I Get To: Ask, Listen & Show Students they Matter.

The combination of the weekly readings and Ted Talk videos leave me encouraged and incredibly challenged. I tend to be a connector, a connector of ideas and experiences. Most areas of my life flow into others, and this post will be no different. As I reflected on these readings I couldn't help but acknowledge my personal experience and experience as a student. I also couldn't help but be a little more heart felt and dare I say sappy, but if I really have students at the forefront, is it sappy or simply choosing to believe better for education.

Almost every other word she said I wanted to write down, I didn't expect to hear half the things she said, but at the same time, none of it surprised me. Because I've heard it too. I've been the student, even in college that feels like my ideas or concerns don't matter and that there is no way my voice will ever be heard. Part way this same Ted Talk, by Kate Simonds, something clicked, my role is changing. Now I will sit in the seat or stand in front of a class, a position that holds a whole lot of weight. I will be that teacher that can decide to make a student or a group of students feel like they are untrustworthy or belittled or I can choose to ask, listen and let students prove they are creative, adequate, empathetic and that they matter. Many mentors throughout high school and even now have told me not to let anyone look down on me because I am young but set an example for them. I listened to it and believed it- and I still do, because I will be younger than majority of the teachers I will work with in the future, but now I have to read that differently and not look down on students because they are young. This is why effective questions, lesson plans and unit plans and reading page after page of theory matter- because my (future) students matter.

I know as teachers we will be judged more strictly, look at the media and ask any parent. But that is okay, because when I sign a contract to say "yes I will teach these students" because I passed certification exams and completed 4 years of college I hold a lot of responsibility. Angela Maiers did Ted Talk presentation on the topic "You Matter" near the end she talked about asking for students genius- and she shared this quote: "I get to be that kind of teacher, I get to help people matter everyday." I get to. (On the days I don't believe I am qualified, prepared or confident, I get to.


5 Choices I Get to make on a Daily Basis in the classroom:


1. I get to... create curiosity by asking questions, challenging students to find answers and solve problems.

2. I get to...create positive solutions, not simply give answers.

3. I get to... create links from content area to content area with the questions I ask.

4. I get to...create a classroom culture where students feel comfortable to answer the questions I ask, and wonder and ask questions they have.

5. I get to...show students they and their answers, questions, ideas, curiosity and actions matter.

Even on the days I am not so sure I am cut out for it, I get to teach high school agricultural education.







References:
Cornell University Center for Teaching Excellence. (2015). Using Effective Questions. Retrieved from http://www.cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/engaging-students/using-effective-questions.html

Dyer, J.E. (n.d.) Effective Questioning Techniques. Retrieved from https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/WC/WC08400.pdf

National FFA LifeKnowledge. (n.d.) Coaching Session Quick Reference Guide. Retrieved from

https://www.ffa.org/myresourcedocuments/coachingguide/Basics_of_Coaching/coaching_Guide/Lesson02/pdf/Individual-Coaching-Session-Quick-Reference-Guide.pdf

Maiers, Angela. (2011) You Matter. Des Moines: Tedx.

Simonds, Kate. (2015) I'm 17. Boise: Tedx.

Von Jan, Katherine. (2011). Pursue Passion: Demand Google 20% Time at School. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katherine-von-jan/unstructured-classroom_b_1024404.html

Tae. (2012). Tweak Your Teach. Retrieved from: https://tweakyourslides.wordpress.com/2012/12/26/tweak-your-teach-dr-taes-building-a-new-culture-of-teaching-and-learning/

Interest Approach Attempt 1: Floral Design Elements #AEE412

This past week we spent some time reviewing interest approaches and why they are important in the classroom.  Interest approaches help students answer the question: "What's In It for me?".  When we create interest in the classroom tied to the content we will teach it hooks and anchors students into where we are going and helps develop a felt need to learn.

