This week was the first week that I spent at my cooperating center as a student teacher at Octorara High School. The school's marking period doesn't start till next week; therefore, my week was spent observing students and classrooms. Just through these observations I gained much insight as to the dynamics of the classes I will be teaching. Another thing I gained was sickness!
In the midst of lesson planning and gathering materials for my classes, I completely forgot about the health risks involved. My first day observing went great. I had a great time meeting the students and getting to know them; however, when I got home I began feeling sick. I must have picked up the stomach bug and spent the night .... well I don't need to go into too much detail!
I woke up the next morning feeling better and decided to "climb back on the horse" and go back for the second day. I walked into my Ag classroom and was greeted by a not so nice substitute teacher. My cooperating teacher was out for the day and I was stuck with a rather grumpy substitute. As the day went on we warmed up to each other and the classroom dynamic got much better! What didn't get much better was my well being. Half way through the day I began sneezing and coughing. I came home again sick and spent another night with minimal sleep.
Despite catching a sinus cold, day two was a good challenge for me. It was my second day of just observing and because my cooperating teacher was out for the day he put me in charge. I had all of his classes by myself (plus the grumpy substitute) and it went great! It was a bit of a confidence booster in that it reminded that I can do this student teaching thing and I will make it through!
Because of minimal sleep from day two, day three only amplified my cold. The sneezing and watering eyes worsened and I felt bad for not feeling fully "there." Even though I wasn't feeling the greatest there were so many good connections that I made with students. Some of them just wanted to hang out in the classroom during a study hall or lunch. I made use of this time by asking them questions and getting to know them more. They must have not been too annoyed since they stayed. It was a great chance to get to know my students.
One thing that I have been hearing a lot is students getting thrown out of class, as if it is the thing to do or the norm. This greatly disappoints me. First, I don' think that sending students to the office all the time is beneficial for them. They miss the content in class and they will most likely return to class the next day more annoyed than they were the first day. That's not to say that certain situations wouldn't require an office visit. Secondly, it's important to understand why a student is acting out the way he/she is. From just talking to the few students that I did this week, I have come to understand that many come from some difficult situations. As teachers we often forget that there are difficult scenarios at home that effect a student's behavior in school. If students don't feel welcomed at home or school then that can really take a negative toll on their outlook on life.
My goal is to establish an organized and consistent classroom where rules are established and followed. If rules are not followed then consequences will follow; however, I want to be able to work out problems between the me and the student rather than immediately throwing the student out of class, as I have already seen.
Although I have had only three days of observing, there are many aspects about the Ag program that I have learned about. I have noted specific behavioral and organizational aspects that I really want to work on during my student teaching experience. These observations have most definitely helped prepare me for my first week of teaching next week. I have also learned that I need to continue to focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle so that I can be fully functioning in the classroom. I don't mean to come across complaining about being sick; however, it was something that I did not expect my first week student teaching. What I realized is that although you may be sick, your students still depend on you!
This week was a short week because school was canceled Monday; therefore, we did not go to the Farm Show. I observed Tuesday to Thursday and Friday there was no school. My schedule next week is as follows: (I start teaching one class, animal science, and will gradually pick up more classes as the semester progresses)
Monday- No School/No Farm Show
Tuesday - No animal science this day, Observe
Wednesday - Animal Science: Introduction to Ms. Graybill's classroom and Identifying Animal By Products
Thursday: Animal Science: Looking at the Value and Purpose of the Swine Industry in the US
Friday: Animal Science: Developing a Timeline of the History of the Swine Industry in the US
Friday, January 16, 2015
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Tis the Season of.... Creativity?
After talking to one of my awesome cohort members, Jill Gordon, we decided that these blogs sound more like steps of a Pinterest craft. However, we promise that if you keep reading it is surely no Pinterest craft.
