Week 15: Last Time for Everything

My first blog of this experience was titled First Time for Everything. It is hard to believe that 15 weeks have passed, and I am writing my FINAL reflection with the title Last Time for Everything.

This week I submitted my LAST set of lesson plans, inputted the last of graded assignments into the gradebook, and taught my last lesson as a student teacher.

Some of my many awesome students that helped me celebrate
my last week of student teaching!

Although this experience is over, I'm counting myself really blessed to have had this opportunity to serve these students for the last 60+ days. Additionally, I am blessed to have had the privilege of working alongside of two amazing mentors, Mrs. Rippole and Mr. Campbell.

It upsets me that this experience has ended, and my days with my students at Derry are over. However, I am feeling relieved because I made it. I made it through the most challenging and testing semesters of them all. I feel like I have finally made it to the top of Mt. Everest! 

This student teaching internship has taught me an immense amount of lessons in 15 short weeks. Here are my Top 5 take-aways from this experience...

1. Be Passionate … Passion drives learning. It's the why we're doing what we're doing; the where we're going, where we've been conversations that help establish rapport and aid in student success and motivation. Don’t shy away from sharing your FFA or Ag related experiences.
2. Be Purposeful … Along with passion, make sure that learning is purposeful. Always hit the ‘why’ in your lesson. Additionally, build curiosity and wonder! The experiential learning that uniquely happens in the agriculture education classroom is so powerful and helps add to this continual learning.
3. Be Prepared … The diversity of this job is crazy. Be prepared to have long nights and very early mornings. Additionally, be prepared for the unknown. Although you can plan for multiple different outcomes, know that it will not always go as planned. Flexibility and adaptability are key to success (& deep breathing).
4. Be Inclusive….Every student deserves a champion. Every single one, regardless of their background, regardless of their ability level. As my cooperating teacher shared, “When you graduate with a degree in education, you also graduate with a minor in cheerleading.”
5. Be Innovative … Technology integration is important and is changing the way we can deliver content. Sometimes it doesn't work, and sometimes students don't want to utilize it. However, do not shy away from utilizing new innovative technology in the classroom because you are preparing your students to be 21^st century contributing members of society.

Smile of determination. Ready to take
 on my own Ag Program!

Obviously I have learned much more than just five things. This has been the most challenging, growing, and amazing semester. However, the largest lesson I have learned this semester is that I am ready to start my journey as an Agriculture Educator. As I mentioned before, there were plenty of days in this journey where I questioned if I really had what it takes to serve students as their agriculture educator. Some days I left Derry exhausted and overwhelmed, but most days I left smiling because I love what I do. It is true when they say, when you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. This profession and all the things that come with it are completely WORTH IT!

Overall, I really do consider myself blessed to have had this opportunity to watch and contribute to these students' growth and success. Additionally, I count myself privileged to be joining a profession with a nationwide network of passionate agriculture educators to help provide mentorship along the way.