Professional Development Activities

The past 15 few weeks have been filled with opportunities and experiences that have been completely new to me and have helped me grow professionally. This blog post evidences just a few of these experiences and demonstrates what I have learned from each of them.

MidWinter FFA Convention with Cooperating Center:

I have attended the MidWinter FFA Convention every year for the past 5 years. This year was the first year that I was unable to attend. My cooperating center actually had a snow day and had to cancel their trip to the convention. However, one of the students traveled there anyway to receive her Kestone Degree. I had also been experiencing health concerns during this time and was unable to attend. This is a great experience for FFA members and community members alike.

 
 CPPD Professional Development Program:

I had the opportunity to attend a teacher workshop put on by members of the National Association of Agricultural Educators at the FFA ACES Conference in February. This workshop focused on the importance of implementing Inquiry Based Learning into our classrooms. The presenters explained to us the benefits that IBL has for students. They also demonstrated the how IBL lessons can be determined or carried out on a scale that ranges from extremely teacher centered to extremely student centered. The presenters then had us participate in a lesson that was inquiry based. This was a fascinating exercise that helped me realize the importance of IBL as well as gave me great ideas to use in my own classroom.

One of my favorite aspects about this workshop was all the connections that were made and great ideas that were shared. At the end of the IBL activity, the presenters asked teachers to share other subjects or lesson plan ideas where this activity could be utilized. I was amazed to hear all of the ideas the teachers had. I wrote many of these ideas down because I knew that I could implement them into many of my classes. This workshop left me excited to return to school and test out these IBL activities. This goes to show how great  and creative one Ag Teacher is and then when you put a bunch of them in a room together the results are outstanding and innovative. Being able to collaborate with other Ag teachers at this event has been rewarding for me and has helped me grow in my professional development.


Regional PAAE Meeting:

Besides that great food, there were also great people at the Eastern PAAE Meeting. I had a great time meeting new Ag teachers and catching up with the familiar ones. After our spectacular dinner, we had time to collaborate and share ideas. This was my favorite time of this meeting. I am not sure exactly how many Ag teachers were there but there were lots! Each of us was asked to bring a lesson or idea that we could share with everyone. By the end of this sharing time there flyers about greenhouses, animal facilities, pesticides, FFA banquet checklists, lesson plans and much much more being passed around. I collected a bunch of useful resources from these fellow Ag teachers that I know will be helpful in the future. 

I didn't know what to expect when walking into this meeting. This was my first PAAE meeting and I didn't know how my role as student teacher would fit in. However I felt welcomed and many teachers were open to talking with me and sharing ideas. I was pleased to feel in a place where I belong. It was also a place for innovative thinking and collaboration. I challenged myself to think about how I could positively contribute to this group. I can't wait to partake in more of these types of events as an agricultural educator.

SLLC:

SLLC was a conference that I have never been to before. Therefore I was very excited to take students there and allow it to be a learning experience for both of us. I had a phenomenal time with my students. It allowed me to connect more with them and encourage them to grow through their positive experiences at SLLC.

Our couple of days at this conference were filled with numerous events. We got to tour the capitol building and meet our local House of Representatives. We participated in a community service event and as teacher par take in different teacher workshops and meetings. My favorite event was the community service event. FFA members flooded that city of Harrisburg and positively impacted the community. Our chapter spent the afternoon cleaning playgrounds for a day care center. The facility was so appreciative of our work and help. This opportunity

also helped students realize the influence they can make on their community by donating just a few hours of their time to help others. I love seeing these results. FFA is an amazing youth organization that changes lives.

On the other hand, this was a time for me to take on the teacher role at this conference. I have always attended FFA conferences as a student where I was told where I needed to be when. This time I needed to keep myself organized so that I could keep my students organized. I found through this conference that I thoroughly enjoy this role. I planning and organizing events and ensuring that they are successful. Taking on these roles has prepared me with even more professional development skills. By being exposed to these events and conferences I hope that I will be successful in taking my own student to SLLC in the future.

What Do You Inquire About? : Action Research

This past semester I have had the opportunity to conduct an action research project. This is a research project that allows teachers to evaluate problems in their classrooms and try to fix them through active research. Teachers may test different strategies in their classrooms to analyze if any changes occur or if the problem has been fixed. It's a chance for teachers see what works and doesn't work in the classroom. Teachers are then encouraged to share their results with others in order to share these successful or unsuccessful solutions to problems that other teachers may also encounter. Collectively teachers may begin implementing strategies that help learning process of all of their students.

During my student teaching experience I had the chance to also implement an action research project. I first had to evaluate a problem in my class. I chose my Animal Science class. At the beginning of my student teaching I had to the chance to observe my cooperating teacher teach this class. In this class I noticed that most students were unmotivated to complete work in class. When taking on this class, I wanted to create a goal for myself to boost motivation in the classroom. I developed labs and activities that i felt the students would enjoy and therefore be motivated to complete work. This however was not the case. Students did not enjoy the work. I realized that these labs and activities required students to apply information. Students were not use to or conditioned to the application portion of this learning process for hands on learning. These activities were student centered and they pressured students to build their cognitive skills. The fact that students were unmotivated to complete such tasks raised a concern for me as their teacher. I did not feel that students were being challenged enough to develop these cognitive learning skills.

Therefore my new challenge was to implement inquiry based learning labs and activities in such a way that conditioned students towards student centered learning rather than teacher centered learning. Their classroom structure previously mostly consisted of lecture and worksheets. I was a very much teacher centered classroom environment. When I started teaching this class I had implemented mostly student centered learning strategies. Students were very confused and reluctant to want to engaged in these activities. I knew that if I wanted this project to be effective I would have to start with teacher centered approach and slowly condition my students to a student centered mentality.

I decided to implement 3 total inquiry labs in this class. I did one at the beginning, middle and end of my student teaching experience. All of the labs were very different but were inquiry based with a student centered approach. The first lab went terrible. Students had to create the digestive system of a pig and explain their functions with given tangible materials. Sounds fun right? Students complained up and down about this project. Some didn't even try to help their groups. It was new to them and students don't like changes. However I stuck with it because I knew that this project would be a process.

Throughout the quarter I also implement a few activities that encouraged more student centered learning. I had a few lectures and short video clips. This helped with slowly conditioning students. One project that really helped realize that students were catching on an becoming engaged was an activity that I called "what are you curious about?" The project asked student to think of a question that they have about sheep and goats. They then had to research that question and find the answer to it. Students then had to create a mini poster of their findings. They had to include the resources that they used and the answer to their questions. I was so impressed with the outcome. Every student had completed this task independently and were eager to share their answers with the class. This was a turning point that helped me realize that students were becoming more motivated and engaged in student centered learning.

The other 2 labs went fairly well. The second lab asked students to design and build a sheep or goat facility. For this lab students were still a bit unfocused, however they completed their projects will little to no complaints about the task. The third lab was by far the most impressive. Students had to investigate a crime scene and determine which wool fibers matched the suspect. Through a series of events students looked at the different wool fibers under a microscope. Students enjoyed this and were engaged in the activity.

