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?