Pequea Valley: A Little About My Student Teaching Placement

Hey Folks!  I wanted to share with you a little bit about where I will be student teaching.  This small town Wisconsin girl will be student teaching at Pequea Valley High School located in Kinzers, PA.  I may be biased, but I think it's pretty awesome program.  Check it out!

#AEE412 Weekly Reading 1: It's a Process.

Darren Stoub, Andrea Kolb, Dave Mulder, Daniel Foster, Ryan Holle, John Rash.. the list could go on and on. The list of effective teachers I have had. But they didn't just end up that way. After completing my first week of senior year, the methods and capstone semester of our program, my biggest take away is: it's a process. Dr. Dan Tobin said this to me countless times last semester when I missed a few deadlines, came into his office stressed out beyond belief and knowing that I missed the boat on how I was expected to perform. See this whole performance vs. process thing has a been a long time struggle for me. Since I can remember my grandfather and aunt have set up a rewards system for good grades, and I always strived to meet it. Then I got that C in a college class and calling home was hard, I felt ashamed. But guess what I learned a lot through that process even though the performance wasn't what I thought it would be. It's the process that matters, so here is to the process of becoming a better teacher, and as Harry Wong, stated, "the best students are the best teachers."
This weeks weekly reading brought three big ideas to mind for me as I reflect on them and pull them all together.

1. Teaching is a science and craft, and still, not for the faint of heart.

Professor Mulder always told us teaching was not for the faint of heart, and I will always remember that. I believe it is a high calling, a passion and even scriptural. After doing some deeper reading though, it doesn't simply come naturally some dispositions might, but yet again, it is a process- a science that can be worked on continually. Wong states that it is a "highly skilled craft" and Paul Vaughn states it's a science because "it implies that good teaching is possible by closely following rigorous laws that yield high predictability and control."  This means the “I’m not good at this” probably won’t fly this semester or from here on out. The idea that teaching is a science, something I can continue to try to improve upon, follow step by step tasks to learn, rather than an art that is finished and complete is refreshing, but also intimidating. It requires a lot of work- but work that is worth it, because students are worth it, those that I will student teach and those that will be in my classroom some day, buckle up kids.

2. Use the right size box, wrap it in nice paper, and don't forget the bow.

Agricultural Education Magazine

Clarity is a much more clear and concise way to some this statement above, but it is how I think about a few of the concepts presented in our readings. Clarity, task oriented, a business like approach, opportunity to learn, along with learning objectives and modalities can be boiled down to creating the perfect package or present for students.  Just like a present or a package, creating this clarity  is really  about putting a framework and structure together to help students learn. It is a thoughtful and thought out, wrapped and addressed to give students the opportunity to learn. The catch is that this all falls on the teacher, learning about my students and community will play into creating this package. Additionally, there is a long list of skills that I need to develop in order to create this package- learning objectives, effectively using Bloom's taxonomy and much more. I think most importantly providing clear examples, procedure and structures for students helps reduce some of that anxiety for them as they dive into the true gift inside of agricultural education and all it entails.  

3. Be positive, and remind yourself and your students to get back up and try again.

These readings all hit on the idea of positive reinforcement and enthusiasm. In my mind these go hand in hand. The research shows that positive reinforcement is more effective to student growth and learning than criticism, which I would agree with, yet sometimes I think I tend to give and receive more criticism than I probably should. (This is something I want to be more aware of). I think the really important thing to think about with positive reinforcement though is where and what are we giving this reinforcement, on a performance or a process? We talked in class the other day about always praising students for the performance and forgetting about the process in between, but if we forget that process in between than what message does that send to students? Then again our system is set up for performance- so how do we balance this. In part positive reinforcement, but this is still something I want to continue to discuss and learn more about, and be aware of when I am in the classroom next semester.

In it all, if there is one thing I can commit 100% to that we read about this week it is this quote: "If you fill your team with positive energy and radiate that energy with a smile or boisterous laugh, your team will succeed." - Nevin & Knoblock

Yours in laugh through it all, even when I don't like the process (you may have to remind me of this.) 

References:

Wong, H. Wong, R. (2004). The first days of school: how to be an effective teacher. Harry K. Wong Publications. 

Agricultural Education Magazine. (2005). Volume 77. Issue 55.  

Vaugh, Paul. (n.d.) Efective teaching: notes for the beginning teacher.  

SAE Visits: They Really are Plain & Fancy!

"Is it Supervised?  Its it Agricultural?  Is it an Experience?" These were the three questions Mr. Masser asked his 7th period class on Friday.  I sat in the back and participated right along with the Agricultural Biology class, full of wide eyed sophomore that for the first time were being introduced to the heart of agricultural education.  At Pequea Valley every sophomore takes agricultural biology along with their traditional biology class, giving Mr. Masser & Mrs. VanSant (and myself!) the opportunity to have them ALL in class.  What was neat about the three questions was that after school we were going to visit two students Supervised Agricultural Experience Projects.  

