Notes on Professional Development

This semester I was asked to attend a professional development program sponsored by the Center for Professional Personnel Development. Even thought it was on the last week, I knew all along that I wanted to attend a "new and beginning teacher workshop". I went to the northern region dinner on April 20th, in Liberty PA. It was a longer, but easy drive, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. From my first years in 4-H to now as an advisor, I have been what I call a "conference nerd." I like these things more than most. I love to go to these events with others from across the state and learn something new about the area that I am passionate about.

The best part of this dinner was it's structure. In this setting, I believe that trying to micro manage learning objectives and structuring the conversation is not nearly as meaningful as just letting the folks talk. We had materials and an agenda, but we were able to stay on topic and discuss whatever we wanted. I also enjoyed the fact that the other teachers there were people I call friends and once had as peers at PSU. It was a fun environment to be in, different than other meetings of teachers I do not yet know.

One reason I would like to stay in the state is to have access to these programs. I know for certain that I will attend every future new/beginning teacher event that I can, if given the opportunity. I am entirely genuine when I say that I am thankful for the opportunity to attend this event.

Science Teacher Visit

For my science class visit, I spent a class period with Mr Greg Laubach. He co-teachers the animal science class with Mr Turner, so I already knew him fairly well. I thought it would be interesting to see his AP bio class and see how students were at that high level.

Mr Laubach told me that many times, his role with the class is to introduce them and get out of their way. He said that this group is at a very strong, independent level. He has several students with the potential of getting 5s on the AP exam. (I also thought it was interesting that if students at Central take an ap class it is the expectation that they will take the test, and they will pay to take it.) This class was beginning a genetic engineering unit. They started with a lab on bacteria cultures where students put cultures on antibiotic plates. Through different cultures and different plates they will be able to see which cultures in the mix are resistant to each antibiotic.

The students were interested in what was going on. Each pair of students worked on their own lab packet, giving independence to the experiment. It showed Mr Laubach was facilitating rather than giving away information. His main duty was just to move around answer clarification questions. Students were helping each other before asking the teacher, as was the structure that was in place. The final thing that took place was that one student gave a second half of a report that was started the day before. I know that I may not have classes that look exactly like this one, but it gave me a great example of lab days in action to strive for in the future.

SAE Visit #2

My second SAE visit took me to the Nescopek Agway. It is owned by a couple who both graduated from Cumberland Valley, were state officers, and have a son in my Ag 1 class. He is one of those individuals who is totally invested in what the ag teacher has to say, and wants to take advantage of all that is offered in FFA. While my first visit was to a graduating senior at a state star winning project, this second visit was the very first one for this student. 

To prepare I double checked that his AET records were complete to the level that we had required in class. I wrote down a few questions, and decided that I wanted to let him give me a tour of his duties at the store. When I pulled in to the parking lot, I was impressed to see him moving palates around the parking lot with a forklift. That is something I couldn't do, and it showed a great deal of maturity and responsibility. After my tour, we had a talk about this responsibility. I told him that a good SAE project shows growth. He needs to talk to his parents and really establish what his duties and responsibilities are at the store, in hopes of being able to show measured growth throughout his 4 years. The true establishment of this SAE program will happen when Mr Brown makes his rounds this summer, but for the time being I was able to mark him with a passing SAE grade in the grade book. I hope that I get the chance to see him again in a few years, and see how he grows!

SAE Visit #1

Not every student teacher has the ability to visit a state star winner for one of their first SAE visits. Ever since I saw her win that award at Mid-Winter convention on my very first day, I knew that I had to check it out. This student has two SAE projects that make up her overall program, one at a diary cattle farm, and one on a diary goat farm. I choose the latter, and visited with Mr Turner.

There were no real preparations needed besides scheduling the visit. For a progressing visit, a check of AET would have been done. SAEs at Central are counted as a half credit per year on the students report card, and graded on a pass/fail basis. If record books are up to date, things are going smooth, and the supervisor has positive remarks, there is no reason that the students should not pass. It helped this student's case that when we walked in, her employer immediately said "I don't know if it means much from me, but I think she deserves and "A". I would agree State star award in placement, or not, she had an impressive set of records. Not the largest as far as numbers go, but she spends more time working (and working hard) than others her age, and it was nice to see her get recognition for it.

To wrap up, there was not much in the way of improvement to be recommended. A few months from graduation, she was an SAE success story. Our conversations shifted more towards her post-graduation plans. She wants to work for a farm managing livestock, and will do so full-time at the dairy where she has her other project. She will not pursue further certifications, but I would feel comfortable with this. She has the skill set required and her best opportunity for growth is on the job. We talked about ways she could make sure that she continues to grow as a professional in the industry. I wish her the best of luck in the future.