For each lab I had students complete a lab packet. At the end of each lab packet student had to answer 2-3 reflective questions about the lab. They also had to rank the lab which emphasized how much they enjoyed the lab. After reviewing results from these three labs I found that by the third lab students enjoyed inquiry based learning. They were motivated and completed the tasks that were asked of them. There was a huge difference from the first lab to the last. There was a definite increase in student engagement and likability of these labs.

I enjoyed this opportunity to evaluate my classroom and make effective changes that benefited my students as a whole. Sometimes days, weeks and months fly by and you don't get to accomplish that one activity that you wanted to get to. This however was most certainly worth the time and effort to conduct and organize. By the time I left student teaching I could see a positive difference in my students. These are the kinds of differences that we should strive for in all of our classes.

It's Not the End, but Rather the Beginning (STB#15)

For the last 15 weeks I have had to privilege of teaching 105 different students in my agriculture classes. Perhaps "teaching" is a light term, instead I believe we should use the word "impact." I began my student teaching experience at Octorara Area High School in January of this year. From day one I believed that I would step into this program and begin utilizing my resources and knowledge to teach students about agriculture. Although students came to my classes and gained knowledge in different subject areas, I feel as though I not only taught students but I also impacted them.However, it took me till the end of my student teaching to realize this.

My student teaching experience did not start with warm welcoming arms. In fact many of my students were upset with the fact that they had a student teacher. I was different and I taught much differently from my cooperating teacher. It was an adjustment that we all had to work through. It took many long and exhausting weeks to condition my students to a different way of thinking about school. Many students didn't like the challenge of thinking creatively. What I found was that students preferred sitting and taking notes off of a powerpoint. When I implemented a hands on activity where they had to create something or perform a lab, then I heard all sorts of complaining. I couldn't figure it out at first, but I realized that some of my activities really pushed students out of their comfort zones. At first I wanted to give in and do what the students wanted so that they would appreciate me more as their teacher; however, I reflected on this decision and realized that pushing my students out of their comfort zones is positive for their cognitive development. I wanted my students to think creatively and I wanted them to simply think. Having students take notes off of a powerpoint is sometimes necessary but if done everyday then it's cycling the idea of spoon feeding our students information without allowing them to apply the information. I wanted my students to apply information and at first it was not an easy sail. However, the last two weeks of student teaching really hit me in realizing the impact that was occurring in my classes. I had implemented a few labs and activities that involved all hands on learning. What did I the students say when I explained the lab to them? Nothing! They got right to work and completed the task that I asked of them. Nothing made me more happier than knowing that I could successful change their perception of school and change a way of thinking that would help them in positive ways. In reflecting on my teaching experience I realize just how important it is to challenge our students beyond the ordinary. Don't let any of your classes be an ordinary working environment but rather change it to be an extraordinary one. I believe agricultural education has the power to do just this.

Another great piece of advice that has carried with me from the beginning of this experience is to build rapport with your students. I have seen the importance of this play out in my student teaching experience and I could not agree more. A previous student teacher once told me, "invest in your students and they will invest in you." I love this because it is very true. These past few months I have not only gotten to know students but I have been able to help students because they have trusted me. I went to my students basketball and softball games and I have talked to students after school about how I can help them in class. I have also given students encouraging words when they have hit a low point in their life. Sometimes I didn't know why I received respect from my students, but I do know that I took the time to get to know them. I always told my students how much I believed in them. I don't think students hear this enough from their teachers. I don't know how much my words impacted my students but I know that I saw many changes in my students' behaviors and attitudes over the past few months. It has been an absolute joy making these connections with my students, and I know more than anything that I will miss their diverse personalities that make your job worth the while.     

Impact is a small word that makes a big difference. The most sad part about leaving my cooperating school on that last day was knowing how much I had worked with my students to get them to where they were and knowing that I wouldn't be there Monday morning to continue this pattern. I wouldn't be able to ask my one student who comes to school 45 minutes early how he was doing and talk to him another 10 minutes about his favorite fishing memories. I wouldn't be able to talk to the two freshman girls that stopped by every morning just to say hi. I wouldn't be able to help finish planning out the FFA banquet with the officer team. The list could go on and it is sad knowing that I will never have these same opportunities again with these students. However, leaving my empty desk on my last day, I was at peace. Every single student gave me a hug and a thank you after leaving my class. Some threw a surprise party and others got me gifts. This sense of peace came from knowing that I didn't only teach these students but I impacted them too.  

My Ag Mech Class on my last day!

My students and I representing FFA at a 

community event on Saturday

There is Nothing Median About Bermudian

Last Friday I had the opportunity to observe one of my fellow cohort members, Reas Ianson, at her cooperating center. Rea is student teaching at Bermudian Springs High School with Mrs. Jarema. I spent the day sitting in on all of her classes and getting the chance to see her in action. This was both a refreshing and rewarding experience for me. I was able to take a lot of ideas back with me to my own cooperating center. I was also able to reevaluate my own student teaching experience and make some positive changes.

Rea teaches 11 periods a day. At first I thought wow, how can this be done! However I found that back to back classes make the day go extremely fast and you are constantly working with students. Rea also teaches mostly agricultural mechanics classes. Students work out in the shop on a variety of projects. I got to see students welding, grinding, cleaning mowers, disassembling engines, draining oil, checking spark plugs and the list could go on. The shop itself is not a large shop, but there sure is a lot of motivated students that utilized every single resource available to them. Every student was productively working on a project during class.

There was so much happening in one class that I able to just soak in and absorb so much information during my observations. It just so happens that I started my small gas engines unit with my Ag Mech students the week before coming to visit Rea. In my class we started learning about the basics in class before allowing them to work out in the shop. I was worried about letting students out in the shop to take apart an engine. I didn't feel confident that I would even know what I was doing. After seeing this happen in Rea's Ag Mech class, however, I was much more excited and motivated to get my students out in the shop.

Mrs. Jarema was also extremely helpful. She provided me with many great tips to teaching small gas engines. She also gave me an excellent workbook with answer keys and information on different engine parts and functions. Mrs. Jarema taught us and the students how to use a spark plug tester and clean a spark plug since we needed a bit of a refresher from our AEE 350 class. Mrs. Jarema also had Rea and I replace grinders on the grinder. This was something that I have never done before. We also had to replace an oxygen tank for the gas welder. There were just so many great examples such as these that helped me learn about new aspects of the shop.

Being able to observe both Rea and Mrs. Jarema in their element was very refreshing for me. Rea is such a bubbly and relaxed person and I saw how comfortable students felt around her. They thoroughly enjoyed her classes. Over the past few weeks I feel as though I have gotten caught up in litter details that have frustrated me. These frustrations have carried over to the way I reacted to students and carried my presence in the classroom. After visiting Rea I realized that I need to change my own attitude towards these little frustrations and create a more relaxed and engaging classroom for my Ag Mech students. I did this and I saw immense changes in my students. I also got my students out in the shop to start their engine disassembly and they did awesome! I found that I know more about engines than I think I know, but most importantly I used the information that I observed in Rea's classes and implemented these same techniques into my own classes. I felt much more prepared and confident for my shop classes after visiting her and seeing how things are done at Bermudian.

