Week 9: Trouble in Paradise

Wow! Week 9 had so many positive experiences to reflect upon. The beginning of the week could easily be described as Paradise with an advisory committee meeting, Superintendents tour, and dirty hands after some seeding and transplanting. However, time in paradise came to an end at the end of the week.

As always, I will share a HIGH (some of the best #UndeniablyDerry and other dynamite moments), a LOW (something I wish was better, but can’t change so I learn to grow from the experience), and a TIP (something that encouraged me to continue to grow my roots in agriculture education).

Our greenhouse is filled with growth!

High: Greenhouse Production was the last course I took over, for multiple reasons. However it was

mainly because I did not feel ready to take it over. Not only was this a large class, but a large responsibility. The greenhouse encompasses more than 5,000 square feet and is full of various flower and vegetable plants. All the plants grown in the greenhouse are sold to local churches, or during the plant sale that takes place at the beginning of May. The students in the Greenhouse Production course are challenged with problem and project based learning to maintain a commercial greenhouse. Additionally, I am challenged to balance classroom and laboratory time. After teaching this class for two weeks, I can say I feel successful in balancing this. Each week I dedicate two days to laboratory days that have the students seeding, transplanting, and applying fertilizer to their plants. The other days are spent in the classroom for 30 minutes, with the last 10 minutes in the greenhouse to water and check pest traps.

Low: This week was full of so many positive experiences, I was so pumped to end the week on a high note and reflect on how Week 9 was the best week yet. However, trouble hit paradise fifth period on Friday … Trouble with a capital ‘T’ that resulted in 3 students serving suspensions next week, while 1 student is serving a detention too. If you have not guessed it yet, there was a fight that broke out during my Ag Construction class in the shop. However this was not just a verbal fight, things got physical. As teachers, we are reminded that the actions of our students in our classroom reflect our classroom management. Therefore this is an ultimate blow and low of my student teaching experience. Even though everyone shared with me that I took appropriate actions, I felt I did not do enough … In all honesty, I am still pretty shaken from this because I think so highly of my students and never would have expected this action to occur.  I may be reading too much into this, but I truly care for my students and their safety.

 A good reminder to myself

Tip:  As I shared in my low for the week, this incident is something I have really reflected on. I keep getting reminded to not beat myself up for this incident occurring in my classroom because I am supposed to learn and grow from experiences like these.

Unique Weekly Moments:

Advisory Committee Meeting – Not only do I get to attend faculty meetings, department meetings and alumni meetings, but I also get to attend advisory committee meetings to add to the authenticity of this experience! Derry was able to welcome 3 new members to the advisory committee, in addition to multiple community stakeholders and school administrators. I was amazed with the investment from everyone to continue building upon the strong agriculture traditions at Derry.

Superintendents Tour – Derry Area High School hosted a meeting for Superintendents in districts across Westmoreland County. Therefore, after the meeting was over the Superintendents were invited on a tour. Not only did they tour the school, but they toured the Agriculture/Horticulture Building. This was a unique experience for us and them because Derry is the only school district in Westmoreland County that has an agriculture education program.  Therefore, we had great conversations about our curriculum and program.

Job Interviews – As I shared, this week started out strong. To begin the week, I was contacted by a school to schedule my first interview. To add to this excitement, I was contacted Thursday by a school board member and principle about a position that just opened. I am truly excited for both these opportunities, and ready to determine where I will grow my roots as an agricultural educator.

SAE Visit #2: No Kidding Around

The second SAE visit I made was to visit Janee who raises dairy goats. Although Janee did not grow up on farm, she has dreams of growing her passion of animals into a small thriving business. Janee is a freshman at Derry Area High School and has been active in FFA since last year. Her SAE program is currently an exploratory, but she has hopes of expanding into an entrepreneurship program.

