How does Diversity in Secondary Programs Benefit Pre-Service teachers and What Aspects can be Used in the Classroom?

Diversity in a program can encompass many things. Programs can be diverse in their content offered, the student demographics and the needs of the community. Pre-service teachers in agriculture education can face a wide variety of subjects and students when they enter the profession. The quality of a program in school-based agriculture education depends far more on the teacher and community rather than the resources that the school has. It's important for pre-service teachers to see all the ways teachers interact with students and the ways they access resources to meet their unique community needs.

For example, many schools in Montana focus on getting students into industry jobs right out of high school. Fort Benton High School had both a woodshop and recently joined their metal fabrication class into their agriculture program. Next we visited Cascade High School who focused more on SAE projects and their FFA involvement. Cascade even offered adult education programs, which was a unique experience.

If nothing else, exploring agriculture programs outside of Pennsylvania can show us what things PA Ag Ed could be beyond what it is currently. You don't know what you're going to face in your career, so its important to build your experiences as much as you can.

Leaving the Nest at Greenwood

Just like that, my 15 weeks at Greenwood are up! I cannot believe that the time flew by that fast, and I can honestly say that I have enjoyed my entire experience at Greenwood. This week was a more laid back type of week. I was only teaching one class and helping out here and there with some others. My primary focus was to complete my teaching internship materials so that I am ready to go for Monday.

I have grown so much during this semester alone and I owe much of that growth to those that supported Team Rupert along the way! I could not have asked for a better home than Greenwood, and I look forward to keeping in touch with the amazing people I've met during student teaching.

To summarize my experience at Greenwood, I composed a list of my biggest takeaways from student teaching below.

Stop saying you can't, and start saying you will
Teaching is not easy, and not for the faint of heart. I am so fortunate to have had people who invested in me and helped me to grow. When I felt defeated, all I had to do was look at what I could control and start there.

It is the duty of the teacher to plant a tree in whose shade you will never sit in
I wasn't ready to say goodbye to my students. I hope to keep in touch with them through the years, but undoubtedly, you may never know the impact you've had on someone that has gone through your classes. You just love them while you have them and hope for the best.

You will never learn to lead, if you never learn to follow
Its been said, if you are the brightest person in the room, you need to meet new people. I was fortunate to have learned so much from Mike and Krista during my time at Greenwood. They are leaders in their profession, but you will never convince either one of that! They truly embody the sense of servant leaders who put those they have charge over ahead of themselves. They always lead from behind!

Teachers serve so much more than just their school
Mike and Krista never seem to catch a break. They have taught me how to be diligent in effort towards investing in your community. A good chapter is not without wheels. Greenwood's FFA is active in the community and the teachers make it their mission to serve their community beyond the walls of the classroom.

See a need, fill a need
If there is ever a job to be done, Mike and Krista are the first to raise their hands. From cooking food for an entire PAAE event, to picking up trash along the highway, to helping Mr. Rupert get his truck out of a ditch. Anytime there is a need, they are there to pitch in. I hope to carry the same drive for service into my professional journey as they do.

No Experience is a Bad One
I am someone who likes to stick with what they know. I've learned through my time at Greenwood that failure is an awesome teacher, and that even a bad experience is still experience. Mike and Krista are always willing to try new things, even if it doesn't turn out.

If you can't laugh, then what's the sense
We have had tons of those "moments" at Greenwood this year, all in signature Ryan Rupert fashion! We made it though with plenty of laughs, because if you can't laugh in life, then what kind of life are you living? This job can make you almost cry at times, but my hope is that it will always bring more smiles than tears.

Always make something better than when you found it

I had an ugly green shirt that I hated because it looked like a 1950s shower curtain to me. It was a pale and faded pistachio green dress shirt I got at a Goodwill store. One day, Krista got me a beautiful green and silver checkered tie that really makes the outfit. I appreciated the gift, but it really hit me. You can look at something and call it ugly, or you can make the best of it and perhaps it will turn out beautiful in the end.

Like my the chicks that hatched on my last day with Greenwood, I am leaving the nest. I hope that the future is bright and that I will always have my eyes on the future and some of my heart on the past. I am truly blessed to have been a part of the Greenwood family!

South Central PAAE Meeting

Last week the South Central Region hosted a regional PAAE, which is typically scheduled for twice a year. This was my last professional experience with Mike and Krista as Greenwood's student teacher. I am always amazed to see so many dedicated teachers who take time outside of school, and pay for membership with their own money, all to invest in their own development as teachers to better their schools. It has been my observation, that teachers who are involved in PAAE are always involved. The same teachers I saw at this meeting, I see at nearly every other meeting or event. They aren't great teachers for being so involved, but rather, they are so involved because they are great teachers.
 
