To MUCH or To LITTLE?

Hi all,

Well this week was interesting! The topic was defiantly classroom management, however, the question still remains what I'm I to be doing?  Because, one time it's to little and another it is to much. WHAT!!

At the end of last week I thought this was all behind my and I had finally excelled  in this area. Apparently not,to start things off I was asked to remove a well earned detention  so a "Good" student wouldn't have it on their record. Easy answer, NO. I was then approached by two other students that wanted theirs retracted as well so they wouldn't miss prom or be removed from the school district.They all revised the same answer NO and I asked them if they wanted the short list or the long list as to why they got detention and why it was not going away. I thought that would be the end of the headache for the week, no such luck.

The following day a student informed me they wanted to punch me in the face and were counting down the days till I left so they could. This was brought on by a group project, they didn't like their group, and then they didn't like the other group they were moved to. Luckily, three other students witnessed this to back up my  referential that the office said was to much and my COP said was just enough. But any ways the week went on to Friday and my last review of course this week of  the period acted like the kindergartners they always are and the than the one project I was looking forward to and the majority of my students had been looking forward to was crushed by a handful of student, who I was advised to ignore "they just have an attitude sometimes".

Out of all my weeks this is the one that has gone the worst by far and relay has my questioning why I want to teach because of the question what is to MUCH and what is to LITTLE? Hopefully this week goes a lot better as I take it upon myself to have a review of the expectations and consequences with all of my classes and the one heads back to kindergarten with there classroom management.

till next  time!  

Spring is Here!!

Hi All,

While this week was full of events, including our area "Leadership" CDE event. I am very excited to reported that Derry had the most participants (26 freshman, sophomores, juniors, seniors), taking home the most First (Small Gas Engine, Prepared, Jr., Conservation, and extemporaneous speaking, along with creed), Seconds (Jr. and Prepared public speaking, and Job Interview), & Thirds (Prepared Public speaking and Small Gas Engine). However, the proudest moment for me was waiting for the Job Interview result and one of my Freshmen said " I don't care where I place , I'm just happy I work hard on my resume and cover letter and you talked me into coming." Oh, the things that students say that make you Happy to be an Ag Teacher!

Additionally, this week the weather finally broke for a three day period, allowing my to try out some placed based education with my PA Environmental and Ecology class. a wise man once told me " the best way to get students to learn is to take them 'outside' where its happening", Thank You George. Armed with our bird call boxes and silhouette cards the two groups (27 students) of students successfully identified over 20 different PA birds. Having the two groups allowed my to try out a co-teaching approach, and than came the rain so, we started constructing our community based project "Bring on the Bat Boxes".

This week I also started into the one class I had dreaded the most, Ag Construction. To my surprise (knock on wood, fingers crossed, and through spieled salt) they have been fairly well behaved and engaged. Each group of three is framing out  an 1":16" scale building. Currently we are working on laying our  sub flooring. The humor of me in the shop and allowing the students to double check and correct my work seems to be a great insensitive for the class.

In Animal Science the nice weather brought more discipline problem than I thought possible. All the students quickly figured out that the more they pushed the more numbers that dispersed on the consequences list between them and detention.Some students so much that according to my Cop teacher I earned my A, as I finally had a student call me .......... while it wasn't very nice or appropriate and we'll  just leave it at that.

Out of all my weeks these was by far the best. I still have a lot to learn but what tool I do have are  starting to come together. Looking forward to the upcoming week , AIing our play dough heifers with pixie stick seaman.

Till next time!                        

Pass It on Down

Hi All,

Career Development Events, but who is the development for? the students or the teacher? The answer both! Over the past three weeks both of my  introduction to Ag classes have been working of their class Job Interview, Creed Speaking, and Jr. Prepared Public Speaking CDE project/event (equivalent to the local contest as Derry is the only program in the County). During this time I spent a lot of time with my freshmen, having them come up during their study halls, homeroom, and staying after school working to make sure that they understood the rules and components of their CDE. Like any think some got it and other didn't but pretended they did. However, the main reason I have come to the "both" conclusion of who the D in CDE is because the students and I put all the work into prepping for the Event, but after the first couple of speeches and interviews it was every obvious I forgot a component.  I had forgotten to demonstrating the expectation, the difference between a speech and a report, as well as how a job interview works. Perfect example of I know so I assume the students know. Wrong!

