There's No Such Thing as Normal

There is no such thing as "normal". This is something that has become a reality for me for the past three weeks that I have taught at Mifflinburg High School. Not once has my week went as planned, and to be perfectly honest, I have thrown my Unit Plan out the window, as so much has changed that it is no longer helpful. This week was no different. It began with a snow day on Monday (which I loved as a student, but hate as a teacher!). It was a nice chance to catch up on some work, but it threw the rest of the week off.

On Tuesday morning, we had a two hour delay. I had planned on teaching electrical calculations to my electrical class that morning, but after listening to them complain last week when I taught them the West Virginia formula (W=VA), I second guessed myself. After asking Mr. Kessler what he thought, he told me that it doesn't matter if they complain because it is important to teach them that other subjects can be incorporated in agriculture. I decided to stick with my plan, and the students willingly participated in the activities.

I gave a safety quiz during my third period welding class and then taught them how to set up the welder. In my fifth and sixth period Introduction to Agriculture class, students practiced their public speaking skills by choosing speech topics out of a bag and creating an impromptu speech. This was a fun activity and got them more comfortable speaking in front of their classmates.

I also picked up my Wildlife unit on Tuesday. This class is made up of only six students, who all seem extremely well-behaved. I simply began by introducing myself and my expectation posters. We also defined some key terms.

Wednesday was a "normal" day. Welding went well, and students learned how to cut metal. During third period, we reviewed some basic electrical safety. I showed a short PowerPoint and then had students identify hazards in certain situations. This class was probably my most interesting class this week. One student was telling me about a video that he had seen over the weekend, about a man who was immune to electricity. He was insitant on showing me the video, and I told him that as long as it was appropriate, he could pull it up at the end of the period. I was extremely skeptical and didn't know if it was a good idea.

While I was teaching, I noticed two students seemed to be disrupting one corner of the room. I asked them to be respectful and pay attention, but the behavior continued. I noticed that one student seemed to be getting very angry and saw him make an inappropriate hand gesture toward the other one, and that was my breaking point. I immediately sent the student into the hall to cool off and continued with my lesson. Once I got the other students situated and working on their activity, I went to the hall to check on the student. He was sitting outside the door and looked extremely upset. I explained that his behavior was inappropriate and tried to get to the root of the problem.

When I got back in the classroom, we went over the worksheet. With about 5 minutes to spare, the student asked again if he could pull up the video. With much hesitation, I allowed him to. It turned out that the video connected wonderfully to what we were doing and I was able to use some of the things in the video to help drive home my lesson. This taught me that I should be open to student's suggestions, and that sometimes, what they bring up can really add to your lesson. After class, I talked to the other student who was involved in the incident.

Fifth and sixth period (Intro to Agriculture) presented their Creed speeches, which was interesting as many students seemed hesitant but did a great job. Seventh period, during I taught my Wildlife class about classifying systems and animal taxonomy.

I was apprehensive for welding on Thursday, as I taught the students how to strike an arc and allowed them, for the first time, to actually weld. They were all very eager, and acted in a responsible manner throughout the class. I was very impressed. During third period, I had my electrical class start working on safety brochures. I allowed them to use computers to generate the brochures, and expected them to use MLA formatted citations. I don't know what is with this class, but they must like to complain, because that is all they did about making these brochures. Despite their complaints, I worked through it and many of them got the majority of their brochures done within the class period.

We continued with the Creed speeches during fifth and sixth period. Everything went well during fifth period, but sixth period was a whole other story! A few students in the class were being extremely disruptive and disrespectful during their peers' presentations. I ended up moving a few students and even had to sit between two of them to keep them from talking. I was disappointed with their behavior, but doing these simple things seemed to help combat it.

However, that was not the only trouble that I had. Another student, who is usually very withdrawn and resistant, refused to present his speech. I told him that it was not an option and that he could wait and go last. After everyone had finished, he still refused; this time being extremely rude and putting his head down to ignore me and his classmates. I did not push him, but approached Ms. Spurrier about this after class. She said that she would write him up because this is not the first, and certainly won't be the last, time that he acts this way. So, I did. I felt awful afterwards, but I guess this is a step in the right direction, as my discipline skills need some work. In my mind, I still have a chance to break through this student's shell, and that is something that I am hoping that I can do while I am here. I have kind of made him my own personal challenge this semester.

Seventh period's Wildlife class went well. I was nervous about my lesson, because I was incorporating a game (Food Chain Rummy) and I wasn't sure how it would go. It turned out that the students really enjoyed it, and one even mentioned that he would love to play this game again. That made me feel really great and I'm glad that I am taking risks and trying new teaching techniques.

