Student Teaching: Week 7 Reflection

This week was crazy and was over before I even knew it.  This past week was National FFA Week and we had lots of activities planned that I was excited to see!  However, I was unable to be a part of two of the days this week as I had to take my first sick days.  I knew that while I was ill in bed there were fun things happening at school but thankfully I was able to get better and be a part of the big events at the end of the week.

Schedule of events from FFA Week!!

On Thursday, the Officers and a few of the Ag Leadership students came in early to prepare a breakfast for the school staff!  This was a token of appreciation and gratitude from the students to the teachers for supporting the FFA chapter and the members.  We also had an emblem scavenger hunt throughout the day.  We hid 15 FFA emblems around the school and as students found them, they could bring the emblem to the Ag shop to receive a prize. 

Thursday night was also school open house, where students and parents could come to the Ag shop to talk about what we are doing in class and student success.  In conjunction with open house, the interviews for the new officer team were held.  There was a great turnout of members who decided that they wanted to serve their chapter as a leader for the upcoming year.  It was really interesting to see how Selinsgrove does their officer interviews and be able to compare and contrast it with what I had gone through as a student at my home chapter, Captain Jack FFA.

State FFA Sentinel, Justin Kurtz came to be a part 

of our pep rally along with State FFA President, Nate Moyer.  

They helped to demo the relay race! 

 Friday was the exciting end to the school week and there was much anxiousness in the air.  Friday afternoon was the FFA Pep Rally in the gym and we had to get everything set up and ready to go.  During the pep rally, there was a relay race where one team of students competed against a team of teachers.  The race had 5 stations that each of the three teammates had to complete.  They started with apply bobbing, then a stick horse race, followed by the needle in a haystack search (we used a SUN area degree pin instead of a needle), watermelon eating and finally the tire roll.  The rest of the student body really enjoyed seeing their peers and teachers hustle to complete each task and in the end the student team won by just seconds! 

While all of this was going on, in the middle of the gym floor there was a tarp with a rabbit perched upon it.  All week the officers were selling bingo square spots for $1.00 each.  Students would pay $1.00 and pick any number they wanted between 1 and 100, this was for the Rabbit Poo Bingo.  We used a tarp and made a giant bingo board and we placed a rabbit in the middle of the board to let him hop around.  The winner would be decided by the rabbit and whichever square he decided to poo on!  Unfortunately, I think the rabbit was too into the relay race as well because he never did poo so we had State FFA President, Nate Moyer close his eyes and toss a SUN Area degree pin onto the board instead. 

Rabbit Poo Bingo!! 

To round out the pep rally, we had teacher karaoke!  All week students were voting on which teachers and students they wanted to see sing karaoke by placing food items in assigned boxes.  All of the food that we were able to raise all week is going to the Meals for Seals program that Selinsgrove has which is the Backpack Lunch program.  The students loved seeing their teachers sing along to popular songs of all genres including the great sing a long song Sweet Caroline!  The pep rally was a huge hit and the FFA officers did a great job of planning everything out!  

Yesterday was the very last day of FFA week and we had FFA members volunteer to sell FFA emblems at Tractor Supply and help shoppers in the store.  On top of everything we had going on for FFA week this week, I also gave my first unit test in Ag Foundations on the Animal Science Unit.  That means that next week we start in on Plant Science!  This unit has a lot of fun labs and activities packed into it so I can't wait to start!  Check back in to see what kinds of adventures we get into this week!!

All of the food that was raised for the Meals for Seals, we were able to 

collect 439 items for the Backpack program! 

Student Teaching: Week 6

This past week was an easy yet hard week all at once! This week I had to be out of class for two

Learning about types of

injections by giving 

bananas shots.  

different days which meant I needed to leave substitute teacher plans.  I figured that these would be easy to do however I learned that they are a little more complex than I had thought.  I wanted to keep my classes on track and still meet the objectives that I originally had planned.  This made me think outside the box a little to try and come up with activities that the students could do on their own.

For example, the Ag Foundations class was to be learning about the major breeds of the beef industry.  I left instructions for them to create their own flash cards with a picture of the breed on one side and then information about the breed as well as the name on the other side.  While writing out the directions for the activity, I realized how hard it is to write out instructions that are clear and concise enough for someone else to explain it.  It was easy for me to map out what the steps were in completing this task, but having to write them out made me think through how to write them so that anyone could follow what my thoughts were. 

The second day that I had to leave sub plans, I knew that both Mrs. Fry and Mr. Swineford would be coving my content.  I still had to leave detailed plans and go over with them what I wanted to occur while I was gone, but it did seem easier that they knew my teaching style and knew me a little to know how I would go through the lesson if I was there.  It was much harder leaving a lesson for someone I had never met or knowing how they teach or their background knowledge.

Selinsgrove Ag Mechanics team at the SUN area contest.  