Mr. Campbell & Janee checking on the herd of dairy goats

Janee is in the process of expanding her dairy goat herd, so she can meet the demands for her growing soap business. However, she considers this expansion a small one. Eventually, Janee would like to have a large enough herd of dairy goats to secure a fluid milk market. However before she achieves this, she would like to attend Penn State to major in Agribusiness Management, so that she can become an Agriculture Loan Officer. Janee truly has a determined mindset, and has set many goals knowing that she would like to see a return on her investment in the future.

A design of a Goat Milk Soap Bar

As a freshman, Janee finds keeping records a little difficult. Therefore, for the next three years she wants to improve her timeliness with entering her journal entries and income and expenses. She also has a goal to utilize her Flex period at Derry Area High School to enter her in-class time and FFA activities to ensure she does not get behind.

Students in the Derry Agriculture/Horticulture program have an SAE/FFA one credit course in there gradebook system that is updated based on multiple criteria. Students are graded overall on quality and completeness. In addition, students are expected to create and reach goals, so they continue to improve their programs.

Prior to visiting Mr. Campbell and I sat down and reviewed Janee's records on the AET, and created questions to ask about the program. The only recommendation I could provide to Janee's SAE program is to continue to keep up with records in a timely manner, so she does not fall behind. 

Week 8: Strength and Growth from Effort and Struggles

It was just one of those weeks. Week 8 was rightfully a crazy one. No week is ever the same, but oddly, I like it. Although I face struggles and frustrations, I feel blessed with this opportunity to student teach at an outstanding Agriculture/Horticulture program.

Therefore, I will share a HIGH (some of the best #UndeniablyDerry and other dynamite moments), a LOW (something I wish was better, but can’t change so I learn to grow from the experience), and a TIP (something that encouraged me to continue to grow my roots in agriculture education).

High:

This week I was able to sit down with one of the Learning Support teachers at Derry Area High School to discuss some of my students’ needs and accommodations. Recently, I found myself struggling with meeting the needs of all learners in certain classes. I have had the opportunity to attend one IEP meeting; however, I was unaware of specific accommodations for other students beyond the general suggestions given. Therefore the conversation I had with the Learning Support teacher helped me understand some additional teaching strategies that I can utilize within my classes to help accommodate to all my students’ needs. Additionally, I was given a glimpse into the ideas students have for their future careers, so I can connect content to their interest.  I am truly excited to utilize some different strategies that not only help all my students, but allow me to continue to grow in meeting diverse learners. Therefore, this meeting was extremely helpful for me and will continue to be as I move into a job in the future. 

Low:

Unfortunately, my week did not truly begin until Wednesday due to a written message on a bathroom stall that ‘warned’ students not to come to school. Although I was frustrated that we were dismissed from school, I am amazed at the procedures and precautions that were implemented immediately by administration to ensure safety for the students and faculty. On Wednesday morning, we had a faculty meeting lead by our Superintendent and Principle. During the meeting they shared with us the reasoning behind the procedures and precautions, while sharing standards and suggestions of what to do if this event did occur. Additionally since the threat was determined a ‘copycat’ act, they asked us to have a ‘real’ talk with our students about consequences of threatening messages. I am thankful that I have built rapport with my students because I felt I was able to effectively deliver the message. I am hoping I will not have to have another talk like this in my future classroom; however, I feel prepared to take on more ‘real’ talks.

Tip:

“Strength and growth only comes from continuous effort and struggle.” As I shared above, I struggled with meeting the needs of all learners in some of my classes. Therefore I realized that to get stronger in this, I needed to put forth the effort of connecting and discussing with the Learning Support teachers to grow my strategies to engage and involve all learners. I continue to remind myself to have a growth mindset for myself and my students.

Weekly Unique Moments:

Finished up the Plumbing
 Unit by testing Plumbing
Squares

Department Meeting: Not only do I get to attend faculty meetings, but I also get to attend department meetings to add to the authenticity of this experience! After my experience with my first department meeting, I can say I was thankful for AEE 413. There was discussion about Chapter 339, and additional topics that were discussed and covered throughout the course. Because of this basic previous knowledge, I was able to be fully engaged in discussion and decisions of the department.

