Reflecting Upon the Past and Looking Ahead to the Future

         If you would have asked me how I liked student teaching after the first week, I would have gave you a standard response of “it’s going good” or “yeah I like it.” If you would have asked me the same question around the end of February/beginning of March, I would have said “I hate this; I can’t wait until it’s over. I’m never going to teach.” If you would have asked me about student teaching today, on my last day, I would have burst into tears, which is exactly what I have been doing the last 24 hours. Everything I have been through the last four years has led me to this point: figuring out my purpose in life. Although I wasn’t sure up until this point, I can wholeheartedly say agricultural education is where I belong.

            As I sit here and reflect on this entire experience, I am overcome with emotions. I am beyond blessed that I had the opportunity to student teach at Elizabethtown with Mr. Anderson and work with his students. I am so sad that these 15 weeks are over and my student teaching experience has come to a close. I am anxious to see what lies in store for me next; they always say when one door closes, another one opens. Most of all, I feel whole. I have a lifetime of memories I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I have figured out my purpose in life and have grown into the young professional I was meant to become.

            I can’t help but think back to the beginning of this entire process. I began contacting and visiting schools in March of 2014. I visited four schools and selected my top three; none of them being Elizabethtown. In fact, I didn’t know anything about Elizabethtown! As April rolled around and our student teaching placements were announced, I was very surprised to learn that I had been placed at Elizabethtown. I was actually more than surprised…I was angry and upset! How could they place me at a school I knew nothing about without any prior warning?! Why were all three of my top choices given to other student teachers and not me?! I cried the day I found out and in turn was dreading student teaching. I shouldn’t admit this but I had even considered dropping my major I was that upset!

            I now realize how extremely foolish I was at that time. After visiting Elizabethtown for the first time in April of 2014, I knew that I could not have had a better placement! Mr. Anderson is one of the most down to earth, realistic, hardworking, kind hearted, and funniest individuals I know. We had a great connection from the start and I quickly realized how much I was looking forward to student teaching. He has helped me in more ways than he even realizes throughout this entire experience. He has helped me grow and prosper as a student teacher and even more so as a person. He has provided me with advice, personal experience, honest opinions, and friendship. We have shared so many laughs and jokes together; ones that have helped me get through stressful times that come with student teaching. He truly is a selfless, inspiring individual and I will miss him greatly now that my time at Elizabethtown is up.

            Arguably the biggest thing I have learned through all of this is that if you aren’t happy, nothing is ever worth it. Were there times throughout this experience that I was stressed, tired, miserable, and dreading going to school the next day? You bet there were. But were there times when I was excited beyond belief to teach a unique lesson, attend an FFA conference, share jokes with my students, and work with students until I saw a lightbulb go off? Even more so. I realized that while not every day will be good, there certainly is good in every day. I have had so many instances when I was having a bad day and the smallest action turned my day right around. I realized that no matter what job you have, you will always have a bad day. That’s life. What matters is how you handle that bad day and what you do to turn it around!

            Everybody tells you about the impact you will have on your students, the difference you will make in their lives, you will be a “positive agent of change,” etc. but nobody really tells you the difference your students will make in your life, the impact they will have on you. Maybe it’s just because I’m a big softie but these students, all 54 I had in my classes and the countless others I have interacted with through FFA, have taught me a lesson and impacted me in their own individual way. Every single student from the straight a college bound seniors to the disadvantaged lower ability level underclassman have left their mark on me. Each student has a story; some are more open to share than others. My eyes have truly been opened from this experience and I have realized that not all students are as lucky as I was.

            Another big question I have been getting asked from those around me is what’s next? You graduate in two weeks, what will you be doing?  My response is typically the same: “I’m not sure what’s next but I know I want to teach.” I have applied for many jobs, not all of them teaching, just to have something to fall back on. I know the right opportunity will arise in God’s timing; putting my faith in Him assures me that I will end up just where I am meant to be! Would I love to have a job lined up by the time I walk across the graduation stage in two weeks? Absolutely! Do I have a full time job lined up at this point? Nope. But honestly, I am okay with that. This experience has taught me to be flexible, patient, and reassured me that it’s okay not to have it all figured out. Having a plan is great but things can change in a split second. You need to trust the process, have faith, and remain persistent.

