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.