Today we had our very last AEE 412 lab ever (sad!). The instructions for this lab was to bring one of your favorite unit plans and your creative juices. We really had no idea what to expect for lab. I thought for sure we were working in groups to create better unit plans or some creative activity; however, I was wrong! Instead we were all herded out to a big old white van and shipped away to the land of $1 (aka dollar tree). This also happens to be one of my favorite stores. Not because I am cheap (well maybe a little) but rather because there are tons of inexpensive craft ideas and teaching materials there! In fact, this was exactly why were headed there.
The creativity aspect of this lab was taking a field trip to dollar tree and finding 5 items that would enhance a unit or lesson plan. Our advisors were kind enough to buy our creative finds. I was truly amazed at all the awesome ideas my peers came up with. They are some very thoughtful and creative individuals! I am truly blessed to be apart of this cohort.
I chose my 5 items based on a swine unit that I will be teaching during student teaching. I found pink paper plates, stretchy socks, brown paper bags, shaving cream, a dog toy and a military play set. I may have been that one person that chose 6 items instead of 5. Oops! Anyway, I was pretty excited about my finds. I will utilize my pink paper plates during an ear notching lab. Students will decorate their plates according to a breed of pig we learned about in class. They will attach ears on to their pig and then practice their ear notching skills.
The stretchy socks will be used to learn about the digestive system. Students will construct the parts of a pig's digestive system. I did this as my inquiry lab earlier this year and loved it! Of course, there are other materials that I will need for this lab; however, when I tried it out in lab I didn't have the right kind of socks. So I am excited to see how this lab turns out by utilizing other materials.
What is so special about a brown paper bag? Lots of things! There are a variety of activities that you can do with a brown paper bag. Specifically in my swine unit I will use these bags to "build a pig" and during review sessions. The students will use the bag as the pig's body. Which can then be attached to the pink plates which represents the pig's head.
The shaving cream will be used for students to draw the different parts of the pig out with. They will each have their own stations and they will use the shaving cream to demonstrate the different parts of the pig. That was my initial thought, however, there are many other activities that shaving cream can be used for.
The dog toy and the military set were two random ideas. The dog toy is actually a pig with two ropes as its ears. It will serve as a hall pass for when students need to use the restroom. It's cute and it fit my unit well. How could I resist? The military play set on the other hand was not so cute, but I had this idea of using it in a problem solving learning lesson. I am hoping to use the different objects in this play set up a game of Clue. The problem will be presented and they will have to solve the mystery in order to find a solution to the problem.
This was hands down my favorite lab. I love thinking outside of the box and trying to bring those creative features into my lessons. Dollar Tree is the place to go for cheap little teaching aids. I think this goes to show that adding these creative features to our lessons are not only necessary for student achievement but they can also be inexpensive.
Today we had our very last AEE 412 lab ever (sad!). The instructions for this lab was to bring one of your favorite unit plans and your creative juices. We really had no idea what to expect for lab. I thought for sure we were working in groups to create better unit plans or some creative activity; however, I was wrong! Instead we were all herded out to a big old white van and shipped away to the land of $1 (aka dollar tree). This also happens to be one of my favorite stores. Not because I am cheap (well maybe a little) but rather because there are tons of inexpensive craft ideas and teaching materials there! In fact, this was exactly why were headed there.
The creativity aspect of this lab was taking a field trip to dollar tree and finding 5 items that would enhance a unit or lesson plan. Our advisors were kind enough to buy our creative finds. I was truly amazed at all the awesome ideas my peers came up with. They are some very thoughtful and creative individuals! I am truly blessed to be apart of this cohort.
I chose my 5 items based on a swine unit that I will be teaching during student teaching. I found pink paper plates, stretchy socks, brown paper bags, shaving cream, a dog toy and a military play set. I may have been that one person that chose 6 items instead of 5. Oops! Anyway, I was pretty excited about my finds. I will utilize my pink paper plates during an ear notching lab. Students will decorate their plates according to a breed of pig we learned about in class. They will attach ears on to their pig and then practice their ear notching skills.