            As I walk out the doors of Elizabethtown High School for the final time today, there will be tears. I know I will see some of these students again at the FFA banquet next month but it won’t be the same. I know that one day I will have the opportunity to have a program of my own, be a mentor like those who have mentored me and helped me reach this point. I know you can’t reach every student, but I have learned that every student can reach you. This was proven true when I found myself stuffing 54 goodie bags, signing 54 individualized cards, and baking 8 dozen cookies to show my students and my cooperating teacher just how much this experience meant to me. 

Week 15: Goodbyes and Good Memories

                      

           I can’t believe it. I cannot believe that my 15 weeks at Elizabethtown are up. My time as a student teacher is over. This is still hard for me to fathom and I have been trying to let it sink in. I had mixed feelings as this last week began. Part of me was excited to see what comes next in my life but part of me was very sad knowing this would be the last time I will see many of these students. I began the week with the mindset that I would make it a great work and really enjoy the last few days with my students and Mr. Anderson. On Monday, I had a busy day as I prepared for the final week. I made copies and prepared lessons during my prep period and some of this continued into second block. In aquatics, I continued teaching students about reptiles and amphibians. Students took notes and then completed a fun activity involving puzzles and a summarizing worksheet. In intro to agribusiness, I taught a lesson on budgeting. Students completed an activity to help them realize the importance of a budget and then completed an inquiry based activity on budgets. The night ended with an ag advisory board meeting at 7pm.

            On Tuesday, most of my day was spent outside. My students, Mr. Anderson, and I were all glad to get outside and enjoy the nice weather. I finished the rest of my lessons for the week during flex and my prep period today. In aquatics, Mr. Anderson and I took students out to Bear Creek, a piece of land owned by the school district which houses two ponds and a wooded lot. I created a worksheet I wanted students to fill out using field guides to identify various aquatic species at the pond. It was sunny and breezy, a perfect day to get students outside. In intro to agribusiness, Mr. Anderson and I also took students down to Bear Creek, but for a different lesson. I wanted students to tie together everything we have been learning about: marketing plans, budgets, cash flow statements, etc. together in a final unit project. I explained to students that they would have to individually create a final project using Bear Creek as the basis. Students were to determine how they would create some sort of agribusiness or company at Bear Creek such as an environmental center or fishing guide service. I explained they could get creative with their ideas but had to be school appropriate. Students came up with a lot of great ideas and I’m excited to see their final products!

 

            I had such a great day on Wednesday! This was the day that I would finish my community based unit of instruction by taking students in my aquatic resources class stocking trout with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission! 16 students from my aquatic resources class, as well as several who took the course in the fall, went along on the trip. We left the high school at 10:15 and arrived back at 2:30. Mr. Anderson and I enjoyed the stocking trip just as much as our students! We stocked at several places along three creeks in northern Lancaster County: Conoy Creek, Little Chiquies Creek, and Little Conestoga Creek. The day started off perfect for stocking: warm and sunny. As the day went on, clouds rolled in and it was raining by the time we got to the last stop. Students enjoyed applying concepts we discussed in class to a real life setting. This was a great way for me to connect with more of my students as my final week came to a close.

            Thursday was an enjoyable day! I finalized several assignments during my prep period, as well as prepared for the lesson component of my DIY project. Students had to solve a crime scene and determine which of the four possible suspects accidentally killed fish in the tanks in the aquatics lab. I gave students brief background information while making sure I didn’t “give it away” so to speak. Students remained engaged throughout the lesson and were happy to discover that no fish actually died. I would make sure that I was not the culprit as I was in this case if I taught this lesson again. I would probably pair students up to complete the activity together with such a broad spectrum of ability levels in one class. In ag business, students watered and fertilized all of the plants in the greenhouse. They continued to work on their finance project that they started yesterday. I had to play catch up with many students who were not in class yesterday as well.