PAAE provides agriculture teachers the opportunity to communicate and connect with each other outside of the classroom. It really helps to bring the profession together, and seeing the level of involvement from these teachers really illustrates how, even in competition, we all have one common goal for bettering youth and telling the story about agriculture. During the meeting, Mike Brammer reviewed the budget and discussed some of the logistics for the state FFA convention this summer. Dr. Curry made announcements about some of the opportunities Penn State is offering as well. I appreciate the fact that the university is in good contact with the organization, as it really helps to build the connection between programs and provide a link to the university for the teachers. It was interesting to see how the news  regarding the lobbying issues was handled.

During our meeting, the FFA met in the next room over. I love that student and teacher events are almost always scheduled at the same time. Greenwood only brought one student, as it was for those who wish to become a state FFA officer. I think the students really enjoyed having a meal with the current state officers and had the chance to connect with other applicants.

My Professional Development Experience

While reflecting on the unique experiences I've had during student teaching, I have realized that nearly everything we have done so far during this internship is professional development. We've grown into the professionals we have become as a result of student teaching. Outside of the classroom, one of my more formal professional development experiences was at SLLC. During SLLC, teachers had a presentation from Dr. Troy Ott from the Pennsylvania State University's Department of Animal Science.  Dr. Ott presented on genetic modification and biotechnology, and how teachers can reach students through all of the misinformation out there.

I actually had Dr. Ott as my of my Dairy Production classes at Penn State. I enjoyed listening to him speak, as he is a very intelligent and gifted lecturer. These professional development experiences involving content knowledge are so super important for young teachers to experience, as they can really enhance you comfort and knowledge of a certain topic in a classroom you are teaching. Dr. Ott explained basic principles of common biotechnological practices in agriculture. He explained how tansgenics works, how genetically modified plants and animals can benefit the environment and how we as educators in a community can overcome misinformation and fear among the public.

As I've said, Dr. Ott is a tremendous speaker. I enjoyed the opportunity to watch him do his thing and I learned so much about biotechnology. It was also a nice treat to run into him and see how he's been doing since I had him as a professor. Events like SLLC and ACES and PAAE events allow teachers to explore their content and new ways to teach that content. It's essential for teachers to invest in professional development in order to remain up to date on their teaching practices and content.

Dairy/ Calving Operation Placement SAE

My first SAE visit this semester with Greenwood was with Jay, who works on his pap's dairy farm feeding, watering, and weaning calves and caring for their needs.

Who did you visit?
Jay is a freshmen at Greenwood who has a profound interest in dairy cattle.

Where did the visit occur?
The visit for Jay's SAE project occured on his grandparents dairy farm in Millerstown.

What preparations did you make prior to the visit?
Prior to visiting, we had to schedule the visit with Jay and determine what biosecurity measures need to be taken so that we don't cross contaminate anything between SAE visits.

What was the students' SAE program?
Jay's project is considered a placement SAE, since he works on-site at the farm caring for the animals. Although he keeps accurate records, Jay does not conduct formal research and is not compensated for any business transactions for this project.

How would I evaluate the program?
I think this project is a sound SAE project. Jay spends so much time on the farm that he loses track of time and misses dinner. Jay cleans stalls and calf pens, feeds and waters them, moves them and maintains records on their care. His pap sells the animals, which may be something that lends itself to an entrepreneurship SAE project sometime in the future.


What recommendations could be made for improvement?
My recommendations for improvement might be to look at transitioning this student into more money management and ownership of the operation. I think this will allow the student to end the project with and entrepreneurship SAE project.

What record books were being used?
Jay records all of his records on the AET, which I was able to review for his project. The project is graded based on the number and quality of entries and the overall direction the project is taking.

Cover Cropping SAE Agriscience Project

For my second SAE project, I visited with two freshmen girls who studied the effects of cover cropping on CO2 levels in the soil. This project was submitted as an Agriscience Project at the PA Farm Show this year.

Who did you visit?
This SAE project was completed by freshmen Emily and Alyssa in Mr. Clark's Agriscience class.

Where did the visit occur?
The visit for this project took place at Greenwood. It is an agriscience fair research project that is able to be completed in the greenhouse.

What preparations did you make prior to the visit?
Prior to the "visit," I asked Alyssa and Emily what time of the week would work best for them to show me their project. Since it was not a site-based visit like the other SAE projects I've visited, this was the only preparation to make.

What was the students' SAE program?
Alyssa and Emily's project would be considered a research SAE project, and was entered in the Agriscience Fair this year.

How would I evaluate the program?
Alyssa and Emily had done an outstanding job with their project. It was clean, organized and meaningful. They appropriately represented all of their work and conducted research in an important agriscience topic. They utilized the resources of the agriculture department well.

