First Full Week

It's crazy to think that I started this journey four weeks ago and this week was my first full week of classes. Finally no holidays, snow days, or two hour delays to mess up the schedule. Of course this was also the busiest week yet as I had something going on after school almost every night. Even though by the end of this busy week I was completely exhausted I have some really cool things to share!

Soil Texture Test

My wildlife class has been working hard on their mammal and game bird identification so I decided to switch it up this week and take a break from identification. We studied habitat and diversity, and carrying capacity. The class conducted an experiment on carrying capacity using balloons! This was awesome we simulated the habitat for yeast by the size the balloon blew up. On Tuesday night after school a few of my students from class met at the extension office for Envirothon training. The lesson this training session was on Pennsylvania fish, reptiles, and soil. I also got a lot of good resources that I could use in my classroom when preparing students for the Envirothon. The next day in class we had an Evirothon training recap. I had the students that were able to come to the training run a few stations on the different topics and teach the rest of the class what they learned. This worked awesome! The students teaching did a good job sharing the materials and running the stations. I also think this helped spark more of interest in the Envirothon trainings and I'm hoping to increase our numbers for next week!

Carrying Capacity Experiment!
or are we blowing up balloons for the banquet
months in advance? 

On another note man are demonstrations in front of students nerve wrecking! I had to complete two demonstrations this week and I don't think the students noticed but I think they went pretty rough. Being sick didn't help the coughing, man voice and blowing my nose every fifteen minutes was just annoying and uncomfortable. So add that to twenty students either staring at you and thats a difficult situation. The first was my agriscience and technology class. Finally they are getting to the shop! This class is ready…hopefully we will see a huge motivation increase with this hands on project. Now I would just like to state that I have made two feed scoops on my own to practice and they turned out beautifully! With twenty students breathing down my throat watching my every move I can say it went ok! After the demonstrations they where ready to start the project and I began teaching arc welding. I was also nervous about this but only because I know this is a first time thing for most of my students and they were nervous. My first three did awesome and I can't wait to get more in the booth tomorrow!

Feed Scoop Demonstrations! 

Trying on Welding
Equipment!

Student help with the Demo

Wiring Demonstrations!

My second demonstration this past week was in my mechanics class. Electric wiring……dun dun dun….My worst subject at the moment. This has been a tough one. The students are challenging with their questions and I have a tough time answering them. You know they are so descriptive "I have this one switch in my house and it turns this one light on and my microwave, what kind is it?"….lets just say by the end of the question my mind is twisted. Well they are finally getting to the shop! I had to demonstrate the single poled switch…cake mode….so I thought! I was prepared but everything that could go wrong went wrong! It started off on a bad foot when Mr. Hines had to take another student into the other room to "talk" about behavior. A few other things went wrong that took more time then expected but in the end we got the demonstration completed and they are ready to begin their projects!

While this was a busy week in the classroom I was extremely happy most of my classes are starting to get into the shop! It's fun to see their expressions when they complete part of projects or are really into what they are doing and enjoying it.

This week was also extremely busy after school. I went to Envirothon training Tuesday night and got to meet everyone at the local extension office. Wednesday night we stayed late to help manage the chapter public speaking contest. My creed speakers I had been training did an awesome job! Thursday was parent teacher conferences and I had my opportunity to meet some of my students parents and learn a little more about my students.


This week was the first full week and defiantly the most rewarding!



Meagan Moment- I thought I could escape school Tuesday without the students knowing it was my birthday! They found out and Wednesday brought a cake to early morning parli pro practice! How thoughtful!!

Connecting to Classes

After coming back from ACES and then having a day off this week flew by!

I spent the week getting to know my students more! With picking up almost all of my classes I teach almost every class period of the day. However only one of those classes have I been their only teacher. Some classes rotate on a quarterly basis but most run for a year. I started fresh with the small gas engines class but all the others have previously had Mr. Hines or Mrs. Miller.

This week I realized a major difference in those classes. I noticed that the students in my small gas engines class relied more on me as their teacher and connected with me easier. They seemed to be enjoying the class more. Not that my other classes are not enjoying class but they seem hesitant to trust me sometimes.

