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.

Teaching Blue Jays: Old and New Beginnings (Week 3)

I would call this week one of old and new beginnings.

First of all, I picked up Ag II this week with their unit of Fasteners. We are splitting the class in half. I will instruct half the class (9 students) for 2 days, followed by the other half the next 2 days. When they are not with me, they will be finishing their sheet metal/soldering/riveting unit with Mr Brown.

The second day of the first group was observed by Dr Foster, who made his first of four visits on Wednesday.  It is one of my student teaching goals to make everything purposeful, and I received some wonderful feedback on that goal. The piece that stands out the most was to create a sense of urgency in group work. I introduced Fasteners by having them categorize examples of fasteners. It will work better for me to set a time limit, then introduce the next plot twist or idea and set a new time limit. I have the first two days of the second group this week, and I am looking forward to making some changes and seeing how it works! Next week, I will continue with the fasteners unit and help Ag I start their record keeping journey in The AET.

Another highlight of the week was taking students to Tunkhannock HS for the area mechanics, small gas engines, and ag sales CDEs. I got my first taste of CDE competitions and got to meet teachers from across northeast PA. I also had a proud teacher moment with a student in the plumbing part of the mech competition. Earlier in the week I stayed after school to help a student solder (sweat a joint) for the first time. She was familiar with what to do, but it was her first time doing it herself. Well, on Friday she was the only student to get a perfect score on that part of the competition!

At this point in the blog, I started to discuss my weekend at 4-H State Leadership Conference. What resulted was a deep reflection on my history in youth development teaching philosophy, so I thought it would come across best in a stand-alone blog. Watch for that in the near future. I am excited to take the successes of week three in to week 4!

Teaching Blue Jays: Week 2

 Week two of student teaching is already here and gone. As I said last week, these first few weeks are about trying to take my passion and fit it in to the school setting. As I reflect, I can't believe how far I have come in that school setting since Monday. I am at the point where I am becoming comfortable with the daily routine of the classroom, and I am still very fortunate to be where I am.

Monday was an in-service day; my first as a teacher. The morning was focused on the first interventions teachers can take with academically struggling students before actions like remedial courses are taken. The afternoon was spent watching a video of a speech by Manny Scott, one of the original students whom the movie "Freedom Writers" was based on. Both were timely topics for me to hear.

The rest of the week, I assisted Mr Turner and Mr Brown in all the classes I will be taking over. The most notable of these was performing shop demonstrations and assisting students. Mr Brown and I agree that this type of interaction is building valuable report with the students. I am starting to see relationships with students and other teachers develop, after talking about the importance of it for three years, and it is a joy to experience.

Working with Freshman creed speakers before school

I continue to teach the full year ag 1 classes. We are moving through the careers unit, currently taking about cost of living and how it should effect your search. I developed a Problem Based Learning activity for them, where they are given a scenario, calculate living expences by researching real-life numbers, and compare it to income. That is the most engaged I have ever seen a class. I know that the topic was interesting by it's self, but I saw a dramatic behavior in some particular students from the previous day. It gives me drive to create new and exciting lessons for them in the future!

Next week, I will start with Ag 2 in their fasteners unit. The "ag power lab" room, which is a separate workshop next to Mr Brown's room, is where my desk is, and I am trying to make it in to "my" room. It was designed to be able to facilitate classroom instruction, but it has not been done yet. I will start my time with Ag 2 experimenting to try and make that space my own. Also to note, I have been assisting with the creed and small engines CDE teams before and during school, and I will be making the field trip to the area cde competition for s.g.e. and others this Friday. I'll keep you posted on how it all goes!

In summery of week 2, I am starting to feel at home here at Central Columbia. There have been no changes to my philosophy so far, mostly just reinforcement. I feel like I am being eased in to my position perfectly, and while I'm itching to take more on, I know it will come. I am trying to put out the best quality I can right now, so that quality of instruction, not quantity, becomes engraved in my mind as the norm. I can't wait for what is to come in week 3!

My First Week as Mr Repetz: Welcome to Real Life Teaching

As I sit here to write down my reflections on student teaching, I can't express how amazing it feels to be in the classroom everyday working with students. This past weekend I returned home to volunteer at Farm Show/celebrate my early birthday with my family, and I have been talking constantly about my first week. The tag line of those conversations has been: "I loved every second so far, but I haven't hit a bad day yet, so call me then." 

My first week was actually only 3 days in the classroom due to Mid-Winter Convention on Monday (see the blog on that!) and a snow day on Wednesday. In the days I have been in school, I have worked with the classes I will be taking over. Mr Brown and Mr Turner have an excellent way of working together, and I have slipped right in. For an example to clarify that: Mr Brown and Mr Turner frequently have the same class (Ag 3, ag 4, etc) in the same period, so the combine the classes. They will team teach a unit, one takes one unit and one takes the next, or one will take one half to the shop and the other will stay in the classroom and they switch the next day. 

They have both have immediately made me a teaching presence in the classroom, welcoming my input wherever I feel comfortable. Ex: using my PSU meats judging experience to contribute to Mr Turner's meat science unit, and using my shop experience to be a second teacher to assist, monitor, and provide feedback to students when they are working on projects. I have also contributed outside of class time. I have sat in on parli practice before school, and helped Mr Brown in the concession stand at the boys basketball game. 

I started my actual instruction with my Ag 1 careers unit on Friday. This coming week will continue to be crazy because of an in-service day on Monday, and it is the final week of the 9-week semester so there will be reviews and mid-terms/finals. I will continue to teach Ag 1 periods 5 and 8 each day possible, and continue through the rest of the internship. One thing I learned from talking with family and friends this past weekend is that our system of team instructing and even school schedule makes sense in my head, but it is hard to explain to someone else. Bottom line we got a plan, and it's a good plan.