The stretchy socks will be used to learn about the digestive system. Students will construct the parts of a pig's digestive system. I did this as my inquiry lab earlier this year and loved it! Of course, there are other materials that I will need for this lab; however, when I tried it out in lab I didn't have the right kind of socks. So I am excited to see how this lab turns out by utilizing other materials.
What is so special about a brown paper bag? Lots of things! There are a variety of activities that you can do with a brown paper bag. Specifically in my swine unit I will use these bags to "build a pig" and during review sessions. The students will use the bag as the pig's body. Which can then be attached to the pink plates which represents the pig's head.
The shaving cream will be used for students to draw the different parts of the pig out with. They will each have their own stations and they will use the shaving cream to demonstrate the different parts of the pig. That was my initial thought, however, there are many other activities that shaving cream can be used for.
The dog toy and the military set were two random ideas. The dog toy is actually a pig with two ropes as its ears. It will serve as a hall pass for when students need to use the restroom. It's cute and it fit my unit well. How could I resist? The military play set on the other hand was not so cute, but I had this idea of using it in a problem solving learning lesson. I am hoping to use the different objects in this play set up a game of Clue. The problem will be presented and they will have to solve the mystery in order to find a solution to the problem.
This was hands down my favorite lab. I love thinking outside of the box and trying to bring those creative features into my lessons. Dollar Tree is the place to go for cheap little teaching aids. I think this goes to show that adding these creative features to our lessons are not only necessary for student achievement but they can also be inexpensive.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
AEE 412 Lab Reflection
It's it that time of year again! That time when just 4 months ago we were sitting in our first lab thinking, "oh boy that last day of lab is soooo far away!" and now it's here. With all the work we have due in these last few weeks I kind of wish I had that time back! However, this semester has been one great ride and I can honestly say that I appreciated our 412 lab. It pushed and challenged me in ways that I didn't think I would be challenged. I enjoyed testing out new strategies and methods that we learned about in our other AEE courses in lab and receiving immediate feedback from peers and our professor. It was also a huge benefit to watch my other peers present and teach. There are so many great ideas I gathered from them and different strategies I saw them use that I thought I would enjoying using in my own classroom.
Although, I enjoyed my lab and lab peers there are a few aspects that were frustrating as well. I did enjoy being able to test out new teaching techniques or strategies; however, I felt that I was crammed in trying to process a new technique and then trying to implement it into my lab. For example, we would learn about the problem solving approach the Friday before we have to teach it on that following Wednesday. I didn't feel confident for lab because I didn't feel like I had a lot of information about it prior. I think it would have helped to see an example of these techniques. I enjoyed seeing and being involved in a demonstration before I had to teach it. That was very helpful for me.
I had previously stated how motivated I was to teach after our microteaching lab. I absolutely loved being with all of those 8th graders in a real classroom. After teaching at Tyrone, it made me realize that lab is nothing like a real classroom. Although I knew this previously, I realized how truly beneficial microteaching was for me and I wish that I could have had this experience sooner. I wonder if there is any possible way for student teachers to work with local Ag programs and test these new strategies that we learn at these locations throughout the semester? I think student teachers need to get into the classroom sooner. I know that there might be potential barriers to this; however, microteaching was extremely beneficial for me. It was helpful to have real students to teach and real situations to deal with rather than my peers.
Overall, I like the idea of lab and the opportunities there are to grow and develop skills. I think it has a great purpose and should continue in the future; however, I think there are some revisions that could be made to make it even more beneficial for current student teachers. I have appreciated how I have grown this semester both personally and professionally. I want to thank my professors who have invested much of their time and effort in designing this course and of course dealing with all of us! :)
Although, I enjoyed my lab and lab peers there are a few aspects that were frustrating as well. I did enjoy being able to test out new teaching techniques or strategies; however, I felt that I was crammed in trying to process a new technique and then trying to implement it into my lab. For example, we would learn about the problem solving approach the Friday before we have to teach it on that following Wednesday. I didn't feel confident for lab because I didn't feel like I had a lot of information about it prior. I think it would have helped to see an example of these techniques. I enjoyed seeing and being involved in a demonstration before I had to teach it. That was very helpful for me.