I expected this as student teaching is hard for the students also! To them I'm just some random person who they will only have to see for a given amount of time and then I will move on to another class or leave the school completely before their school is out for summer.

With this comes hesitation and behavior issues but also new friends! The negatives of this make me work harder! I use my ticket out questions to get to know my students more and connect with them. I also try talking to them in the hallway and other times in between class. I encourage everyone to get involved with FFA and ask about other things they are involved in.

It's been a slow process but then again so has school days! It seems that once I connect with a few students in a given class period the rest just sorta follow.

Paving the Way - #ACES2K14

     This past weekend I attended my first conference with students as an advisor! This was just weird at first. I had attended ACES several times before at least two as a student and last year to facilitate a workshop. This time was different though. West Perry took about 30 students and I went as one of the advisors.

West Perry FFA Chapter 

     I attended teacher workshops, helped my older students set up a workshop, ate dinner with my students, and chaperoned at the dance. ( I did get out there on the dance floor and show some moves….just a few)

West Perry Student participating
in a workshop 

     Going into this weekend I wasn't aware of how it would affect me personally. I have been around these students for a few weeks now and like I said I had been to ACES several times before. Something was different this time. I enjoyed hearing the freshman being excited over the workshops and the new friends I saw our students hanging out with. We all sat together at dinner and I laughed with the students as they told funny stories from workshops and recent events. From this experience I was really touched by the first year members we had in attendance. Seeing them having fun at the dance, talking to new people, and wearing that blue jacket makes me excited to try to get them involved in other things!

      I was also part of curtesy crew. I'm now in on the "secrets" of curfew and room checks from the teacher perspective! lol The advisors got skill and aren't messing around!

    As we head into National FFA Week I feel energized and motivated about our FFA chapter again! We have such a great group students and I look forward to paving the way and helping them succeed.

Supervised Agriculture Experience

SAE is part of a complete and
successful program

      I had the experience recently to attend another SAE (supervised agriculture experience) visit with my cooperating teacher! For my followers that don't know agricultural education is so much more then just FFA and what happens in the classroom its also about applying what is learned during class time outside of class in the form of some type of project. Check out this cool three circle model we  in the Ag Ed world use to define our complete program! Students are in charge of these projects that can be anything from raising or breeding animals, working or shadowing a local agricultural business, to growing crops….and even more.
      This past week I had the opportunity to check up on an SAE visit with Mr. Hines. One of the students is raising a market steer to take to the local fair. They will show the steer and then sell the animal for consumption to a local buyer. Now the student is responsible for proper care of the animal and training it for show. This is a huge job!…especially with a steer.
      After catching his ear tag on something in the pen, the steer had damaged his ear to the point the ear tag came out. This is a rare occasion but does happen. Mr. Hines had the student call the extension office to explain the situation and get a new ear tag. The extension office then talked to Mr. Hines to verify the situation. This can be a highly controversial topic especially with steers. A lot of money and time goes into these projects and sometimes cheating can be questioned.
      Upon arrival to the students barn Mr. Hines and myself could clearly tell from looking at the steer and the pen that this was the same steer and cheating was not a question. We put the ear tag in the other ear and the steer was good to go!
       Another exciting day in the life of my ag teachers! After teaching all day we helped out with the SAE project and then went to the hardware store to buy supplies for the greenhouse.

Happy Steer! 

Getting Ready! 

Mr. Hines replacing the
ear tag.
Please note: The steer was not hurt in the replacing of the ear tag and was fine after loosing the first one! 

Life Knowledge Lesson

How can students take part in civic life?

     Today I headed to West Perry High School! Interrupting an animal science class the day before Thanksgiving break gave the students a break from what they were learning and allowed them to focus on using what they learn in school to see the big picture in this game called life. I think too often high school students get stuck in a funk of focusing on their own lives or even just that of their local community. It is our job as teacher to constantly keep making those connections to the real world.

The objectives for the day are simple:
1. Define the four levels of community 
2. Identify ways to get involved in the community.

Do we see our whole community
or a small part?

