Virutal Mentor Exploreation

One of the unique opportunities provided to us at Penn State is the interactions we are able to have through digital communication with our virtual mentors. These mentors are agriculture education teachers and professors around the nation. They have been specifically paired with us to guide and direct us through our professional journey to become rock star agriculture teachers. I had the opportunity to discuss teaching and learning with some of these professionals.


What is your teaching philosophy and/or core values as an agricultural educator?

The one overarching theme  my mentors discussed was the importance of student -centered teaching and learning. Becky Haddad from Oregon State University believes
 
"...that the biggest thing any teacher can share with their students is experience.  I believe that a student is motivated by what they can apply and experience."

Experiences are what shape our students, and it is our mission to enhance those experiences and foster learning through them.


What strategies or resources do you use to help your class/ program be responsive to cultural diversity and English learners?

This can be a tricky area for some teachers. The important thing is keeping an open mind and getting to know your students. Mrs. Pontius is always intentional in setting aside time each class to check in with the students and see how things are going. Being someone students can approach is always critical in responding to diversity in the classroom. Humility goes a long way. Becky had a student with a last name she had trouble pronouncing, but took the time to learn how to correctly say it and learn with her student. Having that openness and willingness to meet students where they are is critical for a teacher.


What are the best tips/resources you would provide to a new teacher regarding special needs accommodations?

Again, this can be a tough subject for new teachers at times. The important thing in accommodating students with special needs is to first understand that the needs of special needs students are, in many ways, the needs of all students. Becky puts it: 

"There’s nothing special about the needs of someone with a disability.  They need what everyone else needs: To feel valued, included, and have someone believe in them" 

It is her idea that meeting one student with special needs means you've met one student with special needs. Having an open mind and a willingness to serve all the needs of all of your students goes a very long way for any teacher.

The main takeaway I have pulled from all of the professionals I have interacted with this semester, is that great teaching isn't about what you are capable of doing, it is about making choices that aim to serve your students and help them succeed. When teaching is your passion, and students are your motivation, you can never go wrong.

Last week, we had the opportunity to travel to San Antonio Texas for the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) Convention. This trip was definitely a highlight of my Penn State experience! It was such an incredible experience to engage with so many Ag Ed teachers, pre-service teachers and professionals in such a stunning and historic city.

We were able to participate in our own workshops as members of the Future Agri-Science Teachers (FAST) symposium, as well as join with practicing Ag teachers in general workshops. These workshops were designed to help broaden our skill base as future and current agriculture teachers by providing some hands-on experience with content across a wide variety of agriculture topics. One of my favorite workshops was led by Mrs. Krista Pontius, Ms. Kim O'Byrn, and Dr. Laura Hasselquist, all of whom are National Agriscience Ambassadors. They did a workshop on inquiry-based instruction using interactive notebooks and lab activities that allow students to take charge over their learning. We did a lab where students designed their own experiment on determining if the filling in a double stuffed Oreo cookie was double the amount of a regular Oreo. This seemed like such a cool lab to incorporate as a first day warm up lab for my food science class in the spring.

 Another extremely helpful workshop led by Natasha Morreson on communication basics. We learned some cool techniques on how to start and hold conversations, and how to communicate with your school administrators. A related workshop covered some job interviewing skills and resume tips, which was super helpful for a room full of future job-seekers.

 

My favorite part by far was getting to interact with so many different agriculture teachers from around the country as well as those right here in Pennsylvania. I was finally able to put a face to some names for a lot of those teachers, and seeing the support they have for us was incredible. The student teachers even received a standing ovation at our recognition, which was truly touching! I'm looking forward to a long career in n amazing profession with an unparalleled support system!

My Ag Mechanics Demonstration

For my agriculture mechanics lesson, I taught students the three steps involved in connecting PVC pipe into fittings. I started the lesson with explaining the steps and demonstrating to students in a "teacher says, teacher does" format.

The first step was priming the PVC and the fitting for the connection. I started with asking if everyone has their PVC and fitting before  beginning and explained the process of priming while doing so. As it was drying I asked the students why priming is important, and what might happen if it is not primed.

The second step was to cement the two pieces. This had to be done quickly, as the cement dries quickly. Both pieces needed to be coated thoroughly, but not excessively. The final step was to connect the two pieces together and give them a slight twist. This allows the cement to spread evenly and remove air from between the two pieces. After demonstrating, I had a student do it themselves while the other students "coached" them through it.

In a classroom setting, students would be able to each have their own work station, and could build their own project, but this exercise was just for practice. I had to do a retake of the video due to the lid sticking on the cement very tightly. Despite this, I'd say our objective of connecting PVC pipe and understanding the process was completed.

 

Life Knowledge Lesson at Greenwood

This week I had chance to show off some of my teaching skills at Greenwood for the first time with a life knowledge lesson on community service. The focus on the lesson was identifying ways that students can serve one another and their community, as well as what characteristics make an effective community leader.

The class was a very well behaved class, and really seemed to enjoy the discussion. It took me a minuet to get the names memorized, but the students were very graceful about my inexperience an newness in the classroom. To be honest I was nervous when I was getting started. I really didn't show my enthusiasm and I stuck to the podium at first, which I'm sure came off as being withdrawn. As the lesson progressed, I warmed up more and started to relax, which the students seemed to enjoy.

I spoke with appropriate volume and speed, but I really need to work on pacing my lessons. I asked a ton of questions and generated a lot of responses for m the students. Unfortunately, it would be a stretch to say I made it halfway through the lesson. My microteaching was on a block schedule the week before, so the 45 minuet class flew by like it wasn't even ten minuets long.

Considering each of these, I think I didn't do half bad for what its worth. The class was engaged, participating and I taught bell to bell. As I work with the students and build my teacher confidence, I will become more comfortable. I want to do well for the students, which sometimes leaves me to afraid to make a move. Hopefully I will work through that this spring!