope you find yourself in a situation where you can't help but smile. 

1: Overwhelming to Start

If you read my blog earlier this week then you know that I spent my first day of student teaching at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. It was a great day!

Thinking about the rest of my first week, I made some interesting observations.

1) After seeing kids in class every day, you can begin to notice when something is "off."
So far I've been able to hear my cooperating teacher's observations of the students and how to tell when they might be having a bad day or something of the sort. I look forward to being able to recognize the changes in my students as time moves forward.

2) Planning is great but you will always stray a bit from your lesson plan. 
Repetition can help with this but in a lesson there will always be a few things that you forget to do or tell your students. This happened to me on Friday afternoon as I taught my first class. It was okay, no one died, and I just corrected by giving them the info a bit later in the lesson when I happened to remember it.

3) There is time to improve! 
No reason to fret because although I feel great that week one I know that there are fourteen more to go and that I can keep improving! Stay tuned to find out what I learn next week.

Life Knowledge: Creativity

For those of you that read my last post, you know that last week was a busy one with micro-teaching at Bellwood-Antis. Believe it or not, my week wasn't over by Thursday afternoon! From Bellwood we drove back to campus to get to AEE 413 where we celebrated Dr. Ewing's birthday. (Sorry Dr. Ewing for messing up your lesson plan!) Then after class I hopped in the Honda and made my way to Lancaster.

Friday morning I arrived at the school at 7 am and was ready to conquer! I spent some time with my cooperating teacher talking about unit planning and other logistics. This was able to happen because her prep block happened to be first block. The block went by quickly and then suddenly it was time for her Agri-ecology class. I sat in and observed the class while scoping out the room and putting some last minute touches on my plan.

As the bell rang it was time for a quick lunch where we socialized with some other teachers! I thought this was a bunch of fun even though it was a very short time.

We headed back to the class and I was ready to go. My Life Knowledge lesson was about understanding creativity and using creativity. I began with a class of 17 freshmen who seemed unenthused as we started. I had many activities planned within the lessons and was not going to let that phase me. As I was teaching about the "roadblocks" for creativity I had a lightbulb go off...there was a great way for me to show "being stuck in one thought." I called one of the students to the front of the room that was wearing sneakers and I had him untie them both. I asked him to show the class how he tied his shoe with his right foot and shoe. After he did this I paused and asked what he would do if I told him to tie the left shoe in the same knot but use a different process to get there. The class was amazed! This was really a turning point where I shocked them with a little bit of awe and they really wanted to learn from me afterwards. Even though I thought I may run out of material for 90 minutes, I had plenty and had to adjust mid lesson to fit everything in. One of the kids favorite activities was expressing their creativity and team brainstorming skills to create a new plant or animal species.

I would say that it was a good day. I was happy to hear that some of my best participators weren't students that usually participated. I built some confidence and certainly feel better that my first time teaching in that classroom will not be in January. I look forward to whats next!

Micro-teaching at Bellwood-Antis

Teaching. Is. Hard. 

That was how I felt on Wednesday, November 15th after teaching a class of high school juniors and seniors for the second day in a row. I had observed the class on Monday and planned to teach them about resumes and cover letters.

Monday

My first day at Bellwood-Antis High School, I was solely there to observe. As it came time for period 7 which was the period I would be teaching, I anxiously awaited for students to come through the door. When they started walking in my eyes widened as I realized out of 16 students, two were girls and 14 were boys. It was at this moment as I heard their playful banter back and forth that I realized I had my work cut out for me. 

Tuesday

On day two I was ready to teach. I thought that I would conquer the world and I basically did. We had a lot of fun and I got to know the students and dissect some of their mannerisms and personalities. Two students were absent which I knew would add some extra planning the following day but it went very well overall.

Wednesday

Day 3 at BAHS was not my finest hour. While I entered class with the same enthusiasm my mood quickly shifted as the class decided talking overtop of me for 45 minutes. I was not upset with them for talking because we all did that in high school and some of us even do that now in college. I was mostly upset with myself. I felt like a broken record as I kept saying, "Eyes on me." and "Okay, guys. Listen up!" I asked the class to email me whatever portion of their resume they had done by 8pm and the class ended. Sadly my feelings must have shone through to my face as my observer told me afterwards that I looked extremely frustrated. I left the school and felt rather beside myself for the rest of the evening. 

Thursday

My request from the day prior was not taken seriously and out of twelve students that were present on Wednesday, only four had sent me their resumes. I gave them honest and encouraging feedback in a written form and bought the four of them Boston Creme filled donuts. I tried a new tactic for the chatting and stood at the front of the room in silence until the students paid attention to me. It seemed to work out and I had a marvelous day. I had fun throughout the class period and was sad to hear the bell ring and realize that I wouldn't be working with this group of kids anymore.

I am glad that I chose to micro-teach at Bellwood-Antis. I believe that I learned a lot while I was there not only about real high school classes but also about management techniques.

Me, Ms. Becker, and Miss Fisher after
our micro-teaching.

PS.  I gave the students an exit survey before I left and I'm glad to say that many students were happy with my performance. All of them responded that they were satisfied or very satisfied with my time spent teaching them. Some of their suggestions for improvements were to slow down because I went too fast, to be more laid back and funny, and to do more walking activities. I will gladly take their criticisms with a grain of salt. 

Inquiry Based Instruction: Take One

Last week in #AEE412 lab we were tasked to grab a lab-aids kit and write an inquiry based lesson using at least one thing from the box. This was quite a challenging task but it went really well! I'd like to focus on the gems and opps of the experience!