This week was my lab experience teaching in front of my peers.  During lab each of us plays a student that might be in a high school classroom, from an 'average-joe' student to the 'bully'.  This creates space to apply not only the topic at hand, but also classroom management.  I chose to teach off of one of my Floriculture lesson plans. The lesson was an introduction to floral design and principles.  Previously the class would have done an overview of floriculture careers so this was their first time with floral design.  And I realized a few things in a short ten minutes...allow me to explain.

1. Being a Constant 'developer' is annoying sometimes
I know that I am the type of person that thinks of an idea, planning to commit to it, but the more I think about it, the more I wonder 'Is this really the best way?'  I know this question in and of itself is good, because if I am continuing to change an idea like an interest approach it's because I want it to be better for students and grab their attention.  It is frustrating sometimes though, because it tends to leave me unsatisfied.  I left lab knowing there were so many things I could change or do differently, which makes me wonder if this will be how I process most days.  I think a journaling or  reflective practice of some sort will help me process this and not make it frustrating, even if it is just jotting down a few notes and walking away.

2. Don't pull out the stops every time
This is something many of us talked about before and after our labs.  Interest approaches can be 2-15 minutes, and they vary from content to content and where in the unit the class is.  This was helpful to work through a little bit larger of one to see how it might connect, but also realize that they should be varied throughout the unit.

3. Time Management is Key
I have always struggled with this, I tend to overestimate myself and what I can accomplish in a certain time frame. This lab helped to remind me of that.  I think when I actually use this lesson plan I plan to change or cut out part of the interest approach because in the 10 minutes we had I did not reach the most important part to tie it to the class objectives.

4.  Directions
I had two of those moments in this lab where I knew my directions were not clear.  The first time was when I gave students supplies before all of the directions.  I know that mind before body is important but sometimes forget and then it's too late which turned into a little more explaining on my end.  The second was when a student said "wait what are we doing..." Clarity! Clarity! Clarity!


5. A few wins
It is easy for me to pick everything apart and reflect on everything I did wrong, but there were a few wins.  Working one on one with students and a group and helping create a frame for what we know now and where we are going was good.  I also implemented some of my classroom management policies right away, which I know will be uncomfortable at first in the classroom, but necessary.

Ideas Galore: Discussions & Questions

Once again the quote "The more you know the more you don't know" rings true yet again!  Discussion and asking questions is an intriquing topic.  Our methods book offered some really cool ideas like pair share, class discussion and various procedures but this is simply the foundation.  Below are five really cool resources to read, listen to or try.  

1. High Prep, Low Prep, Medium Prep

This is a blog and podcast written by Jennifer Gonzalez on a blog called "The Cult of Pedogogy".  She offers a list of fifteen different techniques some of which are high preparation for teachers and students and some are low prep that we can add into various types of lessons.  Here are a few examples:

1. Gallery Walk: Groups travel from discussion/question posters either created by the teacher or student.  She offers ideas on making a recording method throughout to help with accountability.  This is done in small groups.  One additional idea would be to have a reflection guide at the end. 
2. Concentric Circles (a.k.a. speed dating): Have two circles facing each other or two parallel lines.  The teacher can create quesitons and students switch partners for each question. 
3. Philosophical Chair: Agree or disagree type statement is read and then students two students can discuss it but other students can buzz in and take the hot seat as different views come about. This would be really cool with some agricultural issues or food science/food labeling or even animal health and welfare. 

Seriously check out this blog and podcast!

2.  Types of Questions to Ask:

Epistemological: Why does the author believe that ___?
Experiential: What have you encountered that makes you think that ___?
Communicative: How does the author rhetorically convey her theme?
Political: What groups would take issue with the implicit message that ___?

Question Source: Stephen Brookfield

3. Provide question stems:

We recently talked about scaffolding in moodles and in class and I think a great way to do this to help  build our students up to great discussion is to give students prompts to create questions.  This example is in an eighth grade class, but I think the concept is great. 