I named the title of this blog post "There is Nothing Median About Bermudian" because I truly have seen some amazing things happening in their Agriculture program. They go above and beyond to provide a variety of resources and hands on experiences for their students. Students don't take these opportunities for granted either. Students were extremely focused and motivated to the tasks that were asked of them. Whether working in the shop or mixing fertilizer for the greenhouse, these students really impressed me. I think vising Rea was just what I needed to encourage myself to raise the bar higher at my own cooperating center. I brought back with me so many new great ideas and resources that helped me boost student motivation and engagement!

Preparing with the Best for the Best

One of my assignments for my student teaching experience is to conduct a mock interview with a school administrator at my cooperating center. After reviewing this assignment and meeting the administration at Octorara High School, I knew exactly the right person for this task. Lisa McNamara recently accepted the position of K-12 Program Administrator. More specifically she has taken on the responsibility of being the Program Director for all of the High School's CTE programs. These programs include the agricultural mechanics program that I currently teaching. Lisa was Octorara's Elementary Principle and recently took on this new administrative position in the high school. Lisa is heavily involved in the interviewing process at Octorara and has previous experience in interviewing and educating youth about these professional development skills. For these reasons I felt Lisa would be the perfect administrator to interview me and provide me with excellent constructive feedback. 

One of the scariest and most intimidating parts of an interview is being asked questions that you don't know will be asked. In my interview, Lisa asked me a variety of excellent questions. When I say excellent questions, I mean she asked some challenging questions! She asked me about how I would handle conflict between myself and another Ag teacher in the program. She asked me what I think is the most common misperception that people have about me. She also asked me how I would handle a situation in my classroom if a student was misbehaving in such a manner that the situation would need addressed immediatly. Another great question that Lisa asked was how I would use my resources and community to impact my program. These were just a few questions that I have never been asked before in an interview that I thought we most beneficial for me. 

Answering some of these difficult questions was not always easy. In fact because I have been student teaching in the program for weeks now, it was difficult answering the questions without having a biased opinion. For the most part, however, I felt confident in answering the questions that Lisa had prepared for me in this interview. Lisa had found and created a list of questions that she specifically wanted to ask me. This helped the interview remain focused and organized. I felt Lisa did great job setting this up for me. At the end of the interview she told me that my answers were excellent and that she felt that I was well prepared for this interview. She also provided me with a few helpful suggestions. One of them being to slow down when I am talking and answering the questions. I know that I have a tendancy to talk fast when I am focused on a certain topic or subject that I am passionate about. I also have a tendency to talk fast when I am nervous. So probably a little bit of both contributed to this fast pace of verbal communication. 

At the end of the interview Lisa opened the discussion for any questions that I may have. I asked Lisa two questions about the agriculture program. The first question I asked was about where she sees the agricultural program in 5 years and what are some the goals in place for the next 5 years. Lisa's response exemplified her drive and passion to see the program move forward. There are great opportunities in store for the Ag program at Octorara if all participants obtain the same determination as Lisa does to see such growth evolve. My second question to Lisa was about the type of curriculum they have in thier program and what new curriculum they would like to see implemented in the program. Lisa explained that right now the program is working on developing a specific curriculum for the program and would eventially like to see the CASE curriculum utilized in the program. These questions helped me understand the future of the program and where administration would like to see the program go.

With this particular interview there were many aspects that I was impressed with. I was most impressed with the questions that I was asked. I did not feel that the questions that I was asked were general or cliche questions but rather detailed and indepth. They really got me thinking about how I would handle difficult situations in my classroom or program. For some of these questions I had to pause for a bit and think about what I wanted to say and how I was going to best answer the question. The aspect of this interview that I was least impressed with was the lack of interest that was shown in reviewing my cover letter and resume. I had shown Lisa where my cover letter and resume was in my professional portfolio; however, it was not looked at. For myself personally I think I was least impressed with my ability to provide examples during my interview. From previous interviewing training I was taught to always include real life examples. I feel that I could have included more examples when trying to get a point accross in my interview. 

In conclusion I really enjoyed this opportunity to once again gain more interviewing experience. I told Lisa after our interview that although I have a job lined up for the Fall, it will always be helpful to expose myself to these types of professional development opportunities. Every interview is different and every experience is an opportunity to gain or build a skill. I believe that my interview today has helped me build my interviewing skills. This experience allowed me to prepare with the best for the best.  

Grow, Lead, Succeed with SAE Visits!

Meet our FFA Chapter President!

I had to opportunity to conduct my last SAE visit with one of my students, Rachel Stoltzfus, in my FFA class. Rachel is also our chapter president and has been doing exceptional work this semester. I first met Rachel when we traveled to the National FFA Convention in the Fall of 2014. At that point I felt that Rachel was a quiet and shy student who I wasn't sure if I was would connect with. However, as I dived into student teaching I realized just how exceptional of a student Rachel is. Rachel shows beef cattle, sheep and pigs. She is heavily involved in 4-H and FFA and has performed exceptionally well on the livestock judging and interview CDE. I have gotten to know Rachel really well as one of my students and because of her role on the officer team. I have seen Rachel grow over the last few months as she has taken on leadership responsibilities and has helped to lead her FFA chapter in a positive direction. I could not be more proud of Rachel and all that she has accomplished this year.

For this SAE visit my cooperating teacher and I traveled to Coatsville, Pa to observe all the hard work that Rachel does on her family farm. Rachel and her family live on a 300 acre beef cattle farm. She feeds, waters and cares for the health of her animals everyday. Rachel has a well developed placement SAE program involving the care of these animal. Rachel keeps her record books updated on AET where she journals about her daily tasks and records her financial investments on her project. Rachel has been proficient in maintaining excellent records. In fact Rachel won first place at the county level record book contest this year.

Rachel's new sheep Cassidy!

During this SAE visit I had the opportunity to meet the animals that Rachel cares for everyday. One new addition to Stoltzfus farm is her sheep, Cassidy. Rachel described how she is expanding her SAE project to more than just showing beef cattle. Rachel will be working hard this summer by showing not only her beef cattle but also her new sheep. Rachel joined her local 4-H sheep club where she will be learning how to properly show a sheep. This is a great opportunity for her to expand her knowledge in multiple areas of animal agriculture. I am pleased with Rachel's progress and her determination to reach her goals.

In evaluating Rachel's SAE project, I utilized a rubric that I felt most effective in grading this type of project. I evaluated the organization and completion of Rachel's record book both on AET and her printed out copy. I also based her grade on her enthusiasm towards the project and her effort in working towards her goals. Through the visit I was also able to observe if the project was active and involving. I provided a grade to the student based off of these observations. I felt Rachel did an outstanding job in all of these areas.

As a student teacher I really enjoy participating in SAE visits. It gives me the chance to meet my student's family members and explore the exciting opportunities they have created for themselves through their SAE project. I often find that connecting with students in this way also allows for more involvement in my classroom. I have found that students are willing to put more time into you because you put the time into them. These are the exceptional results that are brought about from conducting an SAE visit with FFA members.



 

Take the Challenge Part 2 (STB#14)

The FFA food drive was a success! 