What recommendations could be made for improvement?
I think that Alyssa and Emily could have tested something besides CO2 in the soil, as other things influenced by crop cover might have a bigger impact on soil health.

What record books were being used?
Alyssa and Emily used the AET to record their project progress. In addition to the AET, they needed to submit a paper for the Agriscience Fair, which was graded as part of their SAE grade.
 

Service Based Learning

My community based unit of instruction is titled Food Security and Sustainability that focuses on the issues of food security, factors that influence food security, and the distribution of wealth, food and population. Throughout the unit, students learned about what causes food insecurity and made connections between the distribution of wealth and food compared to population. They learned what actions they can take in their communities to help end sustainability issues and decrease food insecurity at the local level. Students created displays in the classroom and presented them at the Greenwood Meal Packing Event this year, sponsored by the Perry Valley Grange in support of the Perry and Juniata County Food Banks. The students would present their projects at the event and participate in the meal packing during the event. This would benefit the community and provide an applied service learning opportunity for students to connect their learning in the classroom to real community-based needs.  Greenwood puts on an annual “Hunger Event” each winter that benefits the community and educates the public about the reality and severity of food insecurity and hunger. The school and FFA chapter have been hosting a hunger event each year for seven years. Since the start of the annual hunger event, Greenwood has raised over $45,000 with support from the Perry Valley Grange that has benefited the Perry and Juniata County Food Banks. The school/ chapter has chosen to benefit both food banks because the Greenwood School District overlaps within both Perry and Juniata Counties. Typically, financial support is raised for the food banks, however, with the meal packing event, actual meals are packaged and donated to the food banks.

The annual hunger event is operated on a rotational basis. The first year, Greenwood hosted a hunger banquet, where community members were served meals that represented the food available to those around the world. Following the hunger banquet, the chapter hosts the meal packing event the following year. After the second meal packing, Greenwood will elect another type of support for the food banks. In previous years, this included a volleyball tournament and a BINGO night to raise the funds for the food banks. This rotation is so that the hunger banquet will have the same wow factor for newer people than it would if it were constantly done. The meal packing event is very costly to pull off, and can require a number of fundraisers and community support to undertake. This is the second time Greenwood has done a meal packing event.

The partnership with the Perry Valley Grange began seven years ago when the chapter wanted to host a hunger banquet-but lacked the resources to pull it off. Since then, the Perry Valley Grange has been an integral part of hosting the hunger events at Greenwood. This year, the Perry County Grange catered the food for the night and lend financial support for the event. Because the event did not meet the typical timeline for grant funding, it wasn’t feasible to apply for any grant funding. In lieu of grant support, the Perry Valley Grange pledged to provide support for the 50,000 meal goal in the event that the fundraising efforts proved insufficient to cover the costs. The membership of the Perry Valley Grange voted on this at their February meeting and agreed to pledge financial support

The Grange had worked with us to help draft a letter to announce the event that was sent out to area churches, fraternal organizations and other local organizations. Another huge means of support was the Greenwood FFA Alumni Chapter, who we contacted and had run both a sandwich and pie fundraiser. The organizations at the school are limited in their fundraising allowances, so we reached out to the alumni to act as a booster for the event. We reached out to Meals of Hope who would send us all of the oatmeal and supplies for packing the food. The cost for 50,000 meals was $12,500, which we were able to raise through fundraising and community sponsorship. The gymnasium actually had to be requested for the event back in August, as the date of the meal packing was the only day of the year that was available on a Friday night. To request the gym, we had to contact the athletic director Adam Sheaffer and request that the gym at the elementary school be kept open that Friday. The event was also advertised on Love 99 and 92.5. I submitted an article to Lancaster Farming through the PA FFA Association for my DYI project.

During the event, we had the space set aside for four hours and ran the event in two shifts, and the Grange took care of the registration by taking names and emails. Teddy Trip from Meals of Hope was the one who was our contact to the organization. He was sent in from Georgia to show us how to setup and help us undertake the event.  Doug Bonsall announced a community service challenge that the Grange was hosting this year for the organization’s centennial anniversary. Chapter president, Ethan Brummer and county commissioner Brenda Benner welcomed the guests to the event, which totaled 258 people. The students were originally supposed to display their Food Security and Sustainability Projects at the event, however, the classroom experience component to this unit had to take place following the meal packing due to snow days and area contest dates. The students will display their projects at the Greenwood Wildcat Symposium this May instead of the original plan to show them at the meal packing event.