CDE/LDE Practice: With our chapter contest and local contest quickly approaching, I dedicated my FFA Friday to having team and individual check points. For example, l had all my Creed speakers memorize the first paragraph of the FFA Creed. I am super proud to say that they met the challenge, and showed off their commitment and skills that will prepare them for the upcoming contest. 

New Units: I am super excited to have finished four units this week! It is time to buckle down for next week to prepare for four new units that get students excited and engaged in agriculture.

Week 7 - Fulfillment from Helping Others

I am in denial that I am halfway done with this student teaching internship; it does not even seem real. No doubt, it will get harder before it gets easier. My class load just hit maximum capacity; therefore, preparation and classroom management is the key to survival. On an exciting note, we celebrated National FFA Week this week!

Emphasizing "Living to Service"  during National FFA Week

This week made me realize how fulfillment comes from helping others. Of course, I will share a HIGH (some of the best #UndeniablyDerry and other dynamite moments), a LOW (something I wish was better, but can’t change so I learn to grow from the experience), and a TIP (something that I learned or heard that encouraged me to continue to grow my roots in agriculture education).

High:

As I shared above, I hit maximum capacity on my teaching schedule. I am officially teaching all seven classes. However, I am also excited because I get to begin new units in my other classes (FINALLY!). Pacing was something I struggled with at the beginning of this experience, which is why I am now a firm believer in holding students to high standards and pushing them to focus. Here's what I've learned about pacing, sometimes students don't appreciate the pushing. As we neared the end of our Plumbing unit in my Agriculture Construction class, this week has been full of fast pace movement. I was very worried that many students were not going to meet the Friday deadline. Yet, I stood firm with my deadline, and my heart smiled big time when I had ALL 16 plumbing squares sitting on the turn-in table Friday. It seemed that my constant pushing had paid off, and I am proud of these students.

Low:

Not only am I halfway through this experience, but I am halfway through the third semester with my students. Unfortunately this meant I had to hand out progress reports to any student that had below a 70%. To say the least, I was frustrated with how many students seemed like they did not care about school or their grades. Yet, I decided not to come in the next day with this frustration. Instead I handed out the progress reports, and I shared that if anyone had a question or wanted to discuss their grade that I was available after class to talk. However, I did not believe any of these students would actually care enough to confront me about saving their grade … Of course, I was proven wrong! After I dismissed class, I realized one of my most difficult students was standing beside my desk. He looked at me and said, “Ms. Wasson I want to do better, but I don’t know how.” I was astounded at this comment; I reacted by stating, “I know you can.” He then continued to share a little bit about his home life with me, and I was about in tears. To share the least, he comes from a split home, and works night shift to support the household. I realized this was a BREAK THROUGH MOMENT. Therefore after he shared his story, I wanted to help him be as successful as possible. We discussed how he could make up work for previous projects and homework during the scheduled Homeroom time, so it would not require time outside of school. Again, I am just amazed how my students continue to conquer the challenges they face, but take action to ensure a better life. If I can help them the slightest, I feel that I am creating hope to spark brighter futures.

Tip:

“Sooner or later, you realize that real fulfillment comes from helping others. All of the rest is just temporary.” After my break through moment with my student that I shared above, I realized that this quote describes why being a teacher is so fulfilling.

Weekly Unique Moments:

Demonstrating how to restrain a rabbit

Warmer Weather – We hit 75 degrees for three days at the beginning of the week. With anxious students, I took advantage of the outdoors and moved class outside. For example, in my Small Animal Science class we went out to the barn and practiced rabbit handling. Flexibility is key in this profession.

Students unloaded the delivery truck

Food Bank – On Wednesday, Derry FFA packed up three vans of members to volunteer at Westmoreland County Food Bank for a day of service. I was saddened when I noticed a few of our members stating “Hi Mom/Dad” as a parent walked through the line to receive food. Again, I was reminded of the struggles my students face, but know that they have the ability to create better days.