            Friday was a very emotional day. I ended up crying most of the day. I didn’t realize how much I was going to miss being at Elizabethtown! I had such a great group of students and an amazing cooperating teacher; I didn’t want this experience to end! I prepared a goodie bag for every single student, as well as a hand written card. I handed these out to each class and then shared a short PowerPoint presentation as a reflection upon my time here. I cannot begin to explain how I felt as I was talking, looking out across each class to my students and seeing tears roll down their faces! Seeing my cooperating teacher cry was even harder. I could not have asked for a better experience and everything I have done up to this point, all of the exams, projects, assignments, everything made this experience worth it. Next week will be hard, knowing I won’t be walking through the doors Monday morning to see my students. I will cherish the memories I have made here and embrace the young teacher I have become. One day I hope to be half the teacher that Mr. Anderson is to his students and also a mentor to student teachers like me.

Teacher DIY Development Project

             For my Teacher DIY project, I decided to incorporate forensic chemistry concepts into my aquatic resources class. Several of my students have taken the forensics chemistry course at Elizabethtown with Mr. Scott Baylor. I have heard great things about this course and have overhead my students talking about it several times. I have taken part in a wildlife forensics workshop with the Pennsylvania Game Commission and decided to combine principles I learned in the workshop into my aquatic resources class with the assistance of Mr. Baylor.

            After explaining my idea to my cooperating teacher Mr. Anderson as well as my university supervisor Dr. Ewing, I received approval of my initial idea. Per the assignment, I was required to write a formal proposal outlining my idea, how I would carry out the lesson, how I would receive the professional development component, and how I would evaluate the project. In order to gain a better understanding of forensic chemistry and determine how I could work some of its principles into my aquatics class, I contacted Mr. Baylor in early February and explained my idea. I had already completed my science classroom observation with Mr. Baylor in January. I observed his forensic chemistry course in January which sparked my interest in utilizing forensics in my one of my classes.

            I met with Mr. Baylor in early April during a teacher in-service day. We met in his room and discussed my project for an hour and a half. I refreshed Mr. Baylor’s memory of my ideas and listened as he talked me through examples of things he has done and showed me some possible resources I could use. He provided me with several handouts, worksheets, ink pads, and published book resources to utilize. I left the meeting feeling very confident in how I would finalize my forensics lesson. With Mr. Baylor’s assistance, my final lesson would be as follows:

·         Set up scenario that several fish in the tanks in the aquatics lab have suddenly died

·         Determine what was used to kill the fish (bleach)

·         Collect fingerprints of possible suspects

·         Create handout with information about possible subjects

·         Provide clues for student use (fingerprints on bleach bottle, jacket, etc.)

·         Provide water testing supplies for students to test contaminated water

·         Allow students to determine suspect, motive, and means

·         Summarize lesson with the creation of a newspaper article by students

            Once I had the majority of my lesson created, the other details came easily. The day before the lesson, I made sure I had all necessary materials copied and the crime scene was set up. The day of the lesson, I put the bleach into water samples I collected from the tanks. I had the water testing kits displayed at the front of the classroom, as well as pieces of evidence and fingerprints. I explained to students that 8 of the fish died in the fish tanks and these pieces of evidence were found in the lab. As Mr. Baylor suggested, I introduced the lesson as a mystery and made it as realistic as possible. Students actually believed that fish died and were very engaged in the lesson!

            Reflecting on the lesson and the entire professional development process, I have gained so much growth in presenting inquiry, tying forensics concepts into natural resources, and maintaining student interest throughout a lesson. Due to the mixed ability of my students, I wanted to keep the mystery solvable. I didn’t want to give students too much information and make it easy but I also didn’t want it to be too difficult that they would give up easily. If I were doing this again, I would make sure to choose a different individual as the criminal; choosing myself was too easy for students to figure out. I would also provide students a copy of the fingerprints I collected rather than having one copy. This was also a suggestion for improvement by Mr. Baylor. I met with him after the lesson to debrief, talk about what worked well, and ask for suggestions if I were to carry out this lesson again. He thought I did a great job presenting the lesson and said I worked will to accommodate all learners. He suggested I provide more detailed descriptions and have more sources of possible evidence Overall, I thought this was a great way for me to gain a deeper understanding of science and technology principles and how they can be used in an agricultural classroom. It also allowed me to collaborate with a professional in the field and expand my knowledge of forensics. This was a great activity and with some modification, it will be a great lesson to utilize in the future!