In total, we were able to package 48,000 meals in just under four hours. All of the food was then donated through Meals of Hope to the Perry and Juniata County Food banks. Any financial donations provided to the chapter after the order from Meals of Hope were directly donated to the food banks. For reaching our goal, Meals of Hope will financially support a student to go to the Washington Leadership Conference this year. The students were able to connect their learning of food security and the issues we face as a society in dealing with food insecurity, with a hands-on community service component that meets the needs of their area.

Student Teacher Visit

I actually had the opportunity to visit both Beth WInklosky at West Perry High School and Manny Catala at Pequea Valley. Interestingly, they both paid a visit to Greenwood to watch me teach, so I was in a unique situation where we could compare and contrast our schools and teaching styles.

West Perry is nearly three times the size of Greenwood, with about 120 agriculture students. I enjoyed my visit with Ms. Winklosky, and was able to watch her teach animal science, leadership and an ag mechanics class. Beth has a wonderful connection with her students and enjoyed working with them in the classroom. She really communicates her expectations clearly and sees that they are met by her students. Her favorite thing about student teaching is the connections she can make with her students and watching them succeed.








My second student teacher visit was at Pequea Valley with Manny Catala. Pequea valley is larger than Greenwood, with about 230 students in the program and about 80 active FFA members. It is a school in the southern region of the state and is a two teacher program. Unlike West Perry or Greenwood, Pequea Valley has a mandatory Agriculture Biology class in 10th grade. While at Pequea Valley, Manny had the opportunity to teach classes in Power Technology, Horticulture, Intro to Ag Mech. Agribusiness and Agriculture Biology. His favorite thing about student teaching at Pequea Valley is his awesome students and friendly and connected school staff. He least enjoyed teaching Power Technology, as the content can be tricky to master in that class. Manny taught in a lecture style, but did a great job with breaking up the pace of the class with whiteboards and think, pair, share activities. I enjoyed seeing the animals and fish at Pequea valley too, as I can see that as being something I would have in my own program someday. When asked what he perceived as the biggest difference between Greenwood and my teaching and Pequea and his teaching was, he said that I was a little more traditional in my teaching. He said I was more paper and chalkboard based than his teaching style, whereas he is more likely to integrate technology in the classroom. I had a very positive visit to Pequea Valley and got to see the awesome things Mr. C was doing with his students.

Putting the Science in Agriscience

Earlier this semester I was able to visit Mr. Tomko's chemistry class to gain a unique perspective on how science is taught by other teachers outside of the agriculture classroom, and how the work we do connects to other subjects as well. Mr. Tomko teaches in a small chemistry classroom that is decked out with all sorts of lab materials and arranged around individual study benches. Of course the best thing about being a chemistry teacher is the chemistry puns--and Mr Tomko doesn't disappoint. The walls of his classroom were decorated with funny posters, cartoon strips and chemistry humor. Mr. Tomko had a very supportive and creative learning environment within his classroom.

What were the Objectives?

The objectives of the class I observed were to test the hot air balloons that the students made to visualize the concept of air density and the principles of design that was incorporated into their projects making a hot air balloon from tissue paper.

Were the Students Engaged?

Students seemed very interested in the lesson. They had the opportunity to incorporate some creative design in their project and were eager to test out their balloon. The teacher tried to focus the students' attention on the lesson by testing the balloons in the gymnasium which allowed them to visualize the concepts they learned about air density.

Most Effective Teaching Methods
The teacher used inquiry based instruction in the lesson to be a facilitator of learning. He asked probing questions about what they have discovered about the most and least effective hot air balloons. After they tested the balloons, he asked the class to identify what the characteristics about their balloons worked and what didn't work. I think he did a solid job with guiding student learning and keeping them engaged.

Teacher Effectiveness

Mr. Tomko seems to be a great teacher to me. He is down to earth, professional, and has a well behaved class that he seems to have little trouble getting them to meet expectations. He knew what he was planning on teaching for the day, had materials prepped for the next class on schoology and seemed to be a overall well rounded teacher.

My Day in the Principal's Office

I had the opportunity to conduct a mock interview with Greenwood Middle High School, Michelle Dubiack. Ms. Dubiach has been the principle at Greenwood for four years now, and taught at science at Greenwood and West Perry and was a science supervisor at Cumberland Valley. I had such a pleasant interview experience with Ms. Dubiach, and have gained invaluable experience for real life teaching and interviewing. 

What Questions I was Asked

The first question was pretty standard question, tell me about yourself. This question is pretty standard in an interview. This can be an easier question to start off with, however, even with this question you can be left wondering if you're even if you are a real person. It's a good practice to have some of your thoughts collected on what is most important for you to share about yourself.

I was asked about classroom management and the ways that I utilize technology and engage students with my teaching. Interestingly, I was asked about how I lesson plan, and what are the elements of a typical lesson plan for me. 