Gems

• My peers gave me great feedback! I taught my lab on Monday and was glad to hear their encouraging words. Shoutout to Michala Khulman as she told me that I sounded like a "real teacher" as I spoke to the class. This made my day!
• Secondly I was having quite the rough morning. I was able to overcome the things from outside of class that were weighing on my mind and still show enthusiasm, encouragement, and positivity.

Opps

• I did not feel that I was as prepared for this week. I had noticed a few things during my lesson that I would have liked to reorganize if I do it again. I wrote these things on my lesson plan in hopes of changing it in the future. 
• I sometimes felt as if I just wasn't doing anything. This will surely go away with practice. I look forward to the time that I won't feel as if I am a helicopter just hovering over the students as they learn. 

Overall it went very well! I look forward to utilizing more IBI instruction in my classroom to effectively question students and push them to dive deeper into learning!

#AEE412 Sunday Reflections 10: Classroom Management

As a pre-service teacher, I recognize that classroom management is a seriously important part of being successful, not only during student teaching but also once I enter my first job!

We have all been blessed with the horror stories that some veteran teachers like to share with (and scare) young teachers. Don't be scared! Realize that some things are out of your control. With that being said there are proactive steps that you can take to make classroom management a much easier task to tackle. 

1. Present procedures, expectations, and consequences on day one. 
Students need to know what you want them to do and the reasoning behind it. Make your expectations clear on day one as well as the consequences so that students know what will happen should they fail to follow rules and endanger the learning of others.

2. Organization and clarity make all the difference.
We have all worked with someone who has been the "least organized person we've ever met." How did you feel throughout this experience? I know that I have been frustrated when this has happened in the past. Disorganization can waste time and lose student attention when it happens in the classroom. Prepare yourself in advance!

3. Effectively utilize ALL instructional time.
This concept is one that I often heard pushed in my educational psychology class. If you engage your students for the entire class period they won't have the time or the need to misbehave! Crazy to think about, eh? Keep them actively learning and you drastically lower your chances of having to utilize intense classroom management as an afterthought. 

4. Building rapport is essential.
Credibility, credibility, credibility. Remember that "Students don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Building a respectful relationship with them will make life much easier. They will then respect your "ask" and focus on learning without "fighting the power."

5. Promote good behavior.
Positivity is KEY. Negative talk can really wear down on students. Reinforcing the type of behavior that you want to see in your classroom can help you to see more of that behavior. Be cautious not to over-praise as this can cause backwards growth in the realm of classroom management. There is a sweet spot that you should try to stay in when praising and reinforcing. Set you expectations high!


Classroom management is not going to be easy but it will be worth it! Remember not to get discouraged if you mess up when managing the class, just take note and remember to do better next time. You've got this!

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References:

Wong, H.K. & Wong, R.T. (2009). The first days of school: How to be an effective teacher (4th ed.). Mountain View: Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc.

Newcomb, L.H., McCracken, J.D., Warmbrod, J.R., & Whittington, M.S. (1993). Methods of teaching agriculture. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

#AEE412 Sunday Reflections 9: Do You Dare To Inquire?

When you read the word "inquire" what do you think of? Perhaps you think of questions, brainstorming, or problem solving. Any of the prior are correct! In the world of education inquiry based instruction certainly does not fit "inside a box." It actually happens to be more of a sliding scale as you can see in the photo on the right. To sum it up, inquiry based instruction uses a student's curiosity to answer scientific based questions while increasing problem solving skills and maintaining rigor. 

This past week at the 90th annual National FFA Convention I attended a workshop that was about "Inquiry" that was put on by DuPont for pre-service teachers. I thoroughly enjoyed the content that was presented in the workshop and am excited to explore more about inquiry this week in my methods course. This also went along nicely with the readings that I did for this weekly reflection. 

It has become quite clear that inquiry lessons can increase motivation and interest in the classroom. I was able to participate in a few activities during my workshop that I attended. As I mentioned the green photo is a scale to compare a lesson to in order to see how much inquiry it includes. When reading a scale such as this one, it is easy to mistakenly believe that a lesson is better if each "feature" fits into the "D" category meaning that it is extremely student-centered. It is crucial to recognize that you are not doing your job if a lesson is entirely student controlled on this scale! There must be variation across the features in order to reach the full potential of the lesson/activity. I plan to check my lessons against the scale to see how they line up. The instructors of the workshop made it clear that implementing inquiry into our instruction is not difficult. When checking some lessons that we had already designed, we would be surprised to find that some inquiry is already included! It simply takes some thought and checking on the chart to see where we stand. Include that inquiry, its easy!

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References:

Warner, A.J. & Myers, B.E. (2011) What inquiry-based instruction? Retrieved from https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/WC/WC07500.pdf

Warner, A.J. & Myers, B.E. (2014). Implementing inquiry-based teaching methods.Retrieved from https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/WC/WC07600.pdf

Alberta Learning. (2004) Focus on inquiry: a teacher’s guide to implementing inquiry-based learning.Retrieved from https://education.alberta.ca/media/313361/focusoninquiry.pdf

Thoron, A.C., Myers, B.E., & Abrams, K. (2011). Inquiry-based instruction: How is it utilized accepted, and assessed in schools with national agriscience teacher ambassadors? Journal of Agriculture Education, 52(1), 96-106. DOI: 10.5032/jae.2011.01096