Admin Interview

At Central Columbia, we are fortunate to have a very supportive administration. That includes our principal, Jeff Groshek. I was able to interact several times with him throughout my experience, and I even had his daughter in class for a few weeks. For AEE495 assignment number 6, I was asked to speak with an administrator about teacher interviews, and have a mock interview myself. I had no reservations about walking up to him and asking for his advice at any point of the internship, so he was a natural fit. We got together the final week to formally go through the process.
From the start, Mr Groshek  made it very clear that in an interview he wants to get to know the candidates personally. You can always refer to the portfolio for technical information, but he really cares that they would fit well in the school community. That is what impressed me the most about the interview.
I feel like I handled the questions well. I am well aware that I tend to ramble on with my answers, and even while trying to keep it in check, it was still noticeable. Mr Groshek told me that he likes it when candidates pause and think before they speak, which I did. The only think I did not care for about this interview, or any interview before, is that there is no real time to look through my professional portfolio. My real life experiences with them have been different than what I was instructed to do in the pre-internship seminar. I asked Mr Groshek my standard, but solid, question: How does the district support the professional development of new teachers.
The hard part of mock interviews is the fact that you already know the person interviewing you, so the atmosphere is more comfortable. The advantage of that is that they are able to gauge how genuine you were. I was told I came across just the same. The only real thing I can do to prep for the future is gain more experience. Anything pre-constructed seems to be on point, but on-the-spot answering and related items are still difficult. Hopefully I can use this experience to my benefit in the near future!

SLO/Action Research

For my SLO project, I chose to investigate student choice. 5th period ag 1 would be assigned a ThinkLink poster, heavy on inquiry, for the topic of IPM in plant science. 8th period will get a choice of that ThingLink, a comic strip, lyrics, a video, or an essay. Both classes would get the same exact pre-test, which will be re-taken as a post-test. I wanted to know if 8th period would have a higher score increase, and if there would be enough evidence to say that it was because of the choice they were given.
In the end, 5th period actually had a higher score increase. When you compare the numbers side by side, 5th period had more consistent numbers on average, while 8th period had dramatic shifts in scores. Some students even got a lower score the second time.
If you were in the class with me, you would be able to conclude that 8th period on a Friday when it is warm out is not the best time to take a quiz. I had more discipline issues the last day than I have in the whole week before. What I am taking with me from doing this research is how more engaged the choice class seemed to be (with the exception of the post quiz). For my sake as a teacher, I enjoyed looking through 8th period's work more. Although I only established guidelines, not boundaries, 5th period projects seemed to get repetitive. 8th period had more variety of information on their projects, and they could be more creative with it. Would I like to try it again with a better control over my variables? Yes. But moving forward I think this project was a good way for me to work towards the student choice and inquiry based goals that I have.

Teaching Bluejays: That's a WRAP! (Week 15)

Today when the bell rang at 2:45, it signaled the end of my time at Central Columbia High School.  It is hard for me to gauge just how much I have grown in my time here, but I know that I am not the same man I was in April of 2016. I feel that I am a more confident, organised, and passionate educator. As I sit here at my desk for one final evening, I am thinking about the faculty and students who have left a mark on my heart these past 15 weeks. I believe that in the long run, it is these individuals that I will remember most when I reminisce on my time at Central. I had no primary instruction this week, but I did get to spend my time focusing on the relationships that ag teachers get to build.

As I drove in to school this morning, I noticed the trucks of two of my senior boys in the parking lot. I thought that was weird, because there was no parli-pro practice. When I walked in to my room, I saw my desk and everything on/around it layered with shrink-wrap. The two guys were peeping through the shop windows in a way that I can only describe as two dogs waiting for the mailman. They did however bring me doughnuts, so I couldn't be too upset. That is until just before the final bell rang, when they told me I should go take a look at my vehicle. Turns out they hit that too. I was secretly hoping that my students would plan a surprise for my last day, so my day was made.

 

This week, Mr Turner and his family invited me to their farm for dinner. Also, I participated in the northern region new-and-beginning teacher dinner, hosted by Dr Rice and the CPPD. Not only did I get 2 free meals, but I got to interact with and enjoy the company of other teachers outside of the classroom. That is what I have come to appreciate most about the profession. It is not a job, it is a why of life in an amazing community. I love building personal relationships in this journey of life, and I am blessed to be able to add Central Columbia to the list of those I've loved along the way.

I'm not sayin' I'm through by any means.

'Cause there's still things that I want to say and do.

I hope you won't forget me, 'cause we've shared a lot dreams.

And just know that I'll always remember you.

You've pulled me through some hard times.

Hope I've pulled you through a few.

And just know that I'll always remember you.

-George Strait

Teaching Bluejays: The End is Near (Week 14)

This past week was my second-to-last at Central Columbia. I don't understand how my time here went as quickly as it did. It seems like just yesterday I was on a bus to Farm Show with a bunch of unknown faces, and today I am making small talk with those same faces in the hallway. My final visit from Dr Foster took place on Tuesday, which also represented the final day of my primary instruction. With these events, I got some closure to my ongoing concern of lesson planning.


For most of this year I was unable to articulate the problems I was having with lesson plans. It was so clear in my mind, but I could not say it so my cooperating teachers could understand. On Tuesday, I finally felt like I was able to do so. In short, it is an issue of sequence vs timing of lessons. My issue came when I needed to modify future lessons due to current situations. What I thought was a rigid structure of lesson sequence is actually more loose. Timing can, and will frequently, change. What is important is that I plan out what topical areas are covered, and in what order. Randomness can be confusing to students, so this helps prevent that. Throughout student teaching, many changes and teachable moments have occurred. These events should be made deliberate and purposeful by following the lesson structure, but writing a lesson to adapt to a current situation does not not automatically make the rest of the sequence obsolete.