How Prepared was I?

I felt decently prepared for the questions, as they were pretty standard questions of what would be expected of an interview. Ms. Dubiach was very kind and I didn't feel as much pressure as I would expect to in an actual interview. I definitely feel as though I should capture my thoughts and rehearse what my responses are in advance a little more.

What Questions I  Asked the Administrator

My first question is to ask what the school is what is the thing you are most proud of your school? This questions will typically provide valuable insight into what an administrator values in a school. I then asked what opportunities there are for professional development in your school district to get a feel for how much I will grow as an educator. Ms. Dubiach offered that I should also ask about what support system is in place for new and beginning teachers.

What Impressed me the Most and Least

I was most impressed by how down to earth and helpful Ms. Dubiach was with me. She didn't make me feel stressed or nervous, and really took the time to invest in the interview and give me great feedback. My least favorite thing, or perhaps what I wish I had was some time to look over my resume and cover letter with her for feedback.

Areas for Improvement

I feel like I need to create a list of questions I would expect to answer and come up with answers to them with help from those around me so that I am better prepared and more confident to answer.

Senioritis 360

It's the next to last week of student teaching. April is in full swing. The time to return home to the mothership is upon us student teachers. The sun is shining and the weather is getting warmer. I still have work to do, but any teacher out there can agree with me, that the time of year for senioritis for both teacher and student is here. I've enjoyed my time at Greenwood completely, but one thing that has been one of my greatest challenges I've faced is my unmotivated seniors. It seems that no matter how engaging my projects or how tough my discipline, they simply do not seem to care. Some of them are giving it an honest effort, some of them barely humor me, and some of them are more willing to take a zero than to actually do any part of it. It can be frustrating to try and negotiate to get them to do work, and since I use a lot of projects in class, lack of participation can trip up other students' progress and can be difficult to make up.

This is something I've been really reflecting on lately. I want to continue with project based learning, but it can be difficult to do with students who are simply done elarning. I try to sprinkle in some fun as much as I can, but the moment we start diving into content, they just lose focus. I spend so much time standing in front of seniors that I feel like I'm missing out on time with my other students. I can see where the advice to focus on your freshmen makes sense. The freshman seem to respect authority more so than the seniors, and they tend to be focused on school more. I've had some very positive student to teacher relationships with a number of my freshmen, and I feel as though I enjoy that age group more.

As I wrap up my last week, my goal is to pull back some of my focus from those seniors and give more of my time to other students who are more invested in the classroom. Sometimes we can put our dedicated students on autopilot and focus all of our energy to those unmotivated students. How do other teachers keep their students motivated towards the end of the year? How do you motivate yourself to find heart in these moments as the school year draws to a close? Should you allow students to just take a zero, or do you keep pushing? 

Surviving the Grading Gauntlet

Week 13 is down and there are only two more weeks to go for student teaching. As I approach the end of my time at Greenwood, students have just wrapped up the current marking period which can be a big deal as far as grading, missing assignments, absences and parental concerns for teachers and students. This week, I spent so much time tracking down my students to make sure that they were given the chance to complete assignments I was missing from them. Some of them were absent the day the assignment was given, and some failed to turn it in despite being there. When you are dealing with so many students each day, getting students their missing work and getting them caught up on material can be a challenge.

One thing I've done during student teaching is incorporating a lot of project based learning opportunities for students. Unfortunately, if a student misses a day or two, I can't just easily hand them a packet of guided lecture notes. They missed work. They lacked some degree of contribution to a project. This can leave me with students who have borne an unfair burden of a project load or are now behind as a result of lack of total group effort. I want students to work at their own pace on projects, but also want to support them fully and keep everyone at the same pace. 

I spent Monday of this past week tracking down students with some missing assignments. I printed off copies of the assignments and had a list of who owed what with me. I want all students to be successful, and what them to have a chance, but is it the responsibility of the teacher to tell students what assignments they are missing. How flexible should a teacher be with grading? Should I put sole responsibility on students to tell me when something is missing or that they are not happy with a grade? Should I continue to check grades with them and get them what they need? Is there learning of accountability by teaching students to pull out their devices. check their grades, and let me know what they need?  What policy works best for making up missed work? 

I do run into the issue of teaching while trying to get students caught up. I know some teachers have a lot of success with having a makeup work folder for each class. My goal for life after student teaching is to develop a clearly identified grading policy that details when and how a student can make up work.