I now know that when you aren't going to be in class, leaving sub plans can be much harder than just teaching the class myself.  You have to think through and make sure that students will actually be gaining something from the class and that it can be achieved while you are not there.  I in no way am doubting the ability of a substitute teacher.  They have a hard job too, just walking into any classroom they are assigned and having to build relationships with students continuously.  However, I do realize that as Ag Teachers we have a large knowledge base that not everyone else has a strong background in.  This being said it would be unfair to expect any one to walk into my classroom and teacher it just as I would.  That must be why it is so important for Ag teachers to find a substitute that they can use on a regular basis since they tend to miss a few days here and there.  If you have a great sub back at school who you know can get through what you have left, it eases the stress on the teacher.

Selinsgrove Small Gas Engines team, first place!  

Saying all that, this was a very fun week for me as a teacher.  We had several activities in class where I got to see students push themselves and ask some great "Why" questions.  We also had the state officers come visit all of our classes this past week.  I was able to see several students step outside their comfort zones and really step up as leaders within their classes and help their teams rise to victory in the activities the state officers had them perform.  I was also able to travel with the FFA members to the SUN area CDE day.  We had a team compete in each of the CDEs that day; milk quality and products, ag mechanics and small gas engines.  Our teams did a great job in each of their contests and it was a great feeling watching them succeed and the pride they had in the work they had done.  I rounded out the week by heading back to State College to spend some well needed, quality time with the rest of #PSUAGED18 and my Penn State Teach Ag Family!  It was great to finally get to see my cohort members and hear about their experiences in the past 6 weeks.

Selinsgrove Milk Quality and Products Team.  

Heading into week 7, I know that it is going to be a fun and exciting week as it coincides with National FFA Week!  Look for me to share out what unique and fun ways that Selinsgrove FFA celebrates the week and would love to hear how other chapters across the state are celebrating the wonderful week!  

Students getting the "Toxic Popcorn" from one bucket to the other 

without touching it or reaching in the circle.  This was just one of 

the great team building activities the State Officers did!  

Week 5: Student Teaching

And with that, I am already 1/3 of the way done with student teaching!  This makes me so sad and kind of happy all at the same time.  It saddens me to know that we are getting closer to the end of this experience and that it truly is going by so fast.  It does make me excited however, that I indeed have made it this far and now I can look back and see how much I have truly grown from that first day in the classroom to the week 5 mark; I've come so far!

Comfortable in the Classroom
I feel that I definitely am comfortable of being in the classroom and moving about the classroom.  My very first day, I stood in one place the whole time and by two I had already had enough of that and now I think I am only in the front of the classroom when I am giving directions or at the very beginning of class.  I also believe that I am much more comfortable around the students.  I am able to joke with students and nerd out about certain topics around them and they actually joke and nerd out with me.  I am starting to feel that it actually is my classroom!

Students in Ag Foundations doing an Egg Dissection lab to learn 

the parts of an egg.  

Flexibility
The first time we had a fire drill, it ended up cutting ten minutes of time out of my lesson that was planned to take up to the last second of class.  I was thinking "Oh no!  This class is going to be behind and we will have to find time to make it up somewhere!  I don't know how we are going to get back on track!"  Now I am so used to delayed schedules or class interruptions, that we just roll with the punches and I ensure the kids we will get to that next time.  I don't get worked up now when I hear that a kid needs to go down to the office or that there is going to be an assembly during first block, I can't stop if from happening so might as well just learn to work with it.

The dairy foods team practicing the off flavors of milk for their upcoming contest.  

Pacing 
I think I am finally starting to get this pacing thing down a little.  I definitely no where near close to being perfect with it yet but I am getting better for sure!  The first day of teaching I ended up taking twice as long with an activity than I had planned or that it took.  Now I block out the time for lecture and activities and make sure I stick to it that way we can get everything done and so that students aren't doing one thing for too long.

Students making their own total mixed rations

to learn about why each part is essential.  

I know that I still have a long way to go yet but I feel like these past 5 weeks has been a great period of growth for myself.  I can't wait to see what knowledge and skills I gain over the next 9 weeks!

ACES from the eyes of teacher!

During the weekend of February 3rd, I attended the ACES conference with Mrs. Fry and 8 students from the Selinsgrove FFA chapter.  Going into the weekend, I knew what the kids would be doing

since I had gone all four years with my home chapter while in high school.  However, this time was completely different.  The students asked me in the van, "Miss Fisher what are we going to be doing at ACES?"  I was able to answer this with confidence and I ensured them that they were going to have a great time but as I was answering their questions, I found myself thinking the same thing.  What would I be doing during ACES?  I had never really thought about what the teachers do while the students go off to leadership workshops; I was about to find out! 

Professional Development 

There is always a workshop available for teacher to take part in that counts as professional development.  This year the workshop was offered up by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.  They wanted to inform teachers about the opportunities for students to learn about the watersheds in Pennsylvania and how the Bay Foundation can be used as a stepping stone for students to get involved with local sustainability.  We also go to do a hands on portion where we tested waters from local waterways to determine the health of that stream.  

Networking  

This weekend was a great opportunity for teachers to network with other teachers from across the

state.  In other words, we had time to catch up and chat with other teachers that we might not get to see all the time or talk to them about unique aspects of their programs.  I was able to sit and talk with many veteran teachers about my experience thus far and get tips on how to continue.  

