The Power of Positivity

Last week was a hectic week to say the least. With a truck in a ditch, and some pretty late nights and early mornings, I might say I was (more than figuratively) looking up from the trenches in only week 2! This week however was a complete turn around. I had such a positive week that stood with some contrast to the previous one.

To start, I love food science! It is honestly one of my favorite courses to teach. I was never a fan of chemistry, but teaching it to high school students is so much fun! I love watching the light bulb light up when they "get it." We can do such engaging experiments in that class, and the students have only had me as an instructor for this class, and  enjoy having a group without any preconceived ideas of how the class should be taught. Landscaping is a difficult class for me, so having the food science class to enjoy really helped lift my spirits. The students are typically more troublesome in other classes, but as a small group, they are really engaged and well-behaved.

I had a student this week in food science who was typically given to misbehavior who raised his hand and asked to make a comment. Knowing this student, I couldn't imagine what he was about to say. He stopped class to tell me that he thought I'd be an awesome teacher, and that I am so engaging to learn from! I couldn't believe it! No evaluation or professional opinion of my efforts mattered at that moment, because I had a STUDNET think that I was a good teacher! It wasn't a compliment that I was cool, or like a friend, but that I was a good teacher! It really made my week!

That evening I wanted to email his mother to tell her how awesome her son is in class! I was so glad that my first parent email was a positive one. I knew that this mother would be so excited to hear how well-behaved and well-mannered her son was. It really hit me how much some parents need to hear good news. Parents deal with so much life and can lose hope when it comes to a child that acts out in school, and a kind email can change a parents' entire perspective of their child.

I also had a student who had a very successful sibling who will be graduating as a class valedictorian at their university. He felt as though he could never amount to anything close. He mentioned it subtly as I was checking his work and it felt like it broke the simulation for me. Hear was a student how with farm more depth to his story than I realized. I wish I  had a better response to his comment, but I could only offer some mild encouragement. He was a student I was most concerned about behavior with, and I finally understood. I have decided to focus my efforts on encouraging him in class, and allowing him the opportunity to show what he knows to his peers.

Being positive is a necessity, and it can be easy between planning and teaching and trucks in the ditch to forget about those kinds of meaningful interactions with our students. Students will raise or lower themselves to your standards, and sometimes our worst students can be the ones who need us most. My goal for this coming week is to be intentionally positive to at least one student each day.

Learning to do, by Living to Serve

 

 

 

"A good teacher is like a candle- it consumes itself to light the way for others"

-Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

 

One of the reasons I love what I do is because I know that teaching makes a difference. This week was such a packed week that had me joining a faculty meeting on my phone in a van full of students as we headed to Harrisburg. It had me running hundreds of coats back and forth with my students at the Governor's Inaugural Ball until after 11pm that night. It was a week that I had dinner with Mr. Clark and his family, after his helping me get a new tire for my truck the day before. It was a week I wrecked my truck into a ditch after sliding on ice and Krista and her family came to my side. We spent the night digging it out until 2 am, and were saved by the 2 hour delay the next morning. We finished the week off with a retirement breakfast for the receptionist in the high school office, Cindy in Mr. Clark's room before school started, and I picked up KP's food science class that day as well.

 

This has been one of the craziest weeks of my life. I was tired and sore and felt like I crawled through Friday after my wreck with what was left of my physical and mental health (I wish someone would have told me about the back pain). My students went through the week just like any other, but I felt like I was doing everything I could to hold on until Friday. Despite all that I faced this week, I only had a small taste of what a fulltime ag teacher does, and I am coming to understand how much this profession demands.

 

What I learned this week, after all we went through to be the best teachers and advisors we could be, was that teaching is a profession of service. Krista and Mike were so supportive of me, and helped me through so much this week. I'm sure they had no idea how much of a wild card they were dealt, but nevertheless they truly went above and beyond the call of duty. They were a perfect example of what it takes to be a service leader, and gave everything they had for their students and myself. Before each class, they set aside a few minuets while the students get their materials to chat with them and ask them about the things that interest them. They invest in the small acts of kindness, and always ensure that each student in each class is seen and heard. 

 

Compassion first, content second is the golden rule for Mike and Krista. I've learned it doesn't matter what titles we hold, or places we've been or number of students we teach. It's about how we make others feel, and what example we set for our students. Even when it's been a long and tiring week, and all we want is to be negative and down on our spirits, our students only got to see us smiling and ready to roll. Some days I feel like I'm doing everything I can just to hold on, and Friday sees me sliding in with whatever is left of my sanity, but I stay strong and hold on. That's what it takes, and that's what I'm learning to give after this week.

 

 

My First Mid-Winter FFA Convention

The Pennsylvania State Farm Show is one event no FFA member would ever want to miss! The last time I was able to attend was in my senior year of high school over four years ago. Although the first step inside brought back some memories of years gone by, I was looking forward to spending the day as an advisor-in-training. I spent most of my day at the farm show judging the Ag Issues LDE, which was an important job, but made for a very long morning. The potential and ability of these students is unmatched by any other group, and it was a pleasure to have been afforded the opportunity to watch them do their thing. I remember feeling nervous about the whole thing. I never did this event as a student, much less as a judge and I felt like I was the most unqualified person to make judgment on these students. By the end of the day, I felt pretty confident about evaluating the students' performance, and the other judges helped me navigate the process. 