Field Experience with Field Trips

One thing I never anticipated from a field trip away from school, especially for a week long trip, was having plans for the week you return having no idea what you will return to. It really is so much more work to leave school for a period of time because of everything you have to get into order before you go, and all of the regrouping you have to do when you return. Not only that, we had our area CDE competitions on Tuesday of that week, which also required sub plans upon my return. Despite all of the craziness of the week, It was a pretty great week. I survived another evaluation, and I am now in the downward slope of student teaching. My goal is to keep the energy going, and refine some of my technique while taking some risks in the classroom as I explore who Mr. Rupert will be as an agriculture teacher.

This week, I had the opportunity to try a unique food science lab where students were tasked with tasting apple pie samples and comparing and contrasting the tastes, color, texture and aroma between the two. What they did not know is that one pie was made out of ritz crackers, and did not contain any apples whatsoever! This completely shattered their minds! We will be continuing to explore this as the week continues as we dive into sensory evaluation. This lab took hours to prepare as I had baked 2 apple pies with KP's aunt sue the night before. Earlier this week, I also prepared 4 Breakout EDU boxes for food science, and made a late night run to GIANT for materials for triangle testing as well. Classroom labs and activities such as these are incredibly time consuming and require a lot of materials at times. As much as I enjoy working with the food science class, it can be a lot to prepare for one class with some of these labs. Not only that, but I lack storage for some of the materials to be completely prepared. I'm looking at ways to create more students involvement in the preparation process so that students can have more ownership and I can spend less time on getting everything ready myself. I'm also wondering how teachers who teach such involved classes manage to chunk these longer labs into 45 minute segments, so as to allow for adequate review and cleanup on top of each lab.

Advice on Advising

How do you reflect on a week of teaching outside of the classroom? Although I have spent the past week away from Perry County, I will say it has been no less busy or dull! We started this week with the State Legislative Leadership Conference (SLLC) in Harrisburg, and ended the week returning from Baltimore Maryland working on a community garden project for Watershed Public Charter School District. Although the week was packed with responsibility, it was still time away from the routine day to day (which is usually anything but routine). Although I enjoy time with students and peers, it amazes me how much you have to prepare for before you leave, and what awaits you upon return.

One of the things I enjoy most about trips like ACES or SLLC or National Convention, is how much time I get to enjoy with my students, the professional development with peers, and the time to focus on the role of an FFA advisor when away from school. For me, the most learning I've done has been outside of the classroom managing students and upholding responsibility for getting students where they need to be with the things they require for success. The advisor role is the characteristic of an agriculture teacher that differs from most any other teacher. One thing I have learned through experience gained on this trip was how much you have to think ahead for even the smallest and most insignificant details on a trip. For example, whether or not your school van will fit in the parking garage where you intended to park it. Should plan A fail, plan B better work and come with a side plan C for what to do if you were to miss your scheduled tour. A trip really needs to be tightly planned and have nearly all details accounted for prior to departure. What can be worse is that sometimes you just don't know what it will look like until you've gone through it once or twice.

Despite the hiccups along the way, students will usually be forgiving and appreciate your effort. Some of our biggest blunders on a trip are not only a valuable lesson for next year, but a good story as well. I went into student teaching nervous about how I could handle the advisor role of an agriculture teacher, but I've found with careful planning, some flexibility and little humor you can make things happen. Its important to be intentional when planning trips/ events, but also willing to try new things while you go. One of the lessons that have stuck with me through the week is that even if it isn't like it is planned out  in your head, you are still bettering the lives and learning of your students. It would be interesting to hear other ag teacher's crazy field trip experiences. When did something on a trip not go as planned? What did you learn from past mistakes? How were you reflective in your planning process year to year? What new adventures made you nervous the first time you planned for them? 

A Full Week with a Full Load

I have completed my first full week of teaching at Greenwood! We haven't had a "normal" week since almost Christmas (one of those weeks included a power outage). This was one of the toughest weeks so far. Not only was it a full week, but I had to prepare for a week long leave of absence for next week. It can be a frightening experience to leave your classroom for a whole week in the hands of a substitute. You want your students to have the materials they need for each assignment for each class, as well as the substitute teacher. I'm so used to planning only a few days ahead, but planning for a week is a next level skill, and with events like National Convention each year, it is one of those rite of passages for agriculture teachers.

I am so looking forward to a week out of the classroom to spend some time with my students at SLLC and my peers at PSU. I am looking forward to a positive experience. This will be the first time I have ever attended SLLC, and I look forward to watching my star students in action. The students at Greenwood who attend these trips with the FFA are so well behaved that it makes for a much smoother experience. In order to enjoy time with your chapter, expectations, meeting times and required materials also need to be prepared and laid out ahead of time. Your classroom at the school and the classroom you bring with you need to be well-stocked and well-oiled machines in order to reduce the number of gray hairs you return home with.