The end of student teaching will not mean the end of my careful lesson planning. I know this is my area of improvement, and for good reason. Better planning will help alleviate stress, misunderstanding, and other general headaches that I give myself. No matter where I end up, I will continue to improve on this mark. As for now, I will enjoy my last few days as a bluejay, watching my master teacher mentors take the reigns back. I am starting to reflect back on just what all has occurred, and I look forward to sharing those big ideas with you soon.

Teaching Bluejays: Burnout? (Week 13)

During this week of student teaching, I felt the grind of it all for the first time. The weekend before I attended 4-H Capital Days in Harrisburg as a staff member and a guest presenter. I had a wonderful time molding future advocates for agriculture and youth development, but the experience also meant that I was "on" for 2 weeks straight. This past week, my evenings were busy as well. On Monday I lead a workshop for the Snyder County 4-H teen Council, Thursday night I had my PAAE regional meeting. Thorough both of those nights and the 2 others I also spent long hours working on related student teaching materials, grading the many assignments due at the end of the marking period, and preparing future lessons. To add to the pressure, my truck is off the road at the moment, and I need to figure out how to get it fixed. By Friday, when we traveled to our area Forestry, Wildlife, and Aquatics CDEs, my mental capacity was pretty well shot. I want to briefly reflect on why this may have happened, and how I will try to prevent burn out in the future.

I believe it starts with an understanding of how much ag teachers have on their plate, and a feeling of guilt that comes with taking personal time. As I reach the end of student teaching, the reality of everything that is still due turns on the pressure. Not only do I have the responsibilities of a full-time teacher, but I have the expectations of the university to fulfill as well. I have been working diligently on my Penn State Requirements, but some kind of last-minute stress is pretty unavoidable. I spent my early weeks focusing on my daily teaching responsibilities and goals. Now that I am in the swing of teaching, I am thankful to have lessons prepared well in advance that I can fall back on. However, some responsibilities like grading assignments in a timely manner still persist.

By the time I complete my first priority items (those associated with meeting my students on a daily basis) I have limited will power to complete my secondary items. What ends up happening is a a vicious cycle:

• due to decreased performance, I spend more time on these items than I should
• that leads to less being accomplished in the same amount of time
• now there is more work to do in the future
• more work means less "me time" to recharge if I want to meet deadlines
• that means there is a decreased performance in future, and it repeats from the top.

I start to feel a sense of guilt for times I was not being productive, such as talking during lunch as opposed to grading papers while I eat, or the inevitable minutes I am distracted while trying to complete work, or occasionally welding for 45min after school to provide a break from all the pressure. I have gotten better at recognizing when there is no longer any benefit to "pushing though" tired, but the pressure of the final weeks causes me to look ignore that sometimes. Staying up till 1am and spending 3 hours to do 1.5 hours of normal work is still accomplishing the task. It is better than going to bed at 11 and spending those 1.5 hours on the task tomorrow because that eats in to what I need to accomplish tomorrow and pushes it back. Right?

I was proud of my ability to split productive work time and me time at the beginning of student teaching, but now I feel guilty for not doing more. And I know I can always look back with 20/20 hind-sight. But I want to look back being proud of what I accomplished. I have made sacrifices, such as a few weeks of working on assignments instead of going to the races (my favorite weekly break from it all). 

My one ag teacher friends from my National Ambassador team shared this article on Facebook this week. It was timely, and I think my first real step to understanding how I feel and creating solutions. Check it out: HERE

When I get in to this situation, I start to feel helpless, like I am the only one who can help myself. My thoughts would be along the lines of "well I am the only one who can write my lessons for me or sleep for me, so what can anybody do." I think as teachers we spend so much time helping others that we forget to let others help us. This week my friends and family forced themselves in to my life to help me. Even if it was in the littlest of ways, it still helped. My parents let me drive the van for the week, and my uncle gave my dad his second car to use instead. My friend Josh gave my best friend Will a ride to my parent's house, and Will took my truck to fix it so I don't have to worry about being there for it to get done. My dad drove to Bloomsburg Friday night to buy me a good dinner, let me vent about all my stress, and gave me food so I don't have to worry about having immediate access to food next week. The driver I help at the races told me not to feel guilty about not making it, because teaching is how I will pay the bills. Even if I still have the same tasks to complete in the same amount of time, I am thankful to have those side distractions taken care of. 

Bottom line, I know I need to improve with time management. Mostly in the area of how to get done what I need to in a timely passion so I can guarantee some me-time (and sleep...). I am realizing how much others can and want to help me on this journey. (even those who seem to be the source of the stress in the first place, and whose help only causes more stress. But I digress...)

I have good vibes about my ability to manage my own burnout in the closing weeks, and intend to enjoy every single minute of it, not matter how happy or stressfull. Student teaching is almost over. I can do this.

Teaching Bluejays: Assessing the Assessments (Week 12)

This week went by way to quick, and I can't believe we are staring at the end of my student teaching experience. I am starting new units that I will likely not get to see through to the end, but that was the original intent. I learned just how much I enjoy teaching students how to weld, and I had some deep reflection as I graded the assessments that go me to this point.