Check out an example here:

4. Building questions, Quantum Teaching:

The book Quantum Teaching by Mark Reardon offers great ideas about asking discussion and debriefing questions.  Here are the key questions to start the process. 

What happened?

What did you learn?

How can you apply what you have learned?

5. Socratic Questions

This resource provides examples of how to expand thinking and expand questions.  This helps to clarify thoughts and ideas and then expand upon them and ask for other evidence and ideas.  This helps move us from binary (yes or no) questions to open ended discussion questions. There is a list of many questions here! 

Best Ways to Teach the Group (i.e. best whole class techniques)

The more I know, the more I know I don't know.  This could be the moral or thesis statement of every blog I write.  I think this is might be how I always feel, both with teaching techniques and the profession as a whole, with student learning and with content, and if I get to a place where I am simply content, I hope someone helps me continue to dig deeper.   When I read the title of the readings for the week I had a long list of questions that I wanted answers to.  Now I find myself with a longer list of questions and answers to other questions I didn't know I had.  Group teaching is a group of techniques to think about how we as teachers deliver instruction to a large class or group of students.  One of these is the 'group teaching' I thought it was, more appropriately called 'cooperative teaching.'  This is a topic that I will touch on later. 

Question: How do I teach the same thing to 20 different learners....

Answer: It's complicated....but start with group teaching.

Lecture:

This is a word I sometimes despise, because I have sat through so many lectures and tuned out of so many of them.  If there was no 'clicker participation points' and it was a full

lecture class, I left frustrated 80% of the time and there were a few times I didn't go.  But lecture isn't all bad it just tends to be overused and abused (Necomb, et.al.)  It was good to read that planning and preparation are necessary and that sometimes lecture provides the framework that is necessary for students to succeed with specific content.

Demonstration:

One of the biggest pitfalls mentioned in demonstration was that sometimes teachers fail because they have not mastered the content or demonstration themselves.  Excuse me while I pick up the pride that just shattered all over the ground....this is way to much of a reality of how I feel about some of the content I will teach.  

Demonstrations must be planned, and there are some areas that I will teach next semester that will force me to plan demonstrations in a lot more detail than others.  I like that this method sets up students for success and is a great avenue to use scaffolding and show students, walk through it with students, then let them do it on their own. 

Discussion:

I desire to create a culture of curiosity in my classroom, that 'need-to-know' desire...which I know

will sometimes be difficult.  Effective questions and questioning is essential for this to work, and it helps students to 'think, judge, reason and respond'.  I am always in awe of people who ask effective questions that make me dive deeper into the subject matter and philosophy.  But I have also been that student that gets annoyed when my teacher answers my question with a question.  Newcomb et.al. mentions that this does help all students in the room engage in the subject matter and create an atmosphere of group learning and deeper discussion, but it can also provide frustration.  This is a balance, that I know I may struggle through but will look to the planning, scaffolding and directed/leading questions to help me and my students get from point A to point B.  I also now realize that discussion does not fit every content area or objective, although it may be a method I prefer, I have to ask: is this right for this content?

Questions Necessary to Ask Myself:

What support/framework do my students need to get from point A to point B?
What are the important directions I need to give myself and studnets?
How will this help students perform the desired objective?
Did I plan it?
Can I be enthusiastic in framing content with this technique?

What questions could you add here?


In conclusion there is another topic we read about 'Cooperative Learning' that leaves me with more questions than what I started with.  Stay tuned for another blog on that as I reflect on some of our reading and other readings I found.  I have a lot of questions! 



References:

Groseta K.J., Myers B. E. Using Cooperative Learning in Formal and Nonformal Education. Retrieved from: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/WC/WC06200.pdf. 