One thing I really learned this Saturday as we were preparing for the next morning, was that not only do you need to be prepared, but you need to expect the unexpected. Even if you bring lunch money and your t-shirt, you will always have that one student who forgot to bring one or the other or both. What do you do? Do you bring extras? Do you call home? As a teacher, I can see how you have to assume the role of a parent. My cooperating teachers keep extra clothes, bring extra money, pack extra supplies and keep spare buttons, pins and lint rollers. Talk about a super hero.

Some questions this week: what does your "extra supplies" inventory look like before a trip? What do you expect to be unexpected? How do you help those students who lose their lunch money or forget to bring their dress shoes? How much do you prepare to provide your students?

Picking up the Pace

Week 9 is down and we are officially in the double digits for student teaching! This week was one of my fastest weeks of student teaching! I enjoy my time in the classroom, and I've learned how to organize my priorities and responsibilities outside of the classroom. One thing that I've really come to feel the effect of is how much thinking you have to do throughout the day. Since teaching six classes, I've had to prepare for all of them in a short amount of time, with most of my time over the past few weeks spent teaching than not. When I teach wildlife, I have to think ahead to animal science, and when I'm having lunch, I'm eating quickly to prepare for food science. Keeping track of things can seem like a lot to handle when you are "in the trenches" so to speak. You have much less time to plan, but even so, planning becomes much more important in those times.
I've been keeping a journal with a calendar to write down important information throughout my student teaching. I've been finding that having  a central location for important reminders, and ones that are hand written, are better retained. Some days it can feel like a lot to keep track of, but just like exercise can be tiring while keeping your body stronger, taking on more responsibility keeps your ability to plan stronger.
This week we attended Representative Mark Keller's Annual Breakfast with our students. I had to plan for an actual substitute, which is much different than having an experienced ag teacher take over for you. As stressful as it may seem at time to get yourself out of the classroom, its always a treat to watch your students grown and succeed in the world beyond their desks. My goal for the coming week is to have a more regimented after school schedule. As I explore what organization and scheduling works for me, I enjoy tips and tricks from more seasoned teachers. What are your best organization methods? How do other ag teachers prepare for long trips, like SLLC or ACES? How long did it take you to balance thinking ahead with being in the moment each class?

Halfway There

With week 8 in the books, I can say I am halfway to completing my student teaching internship! This week was a busy week as Greenwood FFA took on their annual "Hunger Event," which featured a meal packing event this year. This event was astonishing. The number of community volunteers was incredible, and the amount of support for this project was almost overwhelming

It can be quite a balancing act to juggle chapter events with classroom instruction. On top of that, trying to incorporate SAE visits into all three can be a struggle for an agriculture teacher. I devote much of my time outside of the classroom to prepping and grading, however, I must remain faithful to the three circle model of agriculture education and retain each component for a successful program. I want to be a successful agriculture teacher, but all that ran through was the overwhelming thoughts of how much it takes to pull of even a single event. All I could take in as I participated in the event was how many contacts, phone calls, ordering, reserving and number of hands it took to pull it all off.

Not only that, but with every event there can be issues that arise. For example, through all of the calculations that went into this event, the one thing that was overlooked was whether or not the truck would fit under the oning behind the elementary school (which it didn't). We were able to make it work, something ag teachers excel at, and carry on. 

I know that community stakeholders are essential to a program. Everything about a healthy program involves connections with community members, and the orchestrating of events like these. To my more seasoned agriculture teachers: how do you prepare for events? What issues do you encounter when preparing for events that you don't always anticipate? How do you balance your three circle model?

FFA Week and Beyond

This week, I hardly saw the inside of the classroom. Monday was President’s day, which meant we had off. Tuesday I was visiting West Perry for my agriculture program visit. Wednesday and Thursday were both snow days--no school. Friday was the only day this week I was actually teaching. I have picked up more classes and am teaching 6 classes a day now.

Tuesday after my visit to West Perry, I was able to come back to Greenwood and attend the State Officer Night at Hoss’s. I never had the opportunity to participate in the “Meet your State Officer Night” when I was in high school, but I was able to attend once before with Penn State. We had a national officer come to visit the Hoss’s we were at which was such a cool experience for the students. I didn’t come from a strong FFA background, as most people who know me know. I was never involved with other chapters much. I am so thankful for my time with Greenwood and the experiences I’ve been able to have with the FFA.  

On Friday, we had our Greenwood FFA Breakfast to celebrate FFA week. It was quite an adjustment going from snow day to “be at the school at 5am” the next morning. Combine the early morning, with the breakfast and a full course load it made for a 12 hour + day. The FFA Breakfast was my favorite part of the week! I love interacting with my cooperating teachers and the students outside of the classroom. The community support for Greenwood is unreal. It started several years ago as just a teacher breakfast, but it grew into a community based event.