Thursday after school, I stayed to help with the local SAE book competition. I was really overwhelmed at first, because the section I was given to evaluate seemed confusing. However, after I got the hang of it, it wasn't bad and I was able to breeze through the books. I am glad that I had this opportunity, as I had never experienced this before and it will be something that will be helpful as a future teacher.

Today only contributed to the unusual week I had. We originally were to have a different schedule today, to accommodate for a talent show at the end of the day. However, we had a 2 hour delay. So, this meant that we did not have morning classes. I did not teach electricity or welding, because of this. However, I did teach my Introduction to Ag classes, where I gave students a chance to work on their prepared speeches. I also taught my Wildlife class. I had planned a game for them, taken from the Project WILD book. I was nervous, again, for this activity because I wasn't sure how students would respond. It ended up that they enjoyed it, which was a relief! We had about ten minutes left at the end, so I let them make food webs out of the cards from the food chain game yesterday. This worked out well, and I was impressed with my ability to think on my feet.

Overall, I am really enjoying student teaching. While it has been a challenge for me to teach topics that I am uncomfortable with, handle student misbehavior and conflict, and plan around some crazy schedules, I feel as though I am growing. I can certainly see myself becoming more comfortable and confident in the classroom, and I am making great connections with my students. Teaching is a lot of work, but all of the hassle has been completely worth it, thus far.

It has been wonderful seeing students understand some concept that you are trying to teach them. For example, in my electrical class, there is a student who, from first glance, one would expect to be a "slacker". On Tuesday when we were learning electrical calculations, he came to me and asked me to explain it to him. He tried to understand it, and took that extra initiative to come to me for help. When he finally got it, he was so pleased with himself and I was so proud. Not only of him, but of myself as well, as I felt like I had actually taught him something! These little moments might not seem like much to students, but to teachers (and student teachers, alike!) they are what matter and I cannot wait to have more moments like that within the next 12 weeks!

Holidays, half days, delays... Oh no!

No school, two hour delays and early dismals. When I was in school, these words used to make me happy. It was as if the school administrators had given me a gift; a free day to do absolutely nothing, an opportunity to catch up on sleep and to relax. However, when I heard the words “early dismal” come across the PA system on Wednesday, and the words “two hour delay” on the news on Thursday, I cringed. 

Monday, we did not have school due to Martin Luther King Day. I had planned around this, and it was nice to have an opportunity to catch up on some work. Tuesday, I taught my welding class like normal. I wasn’t thrilled with my lesson on careers, although I think that the students got into it once they were able to research and create posters about careers that they’re interested in. 

I began my electrical wiring class on Tuesday during third period. I reviewed my expectations, procedures and consequences, and began discussing electricity by allowing them to experiment with different batteries and lights. I challenged them to get the light bulbs to light, using the supplies that I had provided (bulbs, batteries, aluminum foil and tape). This went well, and they seemed to be interested, although they could not get it to work.

During 5^th and 6^th period (my Introduction to Agriculture course), we reviewed the third paragraph of the Creed. I had the students practice speaking by providing them with tongue twisters. This was a fun activity, and I think that they enjoyed it. 

Wednesday was an interesting day. All morning, the weatherman was calling for snow around 3pm; just in time for school to let out. For this reason, students were anticipating an early dismal all day. During my welding course, I taught them about proper welding PPE. I tried to make this fun, by setting up a race. They were split into two teams (one team with proper PPE and the other with improper clothing) and they had to race to dress their “model”. I then used these models to break down the proper and improper pieces of PPE. We then did a “dress the welder” activity, where they had to draw the PPE on an outline of a person. While some students thought that it was juvenile, I think most of them enjoyed it. 

Third period started off strong, but around 9:30am, they announced over the loudspeaker that school would be dismissing at 12:30. From that moment on, all hope to teach students anything was lost. I had attempted to teach my electricity class about the scientific aspect of electricity (i.e. atoms, electrons, protons, neutrons, etc.). We did a short Power Point, I asked them to participate in a demonstration and then we worked on a Show What You Know Worksheet. Despite the distractions, I was very impressed that quite a few students actually seemed to understand the material.

My fifth and sixth period classes were cut short, so we worked through the fourth paragraph quickly. My favorite activity that we did during this class was a game that I called “Creed Ball”. Students were supposed to say a portion of the Creed when they got the ball, and then pass it to another person. The students also seemed to enjoy it, as they asked to play it a second time.

Thursday morning, it snowed again and we had a two hour delay. We followed the two hour delay schedule, which moved around some of the periods to accommodate lunch. I taught my welding class about shop organization and safety, by allowing them to participate in a scavenger hunt. Because of the schedule, my Introduction to Ag courses were next. I taught them the fifth and final paragraph of the Creed. We then did a popcorn-style reading of the Creed to review. 