Chapter President sharing how the AG/Hort program
impacted her time at Derry Area High School

Teacher Appreciation Breakfast – Our officers spoke at our Teacher Appreciation Breakfast, and I was amazed with their reflections on how the Agriculture/Horticulture Program impacted their life. Not only was each reflection unique, but many shared a common theme. That common theme was centered on the concept of ‘home’. Each officer shared why they joined the Agriculture/Horticulture, but what made them stay was the creation of a family and home. Although they all had different paths getting there, they each found their way HOME.

First SAE Visit as a 'Co-Advisor'

When you walk through the halls and classrooms of Derry Area High School’s Agriculture – Horticulture Building the three circle model is visibly seen on multiple walls. These act as a firm reminder to the students and faculty about the opportunities that can be presented in an agriculture education program. I have had the opportunity to share in experiences with Mr. Campbell and Mrs. Rippole in implementation of the three circle model at Derry. I have realized the time and effort needed to ensure opportunities are offered to students with the three circle model in mind.

Throughout the past six week, I came to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a typical day for an agricultural educator. From course planning to FFA activities to faculty meetings, there are multiple tasks that need confronted and completed throughout the day. On Wednesday, we began the day at the Westmoreland County Food Bank with FFA members, and returned to the school for an afternoon of classroom instruction. Once school ended, Mr. Campbell and I packed up and began an adventure to Greensburg, PA to conduct a SAE visit. Greensburg is not a part of our school district, so you may wonder why we were heading that direction. The student we were visiting is a tuition student.

Lindsey attended Greensburg High School for a year, but with hopes of being a Veterinarian Technician, she realized Greensburg could not offer her the education or experience she needed to fulfill that dream. Therefore Lindsey has been a part of our program for three years. She is currently serving as the Derry FFA Chapter Vice President.

Students in the Derry Agriculture/Horticulture program have an SAE/FFA one credit course in there gradebook system that is updated based on multiple criteria. Students are graded overall on quality and completeness. In addition, students are expected to create and reach goals, so they continue to improve their programs.

Throughout Lindsey’s time in the program she has had two SAE programs. Her first was an Exploratory program for her gaming horse. Her most recent is an Entrepreneurship programs for her breeding rabbits and quail. Lindsey keeps accurate detailed records through her AET record book.

Prior to visiting Mr. Campbell and I sat down and reviewed Lindsey's records on the AET, and created questions to ask about the program. When we arrived for the SAE visit, the first thing we did was sit down and asked questions to discuss with Lindsey her goals she has for her program. Although she would be leaving for Veterinarian Technician training after graduation, she mentioned that she wanted to continue raising rabbits and quail. Once our visit came to an end the only recommendation I could provide to Lindsey's SAE program is to continue to look for areas of advancement, potentially to grow her herd and flock larger.

Professional Opportunities at ACES Conference

Did you know that ACES stands for Agricultural Cooperation Establishes Success? Also, did you know that this name was created by a pervious Derry FFA member? Awesome! I am amazed with all the ‘fun’ facts I learn about my chapter and its members, which made this past weekend one to remember!

On February 17^th and 18^th I was able to fully immerse myself in my first ACES conference. That is right, I said FIRST. Although I was a FFA member in high school, I never took the opportunity to attend this conference. Mr. Campbell, Mrs. Rippole and I were able to bring fifteen energetic and enthusiastic FFA members from Derry.

Selfie time with all the Derry FFA members

Throughout the weekend, our students were able to engage in agricultural based workshops, leadership activities, and social functions. Not only was this an amazing opportunity for the students, but even for agricultural educators. Mr. Campbell, Mrs. Rippole and I were able to participate in a professional development workshop and collaborate with other agriculture educators throughout the state.