Prior to my time at PSU I didn’t even know we had a week for the FFA. I had never heard of ACES or SLLC or had any realization of all of the things the FFA does. This week, between interacting with students at events like ACES, meeting a national officer during Hoss’s night, the FFA emblems at Tractor Supply and the FFA Breakfast, I began to realize how essential to the students FFA is. It isn’t just a school thing, it is a way of life for these students. My lack of experience with the FFA has given me a fresh perspective where I can try new things and not have a preconceived idea for how they should be. I will admit that I feel a little overwhelmed with the idea of planning chapter events and trips for the FFA. How do more seasoned agriculture teachers balance their teaching and FFA responsibilities. Obviously, FFA is an amazing and essential intracurricular student organization, but how much should a teacher take on chapter responsibilities? How do most school officials view an agriculture teacher’s involvement with FFA? How can I as a teacher develop support for a chapter’s FFA endeavors?

Every Student, Everyday

This week went by crazy fast. We had our pie fundraiser pickup on Tuesday and Beth Winklosky, the student teacher from West Perry come to visit and Friday we went back to Penn State for mock interviews. There was a lot to juggle this week, but as usually, it flew by fast. My parents came to visit this week, and it meant so much to me for them to see where I am student teaching and meet my cooperating teachers. This week we also went to ACES over the weekend. It was my first time there and I had a great time spending the weekend my students and cooperating teachers   

On Thursday when Ms. Winklosky came to visit, she really provided me with some great feedback. One thing I found kinda crazy, was how much I gravitated to my more disruptive students during food science. You never realized how much or how little you interact with a student until you have someone to watch you and point out those things. Beth gave me great feedback on how to manage my students and better organize/ clarify my instructions and reach out to them better. How do seasoned teachers build rapport? I wouldn't say I have students who are dramatically misbehave, but there are some issues I'd like to better address in some of my classes. Are there any best practices for developing good conversation with students to get to know them without getting off of class? 

I was surprised to learn that there were some students who got overlooked at times by me and that some students were causing me to mediate their behavior too much. What are some best practices for making sure you give all students a voice and prevent "that group" of students from draining all of your attention? I'd like to be more firm in my discipline, and will work on that as a goal this week. I struggle between teaching and the mental energy associated with it, that I don't always notice how much those little things get away from me. One thing I struggle with, is knowing how many "small offenses" you should let roll off some before you need to have a conversation with a students. If your students aren't paying attention to you, sometimes you gotta ask yourself if you are paying attention to them. For an inexperienced teacher, I think this is something that takes time.

ACES Weekend

This weekend I attended the Agriculture Cooperation Establishes Success (ACES) FFA conference. This was my first experience at ACES, and I was able to experience it through the lens of an advisor. It was such an awesome opportunity to spend the weekend with Greenwood and have some time to spend outside of the classroom with the students and my cooperating teachers. One of the highlights of the weekend was spending time with the other advisors and getting a feel for how to serve as an advisor during an FFA trip. I got to attend a NOCTI training session and learned about student assessment with NOCTI. After the training, Ms. Winklosky and Ms. Herr and myself went downstairs to watch the student workshops. It was so much fun to see the students in action, and be in a space where they can interact with other students.

The banquet that night was a great way to spend some time with my students and with the West Perry crew. I enjoyed watching the students at West Perry talk with the students at Greenwood and introduce themselves. We had a great time exchanging stories and interacting with each other's students through dinner. Following the meal was the embarrass your teacher event. My students volunteered me to go forward and we were challenged to ask each other questions without answering them. After that, teachers were called up again for the karaoke and KP was called up to sing. When Mr. Clark came back in they decided to swap KP for him. It was such a great time watching everyone sing and hearing the students go crazy for their advisors.

After the dinner, we had the dance that night. It was so cool to spend some time outside of the classroom and enjoy a night with the students and other advisors. Our students really wanted us to jump in and dance with them, and we had a blast dancing in the conga line together! Just the energy of the students was so much fun, and really reminded me why I enjoy working with them. We ended the night with some group reflection with the state officers.

This weekend was my first night doing courtesy corps with Mr. Clark and Mr. Hines. We had a pretty chatty hallway and had to remind some students what curfew meant. The next morning we topped the weekend off with some breakfast and a fun placemat designing community service project. It was a great weekend and gave the students and ourselves some time outside of school.

Over the weekend, I had a few questions running through my head. How do advisors deal with discipline issues on a trip if they arise? How do you balance interacting with your students during fun events like this, but maintaining the authority of an advisor- especially as a young teacher? How do you discipline your students when needed, but balance that with being fun? How many trips should you undertake as a first year teacher?