Two weeks ago I wrote a blog about taking on challenges. In fact I wrote a blog about taking challenges at the beginning of my whole student teaching experience as well. Challenges are "things" we all encounter. I label them "things" because challenges aren't always obstacles and they aren't always glorious. I have seen them in action these past couple of months; however, once again I can't help but to share about how a challenge this past week has changed the dynamics of the classroom.

At the beginning of this week my cohort received an email from our student teacher supervisor that challenged us to raise the bar in our last 10 days. The challenge was to set a daily goal for ourselves to such as have a meaningful conversation with 10 different students who you have not connected with yet or talk to students not in your class. I decided to take on this challenge to see what would results.

Of all the different types of challenges I have faced this year, I must say that this was probably my favorite. This week I broke some barriers with many of students. Some of these students I have felt never really wanted to get to know me or just haven't warmed up to me or I have tried and just haven't been able to "break the ice." On the flip side maybe I just wasn't doing enough to reach out to these students. In these last few weeks I have really challenged myself to have a different attitude in the classroom. This change of attitude has really changed the whole dynamic of my classroom. It has allowed students to open up more and interact with me more. With this attitude change and my personal challenge to connect with those students that I haven't yet, this week has shown its gems.

Some of my classes contain students that teachers "warn you about." Although I have been given the "warning" I have tried hard not to let the perspectives of others effect my goal for student success of all students. I believe that if we take the time to get to know our students on a personal level we may better understand them as people and make connections that can positively change their behavior inside the classroom. We maybe able to then stop tagging a warning label on students. This week I made some major breakthroughs with three of these students. These three students I never thought would come to respect me as their teacher or listen to what I had to say; however, this week I saw a sudden change in attitude among these students. One student started becoming interested in the classroom materials and started completing and handing in work on time after I had talked to him one on one and expressed how much I want him to be successful in my class. Another student has opened up with me and his peers after I made one joke with him that turned into a classroom inside joke. Yet another student just needed someone to talk to one day and came to down my room to talk to me about a stressful situation he was going through. Although these students would be considered challenges in some classrooms, I chose to get to know these students and find ways to engage them in class. What I found is that students don't need an ISS, detention or suspension, they simply need someone that believes in them.  

It took me awhile to figure this out. At first I was guilty of getting frustrated with students and threatening them with ISS or taking away privileges. In some situations this is a necessary consequence; however with many of my students it simply didn't matter to them. I couldn't figure out why at first they wouldn't care if they got and ISS or suspension, but I began to realize that for many of these students that was a typical day for them. It wasn't anything new or out of the ordinary to spend the day in ISS. A consequence like that didn't change their behavior in class. I had reanalyze how I responded to students and my attitude. Letting the frustration build up was not helping me in any way. I started challenging myself to be more relaxed and to find ways that might boost student engagement and motivation. One important aspect was getting to know my students on a one-on-one basis. I started having more conversations with those students that I didn't have a "connection" with yet and showed interest in them. As a result my students have opened up more to me. The "tough guys" joke around with me more, have shared their frustrations and concerns with me, and even go out of their way to just come and chatw . I have really valued these conversations with students and always end conversations by letting them know that they can do great things in this world because I believe in them. It may sound cheesy, however, many of my students have never heard anyone tell them those words and I think they are important words for students to constantly hear in order to help them to believe in themselves.

Students on our Longwood Gardens field trip!

As I approach the last week, I want to challenge myself to leave this message with all of my students. I hope that I have taught them a little bit about animal science, mechanics and leadership but I through it all I hope that I have taught them a whole lot about themselves and their true potential in this big world. I truly think this will be a hard week as I will have to say goodbye to my students. I would say student teaching has been a challenge, but it was a challenge worth taking.

Discover Science in Your School

Mrs. Gusepie's Science Classroom!

As often as I tend to feel sometimes stuck in the corner of the school's Tech Department wing, I often forget to realize that there are at least 40 other teachers teaching a variety of other subjects during the day. These teachers put in just as much hard time and dedication into their subjects. The awesome part of our job as an agriculture teacher is that our ag classes incorporate an array of standards including math, reading, writing and of course science! This past week I had the opportunity to branch out beyond the Ag department and observe a science teacher in her element. This was a rewarding experience because I not only built a great connection with this teacher, but I also was able to pick up some great tips and ideas that I could be implement in my own classroom.

I had to privilege of observing the Biology teacher, Mrs. Gusepie, this week. Mrs. Gusepie also teaches Forensic Science. This happened to be quite the coincidence because I was planning a Forensics lab in my Animal Science class and had no previous knowledge that she taught this course. Mrs. Gusepie also teaches Advanced Biology and an intro level of Biology. I observed her introduction class which consisted of 15 freshmen and one or two sophomores. The students were just finishing up their unit discussion on punnett squares. When Mrs. Gusepie introduced me to her class she mentioned that the same topics they are learning now also relates to what I teach in Animal and Plant Science courses. I thought it was interesting that she made the connection with her class. It helped to make that connection between biology and agriculture.

Mrs. Gusepie was working through a punnet square packet with her students in preparation for an upcoming test. I had the chance to walk around and talk with the students about the work they were completing. After reviewing the packet, I found it to be pretty creative and found that students were engaged. The title of the packet was "Bikini Bottom's Punnet Squares." The packet was related to Sponge Bob and the crosses of the different characters on the show. It seemed appropriate for a freshman class. These students were instructed to complete the packet and hand them in when they were done. At first I thought this might be a typical lesson if that was all they were doing the entire class; however, there was more accomplished in this lesson than just a packet.

Students were at all different stages of the game with the worksheet. Some were almost done while others had only just started. This is a problem that we face often as teachers. Mrs. Gusepie solved this problem by putting a challenging problem on the board for students to complete when they were done with the Bikini Bottom packet. It was challenging in a way that students were anxious to be the first ones to solve the problem but knew that they needed to finish their packets first. It was a motivational tool used to complete the task at hand. About half way through the period most students had finished their packets and were working on the problem. Mrs. Gusepie reviewed the problem with the students and assisted in leading them to the answer.

What I appreciated most about Mrs. Gusepie's teaching was that she helped students get to the answer rather than giving them the answer. She even challenged students to a higher order of thinking by asking questions about percentages of the heritable outcomes. Although the Bikini Bottom packet was a good hook, her challenging question on the board was realistic as it was related to guinea pigs. This made the this scenario real for students. This part of the lesson reminded me of the importance of hooking our students into our classroom content and also providing realistic activities that can be applied to real life scenarios.

In my opinion the students were interested in this lesson. I had the chance to walk around and talk to students while they were working on their packets. I asked them what they like most about the information they were learning and what topics they found most difficult. What I found interesting was that all students were engaged, even those that found the information more difficult. One student told me that she hated science and wish she didn't have to take the class; however, she completed her packet and she did it by herself rather than taking answers from her neighbor. It appeared that all students completed the worksheet and were motivated by the challenge that the questions presented. I enjoyed getting to know some of these freshmen and discovering what things in this lesson motivated them to complete their work.