Week 14: Winding Down

           After a much needed relaxing weekend, I was anxious to finish up my second to last week at Elizabethtown! The week was another busy one, a common theme I have discovered with each week that passes. Between regional CDE sign ups, speaking contests, officer elections, and lots of fun lessons planned, it was definitely a good week! On Monday, students in my ag mechanics class finished up the lawn mower service project. 27 lawn mowers later and we were finished! I think the students enjoyed the project just as much as I did. I learned a lot from the project while I also realized how much I did actually know and remember about small gas engines. That was a great feeling! In aquatics, I taught a lesson on panfish species found in Pennsylvania. Students worked to identify the 14 species while completing a worksheet and using identification posters. In intro to agribusiness, I began a new unit and taught a lesson on income statements. Students completed an article as well as another assignment to go along with information I taught them in class. I also had the chance to review speeches for the regional speaking contest that will be held Thursday. This was my favorite contest as an FFA member and I was excited to assist with the speeches!

            On Tuesday, I gave back ag mechanics to Mr. Anderson. Students were back in the classroom and learned more about internal combustion engines and began learning about engine parts. In aquatic resources, I took a risk and decided to give an idea I came up with a try. I wanted students to create a dichotomous key of their own as a way to identify and learn the 14 species of panfish found in Pennsylvania. At first, students complained that they didn’t know how to create a dichotomous key, moaned and groaned about how hard the assignment was, and expressed how they didn’t want to complete the assignment. By the end of the block, students turned in some awesome dichotomous keys! They seemed more interested once they figured out a system that worked. I was very proud of them for their attempts and hard work. I also felt proud for taking a risk and was pleased with how the assignment turned out. In ag business, I taught a lesson on cash flow statements. Students completed an activity related to cash flow statements with current agribusinesses.

            Wednesday in aquatics, students took a quiz on panfish species found in Pennsylvania. I also introduced the migratory and miscellaneous fish species. This is the last group of fish that students will have to identify. In into to agribusiness, I taught a lesson on balance sheets, assets, and liabilities. Students completed examples of balance sheets, including one from the PA FFA record book worksheets. On Thursday, Mr. Anderson and I attended the regional speaking contests in Lebanon County. We had one creed speaker and two extemporaneous speakers. None of the speakers placed but I was still proud of their confidence and willingness to try something new! I assisted with parliamentary procedure judging, something I haven’t done before. I caught on fairly quickly and actually enjoyed myself! Students in aquatics completed two worksheets relating to migratory and miscellaneous PA fish while I was gone. In into to agribusiness, students completed a worksheet related to credit. They also read an article related to American agriculture and agribusiness and wrote a reflective essay about the article.

            Friday hit me that I only had a week left at Elizabethtown. In seven short days, my time with these students would be over. In aquatic resources, students took their final PA fish ID quiz. I then introduced the reptile and amphibian section of the unit with an introductory worksheet. In intro to agribusiness, students spent just about the entire duration of the block period in the greenhouse watering plants, adding fertilizer, and picking buds on the plants. Next week, I will finish teaching both classes. In aquatics, we will continue with reptiles and amphibians. Our stocking trip will be held on Wednesday and students are excited for the field trip! In intro to agribusiness, we will continue with personal finance and start talking about budgets.

            As I reflect on the week and look ahead to my final week, I realize how upset I am. I cannot believe how fast student teaching has gone. As my students realize how little time I have with them, they express their sadness as well. This makes me feel good in a way; I feel like I have touched their lives in some way. I realize that I have reached out and impacted more students than I thought. I also realize how these students, and Mr. Anderson, have impacted me more than I ever would have thought. While next week will definitely be upsetting, I plan to make the most out of my last five days with these students!