I had previously stated how motivated I was to teach after our microteaching lab. I absolutely loved being with all of those 8th graders in a real classroom. After teaching at Tyrone, it made me realize that lab is nothing like a real classroom. Although I knew this previously, I realized how truly beneficial microteaching was for me and I wish that I could have had this experience sooner. I wonder if there is any possible way for student teachers to work with local Ag programs and test these new strategies that we learn at these locations throughout the semester? I think student teachers need to get into the classroom sooner. I know that there might be potential barriers to this; however, microteaching was extremely beneficial for me. It was helpful to have real students to teach and real situations to deal with rather than my peers.
Overall, I like the idea of lab and the opportunities there are to grow and develop skills. I think it has a great purpose and should continue in the future; however, I think there are some revisions that could be made to make it even more beneficial for current student teachers. I have appreciated how I have grown this semester both personally and professionally. I want to thank my professors who have invested much of their time and effort in designing this course and of course dealing with all of us! :)
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Expect the Unexpected When You Provide Your Expectations (WW#10)
"People are molded more by the depth of your convictions or expectations than by the height of your intelligences. Success involves converting people, not to your way of knowing, but to your way of feeling. People can refuse words, but they cannot refuse an attitude or an expectation. Give your students more than they expect, and you will get back more than you ever expected."
I love this expert from our reading, which focuses on expectations and how important they are in the classroom. After reading this I am constantly reminded of my cooperating center which I taught at yesterday. I feel that many of these students need higher and positive expectations for themselves. I feel that they need someone encouraging to say "you WILL succeed" and then follow up with that motivation to help them be successful. I was a bit disappointed that I didn't see that happening; however, it gave me a new found challenge to be that encouraging someone.
I believe these positive expectations can and should start on day one. Like the reading mentioned, that first day is crucial for all students. I challenge myself to think outside of the box when planning my first day of school. I know that almost every teacher reads over the syllabus and explains their grading system. First, why is the grading system a student's main concern on the first day? I understand that they want an A and they want to know how to get that good grade, but by making that a main priority on the first day I feel puts that letter grade above all else. What about the exciting experiments or activities that you have planned that will enable your students gain a skill? What if you did an experiment the first day to introduce what your class is all about? I think we should focus on the opportunities that students will be exposed to in our classroom in order to get them excited about a class rather than the letter grade they can earn. A student can earn an A in every class but they will not have the opportunity to raise an animal, experiment with the digestive system, or work in a greenhouse (just a few examples of an Ag classroom!) in any other classroom but yours. What makes your class unique for students that will get them excited for the rest of the semester?
Although I challenge myself to make the first day of school an exciting one, it is also crucial to establish your classroom expectations, rules and consequences. These might not always be the most fun for students; however, it's important that students understand their boundaries and know that you are serious about your rules. If these aspects of your classroom are not covered in detail, you run the risk of having students walking all over you and having to correct disruptive behavior frequently. As a beginning teacher, this worries me. I know that if I can install my expectations, rules and consequences into my classroom from the first day, there will be a better understanding between me and them and this will most definitely help my classroom management.
I will admit that I am a bit nervous to jump into the classroom and be my eccentric self because this is not something the students are used to. I have exciting new strategies to try and I am not sure how well they will be received; however, I have learned more than anything that it is not about me, rather it is about my students. If I have to be goofy and eccentric to get them engaged in a lesson then I will because that also means that they are learning! Give your students more than they expect, and you will get back more than you ever expected. I think this is most definitely true, but we as teachers need to take that first step and give students more than they expect. Then we will reap greater rewards from our students.