To put it simply, the Plant Science exams I graded were not where I thought they would be, which was disheartening considering all the time I spent ensuring that my instruction would translate to the required unit assessment. There were times when I even dropped major spoiler alerts for exam questions, and students that I thought were engaged did not perform.

These concerns led to one of the best conversations I have had with Mr Brown. On Wednesday night, I stayed at school late, plowing in to the mountain of assignments to be graded and other responsibilities. Before Mr Brown left, I asked him if I could have done anything different to get better scores. He asked what one particular student with a GIEP got (almost a perfect score.) He said that if that student did poorly, then I could worry. The reality is that performance is ultimately out of our hands. For my first few assessments I will feel that way, but eventually I will become more confident in my teaching which will decrease the self-doubt. He pointed out that the fact this is on my mind tells him how much I care. His underlining student teaching goal for me is to increase self confidence. I think this conversation help reveal mine.. I care so much about my students, but that alone doesn't make me a good teacher. I am slowly learning how to direct the right amount of caring to the right areas at the right time.

Next week I hope to continue with my lesson plan utilization. Also, many shop days allow me to constantly improve in that area day after day. As for now, it is off to PA 4-H Capital Days to coach the State Council on Parli Pro, and lead the delegation in a "how to read a bill" workshop :)

Teaching Bluejays: (Lesson) Planning my Home Stretch (Week 11)

I almost had to re-introduce myself to my students after a week plus away from the classroom. I was happy to get back in the swing of things, prepare for a visit from Dr Foster, and cycle through to new units.

Monday, my Ag 2 students took their fasteners unit written exam. (I tend to say exam rather than test, probably just a product of university. Do you think one word vs the other has a different impact in the mind of a high school student?) I was impressed with the results. However, I find it shocking that no matter how many times "test taking skills" are preached, students still do not attempt to answer some short response questions. Also, if the question had 3 three parts, for example draw, label, and describe each part, students will only complete one or two parts. I did not see it as much on Friday's plant science exam, but it was still an issue.

I tried something new with Ag 2 students this week. We will be starting MIG/TIG/Plasma on Monday, but some of these students never had arc welding due to being in the half year Ag 1 class. I took them through a "crash course" on arc welding this week so they can be prepared with basic concepts when we meet on Monday. I have had concerns about my pace of content delivery, so I am interested to see how starting these ag 2 students with little upfront theory will compare to the ag 1 students I will be teaching the arc welding unit in a few more days. I will also be finishing plumbing next week with Ag 3, and look forward to start electrical wiring.

On Thursday, Dr Foster came for a coaching visit. He, Mr Brown, Mr Turner, and myself sat down and had a really good conversation about my progress. We identified that our focus for the last 4 weeks would be more thorough lesson planning, and better utilization of those plans. We will work to ensure that I have a quality lesson plan in front of me each class I teach for the remainder of the experience. I know I can stand and present, and I look forward to improving in that area with better planning. Here's to what is to come in these last 4 weeks!!


(I really love these photos Dr Foster took. Apparently my oxyacetylene apple didn't fall far from the Dr Ewing tree. I am ok with that) 

Teaching Bluejays: The Weird Week (Week 10)

Because of the nature of week 10, I originally decided to include it's notes in my week 11 blog. Knowing me, a simple accounting of events turned in to a #deep reflection. I decided I would take my notes from last Friday and make this separate post.

Here is what made this week so crazy.. I did not teach students all week. From Sunday to Monday, I was with Mr Turner and 5 students at SLLC in Harrisburg (see separate post). We returned home Monday night, and proceeded to receive 23+ inches of snow in Bloomsburg. That caused school to be canceled from Tuesday-Friday. That didn't matter to me, because Wednesday evening I left to stay with family near Philly for an interview in New Jersey on Thursday. After that interview ended at 1pm, I did a "turn-n-burn" for State College for our student each seminars at 6pm that night and all day Friday. And on a personal family note, I drove home after the seminars to watch my sister's musical and visit with family from out of state, and even out of the USA! When all was said and done, my "week off" consisted of 2 feet of snow, 800 miles and 5 stops in 2 states. I didn't get to accomplish as much work as it may seem, but I still had some good take-aways.

I want my classroom to be a place for all to feel accepted. Thursday night was a part of our inclusion series, and was focused around LGBTQ issues. I am still trying to come to terms with this controversial topic in my mind. I am not any closer to having a stance on that issue in that respect, but I know that as a professional educator, my personal beliefs are overshadowed by a desire for student success. Most of the information I have heard about these issues have been rooted in propaganda and opinions, so I appreciated a chance to have an earnest discussion of ideas based around the facts. I am willing to do whatever it takes to ensure each student has an equal chance to feel appreciated and succeed in my class, regardless of how they identify.

Successful teaching is a journey, not a destination. I have been going non-stop these past few weeks, weather I have been in the classroom or not. At the end of the day I may be exhausted and have a lot left to accomplish, but I know I can shut my eyes each night feeling confident that I am moving forward.

And lastly, relating to the statement above, I know I am surrounded by a network of peers and mentors who care about my success. I feel alone in this a lot, especially when the student leave, I work alone at school in to the evening, and then go home alone. I spend so much time focused on caring about others that it makes me truly happy to have a chance to come together with my cohort members and family where we can honestly and openly care about each other. I forget how lucky I am to be where I am, and I will spend my last few weeks of student teaching refusing to take that for granted.