Week 13: Mowers, Meetings, and Marketing

           Holy cow I cannot believe it is week 13 of student teaching! Time has been going by so fast and I will be graduated before I know it! I had a long, relaxing birthday/Easter weekend this past weekend. I was feeling refreshed and ready to begin another week of student teaching. Students did not have school on Monday; it was an in-service make up day for teachers. We were in the building from 8-4. The day started off with breakfast provided by the school. I finished my undergraduate thesis, prepared several lesson plans, and made a lot of progress on my DIY project. I was grateful for the in-service day because it was very productive for me. It was also a nice transition back into my routine after a long weekend at home.

            On Tuesday, it was back to the swing of things! In ag mechanics, students eagerly got back into the lawn mower service project. It was exciting for me to watch how passionate they were about what the task at hand. It was one of those things that makes a bad day all worth it! Students worked together nicely as they took apart the lawn mowers which was also encouraging to watch. In aquatics, students who were not in class on Thursday made up the PA cold water fish ID quiz. Afterwards, students completed an identifying characteristics worksheet on PA cool/warm water fish. Students had to describe the 11 species of fish based off of their pictures on the posters hanging in class. Students began working on the corresponding worksheet but then ran out of time. In intro to agribusiness, I taught a short lesson on customer issues and relations in agrimarketing. Class was interrupted halfway through by a fire drill. While an interruption was not ideal, it seemed to energize the students once we came back into the classroom. Students completed an assignment based on a change in consumer trends of a chosen agricultural product. I noticed that students enjoy using the iPads but seem frustrated when assignments require higher level thinking!

            On Wednesday, Mr. Anderson and I went along with Mrs. Thoman’s pre-vet class on a field trip to Covance in Denver, PA. Covance is a biomedical research facility that works to develop and test drugs and pharmaceuticals. Individuals from the Pennsylvania Society for Biomedical Research were also present. 19 students went along on the trip. In the morning, we attended several presentations including an introduction, vaccination presentation, virtual tour of the facility, and the use of horses in creating anti-venin from black widow spiders. We were able to tour the large animal facility which housed goats, sheep, pigs, and a burro. We also had the opportunity to tour the horse facility; I think this was the student’s favorite part! We reconvened for lunch, were introduced to several other employees, and then headed back to school. I was thankful for the opportunity to travel with the pre-vet class on this field trip. Biomedical research is one area that I do not know much about but this trip definitely sparked an interest! After returning to school, Mr. Anderson and I traveled to the Eastern Region PAAE Meeting at Garden Spot High School. We took one FFA member along who attended the State Officer Candidacy School (SOCS) while we were at the meeting. The meeting was very informative and kept me up to date with what is happening in agricultural education here in Pennsylvania!

            I was very tired by Thursday morning. However, I drank my morning coffee and made it through the day! In ag mechanics, students continued to work on the lawn mower service project. In aquatics, students completed an inquiry activity related to Smallmouth Bass in the Susquehanna River and why the bass are getting sick. I thought it was a cool way for the students to play detective and then “publish their findings.” However, students were not excited about it like I was. They wanted me to just give them the answers rather than thinking on their own. This is frustrating as a teacher because I try to encourage them to think and create activities that will be fun and engaging. We also reviewed for the cool water fish ID quiz on Friday. In intro to agribusiness, I worked on getting everyone caught up since so many students were absent the previous days. Students completed a study guide and I went over it at the end of class for the test on Friday.

 

            In ag mechanics on Friday, students continued to work on the lawn mower service project. I enjoy walking around and helping students. This class is made up of a great group of kids and I will surely miss their personalities when I leave. In aquatics, students took the cool water fish ID quiz. Since so many students have been absent or getting behind on their work, Mr. Anderson and I decided to use the remainder of the class to catch up those students who were behind while rewarding the students who got their work done on time. This may not have been the ideal thing to do but I was getting very frustrated with their performance. The students had a stern warning about their classroom behavior and performance; I am hoping since the issue was addressed, it will not be as big of a problem. In intro to agribusiness, students took the marketing unit exam. Afterwards, students went to the greenhouse to take care of the geraniums. I also worked with several students who have been absent to catch them up.