Checking out some of the produce

What is and SAE? These experiences are many times outside of the classroom that allow students the opportunity for individual and specialized experiences in agriculture, and allows the teachers to visit and help students expand content knowledge and set goals for the future. 


After class we drove down the road to Plain & Fancy, an agricultural tourism destination located in the heart of Amish County Pennsylvania in Bird in Hand. This SAE was started on the part of Plain & Fancy that was looking for two students to help take care of their tourist garden.  Mr. Masser & Mrs. VanSant then had an application process and Ryan and Noah are both working at Plain & Fancy.


The gentlemen started majority of their crops by seed, they did buy their sweet potatoes from another local business, but otherwise started most by seed.  They gave us a tour, shared what they had recently harvested and what they were working on before we arrived.  They said most of the produce is used in the Plain & Fancy kitchen. Mr. Masser asked a lot of questions about the progress they have had and what their supervisor was looking for them to plant after certain produce was harvested.  We asked about their challenges and their joys, and with no surprise to us, they enjoyed most working together! What is more impressive is neither of them had really done much gardening before starting this project.  Their challenges included some pest problems, which when asked they mentioned they did do some spraying but when it came to their cucumbers they didn't know what to do. It was really neat to watch Mr. Masser ask them some very specific questions to help them learn about the mildew problems they were having and why the cucumbers were not doing well, drawing on his personal content knowledge.  This allowed me to see the real teaching opportunities that SAEs can bring to students.  

Mr. Masser asked them to take a picture of this
pest and see if they could look it up. 

Ryan and Noah shared the process they have gone through with the project.  When it is a tourism location there are expectations and desires the location and supervisors have that may have been different than their original plans, but both of them were very calm and have adapted very well to the companies desires.  They have also had very open communication with them about their school schedule and how much time they can commit now that school has started, which was very responsible of them to think about.  While we were their looking around we were able to watch them interact with their supervisor, in a professional way.  The communication with the location is only part of how they have grown in communication as they have also talked to various tourists as they walk through the gardens, providing a unique agricultural literacy opportunity for both parties.  


As we ended the visit with a potato and a few carrots, fruits (or should I say vegetables) of their labor!   Mr. Masser & Mrs. VanSant reminded them to update AET and about some of the opportunities they may have to apply for awards or scholarships.   I am excited for continued opportunities to learn from students, Mr. Masser and Mrs. VanS
ant as we do other visits and restructure some SAE opportunities for students.  This part of the three circle model really is essential.  SAEs not only expand content knowledge for students but provide career and relational skills preparing them to be tomorrows leaders.  I kind of like Lancaster county, can't wait to visit again! 

I will forever be shorter than students..Thanks for the
visit! 

AEE412 Lab 1: Reflective Teaching Lesson

This week we participated in our first teaching lab, but we did things a little differently.  We were paired together, and one teammate was responsible for teaching the lesson and the other was responsible for coaching.  This was interesting and challenging because I so badly wanted to teach and try a lesson, but I know sometimes it's good to sit back and take a different role.  

Our Task: 

• Teach a lesson/Collaborate with your coaching partner

Our Lesson:  (Evelyn's Lesson!)

• Teach students a new language (hieroglyphics), and try to have as many students as possible to use the new hieroglyphic language to translate a paragraph.  

The paragraph that the students had to translate was all about what it takes to learn how to read, or understand a language.  So yes, the lesson itself made no sense, but with context, it does.  "Contextual learning helps student's process new information that is given to them in a way that makes sense to them in their own world of memory, experience and response (Parnell, 1995).  This 'frame of reference' and setting the context was necessary in these lessons.   Before teaching we learned all about the content of our lesson, but forgot about the context part until we got to class.  We talked it over and then she added it in.  The context is extremely important.  

Again, this was our first lab and with that come fears, "what about this", "should I try this", "what if I fail?".  But isn't that what it is about?  Try something, then unpack it and see what went well, see what can be improved upon?  Feedback is sometimes an uncomfortable thing, but there is no growth in a comfort zone and no comfort in a growth zone, and I know this class will always be a growth zone, even when I am not the one teaching.  

After working through the first lab and working through the first week of classes there are some things I am looking forward to diving into...allow me to explain.

1. Differentiated/Individual Instruction- We all come to the table with different experiences and abilities, how do we share in that and all grow?  More than that, how do I do this for my students- teach to the mass, yet teach to the individuals? 

2. How do I manage my time yet still meet the need of my desire for more?  I leave wanting more, more time, more information, and a desire to ask more questions, or discuss more.  Yet I have an entire 'To-Do' List to tackle.  How do I balance this? 

3. Feedback.  We were asked to capture down feedback and a peer in lab asked me after for some feedback.  But what constitutes as good feedback for teaching?  I am looking forward to learning are the things that I question or that bother me, do they matter?  Or are they the small things?  And then how do I take and implement the feedback I will receive. 

Overall it has been a great first week thus far, and I look forward to what is next as I prepare for those students next semester and beyond. 

Yours on the road to becoming Ms.Hack.