Newcomb, L. H., McCracken, J. D., Warmbrod, J. R., & Whittington, M. S. (2004.) Methods of Teaching Agriculture (3rd ed.). Pearson-Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Whittington, M.S. (2005). Writing objectives in secondary agriculture courses that challenge
students to think. Agriculture Education Magazine. Retrieved fromhttp://www.naae.org/profdevelopment/magazine/archive_issues/Volume77/v77i5.pdf

What's the Plan: Learning Objectives & Interest Approaches

We've all been asked that question..."so... what's the plan?  Wether we are going on a trip or we are sitting in a meeting- we want to know what the plan is.  Once we know the plan, then we typically decide "is it worth going with this plan?"  Learning objectives and interest approaches are a lot like this.

What's the plan?  

Methods of Teaching Agriculture outline three necessary components of learning objectives to help us as teachers plan our lessons, but also help our students know where we are going for the day/week.  They create a frame for where you want students to end up:

• Performance
• Conditions
• Criteria

http://www.virtuallibrary.info/blooms-taxonomy.html

These three requirements of learning objectives connect directly to the 5 Characteristics of Effective Teaching outlined by Rosenshine & Furst.  Providing myself and students with learning objectives that outline performance, conditions and criteria helps to provide Clarity.  Clarity tells students where want them to end up, how we will measure if they made it there and the conditions that are expected during the performance.  The desire to write an objective with the word "understand" or "learn this" is tempting, but it does not provide any clarity.  In writing learning objectives for other tasks I have found Blooms Taxonomy to help with the performance piece.  In "Preparing Instructional Objectives", Mager a different book I have read about learning objectives, writes that understand or demonstrate can be used, but to make them even more specific we should include an even more measurable piece such as "demonstrate (through a speech) the five levels of leadership".  I appreciate though that both Mager and Necomb, McCracken, Warmbrod and Whittington all use the same three requirements, it seems to be somewhat universal.  Being as clear as possible with these is essential to answering the question "What's the plan?"

Is it going to be worth it? 

So I know the plan...now is it worth following?  What's in it for me?    In order for Rosenshine & Furst's characteristic of enthusiasm to be effective, learning objectives must be complete before we can start digging into interest approaches.  In "Secrets for Secondary School Teachers" Kottler states "Be innovative and enthusiastic, catch me off guard."  With a plan, I can do that because how I catch students off guard and the reason why I am enthusiastic is because it connects to what students have already learned and what they want to learn. This requires knowing our end goal for a lesson and a unit and knowing students- what they already know and what they need to know next.  Knowing these things helps students and even the teacher "Is it going to be worth it?" Before we jump into the plan. 

References:

E. Kottler, J. Kottler, J. Kottler,(2004)  Secrets for Secondary School Teachers. Corwin Press. 

Newcomb, L. H., McCracken, J. D., Warmbrod, J. R., & Whittington, M. S. (2004.) Methods of Teaching Agriculture (3rd ed.). Pearson-Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.

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

Mager, R.F. (1997) Preparing Instructional Objectives. (3rd ed.) The Center for Effective Performance. 

The "Ah-Ha" Moments of Designing and Planning Learning Experiences.

As I read through the research on planning and designing courses I found myself relieved and confused, questioning some of the typical ways I think about planning and teaching.  Slowly the experiences I have had working with FFA and Vivayic started to come full circle, there is a method to the madness, and the steps of planning make sense.   As I read Wiggins & Mctighe and Fink, things started to make sense, and I was able to apply much of my internship experience, writing and planning learning experiences with Vivayic, to what we are reading.   With a sigh of relief it sank in. Things started to come together, there is a reason curriculum and learning experiences are designed a specific way in order to be successful. There may be slight variations to writing unit and course plans, as outlined in many of our readings, but all these different methods, ideas, and details help accomplish the same purpose: outline the bare bones of a purposeful and meaningful learning experience. Or more simply put: There is a method to the madness and there can be organization in the chaos.