This year, during the Farm Show I attended my very first Mid-Winter FFA Convention. This was a time for FFA members to gather together and kick off a new year in the organization. Unique to this FFA event, is the giving of jackets to new members. The significance of this event didn't hit me right away. My chapter never attended Mid-Winter Convention, and we did not have our own jackets, so the event was a learning experience all around. I was amazed to see so much support for these
students, and I began to realize from hearing other's share their experiences how much that corduroy jacket really stands for. I overheard people sharing about receiving their first jacket years ago, and how they are now watching their children do the same. It was an experience I think I was better able to take in with some students I could, in some small way, look at as my own.

It was great to meet up with the faculty from Penn State. It was the first time to my knowledge that they were able to see us side-by-side with our cooperating teachers and our students. As always, running into the other student teachers was a highlight of the day. KP had me pitch in backstage organizing some gear before the ceremony started. I was glad to help, and I felt like I was getting the full advisor experience.  I felt so bad that the video KP made didn't play. She spent six hours on it over the weekend, and was understandably deflated. I was able to watch it with her before we left Greenwood, and I was impressed with how many people she talked to, and how much the FFA jacket meant to them.

Although much of what I'm headed into is completely new to me, and I face times where I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing, I am looking forward to getting to know my students and watch them grow. I hope to learn as much as I can about not only being a great teacher in the classroom, but also being an encouraging and dedicated advisor as well.

Week 1 of Student Teaching

 

 

 

 

“There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still.”
― Franklin D. Roosevelt

 

 

I am officially an official student teacher! I have survived my first full week in the classroom and I can't believe how fast such a long week went! I will say, I had so many thoughts rushing though my head all too familiar to those who have come be fore me. Thoughts like: "will they like me?" Are my lessons going to be engaging enough?" Will I have many discipline issues?" Will I make the right decisions?" I was so nervous on Sunday night. I had no idea what to expect for the week to come, but even in five short days I felt more confident, approachable, and ready to roll.

 

To start our week, we began at the Pennsylvania State Farm Show for the PA FFA Mid-Winter Convention. This was a busy day and required a little more participation than the usual first week observation duties. Prior to the convention, I spent my day judging the Ag Issues LDE for the morning. It was so cool to watch these students participate and show off their public speaking skills. I felt slightly nervous and most definitely questioned myself in judging an event. I thought I should have been someone with more experience, but as it turns out, newbie eyes were perfect to judging an event such as this. I really enjoyed the enthusiasm, passion and creativity the students each brought with them, and I applaud them on their willingness to try something new. I was very impressed when I saw the students who I could tell were not polished speakers give it their all, even when they were nervous. It gave me some heart to do the same as I look forward to what lies ahead in my own life.

 

The PA Mid-Winter FFA Convention this year was my very first time attending. I kind of knew some of the drill from my time at National Convention last October, but it was still something new. It was so cool to sit with Greenwood and congratulate the students on their achievements. KP had me pitch in backstage and with getting the students into position during the event, which really made me feel needed and gave me a taste of the true advisor experience. Our bus driver was a former ag student at Greenwood and a very nice young man who was the same age as me. Mr. Clark and Mrs. Pontius were happy to catch up with him, and they even bought him a milkshake and some convention food as a way to say thank you for continuing to take care of their chapter. Moments like those remind me that I am in good hands, and have show me how important it is to take the time to show love and appreciation those who support you in life.

 

 

The rest of the week was no less hectic, however, more centralized to the classroom. We hit a few tiny bumps in the road during the process, but I can now say... with badge and Greenwood email account to prove it... that I am an official Greenwood Student Teacher!  As always, it was such a treat to watch KP and Clark in the classroom. One day students were making ice cream, the next day there were students in the greenhouse... each hour of the day brought something new with it. One minute I was picking up copies from the teachers lounge, the next minute I was cleaning up spilled water from the ice cream experiment. They were long early days, but getting to interact with the students and enjoy such variety and excitement in my day reminded me of why I decided to embark on this crazy journey in the first place.

 

On Thursday we returned to the Farm Show to watch some of our students present demonstrations they had prepared for a contest. The topics were making floral arrangements, making ice cream, and camping safety. I thought the students did a great job, and I was proud of them for their work. We spent the rest of the day visiting booths at the farm show and checking out the exhibits until the late afternoon. I've learned so much about working with students this week, but one thing I can't wrap my head around is how they go from being such passionate, well prepared, and dedicated presenters to asking KP and I if they could play Mobamba on the way home. All joking aside, I enjoy their energy and lightheartedness, which really helped keep me grounded during my first week.

 

By Friday I was ready for the weekend, but in the best way! I had done so much living this week that I couldn't wait to push the pause button to reflect and share my week with my family. I really felt like I was starting to get on the ball, and that I was positively growing throughout the week. My favorite thing above all about the past week, however, was the feeling that I was contributing to something more important than myself. I had students that depended on me, and I felt so needed and essential during my first week that, looking back, makes me proud of what little contributions and effort I was able to make in my modest role as a student teacher. One of the hardest things to explain to those who live outside of the profession, is that what we do really does matter. We do our work because there are students and communities that need us. We aren't there to make some CEO richer, or discover world-wide fame and fortune. We are there because we are called to be. Because we have students who need us to be. That gives me comfort beyond measure that no matter what happens, no matter what growth I manage to make, however small, will always be worth celebrating.