I love this expert from our reading, which focuses on expectations and how important they are in the classroom. After reading this I am constantly reminded of my cooperating center which I taught at yesterday. I feel that many of these students need higher and positive expectations for themselves. I feel that they need someone encouraging to say "you WILL succeed" and then follow up with that motivation to help them be successful. I was a bit disappointed that I didn't see that happening; however, it gave me a new found challenge to be that encouraging someone.
I believe these positive expectations can and should start on day one. Like the reading mentioned, that first day is crucial for all students. I challenge myself to think outside of the box when planning my first day of school. I know that almost every teacher reads over the syllabus and explains their grading system. First, why is the grading system a student's main concern on the first day? I understand that they want an A and they want to know how to get that good grade, but by making that a main priority on the first day I feel puts that letter grade above all else. What about the exciting experiments or activities that you have planned that will enable your students gain a skill? What if you did an experiment the first day to introduce what your class is all about? I think we should focus on the opportunities that students will be exposed to in our classroom in order to get them excited about a class rather than the letter grade they can earn. A student can earn an A in every class but they will not have the opportunity to raise an animal, experiment with the digestive system, or work in a greenhouse (just a few examples of an Ag classroom!) in any other classroom but yours. What makes your class unique for students that will get them excited for the rest of the semester?
Although I challenge myself to make the first day of school an exciting one, it is also crucial to establish your classroom expectations, rules and consequences. These might not always be the most fun for students; however, it's important that students understand their boundaries and know that you are serious about your rules. If these aspects of your classroom are not covered in detail, you run the risk of having students walking all over you and having to correct disruptive behavior frequently. As a beginning teacher, this worries me. I know that if I can install my expectations, rules and consequences into my classroom from the first day, there will be a better understanding between me and them and this will most definitely help my classroom management.
I will admit that I am a bit nervous to jump into the classroom and be my eccentric self because this is not something the students are used to. I have exciting new strategies to try and I am not sure how well they will be received; however, I have learned more than anything that it is not about me, rather it is about my students. If I have to be goofy and eccentric to get them engaged in a lesson then I will because that also means that they are learning! Give your students more than they expect, and you will get back more than you ever expected. I think this is most definitely true, but we as teachers need to take that first step and give students more than they expect. Then we will reap greater rewards from our students.
Monday, November 24, 2014
It's Knowledge for Life!
Today I went to my cooperating school to teach my life knowledge lesson. The life knowledge lesson I chose focused on defining career success. The class consisted of 14 girls who had just started learning about Parli Pro. Although a life knowledge lesson that focused on leadership and career success, I thought there were many aspects of Parli Pro that I could incorporate into this lesson as well. For this reason I choose teach about what it means to be successful in a career.
I must say, I was a bit worried about the lesson today. It was a daunting day, as my cooperating teacher informed me that two students passed away over the weekend. This worried me because I tend to be a very outgoing person and teacher, and in situations such as this the last thing students want is a hyperactive and intense lesson. I did some last minute refining in hopes that I was not too over bearing for students. It seemed to go over quite well. The students were engaged and I received positive feedback from them.
I could tell that a few students seemed down, whether just being a Monday or upset about the death of a fellow peer, I couldn't tell but I didn't push them too hard. Although a very challenging situation for any school to go through, it was a good challenge for me as beginning teacher. There are times that your lesson needs to be changed at the last minute in order to adjust it to the needs of your students. I found that it's not an easy task. I rehearsed and went through the steps of my lesson multiple times to make sure that I didn't forget any important content prior to class. I was difficult for me to stray away from what I had planned out in detail; however, it was absolutely necessary to make this change considering the situation the school and students were facing.
Overall, this was a great experience for me as I was engaged in the classroom that I will be student teaching in all next semester. I got to meet more students that I will be teaching, and I saw some that went to National Convention who were excited to see me again. It was refreshing to be welcomed into this atmosphere and it made me more excited about student teaching!