Notes on SLLC

Our Pres. was nominated chair of
his caucus

Greetings from my apartment, which is currently surrounded by 20 or so inches of snow. At the time I am writing this reflection, I should be in the capital building in Harrisburg with Mr Turner and 5 outstanding members, concluding the 2017 Statewide Legislative Leadership Conference. This conference was supposed to run from Sunday to Tuesday, but apron our arrival it was announced that everything after lunch on Monday would be canceled due to weather. While I feel bad that neither my students or myself got to experience the full conference, I am satisfied that a premier learning experience was had by all.

While this was my first time at SLLC, I have lots of experience with 4-H Capital Days, which is almost a mirror image of this conference. At capital days I got to experience the process as a member and as a state officer. This time around, I got to experience a conference as an advisor. I'll admit it was nice to let the students go and spend time with other ag teachers. I compare it to a parent watching their kids sporting event on the bleachers with other parents. While there is not much work to do during the game itself, it is nice to interact with others like you and watch the success unfold.

I should point out that the time with other teachers was far from idle. On Sunday I helped judge proficiency award applications, and Monday I participated in professional development. I also learned a few chaperoning tips along the way, such as.. note your students room numbers before you give them the key cards, so you can find the rooms when it is time to do bed checks.

I was most proud of the reflection I led on the van ride home. Going back to my DSA experiences, I know the value of timely reflection after an experience. I got to hear what everyone did, talk through the value of the conference in their own life, and helped them develop a sense of purpose to this time out side of the classroom. I love the impact conferences have on students, and look forward to many more in the future!

Teaching Bluejays: Thoughts from the Shop (Week 9)

This week was split 50/50 between lab and shop time, in attempt to finish the plant science and fastener units and start welding and woodworking units in Ag 1 and Ag 2. I lost a day on Friday due to a snow day, but I gave me more time to prep for whats to come.

The way I structured my week was to have class days on Monday/Wednesday/Friday, and shop days on Tuesday/Thursday. As I mentioned last week, the upcoming Fasteners unit assessment caused problems due to using the standard assessments, but those issues cleared up on Monday, and students were able to spend the rest of the week in the shop. Plant Science was able to spend two days in the greenhouse transplanting after notes were finished. Students loved this, and (even though I announced each day's plans on Monday and again each day) the "are we in the greenhouse" question rang out every day as students entered the room.

"Shop time" was on my mind a lot this week, partially because there was so much of it. In fact, on Tuesday every single class was either in the shop or the greenhouse, and it was one of my best days so far. Why was that? A day in the shop requires prep and cleanup work just as a day of material introduction does, but it is a different kind that I enjoy much more. I enjoy seeing the students get to create something to be proud of, and interact with each other. It plays in to a student centered classroom. Students love it as much as I do, but this week it felt like a reward for getting though notes, not a valued part of the learning process.

I have had a hard time breaking the mold of standardized notes days, shop days, and demo days. Part of it comes from the preset culture that I am teaching in. And yes, I can probably push myself even harder to try new things. Here is where I struggle. I feel like I am more of a traditional ag teacher.. to a point. I have never felt like the type of individual who wants to try the hottest new thing, but the idea of doing so has always appealed to me. I want more student centered, inquiry based education but struggle with the how. In plant science, an area that isn't my strong suit, I was proud of how I changed up the learning atmosphere. However with two separate welding units on the horizon I really want to break the "we need to cover these notes before we can go to the shop" feeling. But how? I'm not exactly comfortable with saying "Here is a welding booth, you have all the materials you need, see if you can figure out how to use lots of electricity to melt metal together!". More on this idea as I continue my experience. 

In conclusion, I am uneasy that next week we hit double digests with week 10. I feel like I have been in a rut with my progression through material (mostly due to outside circumstances) and I am anxious that the end is on the horizon. Next week I hope I can get some repose with SLLC and our second seminar. Maybe I can get some answers to my shop dilemma and get a fresh shot of inspiration.

Teaching Bluejays: Keeping the Rythm (Week 8)

Week 8 was not defined by any major events, relating to student teaching. I had the opportunity to attend the 4-H advisory council meeting on Monday night, bur for the most part it was business as usual at Central Columbia.

My biggest source of growth came from trying to finish unit content. I have to use Mr Brown and Mr Turners summitive assessments because they were approved by the district. I write my own and am able to make the units my own, but I have to make sure that the students are prepared for the assessments. In fasteners, I have to go back and cover some content that I missed when I went trough the unit the first time. It is annoying (especially because everyone including me is totally over that unit) but necessary. I will also be going back and double checking other unit assessments, making sure that I didn't miss anything in preparing my other units.

My plant science unit also relates to that content idea. There is so much in that unit that I can teach, I have had a hard time remembering how basic I need to make things for freshman in high school. With that being said, that unit is also coming to a fast close, so I am now able to have students in the greenhouse planting and transplanting for the spring plant sale!. That was the highlight of my week, seeing everyone working and engaged but also getting to see individual personalities shine through in that interaction.