     To get to know my students a little bit first we did an introduction bell work activity of just stating a favorite class and hobby. This allows me to make connections with the students and maybe remember a few names. Next we dove in and tried to define the words "my community". This was interesting as the students were really just focused on their local community and hardly wanted to share. Who knew that such an easy topic would be so difficult. After a few more activities the students lightened up and really got into sharing ideas for more participation both at the local, state, and even national level. At the end of class I gave a small quiz and also asked for feedback on the lesson to be written on the back of the quiz. We had about a 90% average on the quiz and the students said they enjoyed the lesson.

     I learned a lot from visiting my school and teaching this lesson. As anticipated the word diversity is a new one to my students and I even got a few laughs when I asked about how they view their community. As a very rural community I think learning what exactly the definition of diversity is something we can work on. I also learned that Mr. Hines doesn't really have bell work. This really got me thinking about how difficult it might be for me to step into the classroom next semester and implement some new rules. I never want to step on my teachers toes however I think that bell work is a really important classroom management tool. Last I learned that the students are great! I am really looking forward to spending time with them next semester and teaching at West Perry.











   

Look out National Convention...Here I come!!

Thinking of National Convention leaves me with a rush of emotions. With so many adventures to look forward to i'm excited, nervous, jittery, and anxious just to name a few. The last time I attended National Convention was two years ago to receive my American Degree; a very emotional last time in that blue and gold jacket.

LOOK OUT LOUISVILLE!! It's funny where paths in life can take you. I will be attending again this year as a National Teach Ag Ambassador, competitor in the ATA Program of Excellence, and a student teacher candidate. All three of which are huge personal accomplishments! 

This week you can find me on the red carpet at the National Teach Ag Booth. Ag teachers are celebrities! We will be inspiring some young minds to think about education and joining the ag ed family. I am extremely honored to be part of this group with ten other ag ed superstar college students! 

I will also be participating in the Alpha Tau Alpha Conclave representing the Penn State Teach Ag Society. We will be showcasing all the accomplishments of the club over the past year. Along with program of excellence other club members will be participating in parliamentary procedure, debate, and quiz bowl. I'm excited to meet other future teachers from other colleges and learn about what they are doing at their schools.

It's funny to look back and see how much you change over the years but yet how much is still the same. From wearing my blue and gold jacket and attending convention as a student not all that long ago to today attending convention as a future teacher talking to students about considering a career as an ag teacher. 

Fall Leadership Workshop

Yesterday the cohort and shadow teachers headed to the Fall Leadership Conference to facilitate FFA officer workshops. This was a day full of learning and adventure for both the students and teachers!

Myself, Jessie, Mindy, and our shadow teacher Laura had the honor to facilitate the vice president workshop or the superheros of the FFA officer team! The two and half hour workshop was designed to teach the officers skills they would need to become a successful vice president of their chapter. Through activities we reached several objectives which included:

1. Explain the five responsibilities of the vice president.
2. Recite the vice president's opening ceremonies part.  
3. Explain the vice-presidents role within committees. 
4. Define the three parts of a POA.
5. Demonstrate creating a draft POA. 

We completed several activities with them to make sure these concepts were understood. The students first took to the stage (the middle of the classroom) to act out scenarios showcasing what happens when the president needs their help! The students were really energetic and did a great job taking control of hectic situations. Next we completed a balloon popping race to put together the opening ceremony script and practice it with confidence! I was surprised how intimidated the students were but by the end of the activity they were more confident and some even had it memorized. 

Laura then talked a little about the importance of organization and how good organization helps the chapter be successful year after year. As our shadow teacher she did an excellent job facilitating and it was fun when I got the chance to make the students laugh and role play with her what happens when a binder is unorganized. We then reflected as a group on the aspects of committees, shared with a partner, and then put our thoughts on poster boards for the whole class to share. We all gained a lot of good ideas from this and ways to improve what our chapter is already doing. Last Mindy talked about the POA and we outlined a big POA on the wall. This activity went really well and I think the students gained more understanding on why the POA is beneficial. 