I must say, I was a bit worried about the lesson today. It was a daunting day, as my cooperating teacher informed me that two students passed away over the weekend. This worried me because I tend to be a very outgoing person and teacher, and in situations such as this the last thing students want is a hyperactive and intense lesson. I did some last minute refining in hopes that I was not too over bearing for students. It seemed to go over quite well. The students were engaged and I received positive feedback from them.
I could tell that a few students seemed down, whether just being a Monday or upset about the death of a fellow peer, I couldn't tell but I didn't push them too hard. Although a very challenging situation for any school to go through, it was a good challenge for me as beginning teacher. There are times that your lesson needs to be changed at the last minute in order to adjust it to the needs of your students. I found that it's not an easy task. I rehearsed and went through the steps of my lesson multiple times to make sure that I didn't forget any important content prior to class. I was difficult for me to stray away from what I had planned out in detail; however, it was absolutely necessary to make this change considering the situation the school and students were facing.
Overall, this was a great experience for me as I was engaged in the classroom that I will be student teaching in all next semester. I got to meet more students that I will be teaching, and I saw some that went to National Convention who were excited to see me again. It was refreshing to be welcomed into this atmosphere and it made me more excited about student teaching!
Sunday, November 23, 2014
My Microteaching Experience
For three consecutive days this past week I had the opportunity to teach 15 8th graders at Tyrone High School. I was able to put into practice a variety of the teaching strategies and techniques that we have been learning about this past semester. It was quite the experience! It was not only difficult utilizing these new strategies that I just learned, but it was also a challenge testing them out with rowdy 8th graders.
The first day was the most easy going. The students were just warming up to me and they weren't quite sure how I would interact with them. One student was having a difficult morning and so before class I talked with him out in the shop to assure him that we were going to have a great day. After asking him if he was excited for class he said, "Well I am, but you see I'm not sure if you are cool or not yet." He was a fun and interesting character to say the least. He had a few behavioral issues but I was so glad to have him in class. He helped me to see how I would react as a teacher to difficult situations.
As days 2 and 3 progressed, my students very quickly warmed up to me, which means the chatter and questions of all sorts began. I don't consider chatter to be a bad thing unless it is disrupting me or other students. In fact I encourage it because it allows them to collaborate and they challenge each other. I saw this numerous times while microteaching and I loved seeing the wheels of their creative minds turning! There were times when I had to use my "teacher look." I was pretty proud of the "look" because it worked, and I felt that I had unleashed a hidden superpower that got all 15 8th graders to listen in a matter of 5 seconds flat. Perfect! The challenge was conditioning them to understand when it was appropriate to converse and share ideas and when they should be listening quietly to me. For 8th graders this was a challenge, but they did great! They all respected me as their teacher and I greatly appreciated their willingness to do all they activities I had planned for them, especially since I was a stranger coming into their classroom. They were truly a diverse bunch and I loved getting to know to work with each of them.
Overall, I found microteaching to be so motivational.After each day of teaching I felt so empowered to go back and teach. There is something about seeing all those light bulbs in your students' heads light up after a lesson. You know for a fact that they learned something. I call this an "aha" moment. I love these "aha" moments and they are what push me to become a better teacher. How can I encourage an "aha" moment for each of my students? This is probably a cliché statement made by all teachers but I truly love when students learn something new that will positively impact their lives. It's empowering and it reminds me of why I strive to be a teacher. My microteaching experience helped me to see this first hand, as I engaged myself in the classroom and put into practice the teacher role.
The first day was the most easy going. The students were just warming up to me and they weren't quite sure how I would interact with them. One student was having a difficult morning and so before class I talked with him out in the shop to assure him that we were going to have a great day. After asking him if he was excited for class he said, "Well I am, but you see I'm not sure if you are cool or not yet." He was a fun and interesting character to say the least. He had a few behavioral issues but I was so glad to have him in class. He helped me to see how I would react as a teacher to difficult situations.
