A Great Week to End a Great Student Teaching Experience

I honestly don't think it has sunk in that I have completed my student teaching experience. But I have, and it has truly been an a great experience full of learning and fun. I'm thankful to my students, Mr. Fellenbaum, Ms. Slates, and the Penn Manor community for helping make my experience one that I'll always remember with fondness. Like always, this week was full of learning, but it also had a bittersweet feeling about it. Check out the highlights from this week:

1. Rebuilding a small gas engine is problem solving at its finest.

This week I was excited because I was able to get my students started on rebuilding their small gas engines! They are given a lab packet with a general procedure, but students must use their engines manual to rebuild their engines correctly! This takes a lot of critical thinking and problem solving because the answers aren't written out for them (well they are, but you have to search for them). As always, I find it interesting to see how each of my students handles that challenge. Some definitely have more of a fixed mindset, while others express a growth mindset. But by Thursday, all of my students were making good progress and really seemed to be interested in completing their rebuild correctly. 

My engine diagram and my awesome students who made it!

Thursday was my last day teaching Intro to Ag Mech, and my students surprised me with desserts and a group of my students had spent a ton of time during homeroom making an engine diagram for me to take to my future classroom! It's awesome because you can see the piston/valves/crankshaft functioning together!

 

2. Rain Gardens - Intro to AFNR Style!

On Friday we took my Intro to AFNR students on a trip to install the rain garden that they learned about in class two weeks ago! It tied in perfectly with our soil science and plant science units. While it was a bit chilly, everyone worked together and got the job done - all while having some fun! My students in both Intro to AFNR and Biotech surprised me with cake and ice cream, and each of my Intro to aFNR students took the time to share the most meaningful thing they learned from me and wished me well in the future.

Installing the Rain Garden!

I learned so much from my students and I'm thankful to have gotten to know them this semester. I look forward to seeing some of them again at State Convention this June! And as for my awesome cooperating teachers, I'm glad to say "see you soon".

Action Research: Inquiry Based vs. Teacher Centered

This semester I had the opportunity to conduct an Action Research project in one of my classes. Over the past year, I have become very intrigued with Inquiry Based Instruction and how we as teachers can use IBI to increase student learning. So that is what I decided to analyze through my Action Research project: Does Inquiry Based Instruction result in increased student learning compared to Teacher Centered Instruction?

I decided to try and answer this question in my 4th block Intro to AFNR class. There are 19 students in grades 9 - 12. I chose two lessons that dealt with pH and modified them to make one lesson more inquiry based and the other lesson more teacher centered. In the inquiry based lesson, students were given a question and from that they had to develop their own hypothesis and experiment procedure to test their hypothesis. When students asked questions, I asked them another question to help them answer their own question. Then students analyzed their results and created a research poster. In the teacher centered lesson, I gave students the question and the hypothesis, as well as the experiment procedure. When students asked questions I gave them the answer.

Before each lesson I gave students a pre-quiz that consisted of multiple choice questions revolving around the learning goals of the lesson. Then, after each lesson I gave students the same quiz as a post-quiz to measure student growth.

On average, students increased their score by 45% after the IBI lesson. In comparison, students increased their score by 19% on average after the Teacher Centered lesson. This indicates that implementing inquiry strategies into lessons results in more student growth. Further research should be done with a larger sample size. In addition, one lesson should be modified to be both inquiry based and teacher centered instead of two different lessons.

Student Teaching Week 14!

Wow, it's hard to believe I only have one week left at Penn Manor. It's such a bittersweet feeling. I'm so excited to graduate because it's something I've been working towards for the past 4 years, but I'm not looking forward to leaving this community and all of the wonderful people I've gotten to know over the past 15 weeks. Thankfully I still have one more week to enjoy, so here are some highlights from this past week! Also, check out my other blogs from this week on the PAAE meeting I went to, my most recent SAE visit, and my visit with Macy at the Selinsgrove ag ed program!

1. Plants galore!

Two of my students modeling their flowers!

We are in the middle of our Plant Science unit in Intro to AFNR, and I have to say, I'm really enjoying teaching plant science! Students learned about the parts of a plant and flower, as well as how they all function together to make the plant grow. Now we're conducting experiments on germination!  I was really pleased with how my lesson on the parts of a flower went this week. Awesome questions were asked, everyone was engaged, and I knew at the end of the lesson the students had met the learning goals for the day. I definitely want to grow in my knowledge of plant science and horticulture and hopefully have a greenhouse learning laboratory for students someday!