Overall I think it was a great workshop! The students were engaged and excited to learn. I think as facilitators our energy level was really high which made the students want to get engaged. 

We even had en exciting trip home when my cooperating school's van broke down we jumped in to help. Running to lowes for parts to fix a water hose line on their van.

Western PA Leadership Conference

July 17th a few Ag ed superheroes hit the road and traveled to Conneaut Lake for the Western PA Leadership Conference.

The workshop was designed to show FFA students different careers in the agriculture profession. Choosing a career can be hard and overwhelming, especially for high school students. Hopefully we made this life decision a little easier!

Carly (pictured left) talks to two girls as they ask each other questions about the sticky note on their back. The note states their secret "job title" in which they are trying to figure out by talking to other students in the workshop.


Given a scenario, groups tried to match the story with a major from the College of Ag Sciences at Penn State. After checking out the handouts the group teamed up and talk with a leader to see if they picked the right major.

Using inspiration from Erin Ehnle's article in the FFA New Horizons magazine, students expressed a passion or hobby they have! Erin has become a huge role model through social media for students by sharing her story and passion for agriculture. Every student at the conference shared their own on a note card that was displayed after the workshop in the hotel lobby. The students really got into this activity by drawing pictures or sharing a phrase that shows what they love. Pictured to the left is one of the posters. 

These are just some of the activities we did with the students during to workshop! Overall it was a awesome day spent with some very intelligent, passionate, and goal driven students. Hopefully this workshop and the team leaders were successful in encouraging these students to keep a open mind and follow their dreams right into the best career ever...agriculture.

Thanks AWESOME fellow colleges for helping!!

Wait you work on a Lavender Farm?

For the past two summers now I have spent the majority of my time in one of my favorite places. I intern at Destiny Hill Farm; a lavender/ cut flower farm outside of Pittsburgh. The farm offers 137 acres of lavender, cut flowers, and berries. Also hosting events in the barn like corporate picnics and weddings makes my internship even more exciting. Most people look at me weird when I say I work at a lavender farm so here is my best explanation...

Giving the new pony a bath!

My job title as well as everyone else's on the farm is "whatever needs done". Usually during the week I am busy managing flowers in the field or hoop house, harvesting lavender, or our favorite... pulling weeds.The barn and stable barn are cleaned every week before the event which is usually held on
Saturdays. The farm staff helps set up and prepare for the events. Sometimes I help with flowers for weddings or events as part of the farm's floral design team. During the weekends my job title changes again and I along with the other farm staff valet cars for events. The farm is also home to four horses and a new pony which usually stays in the surrounding fields while we use their homes for events. This year we also raised about 30 baby chicks which are now free range in the field.

Every Thursday I get to take some of the flowers we grow to the Main Street Farmers Market. This has been a huge learning experience for me this year. Finding a niche and a way to market to those in one's specific community can be a challenge. It also takes planning at the farm to make sure I don't use flowers that are needed for an upcoming event. I enjoy working the farmers market, connecting with the local community and making flower bouquets. Gentleman your ladies love flowers. Find more information about the farmers market here and come visit me!

Farmers Market flowers!

The farm holds a lavender festival annually in July. This is a truly awesome event that has lavender everything! At the festival members of the community can make lavender wands, pick their own lavender, attend workshops,  shop different venders, and even enjoy lavender in their meal. Being completely into horticulture and now obsessed with lavender I get the job of manning the lavender plants we have for sale and educating the buyers with everything they need to know about the plant. It's more complicated then you might think; there isn't just one type of lavender. We have 15 different varieties on the farm and sold five options at the festival. People have questions and I do my best to answer them! This year I even got to teach a workshop along side the owner of the farm about lavender. I was very excited to have a packed tent full of interested people both times I gave the workshop.

Well I hope this gives you a little more insight to my summer internship aka the best job ever! Not only is it never a boring day on the farm but I usually go home smelling like lavender. So the next time someone asks me about my summer internship I think I can tell them in a nut shell I am a farm manager, part of the floral design team, farmers market representative, lavender festival speaker, and event valet.

Learn more about the farm at destinyhill.com