A few other notes to mention, I believe I have 4 students that I will be working with to enter the Teach Ag! Essay contest. Looking forward to that being in the works. Also, I created a portfolio in the evenings after school and had my first job interview on Friday!

With the end of the majority of my current units on the horizon, the focus of this coming week will be assessments. I am looking forward to the reset opportunity of new units, and continuing my mindset shift from student teacher to first year teacher!

Teaching Bluejays: Seeing Success (Week 7)

My 7th week consisted of a Monday off, and a bit of craziness along the way. In the end, It was a typical crazy week in the life of an ag teacher, but there were students with plaques at the end of it, making the struggles seem worth it.

As I mentioned in the last blog, I was challenged to act as the second teacher for 2 days while Mr Turner was out. Well, he fell ill on during his time away. When I arrived Tuesday morning, I found an email from him saying that he would be our that day. On Wednesday, he came in but could make it and had to leave around lunch time. Now it did not necessarily mean that I had to drastically change my plans, but just like the two school days prior, it meant more time as "the guy", teaching my slate of classes independently, without the safety net of another teacher in the room. I am starting to shift my mindset from succeeding as a student teacher. to succeeding as a first year ag teacher. This was excellent practice, and I am now feeling even more comfortable with teaching a full load each day.

I will also throw in a quick note about our advisory council meeting. It was a pleasure to meet everyone, and there were several comments to both Mr Brown and myself from the members saying they were impressed with my progress. Along with the meeting came some great stories on how they have used the advisory council to advocate for the program in the past.

Wednesday was also my second observation from Dr Foster. The biggest issue we found and tried to tackle is lesson planning. I find it hard, at least in this step of the journey, to write plans for days and days in advance. It leads to me preparing somewhat last minute. Right now I can make it work really well, but I can not let that be a habit to continue in the future. I do enjoy how much more relaxed days can be when I have everything placed, and I know there are days that will force you to take that preparedness for granted.
Also, I can not for the life of me teach from a lesson plan through out the class. For each class I know what I want to, and I make it happen. I dont need a lesson in front of me to remind me. The craziness in my mind makes sense to me, but not really to anyone else. What I should do is keep a clearer lesson plan paper trail for the sake of next time I teach it, or others who may need to utilize it. Right now writing detailed lesson plans is busy work, a necessary evil. I need to find some sort of format or groove to make it a more worth while preparation.

Overall with my observation, I know that it was more of an average to below average day. With that in mind, the feedback I received gave me confidence moving forward.

On Friday, I could see some of the fruits of my labor. We hosted the area public speaking CDE competitions, which I have helped Mr Brown set up and plan. I have also been working with our 3 creed speakers, which I am proud to say that out of 11 total participants, those three placed 1-2-3! (Get out the broom, we have a sweep!) We are sending many students to the regional competition, and I cant wait to keep working with them!
These smiling faces say it all. I love being a teacher and a mentor and I'm thankful to be doing this every day, where I am doing it. Week 7 is gone already, almost half way. Bring it on!

Teaching Bluejays: Ah Ha Moments (Week 6)

This week had a little bit of everything, as far as the life of an ag teacher goes. I got to experience the changing of one unit to the other for the first time, attended my first school board meeting as a teacher, and got to play the roll of the second teacher in a two teacher program. The struggles of teaching started to shine through for me, but at the end of the day I was still rewarded with those "ah-ha!" moments that make it all worth it.

Agronomy team presenting to the school board

Monday night, I attended the Central Columbia school board February meeting along with Mr Brown, Mr Turner, two chapter officers, and our state 2nd place agronomy team. I learned that February is the meeting that the chapter presents at each year, a choice Mr Brown made because of National FFA week, and it is the meeting where the budget report is presented. Through a series of events, they had their typical thank you/FFA week/etc presentation, AND the agronomy team got to present on their trip to Big E. We got to show off student success, justify days out of school by showing how those days connect to class content, and provide an example of how we use technology (ipads) in class. I'm glad I got to learn school board meeting strategy while student teaching.

2 Student Teachers, 1 Workshop
We got Mackenzie Appleman (Doug's last student teacher
before me) to participate, trying on PPE 

On Wednesday I got to very my instruction by teaching to an adult audience. Mr Brown and I took the morning and traveled to the Columbia County Ag Conference to present pesticide safety to the members of the ag community (mostly farmers). Our materials ironically came from Kelly Lowery at PSU Pesticide Ed, who presented to us at the pre-internship seminar. I learned that with an adult audience you might not get enthusiastic participation, but the individuals will still give you the respect you need to teach. Teaching with high energy may not be as naturally accepted as it is with high schoolers, but you still need to capture and hold interest. Doug and I were some of the only presenters who used audience participation to demonstrate our objectives (pesticide spill cleanup and biomagnification) and we ended up being named the highest rated workshops of the conference! Not bad for the morning! After that, we returned to teach 7th and 8th period.

Thursday and Friday became a true test for me. Mr Turner took his personal days, leaving me as (unofficially) the second teacher. I will say that there were no major mishaps, and business was able to continue as normal. With that being said, on Thursday, I experienced one of my biggest "roller coaster" days thus far.