On the flip side much of the student success in the classroom was a result of the teacher and her encouragement in the classroom. Mrs. Gusepie has been teaching at Octorara for 15 years. She is an older lady with a gentle spirit and can effectively communicate with her students. Students have a great deal of respect for her. I believe she possesses many of the characteristics that ensure an effective teacher. One aspect that I think she thrives in is clarity. Throughout the lesson she provided clear explanations and she brought forth questions and examples that made the classroom material more clear and easy to learn. She also obtains a very business-like behavior but also has a great sense of humor that is easy going with the students.

Some of these characteristics that Mrs. Gusepie possesses have helped me to evaluate my own teaching strategies. Often times I feel like I have a lot of enthusiasm but question if I can work on my clarity. I recognized how effective examples are in the classroom. The concept may or may not make sense to a student, but when you use an example that relates the concept to that student it all of a sudden makes sense to them. I have seen this "click" or "spark" in my own students but I feel that sometimes I could do better at providing this type of clarity that relates content to all of my students. Being able to observe another teacher has helped me think about my own teaching and evaluate areas in which I can improve on.

Having the opportunity to observe another teacher was a great way to refresh and reflect. Not only did I have the chance to check out other areas of my cooperating center other than the "tech wing" but I also got to know a really cool teacher that I otherwise would have never meet. Mrs. Gusepie even lended me a microscope and cover slips for one of my own labs in my classroom. This morning I had a paper jam in the printer and she helped me fix the printer. I just really appreciated making this connection with her and respect her for the lending hand she has provided. This experience also gave me the opportunity to reflect on my own teaching. I would consider Mrs. Gusepie a seasoned teacher and I was able to pick up some good "words of wisdom" from her. I also evaluated my own teaching effectiveness and asked myself if I do enough of this or that in the classroom. It was just another rewarding experience that has allowed me to grow into something better!

There are lots of cool objects hanging in her room!

A Nearing End to a Fast Beginning (STB#13)

End the of student teaching is nearing and that means that things are not winding down but rather picking up! I look back on the past months and think "where in the world did time go!" I still have labs and activities I want to accomplish before I leave and there are events and planning that still need to occur. I understand that whether I am there or not these things will happen; however, I feel apart of this Ag program now and I find it strange for it all to be done in just two short weeks and not be apart of the last month and a half of school. This week was an eye opener for me as to the short amount of time I have left.

This sad realization also served as a huge motivation to make sure I leave not disappointed. How can I raise that bar even higher in the last few weeks? This week I took on this challenge. As mentioned in previous posts, I have a very difficult class of high school mechanic boys. Although this class is difficult, I realized that I can not let my guard down and that I need to create even more engaging lessons that will build better rapport with this students before I leave. 

Students in my other classes have been wondering why I am so excited to see them and why I am so excited about class. One reason is that they have no idea what I put up with in my morning classes that by the time I see them they are just the highlight of my day. The second reason is because now more than ever I want students to still stay engaged in my classroom. I have noticed that the nicer weather brings out students' spring fevers. It is almost the end of the year and they feel like they have been trapped inside for so long due to a long winter. With these two factors in place, an explosion of some sort is bound to happen and it is easy to lose focus towards the end. In the last two weeks I have had 4 students suspended do to fighting or misbehavior. A suicide note was found in my classroom. The rambunctious behavior has set in. However, I believe it is truly important to revert that built up energy into classroom engagement. Although this is very easy to say it is often times very hard to do. 

Although recently I have seen a boost in student engagement. I think this is a combination both my attitude and my classroom materials. This week I planned a lab for my animal science class that I was especially happy about. Students took notice of this excitement and they seemed to also be engaged in it. Right now in this course we are looking at sheep and goat fibers and their classifications. The lab I planned was actually a forensics type of lab. A scenario was given to students about a murder that happened. They were told that investigators have narrowed the case down to 3 suspects, each who wore a scarf that matched the description of a witness. The students job was to find the murderer by taking samples of each of the scarves, look at them under a microscope and match them with the sample that was found on the victim. In the process students had to identify if the samples were fine, medium or long type of fibers and draw what they saw from these samples. I was very excited to see how this lab would go because I have never done anything like this before, and I thought it sounded fun. It seemed as though my students quickly caught on to my excitement as well. As students began working independently in their groups I found that many were engaged in the lesson as well. This coming week, they find out who the actual murderer was and I am interested in seeing if they were able to come to the right conclusions. 

My other Intro to Agriculture class has also been really fun class this past week. We are FINALLY  about to go work out in the shop and practice some welding techniques. I am excited to see how well these nine freshmen do. We have spent a good amount of time on safety and taking a safety quiz and I feel confident that they are ready to show what they know out in the shop! 

Lastly, even with all the lesson planning and classroom focus there is still one major event that has dominated a lot of our schedules: The FFA Banquet. Everyone is starting to feel the pressure with the FFA banquet quickly approaching. Students have been doing an excellent job organizing and getting things together for the banquet; however, I realized that it is almost more stressful keeping them all organized and ensuring all the Ag teachers and students are on the same page and have the same goals for the banquet. If one small detail is told to a student that is different from what the other teacher was expecting than this can cause a hold up in the process. This behind the scenes organization is critical and important. I am really enjoying working students with this and I am excited to see how the banquet turns out!

Although the end is nearing the pace is only picking up. Meanwhile I am trying to enjoy the ride while setting that bar high before I leave. I don't want to leave student teaching wishing it would have ended better or that I should have done more. I want to provide the best last opportunities for students that I can! 

Take the Challenge! (STB#12)

This week I was only at school three days, but boy were those three days challenging! My cooperating teacher was out for three days for family issues and I was out one day for a funeral as well. So the three days that I was at school I took on the challenge of planning and teaching all of the classes. I really only had one class that I haven't picked up yet; however, it is the one class that I have been a bit nervous to teach. After testing the waters with the class this week I realized that they aren't as bad as I had expected.

The class is an Ag Mechanics course consisting of 24 boys and we just started our small gas engines unit. These boys are all over the spectrum. Some know a lot about engines, some don't understand them, some are diligent listeners, some (well most) test their boundaries, and the list could go on. What they all are very good at however is making it appear as though they know everything about engines. Being in a room full of boys, each wanted to impress their peers with their engine knowledge. It was quite the experience but I pressed through and the week turned out great. I was able to let students "show what they know" and help teach other about engines.

 I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous to teach this class all by myself this week; however, I approached each day confident in my lessons and carried through with all my planned materials. I heard the normal grumbling and complaining about different activities I asked them to do, but I promised myself that I would be positive about the activities I had planned and push past the negativity that they wanted to pressure me with. By keeping this positive and confident spirit in the classroom I was able to get each of my students to do the activities I had asked of them.

I also knew that I would have to get tough with some of the students. In other words the rules and consequences were going to be challenged more than ever. With my cooperating teacher gone, students were bound to test their boundaries. I am not proud of these numbers, but I had to write three students up to the principle and another student got a 5 day suspension due to his misbehavior in class. I reminded students at the beginning of the week of my rules and consequences, which apply even when Mr. Graydus is gone. Many of the rules were broken and so the consequences followed. I knew that I had to stick to my word, especially with a bunch of rowdy boys in my morning classes. Consequences are one of my weaknesses but I stuck with them this week and they seemed to improve the classroom behavior.