Additionally, to the CDE preparations I have been working with six of my seniors on their Teach Ag Essays and Lesson plans. After my  not so successful go at the CDE preparation it was nice to see a place that I had put all the pieces together resulting in student success ( in my opinion). All the students understood an
d developed complete and comprehensive lesson plans. As well as each took a way their very own lesson as teacher for a day.

This week has been quite interesting in terms of lessons for myself, in making sure the pieces are all their in order for success to be reached and sometimes the lessons you think went the best are missing a piece and the ones you question may have been the one that pulled it all together. You can't second guess your self or the students, only time will tell.            

        Till next time!

The Complete Ag Ed Experience at Derry

Hi all,

As I looked at the calendar today, checking due dates for class projects. I realized their is only 28 days left to my time here at Derry. Looking back it has been quite the experience, the "Complete" Ag Ed experience (instruction, SAE, and FFA). Never being in an Ag program and getting what experience I do have from 4-H and College , not even close.

Observing my cooperating teacher for the first week and then transitioning my self into the role of instructor allowed me to see  first hand a variety of  teaching methods and strategies. The availability of different lab areas (food science, animal science, mechanics, floral, and greenhouse) aided in the way the content was presented to the students. The routine at Derry is consistent by having the in class content (lecture) along with the hands on component (labs). Presenting the lessons  in two different ways,insures that all students (8 multiple intelligences ) receive the content in an applicable form for their thought process.

In addition to the instruction received all the students take part in a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), offered as a credited course for Senior and Junior that have schedule conflicts ( help students reach becoming a completer). With 95% of  students participating in an SAE their is quite the variety. Derry SAEs range from the traditional production Ag enterprise and placement experiences to more innovative experiences , such as Food Science Research, Volunteer Fireman Experiential, and many more. Each student has two scheduled visits to the site of their SAE with their Ag instructor. Additional visits are scheduled on an as needed bases. This summer I had the opportunity to go along on some of these visits. The SAEs I visited were all traditional enterprise( market animals, gardens, laying hens, and horses). During my internship I have had several opportunities to talk to all the students about their SAEs and conduct a few visits with some nontraditional programs (Fireman , Hydroponics, Demolition tractors, Feedlot employment). Along with the SAEs participation all of the students were encouraged and coached one on one to prepare and send their record books to the state contest ( AET up date day is every Friday) as well as all the upperclassman were encouraged and coached one on one for their Proficiency awards.   

Before the State went to affiliate membership, all the students at Derry were members of the FFA. The chapter has officer meetings every other Tuesday, to review their POA and discuss any other information that needs to be discussed. On the alternating Tuesdays there is an all members meeting to keep all members informed. Derry's FFA year kicks off with the chapter officers developing an extensive POA from there its  presented  to the instructor and then put in to action , after their summer retreat/debriefing . FLC is one of the big events for the freshmen members, all the freshman( first year members) that they can take go to be introduced to the extensiveness of the FFA organization in PA. I have had the opportunity to go with 14 students to the ACES conference, and more recently with 6 students to SLLC. All these experiences have shown me how the organization helps to develop the students' leadership and career skills as well as how it works to supplement the curriculum at the same time.

In my opinion I still have allot to learn but the learning is much more effective through student teaching verses setting in a classroom even with guest speakers. It really puts it all into perfect perspective.             

Piglets Are Here !!!!

Hi all,

This week was the farthest thing from normal. Three days in Harrisburg for SLLC, first interview for a "Big Kid Job", Piglets arrived, and CDE practices kicked off. Oh the life of an Ag Teacher!