            Reflecting on the week, I think it is safe to say that shorter weeks tend to feel longer. I had a very busy and productive week, as usual. This week was full of ups and downs as well as many opportunities for growth and learning. I was struggling with students not working to their fullest potential and hopefully addressing the issue will improve the classroom dynamics for the rest of my time here. I think it hard for both the students, particularly the seniors, and myself to feel senioritis. I mean I only have two weeks left here! I’m not letting this get in the way of my teaching however. It is just hard not to think about what is coming next! I know I must be doing something right because my fourth block baked me my favorite cupcakes for my birthday this week. It’s the little things like this that make everything else worth it!

Pennsylvania's Professional Agricultural Education Organization: PAAE

          On Wednesday April 8^th, 2015, I had the opportunity to travel with my cooperating teacher Mr. Anderson to the Eastern Region Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators (PAAE) meeting at Garden Spot High School in Lancaster County. Supper began at 5:30 and the meeting began promptly at 6pm. Ms. Heather Pray, an agricultural educator at Garden Spot, conducted the meeting. Executive board officer reports were given by Mr. David Bittner of Midd-West and Mr. Mike Brammer, the executive secretary. Some of the highlights from these reports included news that new CIP code task lists for production and general programs have been created and closely align with the NOCTI exams. Meet and greets in Harrisburg occurred with state congressmen advocating for agricultural education and updates regarding the PAAE summer conference that will be held in Tyrone this July were given.

            Another highlight of the meeting included a vote as to whether PAAE would match the Center for Professional Personnel Development (CPPD) at Penn State to continue to fund the SAE/AET Technologist position for 2015-2016. Members voted to match the center’s budget of $5,000 for the upcoming year. One of the biggest issues of the night involved industry certification/credentials for program approval by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). This news was conveyed to members at the meeting and is a new initiative under the new governor. Agricultural education programs are supposed to start offering industry certifications if this is something they do not do already. The certifications are supposed to align with students’ perspective career goals that they filled out on the PDE informational sheet at the beginning of the school year. Some of these certifications include Pork Quality Assurance, National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation, and ServSafe. There were many concerns among members, as well as many unanswered questions. I had many of the same questions myself including how many certifications will programs be required to offer? How much will these certifications cost? Who will pay for the certifications?

            Cliff Day also gave reports from PDE, Mike Brammer gave reports from FFA, and Deb Seibert gave reports from NAAE, the National Association of Agricultural Educators. Members were reminded of new CDE requirements and eligibility as State Activities Week draws closer. One other large portion of the night included discussion about the development of a new Keystone Degree application through AET, the agricultural experience tracker. There were several concerns and questions as the transition from the traditional excel application to the AET application occurs. From my understanding, some of the requirements for the degree do not align in AET and there are some issues that will need to be worked out. Also, there was discussion as to whether the applications should be verified regionally, and how this should occur. I feel that if each region were to verify the applications, the process should be the same across the board.

            As the meeting wrapped up, two new regional Eastern Region Vice Presidents were elected: Heather Pray and Heather Anderson. The two newly elected officers will decide who is serving the one year term and the two year term at a later date. Mr. Anderson also talked about the field trip we attended earlier that day when we visited Covance and learned about biomedical research. Many members were interested in taking their students there for a tour. There was talk about holding the 2017 PAAE summer conference at W.B. Saul in Philadelphia as well.

            Overall, this was a very informative meeting and I took lots of notes! It was great to see so many agricultural teachers come together in one spot to discuss upcoming events, ideas, and concerns within the field. This meeting gave me a different perspective of the life of an ag teacher. It brought my attention to things going on throughout the state, things I will come into contact with if I acquire a position as a secondary agricultural educator. There were roughly 30 PAAE members at the meeting last night. Not every ag teacher in the region is a member; I personally think it is a great way to get involved and stay up to date within the profession. It was interesting to hear opinions and thoughts of ag teachers across the region. Whether they agree or disagree on the issues at hand, it is assuring to know that they are all there for the same reason: they care greatly about agricultural education and the students they teach!

