Putting It All Together

This past week I visited my cooperating center to teach a Life Knowledge lesson. The students were between the grades of 10 and 12. I chose to do a lesson that would be fun and useful to the upperclassmen: Interview Etiquette. The upperclassmen enjoyed the lesson, but the younger students couldn't connect it to their lives yet. Here are some snapshots from my experience.

• I started out with a lesson plan that I had to shorten to fit the time slot of the class. I made some small edits here and there. In the end, I never really used this plan! The students needed to become engaged through activities, not lecture. I started out going through the interest approach. This really grabbed the students' attention until I began a discussion. I lost the students, so I had to speed up to the next activity. Because of this, I had to improvise the rest of the lesson to fit the time. I actually ended the lesson in perfect time. 

• My classroom management skills have grown. With simple words, I have control over the classroom! I had four students who troubled me a bit, but that challenge was good. They became off task by talking to one another. I tried to bring them back in to the task with little success. I could have picked them out of the crowd for a later activity, but I didn't want to push my luck. 

This lesson brought back the spark I needed to finish out the semester's activities. I cannot wait to be in that classroom with students who are willing to learn. Labs throughout the semester help you find your teaching strategies, but there is nothing like a classroom full of high school students to point you in the right direction. 

4th #TeachAgChat

Each of us are required to moderate a twitter chat on a topic that we prefer within a group. I worked with Mike Swartwood to moderate a chat on "Fostering new innovative skill sets in agriculture mechanics education." The questions we compiled are listed below.

Here are some key points from this assignment.

• Because of our topic being on ag mechanics, we had a different group of individuals willing to participate. They are familiar with the ever changing industry and were able to provide a new insight for the classroom. 

• It was neat getting to interact with teachers across the nation. We got to pick their brains and get advice for when we are teaching. It was interesting to see the teachers interact with each other as well. They questioned each others way of thinking. 

This assignment was different from the rest we have had this semester. Here is the Storify from our #teachagchat last night. 

National Convention Recap!

It was another successful year at the National FFA Convention finishing up its last days in Louisville, Kentucky. Just last year I was walking across that stage to receive my American Degree. This year I went as a student teacher with Mohawk and Wilmington high schools. I had a relatively shorter week that other convention goers. We began our trek bright and early Thursday morning. Here are some highlights from the trip.

• Thursday We didn't spend any time at the convention center. It was filled with food, tours, and the Belle of Louisville boat trip. The students got to tour the Kentucky Speedway. Our tour guide was amazing with the kids. She took them to the owner's suite let the driver of our chartered bus race around the track, and let the students set foot on the track. For some, I think this was the highlight of the trip. On the Belle of Louisville, students got to mingle with their friends from around the state of Pennsylvania. They had the chance to dance the night away, or take in the city of Louisville views. 

• Friday We made it to the convention center. The students got to attend a session as well as the expo hall. Mr. Wallace had received his Honorary American Degree during this session. National FFA had brought in an amazing keynote speaker for this session. She made an impact in everyone's life that day. I took advantage of the little time I had at the expo hall to gather as many resources as I could to bring back to the rest of my class. Today was also filled with tours and dinner. 

• Saturday Students got the opportunity to walk around the shopping mall or attend the American Degree ceremony. From Mohawk and Wilmington there were 10 American Degrees earned today. This was also the day I realized that students are beginning to accept me as their student teacher. 

Through it all, I got the experience of knowing the students on a relaxed level. I don't feel as nervous anymore going into the classroom as I was. The time with Mr. Wallace and Mrs. McKelvey was very beneficial. Even though I won't be student teaching at Wilmington, the two chapters work closely together and it is important to know their side as well. I learned to respect the students and they will respect you, stay calm in any situation, and give the students the freedom to explore. You never know what they will discover next!