There Is a Method to the Madness:

Source: http://ru.memegenerator.net/instance/63072438

I like things that connect, that go together in a certain way, that are packaged together and simply make sense.  I remember processing this very conversation with a past boss of mine at FFA when the sessions I was facilitating didn't seem to connect in a neat package for students to learn.  Little did I know there was a method to the madness that he just scratched the surface to help me understand. The process it takes to make an entire course connect from unit to unit and learning objective to learning objective is long but matters. 

Understanding by Design by Wiggins & Mctighe stood out to me in the way we should plan units within a course.  The "begin with the end in mind" mentality makes sense, we start with our goals and the goals of our students at the forefront.  This idea, partnered with Fink's ideas question: how will this course or these learning experiences matter to students two or three years from now, demonstrate the need backward planning while also being a forward thinker.   Thinking about desired results before topics, learning objectives and especially before engaging moments, is hard but makes sense.  The "WHY" (how does this fit, structure, sequence) has to come before the "WHAT" (the key content, interest approach, teaching/learning techniques).  The famous quote "prior planning prevents poor performance" seems to ring true once again.  As Derner and Reardon said in Strategies of Great Teaching "learning may occur with or without great teaching, (BUT) learning is enriched, enhanced and empowered by the actions of a teacher whose clarity of purpose and artful execution of experiences orchestrate moments that maximize learning..."  Reardon & Derner's "Engaging Moments" make learning experiences come alive, and make sense to students. If we don’t have the base, then the engaging moments will not connect to the learning objectives or evaluation. We have to start with the end in mind, the goal we have for our students after they leave our course.

Organization in the Chaos: 

As I walk this journey to becoming a high school ag teacher, there are moments where I stop

Source: http://tinyurl.com/jy83y65

and say "Yep, this is for me." There are other times that I say "I am not sure what I signed up for..." and sometimes it's simply "buckle up kids- we are in this together."  Reading about organizing and planning a course and curriculum is overwhelming, but these readings and research have shown me that there is a way to bring some organization to what could be mass chaos.  There are so many little pieces that go into classrooms, units and education systems in general.  When I think about the additional needs of an agriculture program, the list grows even longer. Although planning courses and learning objectives and experiences does seem like organized chaos and overwhelming, the pieces make sense- it's like a 1000 piece puzzle that eventually after review upon review it fits together, and it packaged and ready for students.  I am comforted in the fact that a first draft, a first semester or year or two of teaching is not final product.  The developer in me is comforted in this, knowing that feedback from students, peers and mentors is good- and needed so that situational factors, learning objectives and assessments continue to stay linked, so that the learning experiences I provide my students with not only matter, but make sense to them and for their future.  

Questions I have from this week's reading: 

-How often should one reflect upon a course of study? Does an advisory board help or approve this?

-When looking at designing a course that goes in a specific sequence of units, how do we account for or stop for those moments where we need to meet the learner where they are at? 

-Why do I find myself confused and uncomfortable with the problem/question structure as a teacher, yet want my students to have problem posed learning experiences?  Is this because I didn't experience this?
-How do our courses change due to our place and students?
-How do the courses we design in specific sequences change/adjust when we meet students where they are at, when what they 'need now' is what we planned for later? 


Yours in continued "ah-ha" moments and pulling my past experience into helping me understand the future experience I am about to take on.  -Kayla 

The "Ah-Ha" Moments of Designing and Planning Learning Experiences.

As I read through the research on planning and designing courses I found myself relieved and confused, questioning some of the typical ways I think about planning and teaching.  Slowly the experiences I have had working with FFA and Vivayic started to come full circle, there is a method to the madness, and the steps of planning make sense.   As I read Wiggins & Mctighe and Fink, things started to make sense, and I was able to apply much of my internship experience, writing and planning learning experiences with Vivayic, to what we are reading.   With a sigh of relief it sank in. Things started to come together, there is a reason curriculum and learning experiences are designed a specific way in order to be successful. There may be slight variations to writing unit and course plans, as outlined in many of our readings, but all these different methods, ideas, and details help accomplish the same purpose: outline the bare bones of a purposeful and meaningful learning experience. Or more simply put: There is a method to the madness and there can be organization in the chaos.