My first period prep went as normal and I felt prepared to attack the day. My plumbing ID activity flopped second period, mostly my fault. Period three started with no one remembering if group 1 or 2 was with me or Mr Brown. the massive push-back and lack of cooperation caused my nerves to fry, further compounded by the fact that the bellwork activity I prepared included content that this group had not reached yet. (Again, my fault) For Mr Brown and I's prep 4th period, he and I worked together to diagnose issues and repair my sanity. I said that I also wasn't 100% confident on the plant science content for 5th and 8th period, so we went over that. During that time I made a connection in my head and had a light bulb moment, which turned into me changing the lesson around a new interest approach over lunch.

Long story short: we watched a video of a space shuttle launch and then went along with business as normal. At the end of the lesson, I brought things full circle and compered the rocket boosters to cotyledons, and fuel tank to endosperm. It worked beautifully. It was the best I have ever "set the hook" on a lesson. Mr Brown was observing and told me about student reactions I did not notice. One student, who is in AP Bio, exclaimed "wow this all total makes sense now!" and another "hard sell" student thought "wow this is so cool". After the bell rang Mr Brown forced me to stop and enjoy what had just happened. It was a true come-from-behind redemption moment for me; one that I will remember for a long time.

So in conclusion, this week I got too see school board, adult audience instruction, and I was reminded that in teaching you have the opportunity to start again each class of the day. Ill end with some words of wisdom. Mr Brown passed them on to me just as they were told to him when he was in my shoes: In teaching there is a lot of planning and politics that go in to the job, but the best moments you will ever have are when you get to forget all of that, shut the door, and teach students for 46 minutes. 

Teaching Bluejays: The Gangs All Here! (Week 5)

Week five seemed to come and go in a matter of moments. This is probably due to the fact that I only had 2 days of instruction in the classroom. Monday I had the opportunity to spend the day visiting a program with a vacancy that I applied for. The time line of that visit works out well considering Friday was our cohort's "Job Prep Boot Camp" seminar in State College. Add in a snow day on Thursday, and I feel like I had more windshield time (what I call driving) than class time. It has been almost 600 miles now that I'm back in Bloomsburg on Sunday night, but I don't mind. I love my windshield time!

During my two days in school, my highlight was starting plant science with the Ag 1 classes. I feel like the upcoming unit will provide many opportunities to be creative and grab student's interest. I am also starting plumbing with Ag 3, and am working through fasteners with Ag 2. I am also looking forward to helping team teach NOCTI test prep with Ag 4, and I have already set up some cool inquiry experiments for them.

At our seminar, I was reminded how thankful I am to have my 6 cohort members in my life. They are some of my people, and I could talk to any one of them for hours and it would seem like minutes. As we talked and reflected about our experiences so far, I wrote down some thoughts I want to carry with me through my remaining weeks. In conclusion of this post, here they are in a more expanded form:

• Get extrinsic motivation, from individuals I don't see on a daily basis, to be creative and expand my instruction with new ideas and creative activities
• Each day, try to communicate with each individual student. 
• Each day, have students write something, say something, and get them out of their seats to do something
• Catch students doing something right, not just doing something wrong
• I realized how much I like the "knucklehead" students. They keep things interesting, and it is the most rewarding when I see them engaged and interested in learning
• Engagement is a concept to work towards, not a step that is achieved

Teaching Bluejays: Learning vs Covering Content (Week 4)

I am writing this week after publishing my "Reflections Through 4-H" blog. It was powerful, it made my mother cry (in a good way), and it got me thinking... Am I doing this student teaching thing right? I love reading the blogs of my peers, getting to read about the joys and challenges that they are facing. I know that you can not compare one student teaching experience to another, but sometimes that is inevitable. I have to echo what Miranda said this week: I feel like I am still in the honeymoon stage. After all, I came off a magical weekend with 4-H and was thrown in to a crazy, reality check of a week in the classroom. And I still feel like a million bucks. I still don't feel like I hit the wall of reality/challenge that I know I am racing towards.

8th Grade day, looking at pig lungs!

So in review, Monday was less than thrilling. I was tired from the weekend, my content wasn't exciting to begin with, and my students were not as cooperative as normal. It was just a day in the trenches. I left immediately after school for my bi-annual CDL physical, but the doctors office literally moved locations the week before and never told me. (Sometimes if I didn't have bad luck...) After chasing them down, I had multiple errands to run, and passed out as soon as I got home.

Tuesday was a blessing in disguise. I got to sleep in because we had a 2 hour delay, but when I got to school, I released that the delay had been changed to a cancellation. I thought great, now I need to change my curriculum around again. But nevertheless I got to spend the day in a quiet school, catching up on everything I needed to do. I even escaped to the shop and did a little welding; some hands-on therapy to calm my nerves.

Wednesday went great. Some seating changes I made finally paid off and the students were engaged. In 5th period ag 1, I got to experience a true teachable moment. My students were talking about the big announcement made by the boy scouts, and I realized they never heard of the changes to OD made by national FFA. We took half the class period and discussed the impact of these changes. The conversation was not political or religious, but rather focused around what it means to be a part of a national organisation that is open to everybody. Yes, we fell behind 8th period as far as content on the lesson plan, but I know my students still learned something that day.

8th Graders meeting our Angus bull calf, Ted

Thursday was 8th grade day at the high school. All students were in their homerooms working on iPad assignments all day, while Mr Brown, Mr Turner, select chapter officers, and myself got to show the program to every 8th grader in the district. Again, it was time away from my students in class, but I still got to see learning and fresh excitement in the 8th graders.