I had my first experience with a student break down on Thursday. One of the freshmen looked upset in class. When I asked what was wrong, he told me that he was feeling overwhelmed with the projects in the class, and that he was going to fail. I promised him that I would not let him fail, and I tried to talk him through it. He seemed better today, so I am hoping that I got through to him. I also had to pull aside the same student who I talked to last week. He was being extremely disruptive. I told him I would appreciate if he could be more respectful and less disruptive to his classmates. If he does not shape up next week, I might have to take a firmer action because I cannot deal with his behavior on a weekly basis.

After school let out, I practiced SMAW welding with Mr. Kessler. This was a nice opportunity for me, as I am a little uncomfortable with teaching welding so practice is always a good idea!

The absolute worst part of my week occurred during “third period” on Thursday. Because of the schedule, my electricity class was later in the day. The students had just come back from lunch and gym, and they were rowdy, to say the least. I had a hard time getting them to focus. We watched a short video then talked about how electricity gets to your home. I wasn’t too confident in this topic to begin with, then their attitudes and behaviors really threw me off. I had a guided note sheet that I gave them, which only caused more confusion. I was getting extremely frustrated with them, and felt like throwing my hands up and giving up the lesson. 

However, after a few minutes of chaos, I managed to finish the lesson. I was disappointed in my performance and disappointed with their attitudes. But, I moved past it and decided that I would review the material once again today to make sure that they understood. 

Today was definitely much better than yesterday. I taught my welding class about SMAW safety and how to operate the welder. We did a labeling activity and finished out with a crossword puzzle that they could use to review for their safety quiz on Monday. In the electrical class, I stressed the fact that I was disappointed in their performance and that I felt like we needed to review it once again. I did, and many students (surprisingly) seemed to understand the material. This made me feel better, as maybe the lesson wasn’t as big of a disaster as I was thinking it was! I did not teach the Introduction to Agriculture course today, because they had to present their posters that they created before I got here. This gave me a different perspective on the class, because I could take a step back from teaching.\

This week, I can definitely see myself becoming more comfortable here and with the students. I am beginning to interact more comfortably with my students and they seem to be enjoying the fact that I am here. My cooperating teachers (yes- I consider Ms. Spurrier my cooperating teacher too!) have been fabulous. They let me do my own thing, but give me constructive feedback. While I feel a bit overwhelmed with the amount of classes that I am already teaching, I know that this is just a sneak peek into what my future may look like. Next week, I am picking up another course (wildlife), which I am excited about. I will also be teaching my welding class how to arc weld, and I am excited to see their reaction! I am just hoping that this impending snow doesn’t affect our schedule too much next week!

A Week of New (and exciting) Experiences!

On Sunday night, as I pulled out of my driveway, I couldn't help but to be upset. I was scared and nervous, yet excited at the same time. All of these emotions were fueled by the fact that this would be the first night that I would spend at my very own apartment, the first time that I would be away from home, and my first experience student teaching.

Although Sunday night was rough, Monday was much better. I arrived at the school, and was surprisingly way more relaxed than I had expected. We loaded on the bus and traveled to Farm Show. My cooperating teacher did not attend Farm Show, but Ms. Spurrier, his partner teacher, did. Exploring Farm Show with her was a great experience and allowed me to get to know her better. I also got to see some of the behind-the-scenes work of Mid-Winter Convention, which was interesting.

Tuesday was my first day in the classroom and the last day of the second semester for the students. I mostly observed, and helped where I could. Students questioned who I was and I got the chance to get to know some of them, which was a nice opportunity. Towards the end of the day, Mr. Kessler and Ms. Spurrier were talking about the new semester that began on Wednesday. Before I knew it, it was decided that I would begin teaching on Wednesday. Originally, they asked me to pick up Public Speaking, Welding and Electrical Wiring. I just didn't feel comfortable with that, as I was planning on staggering my classes to gradually begin teaching. After some discussion, we agreed that I would teach Public Speaking beginning Wednesday, begin Welding on Thursday and then Electrical Wiring next Tuesday. Tuesday evening, I stayed after school with Mr. Kessler and we helped the Safety Bowl Team practice for their competition on Wednesday (they won 1st for FFA and 3rd for 4H!!!).

Although I did feel that I was being thrown in the ring too early, Wednesday went extremely well. The public speaking unit is taught in an Introduction to Agriculture course, so many of my students are Freshman. There are two classes of Introduction to Agriculture, so I get to teach my lesson twice a day. Let me tell you, everything that I have heard about Freshmen is true! They were talkative, rowdy and easily distracted. Although I assigned their seats, many of them were still able to find a buddy to talk to. I worked through this, using a firm approach. Ms. Spurrier was also very helpful, sitting in the back and helping me control the room. I laid out my procedures, expectations and consequences for the class and reviewed basics, such as defining the Creed and a little bit of Creed history.