There Is a Method to the Madness:

Source: http://ru.memegenerator.net/instance/63072438

I like things that connect, that go together in a certain way, that are packaged together and simply make sense.  I remember processing this very conversation with a past boss of mine at FFA when the sessions I was facilitating didn't seem to connect in a neat package for students to learn.  Little did I know there was a method to the madness that he just scratched the surface to help me understand. The process it takes to make an entire course connect from unit to unit and learning objective to learning objective is long but matters. 

Understanding by Design by Wiggins & Mctighe stood out to me in the way we should plan units within a course.  The "begin with the end in mind" mentality makes sense, we start with our goals and the goals of our students at the forefront.  This idea, partnered with Fink's ideas question: how will this course or these learning experiences matter to students two or three years from now, demonstrate the need backward planning while also being a forward thinker.   Thinking about desired results before topics, learning objectives and especially before engaging moments, is hard but makes sense.  The "WHY" (how does this fit, structure, sequence) has to come before the "WHAT" (the key content, interest approach, teaching/learning techniques).  The famous quote "prior planning prevents poor performance" seems to ring true once again.  As Derner and Reardon said in Strategies of Great Teaching "learning may occur with or without great teaching, (BUT) learning is enriched, enhanced and empowered by the actions of a teacher whose clarity of purpose and artful execution of experiences orchestrate moments that maximize learning..."  Reardon & Derner's "Engaging Moments" make learning experiences come alive, and make sense to students. If we don’t have the base, then the engaging moments will not connect to the learning objectives or evaluation. We have to start with the end in mind, the goal we have for our students after they leave our course.

Organization in the Chaos: 

As I walk this journey to becoming a high school ag teacher, there are moments where I stop

Source: http://tinyurl.com/jy83y65

and say "Yep, this is for me." There are other times that I say "I am not sure what I signed up for..." and sometimes it's simply "buckle up kids- we are in this together."  Reading about organizing and planning a course and curriculum is overwhelming, but these readings and research have shown me that there is a way to bring some organization to what could be mass chaos.  There are so many little pieces that go into classrooms, units and education systems in general.  When I think about the additional needs of an agriculture program, the list grows even longer. Although planning courses and learning objectives and experiences does seem like organized chaos and overwhelming, the pieces make sense- it's like a 1000 piece puzzle that eventually after review upon review it fits together, and it packaged and ready for students.  I am comforted in the fact that a first draft, a first semester or year or two of teaching is not final product.  The developer in me is comforted in this, knowing that feedback from students, peers and mentors is good- and needed so that situational factors, learning objectives and assessments continue to stay linked, so that the learning experiences I provide my students with not only matter, but make sense to them and for their future.  

Questions I have from this week's reading: 

-How often should one reflect upon a course of study? Does an advisory board help or approve this?

-When looking at designing a course that goes in a specific sequence of units, how do we account for or stop for those moments where we need to meet the learner where they are at? 

-Why do I find myself confused and uncomfortable with the problem/question structure as a teacher, yet want my students to have problem posed learning experiences?  Is this because I didn't experience this?
-How do our courses change due to our place and students?
-How do the courses we design in specific sequences change/adjust when we meet students where they are at, when what they 'need now' is what we planned for later? 


Yours in continued "ah-ha" moments and pulling my past experience into helping me understand the future experience I am about to take on.  -Kayla 

The "Ah-Ha" Moments of Designing and Planning Learning Experiences.