Friday, I finally got comfortable with our eBackpack system, and our grade book system. I am not able to be completely autonomous with all of my classes. Mr Brown, Mr Tuner, and myself also got had great conversations about where I am, where I want to go, and what we need to do to get me there. I know the two of them have differing views on some points such as how to do xyz or even teaching philosophy, but I am extremely grateful that I get to see both ways, that they are both supporting me, and they give me the room to be my own teacher. This next week we will focus on my ability to check for understanding, and I feel confident that I am moving forward.

In this next week, I may face the challenges I alluded to earlier. On Wednesday, I am ending careers and starting plant science with ag 1. Also, that day I will pick up a new class, starting Plumbing with ag 3. It is also my first week that I am in complete control over my own grades, attendance, student emails, etc. I am looking forward to these new challenges.

In review, some teachers taught curriculum this week, but I feel like I taught students. I may have missed 2 instructional days, and not progressed through curriculum as much as I wanted to. But lots of these things were out of my control and I did the best with the had I was dealt. At the end, I know I had a positive impact on students this week and I strengthened my philosophy on learning vs. content.  I know that my first 4 weeks may not have had the challenges others have faced, but I am thankful that I have been forced to take it slow, get comfortable, and learn. In my own way of learning vs content, I need to stop worrying about achieving my own made-up checkpoints, focus on learning everything I can, here and now. It doesn't mean anything is wrong if I still feel like I'm in the honeymoon stage. It means that I am Mr Repetz at Central Columbia, this is my story, and I am being prepared the best I can be for what lies ahead. Bring on week 5!!!

(Cue the credits rolling, with the guitar intro to Gary Allen's "Right Where I Need to Be" plays in the background)

Reflections Through 4-H

The content below started as a part of my 3rd weekly reflective blog. I decided that, since the content took it's own direction, that it would have the best impact in it's own post. All week I went back and forth with it, sometimes thinking about not publishing it. In the end I decided to, because it is a good record of my personal history and what shaped my teaching philosophy. While most posts are written for reflective purposes of those who are in my professional life, this post adds some depth and personal history to the blog. Enjoy!

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From the Early Years...

I ended the week by taking it back to where it all began: 4-H. I went back to State College for the State Leadership Conference. (Think ACES, all in one weekend) That conference has a special palace in my heart. As a member, state 4-H events were where I felt accepted, and at home.

...To State Council...

And to be honest, I got along so well with members from across the state that I felt popular, like one of the cool kids. It was just about the only time I felt that way in my high school years. It was my niche. Exactly the same way FFA is for  some students in my classroom and beyond.
I continued my journey in 4-H, and it led me to becoming State President for 2013/2014, where I got to help run the conference.

...To Alum Status...

The league of state 4-H officers is like a family. I often call it my state council family. Each year a few of us get to return to serve on the state staff for the conference. I have been given this opportunity each year since I retired from office, and this year was no different. Last year the conference was re-scheduled due to weather, and they asked me to fill in and teach the "How to lead an effective meeting" workshop. I got such positive reviews that they asked me to teach the same workshop this year.

...To Now!

I took everything I learned in ag ed an applied it to my workshop. A few of the teaching strategies I used were a Picasso E-Moment, gallery walk, KWL charts, and a think-pair-share. I purposefully shared these strategies with the members as ways to frame discussion and add variability to meetings. I also used them myself to assess their learning. Sneaky, right??

So why am I talking about all this 4-H stuff in a weekly refection of student teaching?

I want the record of my blog to show my history and experiences in the 4-H program. 4-H is undeniably what molded me in to the person I am today. 4-H was my niche growing up. It is where I first recognized the concept of youth development, and where I fell in love with it. It is where I first recognized my own growth, and what caused me to dedicate my life to facilitating this growth in others.

So why didn't Nate become a 4-H educator? After all I never had Ag in high school, but I was in 4-H. It comes down to two reasons. First, we can't deny that there is a night/day difference with job opportunities between ag ed and extension. Second and most importantly, teaching gives me the opportunity to work with youth 7 plus hours a day, 5 days a week. I prefer to be in the trenches with the students, seeing growth every day, as opposed to running a program based around volunteers. 4-H also gives me the opportunity to give back, using my ag ed knowledge/experience, as a volunteer, so it is basically the best of both worlds.

I am honored to have the opportunity to give back to the 4-H program, because not everyone has the opportunity or means to give back to past experiences, even true in the case of other 4-Hers. It means the world to me. My tagline is: I am obsessed with the process. What does that mean? That is how I describe seeing growth and development in students. I am so incredibly aware of how much 4-H State Council made me grow as a professional and human being, and I love being a part of that same growth in the new teams. As long as I am able, I will do everything I can to be a part of the process that is being a 4-H state officer, and 4-H member in general.

This week was one of old and new beginnings. I got to teach all week, take kids to CDEs for the first time, and I spent the weekend re-living and giving back to what led me to teaching in the first part. It may not seem like much, bur for me it's living the dream.

I can only think of one, beautiful way to sum up this blog: Just another week in the life of an Agricultural Educator.