Week 12: Excitement for Easter Break!

            I started off week 12 feeling very tired, I could not fall asleep Sunday night for some unknown reason! This week was a short week with no school on Friday for the observation of Good Friday. On Monday in ag mechanics, students completed a review guide in class for the welding unit. In aquatics, I introduced fish identification and started with coldwater fish. I utilized resources from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to assist me with this. Students completed a worksheet in which they had to describe the 12 different species of fish in great detail to help them identify the fish. Students then completed a worksheet in class which I went over at the end. We had a non-emergency shelter in place during this class which caused class to run a half hour later than normal. This was an instance that I was not prepared for but my students and I made the most of it! In intro to agribusiness, I taught a lesson about risk in agribusiness. Students then completed an in class project relating to risk and an agricultural product of their choosing.

 

            On Tuesday, I was feeling much more refreshed. Students in ag mechanics took the welding unit exam. Afterwards, they turned in their c-clamps to be graded. In aquatic resources, I continued teaching about coldwater fish. Students completed a worksheet in class which I went over with them once they were finished. Afterwards, students completed  a project where they had to select a coldwater species of fish, draw a picture of its habitat, provide a description of its habitat, and then draw a picture of the fish. In intro to agribusiness, I taught a lesson about middlemen in agribusiness. Students read an article and answered questions about the local farming/CSA movement and how it leaves out the middlemen. Afterwards, students had an in class debate about the necessity of the middleman in agriculture. I think I enjoyed this activity much more than the students!

            Dr. Ewing came to visit on Wednesday. I had three awesome lessons planned and I think all of them went well! In ag mechanics, I taught an introductory lesson on small gas engines, particularly four stroke and two stroke engines. I gave students a pre-test to see how much they knew about small gas engine operation. I was surprised at how little they actually knew, despite how much they talk about trucks and engines! After I taught the lesson, students used an iPad to answer questions relating to the information covered in class. In aquatic resources, I changed things up a bit and completed an inquiry lesson on why native Brook Trout populations are declining in Pennsylvania. The class seemed to struggle with the higher level thinking and just wanted me to tell them the answers; they didn’t like me asking thought provoking questions! In intro to ag business, students completed an introductory worksheet on what they thought goes into a marketing plan. This lead into a short lesson on marketing plans. Students then created a marketing plan on a product of their choice. I think students enjoyed the freedom they had with this project and this particular class seemed to handle the inquiry style lesson well!

            By Thursday, everyone was ready for Easter Break. Today was also the infamous senior skip day so my classes were fairly empty! In ag mechanics, students began the annual lawn mower service project. Students got into four groups of four and each worked on a lawn mower. Students tightened the spark plug gap, changed the oil, cleaned the air filter, and sharpened the blades. The students seemed to enjoy the activity which is good for them because we have 27 lawn mowers total! In aquatics, 8 out of the 21 students were present. These students took the quiz on PA coldwater fish and then cleaned the tanks and clatifier in the aquatics lab. In intro to agribusiness, 6 out of 14 students were there. We cleaned up the greenhouse, transplanted the tomatoes, watered the geraniums, and did some landscape planning for the courtyard outside of the ag shop.

            This week was a short week but busy nonetheless. I feel like I am connecting more with some of my students and it has been awesome! Looking back, this week has also reiterated the point that I need to think on my feet and be able to be flexible! I feel like I have made a good deal of improvement since the beginning of student teaching and hope to continue to improve in my last three weeks. As student teaching ends and graduation draws closer, I am also on the job hunt. I have applied and interviewed at several places. I know that my dream job is out there, I just have to keep searching. Reflecting upon the week, it is safe to say that I finally figured out what I am supposed to do in life…teach agriculture.