2. Intake, Compression, Power, Exhaust - and repeat!

You guessed it! In Intro to Ag Mechanics I'm teaching a Small Gas Engines unit and I've really enjoyed the challenge of teaching something out of my comfort zone. I've learned a lot and I'm starting to feel more comfortable with the content! Ms. Slates has stayed after school with me a few times to go over parts and systems on the engine, which has been super helpful. This unit really helps students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills because students have to use their engine manual to find the answers to their questions. It has been interesting to see how each student handles that challenge. My goal is to continue to encourage growth mindsets and discuss how the skills they are gaining now are necessary for careers in mechanics.

3. Manor FFA students are AWESOME.

Today (Saturday) was the Manor FFA Car Show, an event organized by the FFA members to raise money for the Central PA Food Bank. What a beautiful day it was! We had over 120 vehicles enter the show and the money raised will provide 18,000 meals for the Central PA Food Bank. Talk about an amazing day. 

Thanks for following my journey thus far, stay tuned for my blog post on my final week student teaching!

A Mock Interview with Dr. Shaffer

On April 4th, I had the opportunity to have a mock interview with Penn Manor's assistant superintendent, Dr. Shaffer. First, she briefly described what the hiring process looks like at Penn Manor and then she went down through a list of questions that would most likely be asked during an interview for an agricultural educator. What I really appreciated was that after I answered each question, Dr. Shaffer discussed it with me and gave me feedback. Here are a few of the questions she asked:

1. What have you learned about yourself during your student teaching experience?

2. What did you learn about students during your student teaching experience?

3. Ag is multi-faceted. How would you assist students to integrate their learning into other content areas?

4. Why should we hire you? What personal and academic strengths would you bring to the Ag Program?

At the end I asked her a few example questions I would ask an administrator, including, "What direction do you see the Ag program heading over the next 5 years or so?" Overall I feel like I was prepared for the questions because I was able to give specific examples for my answers. However, I do think I need to work on taking the time to pause and think before I just jump right in to my answer.  Also, I definitely want to think about how I would answer the "Why should we hire you" question a little more. I just feel like that's a question you probably want to have a general idea of how you will answer it before going to the interview. I also need to review some of my education theory so I am able to confidently reference those names and theories during an interview.

Eastern Region PAAE Meeting

On Tuesday I went to the Eastern Region PAAE Meeting held at Oley Valley High School with the Manor Ag Ed Department. The room was full of Ag Ed family members when we got there, and we all had dinner together before the meeting. The meeting was productive and there was meaningful discussion throughout. We discussed FFA and PAAE events, the new Ag Ed commission, and professional development opportunities offered through the Center for Professional Personnel Development at PSU. In this blog post, I'm not going to focus on the content of the meeting, but rather my reflection on the importance of being involved in PAAE.

First, the fact that all of these teachers willingly give up their evenings to go to meetings such as this just shows how invested agricultural educators are in being the best teachers they can be. When you sit back and really think about it, it is also amazing to think about the network that ag ed teachers have with each other. Think about all of the knowledge and experience that was in that one high school room at Oley Valley where we had the meeting, as well as the other regional meetings across the state. That is why being involved in PAAE is important as an agricultural educator. It is our duty to not only be lifelong learners, but to mentor other ag teachers, too. Being involved in PAAE helps ensure you are up to date with what is going on ag ed and the agriculture industry, it promotes communication between ag teachers and vital partners, and opens up doors for professional development opportunities. Being involved in PAAE is also a chance for ag teachers to give back and serve a profession that has given them so much. I'm looking forward to continuing my #TeachAg journey and becoming more involved in PAAE.

Angie, Ally, and I catching up at the PAAE meeting

An Afternoon SAE Visit!

On Thursday afternoon after school, Mr. Fellenbaum and I headed off through the rolling hills of Lancaster County for an SAE visit. 

We went to visit one of my students in the Intro to AFNR class, Berklee. She is a freshman and is already an active FFA member. She has two SAE projects: a entrepreneurship sheep project at her home, and a placement project at her Grandfather's poultry farm. Prior to our visit, I reviewed Berklee's AET records to see how she is working to grow her projects.

Berklee's sheep

First we went to her home and she showed us her sheep project. Berklee has been showing sheep since she was in 4th grade and will be showing 4 sheep this year at the local fairs. I asked her to explain how she cares for her sheep as well as how she prepares them for the shows. Berklee was very knowledgeable and discussed how she monitors their health, rate of gain, and gets them used to being walked/handled. I was impressed. I also asked her what her favorite part of raising sheep was, to which she replied learning about showmanship and competing with her siblings.