As days 2 and 3 progressed, my students very quickly warmed up to me, which means the chatter and questions of all sorts began. I don't consider chatter to be a bad thing unless it is disrupting me or other students. In fact I encourage it because it allows them to collaborate and they challenge each other. I saw this numerous times while microteaching and I loved seeing the wheels of their creative minds turning! There were times when I had to use my "teacher look." I was pretty proud of the "look" because it worked, and I felt that I had unleashed a hidden superpower that got all 15 8th graders to listen in a matter of 5 seconds flat. Perfect! The challenge was conditioning them to understand when it was appropriate to converse and share ideas and when they should be listening quietly to me. For 8th graders this was a challenge, but they did great! They all respected me as their teacher and I greatly appreciated their willingness to do all they activities I had planned for them, especially since I was a stranger coming into their classroom. They were truly a diverse bunch and I loved getting to know to work with each of them.
Overall, I found microteaching to be so motivational.After each day of teaching I felt so empowered to go back and teach. There is something about seeing all those light bulbs in your students' heads light up after a lesson. You know for a fact that they learned something. I call this an "aha" moment. I love these "aha" moments and they are what push me to become a better teacher. How can I encourage an "aha" moment for each of my students? This is probably a cliché statement made by all teachers but I truly love when students learn something new that will positively impact their lives. It's empowering and it reminds me of why I strive to be a teacher. My microteaching experience helped me to see this first hand, as I engaged myself in the classroom and put into practice the teacher role.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
People Watching at Its Finest
People watching is one of my favorite past times. I find it very intriguing watching other people interact with each other without them knowing of my watchful eye (in a non creepy way of course). From these observations I have found that people are very unique. We all walk, talk, dress, laugh, yell and smile differently. Although we are all very different, I have come acknowledge that this is the beauty of our diverse culture. We should appreciate these differences as they add color to our world and challenge us to accept diversity.
While I was out at the National FFA conference in Louisville Kentucky just two weeks ago, I had the most opportune time to watch people of diverse groups intermingle in one location. Students from every single US state came for this convention. There was space and a challenge presented in the back of every program for students to get a signature from every state student representative. I found this to be a pretty awesome challenge. Throughout the week I saw students running up to one another asking for autographs. They interacted, got signatures, talked about their travels, and then continued on their merry way. These interactions were great and I was amazed to see such young motivated high school students take on this challenge and be vulnerable to engage in open conversation with complete strangers in respectful manners. Call me a little biased but I think that goes to show how FFA positively shapes and impacts these young future leaders. GO FFA!
I had the opportunity to go to National Convention with the school where I will be student teaching at in the spring and also the high school that I graduated from. I wasn't sure how these students from each school were going to interact and get along as there was a combination of 5 girls and 2 boys. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. The most inspiring highlights from the trip came from the interactions of these students. The first day we stopped multiple times for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At one of these stops one of the girls from my cooperating center forgot her money in the car. Immediately, another student from the opposite school jumped in and said that he would pay for her dinner. I was so taken back by this student's generosity towards a complete stranger.
An interesting moment for me during this trip was on way home when we all reflected on our trip. I asked the students to share what their favorite thing from the week was. As they went around and shared their thoughts and feelings, I was surprised to hear that almost everyone's favorite part of the week was spending time with each other and getting to know students from the opposite school. I was expecting them to say that they loved the cave hiking, or our visit to Churchill downs, or even all the free things they got at the convention. Rather they valued their time with each other. I saw this positive bonding occurring throughout the week and I was thrilled to see a positive experience for all students as a result.
With all these great observations, I also unfortunately noticed interactions that were not so positive. I heard comments such "well they are from New Jersey (or another state) so it doesn't surprise me." I also over heard an unfriendly conversation about people in West Virginia. While I was waiting in line to receive my American Degree, there were a few boys behind me that we talking very negatively about people in West Virginia and how they live "trashy" lives. This was disappointing to me to hear this conversation coming from two people receiving the highest degree one can get as an FFA member. I had expected individuals such as these to live up to a higher standard rather than degrade others. Although comments such as these were disappointing to hear, I can honestly report that I heard far more positive comments than I heard negative. It was those positive comments and behaviors that make me proud to be part of the FFA organization.