Philosophy: I want to work with others to create a love of learning, not just delivery of instruction. I also want to be a staple in the school and local community. I think my placement is so great because I can see that in Mr Brown and Mr Turner. While not everything they do is not how I think I would do it, I am learning how they do what is best for them. I am sill your typical young buck with great ideas who wants to change lives, and that's ok. This first week, and probably the next few, are all about taking that drive and passion and learning how to make it operate in the everyday craziness of a real life classroom. My heart is full. Bring on week 2!!

When you teach with Mr Brown, you never know when your picture will be taken (and sent to your professors and school admin). Nevertheless, I'm glad he does. Teaching soldering to Ag 2.

BONUS Story of the Week:

(Scene: Mr Brown reminding students of a massive project, due tomorrow, that was assigned just after national convention. Student 2 is Student 1's occasional partner in mischief.)

S1: Mr Brown you never went over this, how am I supposed to get this done, I need an extension!

S2: What the heck S1? How can you even ask that? He has been over this so many times! Mr Brown, I don't know how you do this sometimes! 

Student Teaching Day 1: Farm Show field trip

Myself with our 9 Keystone Degree Recipients

 I tell people that I was basically raised at the PA Farm Show Complex. My grandfather served as the livestock office manager there for 30 years, which overlapped with my childhood. I still remember being a young kid riding around in the golf cart with him. The past few years, I have followed in his footsteps and worked in that same office. With my family history at the PA Farm Show, it was fitting that my first day as a teacher would be spent there chaperoning students

Central Columbia brought down a full bus load of students, about 55 total and all grades, for Farm Show. This ends up being most of the active chapter. Mr Brown did not assign any particular scavenger hunt or related activity for them, but let them roam free from drop off to pick up. I thought this was a good approach because the students on the trip were trustworthy, it limited our headaches, made a better accepted experience for students, and we had other fish to fry that day. I definitely wasn't thrown in to the first day as far as leading students. Mr Brown is so well prepared that the day went smoothly and I could, for the most part, enjoy the day and get to know students.

Mr Brown and Mr Turner with senior Alyssa Yoder, state star in placement

The highlight of my day was seeing one of our students win state star in placement. I was at Central the day she was scrambling to get things ready for regionals that night. Mr Turner had to pull some teeth with her to get things completed, but in the end her records were through enough and she interviewed well enough that she took home the star. In short, it was the perfect example of times ag teachers push students to a potential they might not see in themselves. Fun Fact, Alyssa is only the 4th state start Mr Brown and Mr Turner have had in their combined 40+ years!

The biggest take away from the day was the feeling of community within ag ed. I'm now that guy who walks around and stops every few minutes to talk to someone he knows. Trust me, I was raised by those people, so to be "that guy" feels good. I talked to many ag teachers I have already met, and met many new ones as well. This teaching thing seems like more of a perfect fit every day, and I can't wait to get in the classroom!

Unloading the Trailer: Life Knowledge Lesson

4th Period

Before we start with my reflection, I want to place a disclaimer that we did my life knowledge lesson different than others, and I am very happy with that. Instead of teaching one class at central Columbia, I taught my lesson to all three Ag1 classes, two of which I will be taking over in the spring. We did it this way to get myself familiar with as many students as possible, and because my lesson was a precursor to the Ag Careers unit I will be starting with. My life knowledge lesson I chose was called "Seven Roads to Success: Choosing my Road". It is an introduction to AFNR career clusters, and the ag careers unit will begin with exploring those clusters in ag explorer.
I taught the lessons to periods 4, 6, and 7. I used period 5 to make adaptations and improvements. Mr Brown also wanted me to get the feel for how fast the break between classes is, and I also learned that I will need to build my stamina for being on my feet and teaching all day.

4th Period

4th Period: This was my first and most rowdy class of the day. I was with Mr Turner in his room, and he gave me that fair warning. I knew that it would be important to take control of the class from the first minute, and I did just that. Mr Turner said I handled myself well, and especially noted a classroom management moment when I addressed students who threw a pen across the room. I looked at the student, placed the pen in his hand, and said "this is the acceptable way to pass things from now on." Also, I realized at the end I fell into my previous habit of poor instructions. I fixed that in the next to classes and my student evaluation of clarity scores went up!
6th Period: This class was almost opposite. They were quiet, except for a few individuals in groups. When classes are quiet, I worry that I'm not getting through to them or they are not learning or enjoying them selves. Mr Brown told me after that this was not the case. They are very interactive to him, and that will build I am a part of their daily lives. A few times, he had to remind students to ask me the questions because I was the teacher, not him. Time management was a bit of an issue here, but it was more of a "will come with practice" thing.

6th Period

7th Period: This class was small, and a mix of the first two. There was a split between talkative and lower functioning students. Overall they were a good group to work with, and I nailed the instructions.

Overall
Mr Tuner and Mr Brown said they believe I am right where I need to be. They liked how I handled classroom management and how I showed accountability by checking in with each individual group. I also got them out of their comfort zone with group work. There are things I need to work on though. I need to not just go to the most vocal person. I need to make sure I have objectives posted with the standard numbers included. I also need to be very deliberate with the inclusion of vocab. My own assessment is that I am proficient with the actual act of teaching, but I need to polish all of the other supporting details that surround it.
I am blessed to be able to have spent a day there teaching my lesson. I feel like I learned so much in one day, and I can't wait to spend every day there. I feel like this teaching thing is for me. I just need to buckle down and do the behind the scenes work that goes with it.

L to R, Mr Curt Turner, Myself (Mr Repetz), and Mr Doug Brown