At the end of the week, I reflected on the three days I took on that full load and realized that it wasn't really as bad as I had thought it would be. Rather I am now more encouraged to start this coming week because I was able to make it through last week. It has also encouraged me to "take the challenge" when situations like this arise. If we never step out into the deep waters and try these challenges we may never know just how far we can make it. The best part is that we have cooperating teachers and centers that wont let us sink. Now, during student teaching, is the time to test the waters and truly see just much we can do.

Enhancing Classroom Activities (STB#11)

This week of student teaching felt like a slower pace week for me. It was the week after SLLC and CDE contests and I returned to a full week of classes. Although I enjoyed my time at contests and CDEs I was glad to jump back into my "normal" teaching routine. I use normal very lightly as I don't believe I ever have a normal week. However, if we as teachers had "normal" weeks or even days I don't think our job would be as fun as it is. The best part about walking into school every morning is that I know it will never be the same as the day before. Kids will test, love,yell, listen, disrespect or encourage you and the list could go on. But the most important thing to remember is that all of these characteristics of our students inspire us and shape us into better teachers.

In my Animal Science class, students had projects to share and present this past week. After hearing these presentations and looking at the results I was greatly disappointed. Most of them did not hand in the quality of work that I had expected. At the end of presentations I reflected on what I could do better or how I could have gotten better results. On Friday, I had the chance to travel to Penn State and meet with my fellow cohort members for one of our Pre-Internship Seminars. We were given time during this conference to discuss with our peers a lesson that was a "flop." I decided to bring along this project and ask my cohort members for help. 

The feedback that I got back was amazing. After feeling stuck and not knowing how I could have gotten students more excited or into this project, my peers brought a whole new perspective to the table. They gave me great suggestions as to how to build more student motivation and get students more involved with the project. One of their suggestions was to make the project competitive. My students especially really enjoy competition. I think that that may have boosted their interest in this project. Overall, I was pleased with this feedback! Reflection is a great thing and with multiple brains working together the results are mind blowing. :) 

This experience was also a wake up call for myself. Sometimes I feel that I get caught up in the day to day routine that I forget how exciting school can be. With my animal science project I didn't know what else I could do to make it better; however, my peers helped me realize that I need to take a little bit of extra time to think outside that box and prepare an exciting activity that students can't wait to participate in. My students more than anything deserve an awesome experience in my classroom and I want them to be excited walking into each of my classes. In finishing out my last couple of weeks (where did time go?) I want to push myself even more to develop awesome experiences for my students. As I am often encouraged at school with the question "how are you going to leave the wood pile higher?" I want to be able to answer this question at the end of my student teaching experience. 

Students had to find different Parli Pro motions hidden around the shop. #GoGetItEMoment

Tis the FFA Season (STB#10)

My students and I touring the Capitol as part of our SLLC experience 

It’s a time of year where it seems that the Christmas season has ended and the FFA season has started. Almost every weekend I have been away for an FFA conference or event. Although a lot of running around, I see the impact that these events are making on my students and it is rewarding to see the outcomes. This past weekend was the FFA State Legislative Leadership Conference (SLLC) in Harrisburg. We left with five students on Sunday and returned to school Tuesday. We then had a Small Gas Engines competition to go to on Wednesday. I returned to teach at school Thursday and Friday. 

Although I was gone from school most of this week, it was a great opportunity to spend time with my FFA students at these conferences and competitions. These events have allowed both me and my students to explore more of what all FFA has to offer. I have never been to SLLC before and so it was a great learning experience for myself. My students, however, were like new individuals when they returned to school. They had such a great time! On our way home I asked the students to reflect on their highlights from the trip and how the conference could improve. Most students said that their highlight was making new friends. I was constantly seeing my students talking with students from other schools and I was proud of them for branching out and meeting new people. My students also said that they would improve some of the bills that were discussed during their workshops the first day. Overall, it was a great trip and I am pleased with the way my students were open to helping others, learning and making new friends.

Our Small Gas Engines team putting their engine back together

This past Wednesday Octorara traveled to Solanco High School to compete in a Small Gas Engines and Creed Speaking CDE contests. This was another excellent experience for both myself and my students. I have never judged the Small Gas Engines competition before and it was quite the experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. Octorara came in third place for this competition and fourth for creed speaking. I was very pleased with this outcome but more importantly seeing the motivation the students had to do even better next time was very exciting to see. As we returned to school the participating students were talking all about their success and competition with the other students at school. They were excited to be able to advance and they were anxious to get out to the shop and tinker with their engine even more. I hope that the next unit which happens to be small gas engines will help them perform even better at the State Summer Conference. 

As I returned to my two days of classes, I was surprised to return to a well behaved bunch of students. I thought they would have enjoyed not having their teacher for a few days, but what I found was that they were excited to see me. They were more well behaved when I returned which made me wonder what they were trying to cover up from the beginning of the week! But all reports that I got back were positive, so I kept moving through my lessons as usual for these past two days. I am looking forward to having a longer and more productive week next week. 

The following are pictures from our community service project at the Neighborhood Center in Harrisburg:

                                                      

              

  

Down on the Farm with an SAE Visit

Glen cleaning the barn before milking time.

Today I finally got to conduct an SAE visit with our FFA Chapter VP, Glen. After having to reschedule with this student for over a month due to snow days or delays, we finally find a sunny afternoon that fit both of our schedules. If I have learned one thing it is that snow postpones almost everything over the winter season and we must be flexible. I will say that it was much more pleasurable having to carry out an SAE visit with the temperatures above 32 degrees. Anyway I had the opportunity to learn all about Glen's SAE project by visiting him down on the farm.

Glen has shown exceptional progress in just the two months that I have been student teaching at my cooperating center. After a downfall in our officer team earlier this year, we elected Glen as our FFA VP to finish out the year. So far he has been doing an excellent job maintaining his responsibilities in this position. I don't think I have every met a student with such determined and creative ideas for our chapter to engage in. As I constantly tell my students, "the sky is the limit. You can accomplish it if you dream it," Glen takes his ideas above and beyond and has the willpower to see his ideas succeed. Glen is currently in the Ag Mechanics CTP program at school where he has been developing his shop skills. I am proud of the responsibilities that Glen has taken on this year and all the FFA events he has attended. I hope that he pursues his FFA degrees and goes on the receive his American degree at the FFA National Convention even after he graduates.

For this SAE visit with Glen my cooperating teacher and I traveled off the beaten path to a little farm in southern Chester County. Here was a dairy farm where Glen milks cows every day after school. He does the evening milkings during the week and both morning and evening milkings on the weekends. I surprised at all the hard work that this high school student put forth in this job. Glen did say that although it is hard work he enjoys the paychecks at the end of the month that helps him pay the bills. This small dairy farm that he works at is run by a father and son. Glen's older sister milked cows at the farm for many years and then the job was handed down to Glen when he was old enough. Glen has been milking cows at this facility for a little over a year. This placement SAE has helped him develop a good work ethic and a love for agriculture.