Professional Development: As someone who has grown their roots in agriculture education through a growth mindset, I believe in professional development. This is because this is how educators stay relevant with the changing technologies and information within the agriculture industry, while learning new ways to teach material, with additional resources to use in the future. This year at ACES, agriculture educators were given an awesome experience through the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The foundation’s program shared many materials and resources that can closely be aligned and integrated into agriculture education. Additionally, we were provided with contacts of personnel from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to use in the future.

Courtesy Corps: Since this was my first FFA event as an ‘advisor’, this  was my first time helping with the FFA Courtesy Corps. FFA Courtesy Corps is a program where teacher help with student management in the hotel after curfew. We are guests in the hotel and it is important to make sure that the students represent themselves, their school, and the FFA with pride and distinction. As a result, after curfew has passed and students are to be in their rooms and quite, teachers split up among the floor to monitor the halls. If a student leaves their room, has the TV on too loud, or if they are talking/laughing too loud, the teacher will intervene. It was really awesome to help with this because it is something that I believe all teachers should volunteer for at one time or another. If everyone helps out from time-to-time, everyone can benefit as well. Plus, it is a great way to meet new agriculture educators from across the state.

Overall, ACES was awesome and full of opportunity to grow as an educator with other educators and FFA members.

Week 6: Growth beyond the Greenhouse

With a little bit of snow and ice, week six did not disappoint. Although, I began my week with a two-hour delay and ended my week out of the classroom, it was a jam-packed week. Not only did we fill Valentine's Day orders for our Floral Shop, but we finalized details for National FFA Week and attended ACES over the weekend.

These are just a few highlights of Week 6. Of course, I will share a HIGH (some of the best #UndeniablyDerry and other dynamite moments), a LOW (something I wish was better, but can’t change so I learn to grow from the experience), and a TIP (something that I learned or heard that encouraged me to continue to grow my roots in agriculture education).

High –

Students Spring Crop Projects showing growth!

As I get further into this experience I am able to witness continued growth. Not only do I get to witness growth of my students’ spring crops within the greenhouse, but I get to witness students’ confidence and progression on various activities and projects. My students amaze me with their positive attitudes while learning a difficult procedure or task. They are always persistent as they keep trying to get better. I especially see this in my shop classes. Overall this job is hard, but rewarding.

Low –

Students' begin their plumbing square projects

As I mentioned above, I not only teach in the classroom, but I teach in multiple laboratories including the shop. Personally, I have grown to enjoy my time out in the shop because this is where a lot of my hands-on experiential learning takes place. However, I struggle at finding ways to master managing a shop setting where my students are working in different areas in the shop, making varied levels of progress on their assignments and ensuring that the learning environment is safe and influential for all students. My cooperating teacher suggested doing checkpoints throughout the period with each student, and other methods. As I head into Week 7, I look forward trying out a method or two to ensure that my time in the shop is as progressive as my classroom.

Tip –Every blog that I have shared so far shows exactly how many weeks I have completed in my 15 week internship. You will also find this written on every calendar of mine. However, at the beginning of this week Mrs. Rippole shared with me, “Don’t count the days. Make the days count.” As I reflect on this week, I count every blessing I have. I am almost half way through this experience, I should not focus on how many days I have left, I should focus on how much I am going to accomplish throughout the rest of my time here, so I can leave a positive impact. 

Unique Weekly Moments –

Science Wing – As I continue instruction within my CASE courses, I find myself over at the science wing at least three times a week. It started with a search for certain supplies, and then I found myself asking questions and learning from the science teachers. I’ll admit, I had to relearn how to use a microscope this week, but I am thankful for such a supportive faculty within Derry Area High School that continually helps me throughout my student teaching experience.

Sub Plans- On Friday, I was able to immerse myself in a Student Teaching Seminar in State College. However, this meant I was missing a day at school with my students. Therefore, I was able to construct my first set of sub plans. I’ll admit that they are not easy, and require specific detail to ensure the instruction in conducted correctly.