Connecting with Students 

This was the biggest take away that I had from the weekend!  Since we took a relativity small group,

I was able to connect with each student better on a personal level.  I know that this was beneficial!  Since we have been back, I already can see a difference in the relationships that I have with those students and how we are able to connect even more in the classroom.  This also could be because they have a one up on other students since they go to see their student teacher be apart of the teacher karaoke!  Thankfully I knew the song I had to sing and they were able to get a good laugh from it.  

The ACES conference was always one of my all time favorites when I was a FFA member and now as a teacher I can say the same!  This was a absolutely great weekend and the way I was able to connect to other teachers, my cooperating teacher and most importantly my students cannot be replicated in any other way!! 

Student Teaching Reflection: Week 4

Even though it was a short week at school due to a snow day, this week was full of accomplishes, fun activities and a few new lessons learned by students and student teacher.  I have picked up another class this week and now teaching 5 different classes.  I now have 3 sections of Ag Foundations, my 1 section of Building Construction and 1 section of Ag Leadership.  Each of these classes this week pushed me to be creative and innovative with my lesson and I have to say, I am really impressed and happy by what the lessons I did this week.

Building Construction
We have officially started electricity and that means I had to face my biggest fear of student teaching; teaching electrical theory.  I never had any physics classes in high school or was very good at chemistry, so the idea of teaching kids about how electricity flows and where it comes from really scared me.  I knew I had to do this and I knew that once I succeed, it would feel great.  That is exactly what happened!  I did my homework, taught myself about electrical theory and then went in on Tuesday to try and deliver the information to my students.  We needed to go over the basics like what are electrons, build our way up to AC/DC current and finished the day learning about types of circuits. 

Starting to build our circuits!  

Once we knew what a circuit was and the two different types, I challenged students to use the materials supplied (aluminum foil, 9v batteries, Christmas lights, paper and scotch tape) to build their own series and parallel circuits.  This turned out AWESOME! Each student successfully build their circuits and it triggered them to think further and dive deeper.  They started to think, what happens if I add more lights or another battery?  How do you make a combination circuit?  I was so proud of them!! They were so interested and wanted to learn more! I had successfully made it through the first day of electrical theory AND they were actually learning!!!

And they work!!! 

Ag Foundations
I finally was able to get to my favorite lesson for these guys so far this week too!  We have been learning about the swine industry and this week we covered the steps of piglet processing; one of which is ear notching.  So this lead to a conversation about permanent and temporary identification and then students learned how to read ear notches.  We first did some practice with a worksheet but then I wanted to put them to the test.  Each student was assigned a litter number and pig number and was given an amazing pig hat (Thanks to the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau for these great hats btw!!).

 

They had to demonstrate how to correctly notch the ears and once everyone had their ears notched and hats on, they went around the room and read 8 of their classmates ears.  At the end of the class, they turned in pig hats and a list of who's ears they read and what their notches were.  The students loved this!! I think that it really helped them to learn how to read notches and it was super fun.  They even got to show off their skills to a few guests to the classroom when the superintendent came for a quick visit.  He seemed to think it was really cool and even posted a picture of our activity on the school website!!! (Was super excited when I saw the picture on the website)  This activity did take a good bit of time so I had to make sure we had time to complete it correctly and also had to have pretty good classroom management as the students were really excited and up moving around while doing this.

"Let me read your ears" 

Made it on the school Website!!! 

Ag Leadership
I picked up this class this week and first taught on Thursday.  We are starting off with a unit on Parli Pro and I am going to try and couch a team.   This is something that I had to pull back out of the closet from a long time ago.  With this class I learned that the more that I can connect back to a story I have or something that I have done similarly, the more interested they are.  I started the class just talking about why we need parli pro and what they believed it was.  I wanted to get into the content a good bit before they knew that I had a strong background in this area.  We then watching part of the final rounds for the national contest in October.  The students seemed stunned and shocked at what it really looked like to use parli pro like this.  "We can't do that, it's way too hard."  "No one can do that, you would need to be a genius robot to do this." 

This was when I saw the perfect opportunity to help build their confidence and to connect with them on a more personal level.  I told them of how I did all that and competed in this contest at the National level in 2010.  They wanted to know more about how far did we get, how long did we practice, and so on.  I ensured them that this is something that each of them can do and will do.  Once sharing a little about the ins and outs of the contest, we dove into the chart of motions and created a life size list of things we need to learn like motions, how to debate and duties of the chair.

Life size list of what we know and what we want to know!  

This week was a packed full, short week and a super fun week.  I did have a couple tough classes mixed in the week but I talked with Mrs. Fry and Mr. Swineford and they ensured me that I am still doing a great job, just need to keep pushing through and keep my head up.  There are going to be hard or bad days but that just made me want to make sure that the next block went off with a bang.  I can't believe I am now heading into the 5th week of this crazy, amazing ride!  Check back to see how my weekend at the ACES conference goes; happy weekend everyone!!