Next we walked over to her grandfather's poultry farm, where Berklee works part time. She helps sort the eggs that are collected and prepares them for shipment. Berklee is currently preparing to compete in the Poultry Evaluation CDE - so she has the perfect place to practice egg grading! 

Berklee is in the class I've taught all semester, so it was neat to conduct an SAE visit with a student I've been teaching for a while because you already have that rapport built. It was a great afternoon and I learned a lot - thanks Berklee!

Berklee and her grandfather's Dorper sheep

A Day with Macy and the Selinsgrove Ag Ed Program!

Today I was in a classroom, but I wasn't the one teaching. Today I got to go spend the day with my fellow cohort member and friend, Macy, at Selinsgrove High School where she is rocking it as a student teacher! When I arrived, there was maple sap being boiled down into syrup, designs being prepared for the CNC machine, baby trout growing in the back of the classroom, and a large greenhouse full of plants. Selinsgrove Ag Ed is a busy place! I had a great time and really enjoyed getting a tour of the program and seeing Macy teach.

Getting ready to strike their first arcs!!

Ms. Fisher's 9th grade classes just started their welding unit and today was their first day to burn rod! Macy did a great job demonstrating how to set up the arc welding machines and strike their first arc. It made me reflect back on my own experience teaching welding just a few weeks ago and how awesome it was to see students overcome their fears and improve through practice. I can definitely say that welding is my favorite Ag Mechanics topic to teach.

Macy also teaches Building Construction and Horticulture. In Horticulture, the students are working on designing their own greenhouse! All of the students were engaged and asking questions, and it was neat to see them apply what they have learned.

Here are some key takeaways from the day:

1. One of the great things about Ag Ed is that every program is different, so there is always something new to learn when visiting a program! I don't care if you drive to Wisconsin like we did last year for our Domestic Study Away or just down the road to the neighboring Ag Ed program, I guarantee it's unique in its own way and there's something new for you to learn.

2. I've said it once, and I'll say it again. Rapport with students is vital. I loved seeing Macy interact with her students. She interacted with each student during class, made jokes, laughed, and asked them about things going on in their lives.

3. Be adaptable and go with the flow. When I arrived, Macy informed me that her lesson for her first class wasn't going work out the way she had planned. Instead of stressing about what she was going to do, she just adapted and went with it! 

Thank you Ms. Fisher, Mrs. Fry, and Mr. Swineford for a wonderful day!

Student Teaching Week 13!

This past week I finished up my 13th week of student teaching. It was a busy week! The prior week was the end of the marking period, so I spent a good portion of this week making sure all of the grades were up to date and working with students who needed to complete make-up work. Thursday was the county FFA volleyball tournament, and a good time was had by all! Here are some more highlights from this week:

1. Grades matter, but student learning is most important.

The end of the marking period caused me to take some time and reflect on my philosophy of grading and how to ensure students are continually improving. I have a few students who are absent from school the majority of the time, and their grades show it. I try to get them to come down for homeroom so I can help them catch up, but if they're not in school they also aren't available to come down for homeroom. These next two weeks I'm hopeful that I can work with these students on the current material we're learning to make sure they don't get behind in the 4th marking period. I think it would be good to have a talk with these students about growth mindsets and how grades don't define you as a person, but instead just show that there's always room for improvement. Another resource I plan to utilize better are the students' IEP resource persons by having them help me modify assessments and help students complete make-up work.

2. Try new learning activities with your students because even if they don't go absolutely perfect, they will still learn. 

This week in Biotech our regular soybean and GMO soybean plants were ready for our experiment. Students followed a procedure to extract DNA from both plants, use PCR to amplify the DNA segment, and run a gel electrophoresis to compare the DNA. It was a learning experience for all of us! It didn't go perfectly, but students gained valuable lab skills (for example, I didn't learn how to use a micropipette until college, so I think it's awesome these students already know how!!) and the importance of reading the procedure when completing a project/task. Students also learned about DNA, and how biotechnology is used in agriculture. I'm looking forward to next week when students will be using procedures they created to make biofuels (methane, biodiesel, and ethanol to name a few)!!

Preparing their soybean DNA for the PCR machine!

Thanks for following me along on my #TeachAg journey! I'd love to hear your thoughts.