There's no such thing...

...As a "normal" week in agricultural education. Every week is unique and fun and crazy and unexpected (hopefully not in a bad way) but nonetheless, things are constantly changing.

This past week was a bit different. Why? Here are a few key points:

• The honeymoon stage of student teaching (actual teaching) has ended. There's nothing wrong with this - it just means I am buckling down with work and starting to confront some issues and areas of improvement. 
• I got "supervised" (cue scary music) on Tuesday. My dear professor/adviser/supervisor Dr. Daniel D Foster came up to the great North and watched/complimented/advised on several helpful points... but we can come back to that. 
• Sunday last week = winter FFA officer retreat, complete with ICE FISHING! 
• NATIONAL FFA WEEK PREP! (stay tuned)
• There was ANOTHER snow storm that took the great North and caused an early dismissal on Thursday... But then again, what should I expect? 
• I had planned for a "sub" (AKA my cooperating teacher) to teach on Friday, due to a PSU seminar for us, but school was canceled! (boooo snow)
• I went to a faculty meeting! Wohoo...? 
• I visited one of my students at his SAE placement during the busiest time of the year for them... see more below.
• A new friend and fellow student (at Mansfield) who is earning her Master's in Library Science, served as my first GUEST SPEAKER for my FFA/Leadership class, as she shared mass media communication resources for my students (which they will need for their super cool project). Shout out to Angie for putting in time to speak to my students, even if it was cut short due to the early dismissal! 
• My house mate was at a conference all week, so instead of being all alone, (after much convincing of my parents) I brought my cute dog, Bella, up to live with me for the week (see photos). 
• And today I went snowshoeing!! Finally!!! 

So now time for some deep(er) reflection:
It really was a great week, overall, even if it wasn't the most fun and exciting. More work, less sleep, more problems, more critical thinking, more seeking of advice... it all equals more real TEACHING experience!

One of the major areas I struggled with this week is... grades! How do I assign them? Who gets the highest grade? Does anyone get 100% on an assignment? Am I too hard a grader? Do I hand back all assignments, graded?

While rubrics are a key aspect of grading larger assignments, I must say that, even with rubrics, I still struggled in this area. This seemingly simple set of questions brings up an even bigger concern...

Academic level variability. What does that mean? Well, there are classes in schools, like general science, college prep biology and advanced English, that have a pretty consistent student group in each class when it comes to expectations, academic vigor, and completion of assignments.

What about ag classes? Well, we get all of the students of all grades and all academic levels. While this is one of the beautiful things about agricultural education, it can also be a curse - how do we gauge the level of content we can teach? How do we grade, given such variation in one class? How do we make sure that we are ENSURING SUCCESS for EVERY STUDENT?

Now you know why teaching ag is such a big deal? It takes dedication, patience, and a sincere desire to make a difference in the lives of students. I am seeing more and more how this can make the world of difference for a student. Now let's see if it can start happening in my teaching...

In addition to this sincere critical thinking, I was excited/nervous/super prepared to have my first "supervisor visit" on Tuesday. Dr. Foster came in for the day and observed all my classes, giving small bits of feedback between some of them then sitting me down for a sincere and elaborate discussion of improvement areas. He was proud of me in general (yay!) but wasn't afraid to lay down several areas of improvement. I am thankful for his honesty and dedication to my success, so that we can truly reach student success. Some of my key improvement areas include: proper introduction of daily objectives, a cognitive connect (showing how this really matters), walking and talking (a no-no), really focusing on the students (note previous discussion) with positive reinforcement.

Considering I am such an advocate of positive reinforcement over negative (type 2) punishment, I am surprised at how little/effectively I use it. I mean, really, how much can one "good job" or "I am proud of you for participating" or "hey _(insert student name)__, you did great today" really make in a student's life?

The answer is: I have no idea. But if it can have any possibility of improving their attitude, making them feel valued, or just increasing our rapport, WHY NOT?!? After all, I know I feel valued when my very own professors congratulate me/encourage me. And how else can we show the love of Christ in the classroom? Definitely another deep area of reflection this week...

Let me share some photos (I have a lot this week) before talking some more. Enjoy!

National FFA Week prep! Students signing "thank you" notes for all the teachers!

We got to use the "spirit" week banner for the "theme" days of National FFA Week... I am personally excited for Friday because the members were encouraged to wear their CORDUROY!! (I wish I still could)

So, on Wednesday, after my first "faculty meeting" (filled with interesting bureaucratic discussions), I went to one of the local floral shops with my cooperating teacher to conduct an "SAE Visit" of one of my students/FFA officers. This is one of the busiest weeks of the year for floral businesses, and it was awesome to see my student IN ACTION as he took phone calls/orders, prepared arrangements, dealt with customers, and moved efficiently around the shop. Its exciting to think that, via this agricultural experience that he chose in the fall to increase his SAE hours, he could: a) apply for an FFA proficiency, b) compete in the state Floriculture CDE, c) pursue a degree in horticulture, and/or d) find a successful career placement in the industry due to his hard work at this floral shop. The owners boasted of his great skills, maturity level, and ability to learn quickly, and I swelled with pride on behalf of my cooperating teacher as I thought about how the agriscience program has positively impacted him. It really was a cool experience.

Where the "magic" happens in the floral shop

I was drooling over some of these gorgeous flowers in the cooler 

My student, pulling an order for a customer

My friend, Angie (Ms. Martinez), speaking about digital communications and web 2.0 resources!

It's been quite a crazy week - but hey, welcome to a thriving agricultural education program. 3 circles and all, a truly dedicated program shouldn't allow much breathing room (especially with such a dedicated teacher, like my cooperating teacher). And when you have that moment of realization that a student is growing, benefiting, and achieving from the program, you realize that it all is truly worth it.

A few more photos from the week...

Bella enjoying the "blob" - a massive piece of furniture that resembles a cushony bean bag

I had mammal pelts from the PA Game Commission this week.. and this coyote really intrigued her

A lot of firsts up here in Wellsboro!! A friend from church took me snowshoeing after he and his wife hosted me for lunch - there have been so many amazing blessings here. 

It was pretty awesome to break through 15 inches of snow... a work out, but a fun time.