As I read through the research on planning and designing courses I found myself relieved and confused, questioning some of the typical ways I think about planning and teaching.  Slowly the experiences I have had working with FFA and Vivayic started to come full circle, there is a method to the madness, and the steps of planning make sense.   As I read Wiggins & Mctighe and Fink, things started to make sense, and I was able to apply much of my internship experience, writing and planning learning experiences with Vivayic, to what we are reading.   With a sigh of relief it sank in. Things started to come together, there is a reason curriculum and learning experiences are designed a specific way in order to be successful. There may be slight variations to writing unit and course plans, as outlined in many of our readings, but all these different methods, ideas, and details help accomplish the same purpose: outline the bare bones of a purposeful and meaningful learning experience. Or more simply put: There is a method to the madness and there can be organization in the chaos.

There Is a Method to the Madness:

Source: http://ru.memegenerator.net/instance/63072438

I like things that connect, that go together in a certain way, that are packaged together and simply make sense.  I remember processing this very conversation with a past boss of mine at FFA when the sessions I was facilitating didn't seem to connect in a neat package for students to learn.  Little did I know there was a method to the madness that he just scratched the surface to help me understand. The process it takes to make an entire course connect from unit to unit and learning objective to learning objective is long but matters. 

Understanding by Design by Wiggins & Mctighe stood out to me in the way we should plan units within a course.  The "begin with the end in mind" mentality makes sense, we start with our goals and the goals of our students at the forefront.  This idea, partnered with Fink's ideas question: how will this course or these learning experiences matter to students two or three years from now, demonstrate the need backward planning while also being a forward thinker.   Thinking about desired results before topics, learning objectives and especially before engaging moments, is hard but makes sense.  The "WHY" (how does this fit, structure, sequence) has to come before the "WHAT" (the key content, interest approach, teaching/learning techniques).  The famous quote "prior planning prevents poor performance" seems to ring true once again.  As Derner and Reardon said in Strategies of Great Teaching "learning may occur with or without great teaching, (BUT) learning is enriched, enhanced and empowered by the actions of a teacher whose clarity of purpose and artful execution of experiences orchestrate moments that maximize learning..."  Reardon & Derner's "Engaging Moments" make learning experiences come alive, and make sense to students. If we don’t have the base, then the engaging moments will not connect to the learning objectives or evaluation. We have to start with the end in mind, the goal we have for our students after they leave our course.

Organization in the Chaos: 

As I walk this journey to becoming a high school ag teacher, there are moments where I stop

Source: http://tinyurl.com/jy83y65

and say "Yep, this is for me." There are other times that I say "I am not sure what I signed up for..." and sometimes it's simply "buckle up kids- we are in this together."  Reading about organizing and planning a course and curriculum is overwhelming, but these readings and research have shown me that there is a way to bring some organization to what could be mass chaos.  There are so many little pieces that go into classrooms, units and education systems in general.  When I think about the additional needs of an agriculture program, the list grows even longer. Although planning courses and learning objectives and experiences does seem like organized chaos and overwhelming, the pieces make sense- it's like a 1000 piece puzzle that eventually after review upon review it fits together, and it packaged and ready for students.  I am comforted in the fact that a first draft, a first semester or year or two of teaching is not final product.  The developer in me is comforted in this, knowing that feedback from students, peers and mentors is good- and needed so that situational factors, learning objectives and assessments continue to stay linked, so that the learning experiences I provide my students with not only matter, but make sense to them and for their future.  

Questions I have from this week's reading: 

-How often should one reflect upon a course of study? Does an advisory board help or approve this?

-When looking at designing a course that goes in a specific sequence of units, how do we account for or stop for those moments where we need to meet the learner where they are at? 

-Why do I find myself confused and uncomfortable with the problem/question structure as a teacher, yet want my students to have problem posed learning experiences?  Is this because I didn't experience this?
-How do our courses change due to our place and students?
-How do the courses we design in specific sequences change/adjust when we meet students where they are at, when what they 'need now' is what we planned for later? 


Yours in continued "ah-ha" moments and pulling my past experience into helping me understand the future experience I am about to take on.  -Kayla