Overall, I had great experience at National Convention this year. It was such an interesting experience going as the role of an advisor rather than as a student. I felt that I really realized a greater purpose for myself. Rather than rushing around to grab as much free candy as I could for myself, I took my students to as many college booths as I could in order to get them information about college. I hoped that these students would make connections that would build their professional network. My purpose at convention was for them and exposing them to as many opportunities as possible, rather than for myself. This was natural desire for me to want my kids to be successful on this trip. I realized this when I returned home and it reinforced the reasons why I aspire to be an Ag teacher. I was very pleased with my experience this year and I got to connect with students that I will be teaching next semester. It got me really excited for student teaching. Who knows, I might be able to return to convention next year as an FFA advisor with my own students!
While I was out at the National FFA conference in Louisville Kentucky just two weeks ago, I had the most opportune time to watch people of diverse groups intermingle in one location. Students from every single US state came for this convention. There was space and a challenge presented in the back of every program for students to get a signature from every state student representative. I found this to be a pretty awesome challenge. Throughout the week I saw students running up to one another asking for autographs. They interacted, got signatures, talked about their travels, and then continued on their merry way. These interactions were great and I was amazed to see such young motivated high school students take on this challenge and be vulnerable to engage in open conversation with complete strangers in respectful manners. Call me a little biased but I think that goes to show how FFA positively shapes and impacts these young future leaders. GO FFA!
I had the opportunity to go to National Convention with the school where I will be student teaching at in the spring and also the high school that I graduated from. I wasn't sure how these students from each school were going to interact and get along as there was a combination of 5 girls and 2 boys. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. The most inspiring highlights from the trip came from the interactions of these students. The first day we stopped multiple times for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At one of these stops one of the girls from my cooperating center forgot her money in the car. Immediately, another student from the opposite school jumped in and said that he would pay for her dinner. I was so taken back by this student's generosity towards a complete stranger.
An interesting moment for me during this trip was on way home when we all reflected on our trip. I asked the students to share what their favorite thing from the week was. As they went around and shared their thoughts and feelings, I was surprised to hear that almost everyone's favorite part of the week was spending time with each other and getting to know students from the opposite school. I was expecting them to say that they loved the cave hiking, or our visit to Churchill downs, or even all the free things they got at the convention. Rather they valued their time with each other. I saw this positive bonding occurring throughout the week and I was thrilled to see a positive experience for all students as a result.
With all these great observations, I also unfortunately noticed interactions that were not so positive. I heard comments such "well they are from New Jersey (or another state) so it doesn't surprise me." I also over heard an unfriendly conversation about people in West Virginia. While I was waiting in line to receive my American Degree, there were a few boys behind me that we talking very negatively about people in West Virginia and how they live "trashy" lives. This was disappointing to me to hear this conversation coming from two people receiving the highest degree one can get as an FFA member. I had expected individuals such as these to live up to a higher standard rather than degrade others. Although comments such as these were disappointing to hear, I can honestly report that I heard far more positive comments than I heard negative. It was those positive comments and behaviors that make me proud to be part of the FFA organization.
Overall, I had great experience at National Convention this year. It was such an interesting experience going as the role of an advisor rather than as a student. I felt that I really realized a greater purpose for myself. Rather than rushing around to grab as much free candy as I could for myself, I took my students to as many college booths as I could in order to get them information about college. I hoped that these students would make connections that would build their professional network. My purpose at convention was for them and exposing them to as many opportunities as possible, rather than for myself. This was natural desire for me to want my kids to be successful on this trip. I realized this when I returned home and it reinforced the reasons why I aspire to be an Ag teacher. I was very pleased with my experience this year and I got to connect with students that I will be teaching next semester. It got me really excited for student teaching. Who knows, I might be able to return to convention next year as an FFA advisor with my own students!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)