On Thursday, I picked up the Welding class during second period. The class has about 15 boys in it, and they were all taken back when Mr. Kessler told them that I would be teaching them how to weld. After one student questioned me, Mr. Kessler bragged that my "specialty" is overhead Arc (which I have never even done!), so the bar is already set pretty high! The class went well, and the boys seemed pretty well behaved, although they were talkative. I reviewed my expectations, procedures and consequences and we defined welding. I also handed out a worksheet for the students to gauge how familiar they are with welding. I am hoping that this gives me a better idea of the skill set and comfort level of my class.

My Introduction to Agriculture classes also went well. We learned the first paragraph of the Creed and discussed some characteristics of good public speakers. I had done some re-arranging of my seating chart, which seemed to help control the talking and rowdiness. One student in particular continued to be goofy and disruptive during class. Upon Ms. Spurrier's recommendation, I pulled him aside after class and talked to him individually about his behavior. I think that this was a good approach, and I am hoping that I see improvements in the near future.

Today, I continued with Welding and Public Speaking. In the welding class, I emphasized the importance of welding through a scavenger hunt around the shop. I challenged them to find as many welded items as they could, and they seemed to enjoy this activity. I then showed them a short clip that talked about how welding is used in society, and then discussed the video. Finally, I asked them to write one paragraph about why welding is important in their lives. Some students worked really quickly through the paragraph, and were done almost ten minutes early. I used this time to get to know the students, and ask them about their SAE's. I was disappointed that I did not utilize the whole period and ran out of material, but I hope that this was an opportunity for me to make connections. I need to make sure that I have a plan B for all of my lessons from now on. I also need to work on my confidence in this class, as well as my discipline. Next week, I plan on going in strong and being firm in my policies.

On the other hand, I feel as though I did a nice job with my Public Speaking class today. We learned about overcoming the fear of public speaking, by showing a video. I also reviewed a short PowerPoint and asked them to fill in guided notes in their Know Books. I think that these Know Books are working extremely well! After we reviewed the second paragraph, I had them work in groups to decode scrambled words of the creed and answer questions about the second paragraph. I then asked them to volunteer to present the first and second paragraphs to the class, and had more volunteers than I was anticipating!

One thing that I have utilized in all of my classes so far is a participation check sheet. It is in a table format, has the days of the week running down the side and two columns. For each day, in the first column, students write the answer to the bellwork and in the second column, they write what they learned today as a ticket out. I collected those today and will utilize them to help me determine participation grades for each student. So far, students have kept them and have filled them out. I am hoping that this continues because I think that they are a nice way to keep them held accountable.

Although this week brought upon a lot of new things and has thrown me for a few loops, it certainly has been a good first week. I see myself becoming more and more comfortable here and as I get to know students and get into a routine, I am enjoying it more and more. I'm looking forward to next week!

A Whole New Perspective

Today was my first day of student teaching... except I did not teach. Instead, I tagged along to the PA FFA Mid-Winter Convention at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. My cooperating teacher did not attend, but his partner teacher did. This trip was a nice way for me to get to know her. It was also an eye-opening trip, from the advisor's perspective.

The snow, sleet and freezing rain this morning caused us to have a two hour delay, which was nice but also caused some confusion among the students. Needless to say, our trip to Harrisburg was slippery and we had to use extra precaution. Despite the weather, the students, while well-behaved, were clearly excited for the trip. They were chatty and hyped up the entire bus ride there.

When we arrived, they excitedly ran off of the bus, not to be seen again until we left. I walked around with Ms. Spurrier, checking out the FFA Chapter booths and displays. I also met up with a fellow student teacher, as well as my high school ag teacher. It was good to get to know Ms. Spurrier, and have a chance to see some familiar faces.

When it came time for the Mid-Winter convention, Ms. Spurrier and I found a few of our students to sit with. We had two members earning their Keystone Degrees. We patiently watched and waited for the Keystone Degree ceremony. When the time came, Ms. Spurrier went to the arena floor to take photos of the recipients. It was neat to see the behind-the-scenes of the ceremony.

I was in charge of rounding up the students when it was time to leave the complex, while Ms. Spurrier got the bus. I was nervous, but I managed to wrangle 36 students and get them to the bus in one piece. While this was not a huge deal, it made me feel accomplished and needed.

I can tell that student teaching is going to expose me to many new experiences. I know that as the weeks continue, I will gain a new perspective and appreciation for ag teachers. I think that attending the Mid-Winter Convention/ Farm Show was  a nice opportunity to get to know some of my students and get a sneak peak at my future career!