Week 12: More Days Off

This is another week that brings not much to say. I have gotten more experience with preparing for when I am not going to be there which is good - I guess. 

I was fortunate enough to go to the Mechanics CDE event at McGuffey High School on Tuesday! It was very interesting to learn how hat contest works, the amount of preparation that goes in to it, and how much more is expected at the state level. 

I was back at school on Wednesday to finish things up and collect work from students who are panicking about their grades - they are due Monday for the 3rd nine weeks. 

On Thursday, students only had a half day and it was spent at a school wide volleyball tournament. After the students were dismissed, teachers were given time to get grades for the remainder of the day. Most of my grades were already in, however, I was able to get lesson plans ready for the next week, which was very helpful! 

Sorry this blog is pretty uneventful! Have a happy Easter! 

Students practiced Parliamentary Procedure this week in preparation for the upcoming week. 




The tomatoes and lettuce are taking off in our aquaponics system! It’s crazy to believe when I started they weren’t growing at all.

Vet science learned how to properly bandage leg and abdominal wounds! 

Week 11: The long, short week.

This week was SLLC - the State Legislative Leadership Conference. I have never been there before and it was a great experience to take the students too. We were also fortunate enough to not only tour the capital with our legislator, but to also have lunch with her and be introduced on the senate floor.

One of our students went to SLLC as a second year scholar and participated in reflections on Sunday night with the other second year scholars. We and our students also participated in community service at Mission City in Harrisburg - our students learned the value of things we have here and the simple things people need when disaster strikes.

We completed various jobs at our community service location including, cleaning up outside, packing buckets, and cleaning up inside.

McKenzie, MacKenzie, and Jac (we only take girls named "Kenzie" on trips)

We were closed on Wednesday of this week because of the snow storm (which we were stuck in coming back from Harrisburg). Thursday brought a day where students were able to finish work that was either not given to them by the sub, or more complex than I thought to finish in the allotted amount of time.

Thursday evening, I stayed at the school for the first time late. I was off Friday for our professional development, going to complete some requirements for a substitute teaching position tomorrow (Monday), and I am planning on attending the Ag Mechanics CDE on Tuesday at McGuffey. Therefore, I am missing 3 days in a row (ah!). I stayed to make sure I had everything in order for the week for Mrs. Hoover.

Overall this week has went really well - it was long because of the travel and snow day, but short because I was only in the classroom for 1 day, and almost all the classes worked all day.

I can't believe how much this experience is winding down. Less than a month to go. I am enjoying it so much - so much learning. I could not imagine teaching without this and I am so grateful to have Mrs. Hoover as a teacher, mentor, and friend.

Students at SLLC locked arms to "Thinking Out Loud" #peoplefallinloveinmysteriousways

Senator Camera Bartolotta not only set up a tour for the Fort Cherry and McGuffey students, but also ordered us lunch and introduced us on the Senate floor. 

Students reflected on the beauty of the Capitol building in Harrisburg. 

Week 10: Making my own path.

As week 10 comes to close, I feel pretty good about the week on a whole. My new method for bellwork seemed to be a success, which made me feel really good. We had a lot of really great discussions in the classes and students' seemed to get a lot out of them. Thoughtful questions were asked and answered and student became more aware of the industry around them.

Not to "toot my own horn", but most of my lessons were a success this week. Students seemed to be engaged in everything while answering questions with thought and ease. There was also more discussions in my classes.

During my last unit in Vet Science, I gave my students time to study their vocabulary and this did not go well. Therefore, on Monday when we started the new unit, I let them know that on Wednesday we would be playing a review game with the vocab to give them a couple of days to study. Unfortunately, the students were pulled from class on Wednesday, but we did this activity on Thursday instead. The students were split in to two teams and we played Taboo. One student was put in the hot seat while the others faced them. I would stand behind the students in the hot seat and show their teammates a vocabulary word or definition. Then the teams would have to get the person in the hot seat to guess that word without telling them. They really got into it and seemed to love the game.

Also, I learned the true meaning of flexibility. The cuttings for the greenhouse came early and I had not planned for that for the week. Mrs. Hoover and I decided it would be best to split the time. So I got students started in the classroom and then she took them out to the greenhouse to plant the cuttings on Monday. Tuesday we followed the same pattern. Wednesday, we didn't have class because the were pulled out, unexpectedly and Friday, a speaker came to talk about the students about a possible internship opportunity. The students loved it and received                                                                        some free milk!

 

Week 9: Changes on the Horizon

Last week sparked many conversations between Mrs. Hoover and I in the classroom - things I am doing well and things I want to change or get better at.

I finished my first vet science unit last week - and was not really particularly proud of it. While I was teaching it similarly to what Mrs. Hoover would, it did not seem to work for me and therefore not my students either. When we prepared for the test, only about 1/3 of the students were answering the review questions. This did not make me feel good about my teaching, even though Mrs. Hoover thought that I was fine. Therefore, the morning of the exam I decided to use a testing technique Dr. Foster used with us last semester. I allowed the students to take the test, but when most of them were done I stopped them and said "I believe I am a fair person and that there were some things I could have done better, so you have 1 minute to use your notes. Go." I have them about 1 minute and a half. This class is also pretty divided which makes activities hard. Next, I stopped them and said, "I also believe that we learn best when we share with each other. At this time stand up and we are going to pass our tests every 10 seconds - this is purely information collection, no talking or writing anything down." After giving them a few minutes to change or add answers, I stopped them one last time: "Lastly, I believe that when we share with each we grow exponentially. At this time you have 1 minute to ask your classmates a question." I hope this instilled in them that while I am working to push them to the next level that I am not out to make them fail. I do however expect results in return and them to meet my expectations.

I also feel as though the way I am doing bellwork is not benefiting them. While I am asking questions that have to do with that day or review from last, my students are doing it for compliance. They are not using that time to get themselves in the mindset of the day or the information we have learned. While it is a classroom management technique, I don't want it to be busy work that my students feel is a waste of time. For this reason, I talked to Mrs. Hoover about changing my bellwork and I am going to implement it this week. Each Monday, I will be presenting a current Agricultural article to classes - that doesn't necessarily relate to their class. We will read the article on Monday's as a class, but then the bellwork throughout the week will pertain to that article. These questions will be more problem solving and critical thinking related as we work to solve current issues in the Agricultural world. My hope is that these help make students more aware of issues that are going on in the world that we may not necessarily talk about in class, while also tying in meaningful conversations to each day that may have never happened.

To see pictures from this week, check out my twitter! @Wright_KarlieM

Week 8: Taking on more classes

Week 8 went really well and I felt like I am starting to get more comfortable, which I am not sure is good or bad! I started all new units in 5 of the 6 classes this week. Everything seemed to go pretty well, however, I think I need to plan a little differently in my Vet Science class and follow their workbook a little closer. 

I also starting using google calendar as a planning tool and it has really helped to keep me more organized. All of my links and bell work for the day are in one place which has really helped - as long as I get it on their quickly! 

This journey is bringing me through some whirlwinds - some days I question why I left my office, where I only had to work 35 hours a week and never brought work home; however, it never takes long for a student to do or say something that makes me remember EXACTLY why I did, and why I am happy I am on this journey at this time in my life.

At just over the halfway point, I am hoping to grow exponentially in the next several weeks and soak in as much as I can from the Fabulous Jodie Hoover, so that I am prepared as possible to take on a classroom of my own this fall.