This farm uses shredded newspaper taken from local schools to prepare bedding for the cows.

In preparing for this SAE visit I gathered together specific questions that might be needed to better understand this SAE. In my AEE 311 class a developed an SAE visitation form and rubric. The students need to first fill out a form that describes their SAE project and hand it in prior to their visit. The students then receive a rubric that explains how they will be graded on their SAE project and visit. I also have been scheduling with Glen to try and get a date established that would work with Glen, myself, my cooperating teacher and Glen's employers. There were different parties that all needed to be on board with this SAE visit. Although it took some planning, I think we were all well more prepared for the visit.

In evaluating an SAE program I have developed an SAE grading rubric. The rubric awards points to the student for the completion of forms prior to the visit. The student needs to completely fill out the form and meet with the teacher to discuss the SAE program and planned visit. The student is also given points for the actual SAE visit which should the student's evidence enthusiasm for the project and progress in reaching goals. Students should also have all records relating to the SAE updated and organized. Students are evaluated on organization and well kept records. If these tasks are all well maintained I believe that the student has an active and progressive SAE program and should therefore be awarded the proper grade.

Glen has an established profile on AET. However, Glen has been seeking help with keeping records on his account. Although he has general information on his account, he needs some assistance in entering journal entries and financial reports. Glen and I established a time this week were I will work with him and show him how to enter this information using his AET account. Glen will be working with a placement record book to keep records on this SAE project. If I could make any recommendations

to Glen it would be to always ask his teachers for help with AET if he is unsure how to use any of the settings. I think Glen would have an outstanding record book if you kept up to date with his journal entries and financial recordings. I would suggest that he gets into a pattern writing on a chart what he does everyday at his job and then weekly sign into his account and enter this information. Although the record book keeping is not up to date, I think with some help we can get him on track again.

Overall, I was very impressed with Glen's SAE project. He seems to be learning a lot with the work that he is doing. When I asked him what his goals are after high school he said that he wasn't sure but definitely something in Agriculture. His SAE program has helped him develop an interest in Agriculture that will impact his future career goals. I was pleased to have conducted this SAE visit as it was a learning experience with for both myself and my student.

Visiting the Agriculture Science Department

Last week I had the opportunity to explore the rest of the Ag department at my cooperating center by sitting in on classes and observing how other teachers teach. There is one other teacher in my school's Ag department and I am frequently talking and interacting with her; however, I have never seen her teach a class. Therefore I decided to take this opportunity to observe her teaching style and technique in her Animal Science class.

This Ag teacher primarily focuses on production agriculture including plant and animal science, where as my cooperating teacher's focus is on agricultural mechanics. There are many different teaching techniques that can be utilized for each specialty area. After observing the other Ag teacher I was able to better make these comparisons and effectively observe different teaching styles.

I observed Ms. D's Animal Science class for this assignment. In the lesson the students were learning about Beef Quality Assurance (BQA). They had just finished a major project in which they had to create a pamphlet about one subject in beef production. Students had the opportunity to share their presentations with the class. As students presented their presentations the other students were expected to listen with respect. I really liked that the teacher allowed time for students to share their creations. Often times teachers collect student projects without allowing students to "show what they know." It also allowed the other students to gather information from their peer's presentations. As a result I also believe this technique builds students presentational and listening skills. It appeared that students were interested in this portion of the lesson. During presentations, the teacher roamed around the room to ensure all students were listening and taking notes on the presentation as well. I think this classroom management technique is also important in order to keep students on task.

The other aspect that I liked in this lesson is that the teacher only had two students present their projects and then moved on to other informational activities. Often times during presentations students share one after another and by the end of class students are tired of hearing the same format of information being said. By dividing presentations into chunks, students were more engaged because they had more varied instruction. After the two presentations, the teacher had a mini lecture and then a collaborative group assignment. These techniques engaged the students more in the lesson.

I also observed that the teacher's clarity helped students engage more in the content of the lesson. The teacher seemed knowledgeable in the content and was therefore able to provide good content knowledge. I thought she did a great job in providing clarity when informing the class on a topic. She also gave good and clear directions. Towards the end of the lesson the teacher divided the students into 4 groups. Each group was responsible to answer a specific question by researching the topic. I felt the teacher gave adequate instructions that allowed students understand their specific task and complete it with ease. These aspects are important for students to be able to complete a task successfully.

Overall, I enjoyed observing this lesson. It allowed me to observe teacher efficacy from a different point of view. During previous observations, my primary focus has often been on students. This gave me the opportunity to primarily focus on the teacher and lesson and then observe the response of the students. I also appreciated being able to observe the other Ag teacher in the same department. It gave an opportunity to compare different teaching styles and techniques utilized in different agricultural subjects. For example, in Ag mechanics courses there are many demonstrations utilized to teach a specific task. In this animal science lesson, there was research and projects utilized. Both of these techniques could be used in either class; however, it was interesting to realize how they can be used in different ways. I appreciated the time I had to observe this lesson and feel that it has helped me realize teaching strategies that I might also be able to implement into my own classroom,

Transitioning Phases (STB#9)

This week of student teaching seemed to be a week of many things new. I got to start a new unit on sheep and goats in my Animal Science class and I started a new unit on Parli Pro in my Intro to Agriculture class. It feels almost refreshing being able to start what feels like a "new chapter" with the students. I take it as an opportunity to again reignite the spark of agricultural interest on a new topic. Although I have new units, I still have the same students, and everyday continues to be a learning process as a student teacher.

It often feels that some sort of transition is always occurring during student teaching. At first it had been a transition into the classes and building the needed rapport with students. Now that I have those established I have been struggling in dealing with the openness of students. Students feel comfortable sharing in class and openly talk to me, which I extremely value; however, I am seeing how this openness can also cause problems if not well managed.

My Animal Science class is a great class in which I have built an open and friendly classroom environment. We often joke with each other and can sometimes as the students say get "sassy" with one another. I am beginning to realize however that there is a fine line with this behavior until it is taken too far. This past week, what I thought was a joking around session in a group of my students quickly turned into a bullying session that resulted in one of my students leaving my classroom. We spent a good chunk of the rest of the period talking about bullying and it not being accepted in the classroom. Although I felt that we had a good class discussion, I couldn't help but feeling absolutely terrible after class. How could I have left such bullying happen in my classroom? How could I have prevented this? It was an extremely good eye opener for me in seeing how I need to handle these situations when they arise and even limiting the "joking around" in class. Students often times do not know when they have crossed the line and as a teacher it is important that I manage it in such a way that it does not cross any lines and end up hurting students feelings.

After talking to my cooperating teachers about such matters in the classroom, I am more confident in how to control or limit such behavior. One way is simply reminding students of my classroom expectations and consequences. If behavior A is being acted out in my classroom then consequence A will applied. I then need to stick with these consequences and act upon them, otherwise students know that I won't punish the behavior and they can do it again. I realize now the importance of installing these classroom expectation and consequences at the beginning because I can now refer back to those posters that we covered at the beginning of the course. So far it seems to be working even though those consequences need to be applied more frequently.