With all the goings on this week  the lesson that shown through the most was the importance of student success. Seeing the reaction of my students as they received their certificate for best homemade shirts at SLLC on Sunday night was just the start. On Tuesday the students were recognized by the Senate for their participation in SLLC , as well as their work with local Agriculture in their local community.

A pone returning to school on Thursday the importance of student success continued to echo. I figured that when I saw the two students who had tried for Proficiency awards (Small Animal Care) they would be a little disappointed. But to my surprise their only concerned that I was disappointed in them. Once I explained that was in no way the case, I was just proud of them for putting all the time and dedication into their SAE and their award applications. It was amazing to see how that reassurance and praise for their hard work completely changed the attitudes of these two students.

Continuing on this same train of thought, the students in my floral design class had work extremely hard on their contemporary arrangements ( Fresh- landscape & Silk - student's choice). I had been trying to work with the principal to have the arrangements displayed in the school lobby, however, do to the fear of the arrangements being destroyed by the vocational students and the fact that the Ag department had just had the display cases for FFA week my request we denied. The students and I were relay disappointed. With a little help from Mrs.Reed ( the department Secretary) I was able to pressured the school librarian into letting the floral class display their arrangements in the library.

When I returned on Thursday the students had no idea what was going on when they looked at their objectives, 1) Filed Trip.  I gave them instructions to go to the lab and load all the fresh arrangements out of the cooler and on to a cart, as well as to get their silk arrangements to carry down to the high school library. They light up and could get over how I did it. The librarian greeted us at the door and told the student they could put their arrangements any where they would like and they would be high lighted during the library's open house, coming up this week. Teachers that had their classes in the library were stunned by the classes work and kept complementing all of them. Seeing the students' smiles grow as they placed their arrangements and talked to the teachers about their arrangements was one of the best moments I have had during student teaching.

Additionally, this week The freshmen had the opportunity for hands on lamb/sheep fitting in the greenhouse. On Wednesday  large animal science class got to deliver ten of the twelve piglets,getting to assist with two breached piglets. Friday we had a USDA community recourse person come to demonstrate how to process the piglets. Removing needle teeth, ear knock, and give shoots (Iron).

Till next time!        

Hands on learning of sorts

Hi all,  well this week had hands on learning seemed to be the them, maybe more so on my part than the students.

This week we were trying to finalize every thing for SLLC including proficiency award applications, which are a lot more complicated than what they need to be explaining why most students just don't bother with them. I had decided earlier in the week that Friday would be set aside for the Large Animal Science class to clean their side of the barn. It was appositely repulsing!  The standing agreement is that all group leaders are to arrange for their group to get together at least once a month to clean out their assigned pens, however, none of the pens have been cleaned sense Thanksgiving. A Yorkshire Gilt, Dairy heifer calf, two Dorset X ewes, and a Nubian doe ; that should be more than enough to explain the smell. Needless to say the barn manager and I had a long discussion on the health issues, human and animal, that were bound to ensue.

I wish it hadn't  but by Thursday my words had come true, the goat had had her kid and developed mastitis. Not completely but in a larger part to her unsanitary living conditions, in addition to this the calf was about to be taken from the programs care. Students just seem to have to learn the hard way. Manual labor my be one of the best teaching tools, as all the student quickly learned why the barn needs to be cleaned because, it makes the pens even harder to clean and the smell is horrendous. Additionally it allowed me to work on my classroom management, keeping all the students productive in the cleaning process. We didn't get completely done in the 45 minuet period but some of the students volunteered to come back up during their study halls and finish up.

The fallowing two periods were even more interesting having a fire drill, that the teachers didn't know about, and some of the students that were working on the farrowing crate in the shop promised they didn't cause. It was funny how quick they came out of the shop saying  "we didn't do it, the fire was last period". When we saw the main school evaluating to we knew they relay hadn't set the alarm off. Finally, we got to go back in to the school for 8th period.                      