Overall, this week went well and I am finding that I am busy writing sub plans for two days while I am away at SLLC next week. I seems very hard writing lessons plans for subs for two days. These are two days that my students still need content even though I am not there. It makes for very strategic planning to ensure students meet such objectives. However, I am very excited for SLLC and exposing my students more FFA learning and fun!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.... (STB#8)

Some might disagree that it is the most wonderful time of the year with 11 inches snow that is sitting at my front door right now; however, I have found that if we choose to dwell on the negatives then it will blind us to all the positive things around us. Sweeping snow off cars, shoveling driveways, frozen cars are just a few of the struggles this time of year, but these snowed in days also give us the opportunity to relax, bond with our families and most importantly get caught up on lesson planning!

I had one full day in school this week. The rest were snow days and 2 hour delays. Yes, I would have loved to have been at school carrying out lessons this week, and as a matter of fact I got anxious not being able to be at school, but I learned to relax a bit, refresh for next week, and use my time wisely by getting assignments done. Although I was not at school, I spent that last two days getting moodle modules done and writing lesson plans. These seemed like a lot of work but I feel much better now to have gotten work done. It makes me feel confident in facing another week. But if I had sat at my desk and wrote papers and lessons all day I think I would be crazy by now, so I don't want to give the impression that this is all I did! Rather my days off were mixed with both lesson planning and snow playing! I often took breaks and rewarded myself by taking a walk in the neighborhood and talking to my neighbors. In fact I met new people that I never met before and helped others get out of their driveways. These past two days have been a huge help in allowing me to take a bit of pressure off of myself as well as getting ahead in my work. 

Enjoy the beauty of your surroundings. I have always been encouraged to see the good in people and things. This time off of school has not only allowed me to see the beauty of my snowy environment at home but I have also had the time to reflect on my classroom and students at school. In reflecting I have thought about my students and how I might be able to raise the bar a little higher in my classroom with the rest of my time of Octorara. A few days last week were difficult with some behavioral issues and they make you wonder why as a teacher you try so hard. When you begin thinking about the positive difference you can make in their lives it reminds you why you started this journey as an educator. Often times I need to remind myself to just enjoy your situation rather then get worked up about the little things. The classroom is a beautiful place to be, so enjoy the journey one step at a time.

FFA Makes a Difference (STB#7)

            

The Chapter Officers planned an FFA Truck Show this week During National FFA Week!

This week was National FFA week and I couldn't have been more proud of my students' accomplishments. The officers did a tremendous job pulling in their resources and planning a great week of events. However, it is Friday and I am definitely feeling the tiredness of a long week.

Although tired I am reflecting back and realizing how important of a week this was our FFA chapter. During my first week of observations, I was thinking that this chapter was not going to make it the rest of the year. I heard kids complaining that the chapter never does anything. I saw them walk out and watched as officers even dropped out. Within a matter of a few weeks, I helped establish new officers, put together a week worth of activities for National FFA week, and recruited students. Yes, it has been tiring but this week has shown me just how much that hard work pays off.

Thursday the FFA officers planned a truck show and brunch for teachers and students. They washed and shined their prized vehicles up and put them on display for the entire school. They then invited teachers to come vote for their favorite truck and enjoy a yummy brunch in the morning. I wasn't sure how many teachers would actually show up but I was surprised when one of the students came running to me saying, "Ms. Graybill, Ms. Graybill we need more cups and bacon!" We had such a great turn out that we started running out of materials. I emailed the morning announcement committee to see if they could announce the winners of the truck show which gave the event some recognition. It was a truly a great day that encouraged the entire school population to get involved.

Today was another big day that I am very proud of. The officers planned a social for my Intro to Agriculture class consisting of 21 freshmen. We started off the period by conducting a mock FFA meeting. They got to say their pledge for the first time as freshmen and see what a meeting is really like. They were then assigned to a chapter officer, where they got to know their chapter officers. We played minute to win it games that involved teaming up with their chapter officers and cheering each other on. The last round of minute to win it involved only the chapter officers. In pairs one officer sat on a chair while his/ her partner stood behind them with a bowl of ice cream. With their eyes shut they had to feed their partner as much ice cream as they could in one minute. At the end of the round the chapter officers invited them all to join in on their fun in an ice cream social. The rest of the period was spent eating ice cream sundaes and getting the chance to meet the officers.

All sounds like fun and games right? But the true gems from the week were not playing really fun games or eating ice cream. What I saw happening was so much more. I saw officers taking on leadership roles. They were proud to be a good role model for the freshmen class. They handed out ice cream to them all and intermingled with them.... (here comes the best part) .... without being told! It sounds silly but I feel like I am constantly telling students that their behavior is unacceptable or that they need to think about how their actions are not school appropriate. It was extremely rewarding for me to walk into the classroom and see my officers already scooping out bowls of ice cream, handing them out to the freshmen, and encouraging to come get seconds. During our Minute to Win It games I saw officers encouraging freshmen and congratulating them on their wins. Although it was an event planned for the freshman, I realize now just how much it helped bond the officer team and how they grew as leaders themselves.

On the flip side, I saw the spark in my freshmans' eyes. Since the beginning of the quarter they have been hearing me talk about FFA, learning the creed and discovering all the opportunities in FFA. Today, however, I feel that a more in depth connection was made. They got to experience an official meeting, they got say the FFA pledge and they got to see one of their own recite the creed. Previously they had looked at the creed and said that there is no way they could memorize the whole thing; however, one freshman girl took the challenge and got to say it in front of her peers today and she rocked it! It was real life to these students and confirmed that FFA is a legitimate organization that cares about them individually. For me it wasn't about the games that we played or that activities we did but rather seeing the connections and memories made from just this one day.

It wasn't just the students that grew this week, Oh no, probably the person that had the most to grow was me! I don't know exactly why tears well up in my eyes when I think about how much bonding and growth occurred this week. There are just certain glimpses of kids having fun, taking on leadership roles and being positive role models that really make me proud because I know that they are growing as individuals in positive ways. Most of these kids need a positive role model or group of good friends to be associated with. This week I got to to see them be that positive role model for each other and bond relationships with both new and old friends. I also learned that I don't always need to run the show, rather students will gain so much more by taking the lead. I can't wait to reflect with the officer team next week and gather their input. As for me, I thought many positives resulted in both my students and I.

Projecting into next week I can't help but to think, "how can I keep this magic alive?" What can I do keep this sense of unity and support for each other that seemed to shine through this week. Will next week go back to being frustrated with negative attitudes in the classroom and disruptive behavior? The answer is most likely yes. One week is not going to magically change every single one of your students into perfect angels. However, I do believe that this week was a week of progress in a positive direction. As a result I just might see some better behavior in my classes. We must stay focused making progress rather than getting strung up not walking into a perfect classroom. As a student teacher I realize that I only met these students a few weeks ago and in the next few weeks I may never see them again. I have a short amount of time here at my cooperating school, but while I am here I want to make progress. It's unrealistic to think that I will wake up one day and have prefect students every single period. But if I am making progress in my work, in my classroom and in the lives of my students then I will feel accomplished.