Having two students needing to finish their proficiency award applications, we decided to have the remaining students up date their AET. while we worked on figuring out were the errors were coming from.At this time the office had sent up machinates because the new welders were on their way and work still need to be done to  the shop so Mr.Campbell had to go assist them, leaving me to work out the bugs. Relay, it would have went a lot smother with two of us looking not just the one who had never seen or filled the form out before.  I was looking at the one and talking at loud and one student did what I was saying and fixed theirs in what seemed like no time. Helpful hint pay more attention in Ag business class. The bell had rang at some point and I still couldn't fix the same errors on the application I was looking at because cells wouldn't allow us to change them. We finally, had the students leave so they didn't miss their rides. Staying after to figure out what to do but with both Mr.Campbell and I having appointments after school it was deiced that Mr.Campbell would take it home and look at it again and if need to call another teacher to see if they could give us a hand.

Lesson for the week their is no substitute for hands on learning for the teacher and the students.          

Cattle Call

Hi all,
Do to a death in the family last week I am still a little behind but will be posting about National FFA week  in a later post to catch you all up.

So this week (6) I have to say a lot developed but Friday my have been or at least was pretty close to being "that moment". That certain people want me to have to change my mind about extension and take the school based rout, I'm slowly wearing down but not there yet. If you can remember back to week two (week one of actually teaching) the student that I have had class room management difficulties with ,ok the majority of the time may be more factual to explain the management struggle,had his light bulb light!

The first day of Large Animal Science's Reproduction Unit was an inquiry based lesson in titled "Cattle Call", I picked up the idea from the NAAE Preserves Teachers Program, the lesson is designed to have students explore the working of Mendel's Theory of Genetics by looking at different developing countries and developing the "Perfect" breed of cattle for the environment and people. This student came into class like always , I figured here we go again, but instead of the complaints I thought I would hear I hared  excitement real excitement. "Oh yea we got Vietnam!" I was shocked almost as much as his group members were, I wanted to ask "Who are and nice to meet you" but I re-framed. I had them read their articles ( 8 groups of three each with a different country)highlighting any thing they thought might help them to answer the proposed question "What factors go into developing a new breed?". Oh, also for this lesson I handed out question cards that limited each group to three questions, including "can I use the restroom, sharpen my pencil,& get a drink?". I think a firing squad would have been more friendly than my students were when I explained the cards and started collecting them.

One think to keep in mind for any one wanting to use them have any other teachers leave the room or collect cards to, the students will try  asking them their questions to try and avoid losing a card. This student had a question and I probably shouldn't have but I didn't take his card for asking, I was still to shocked, "Can I get the laptop or us my phone to look up something (tempter) I can't find in our article?"  "Yes, of cores you can use your phone or a laptop to look up more!!" I figured the sky was going to fall on us all but at the same time it was what happen for it to finally click for this kid and please don't go away. I told you I didn't take a card from their group and he reminded me that I had forgotten to take his card, I told him it was OK they could keep it because it was for the good of the whole class. A little while later he had another question about something he had found ( if the temp is in C than what is it in F) but before he asked he asked his group if it was alright to use on of their cards to ask. They both said Yes and said what I had been thinking the whole time, "Who are and nice to meet you!", he didn't respond just asked his question and gave me a card. You could have knocked me over with one finger.

When it came time to discuss Vietnam was the first in line, with full thoughts and comments on why they did what they did and why the pick the two breeds of cattle and how effective their breedings were. All the students enjoyed the lesson some were frustrated more than others but they all could explain the concepts that they had to explore on their own. At the end of class this student told my test was one of the first he had studied for and passed without using notes and it really help his grade and that's why he decided I didn't need a hard time any more, that and because I had made further than what he had bet I would. Go back to before the bet  and say what?!?! I did what ?  Thank you was all I could say to him and if you need any help just ask was what I finally said once he asked me if I was OK, I was speechless for only the second time in my life and must have looked sick or shell shocked and boy I was.

 This week have learned quite a bit about myself, having patients, keeping band-aids close by, and the power of even if you think you aren't getting through don't give up on any student they will all ways surprise you!!!    

Til next time!