The End of an Advent{HERR}...

Somehow, somewhere we ended up here. On the last day, of my last semester of college. Well almost, here I am on the last day of my student teaching internship. I'm sitting here typing while my students are decorating the room with balloons to celebrate my departure, diligently working on tying blankets for an FFA community service project and in anxious anticipation for the wings that are arriving for lunch.

Here's the thing, I'm counting myself really blessed. Really blessed because I had the opportunity to serve these students for the last 60 some days. Really blessed because I have had the privilege to work alongside of two fantastic mentors in a community that is supportive of the awesome things that are happening here.

This moment is quite bittersweet actually. I am feeling relieved because I made it. I made it through this capstone semester, the most challenging, stretching semester of them all. I am feeling nervous because of big life changes lie ahead - graduation, weddings, job searches. I am sad because this chapter is over, my days with these kids have come to an end.

This student teaching internship has taught me an immense amount of things in 15 short weeks. Things like...

• Every student deserves a champion. Every single one, regardless of their background, regardless of their ability level. And I want to and need to be that for them.
• The diversity of this job is crazy. But it's crazy good. I love that I won't always know it all. I love that challenge. 
• School politics. They're no fun. But regardless of how frustrating that can be, you can't let it get you down. Don't let it deter your focus from your main priority - students. 
• Technology integration is important and is changing the way we can deliver content. Sometimes it doesn't work, sometimes students don't want to utilize it, sometimes we forget that students aren't actually technology natives. 
• Purposefulness is pivotal. 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
• The experiential learning that uniquely happens in the agriculture education classroom is so powerful. I surveyed my students as I wrapped classes with them and not surprisingly, with astounding popularity, students crave and enjoy hands-on learning. 
• Clarity of instruction will be a never ending area of improvement. Moving forward into my own program, I want to continually strive to seek strategies to better myself in that area of effective teaching

Obviously I've learned much more then all of that. This has been the most stretching, growing, challenging, amazing semester. Quite possibly the most important thing I've learned this semester is that I chose the right profession. There were plenty of days in this four year journey where I questioned if it was worth it, questioned if I really had what it takes to serve students as their agriculture educator. But this semester solidified it. Somedays I left Midd-West exhausted and overwhelmed, but most days I left smiling because I love what I do.

Simply put, it hardly seems real that graduation is only few days. It hardly seems real that this student teaching internship has come to a close. 

Simply put, I count myself so privileged to have the opportunity to watch these students grow and succeed. I count myself privileged to earn a Penn State education, to serve as temporary member of of the Midd-West Agriculture and Engineering Department, to be joining a profession with a nationwide network of passionate agriculture educators.

Until the Next Advent{HERR}, K. Janae

Teac{HERR} Tales: Don't Break Your Benjamins!

There's this one thing that serves as the grease to the wheels of agriculture education programs. It's the budget. Finances, like in all facets of life, play a huge role influences abilities to function as a productive unit or individual.

This post goes out to all those new and upcoming Career and Technical Educators out there. We sit in a unique seat. Our budget goes further then index cards, highlighters and textbooks. We have equipment needs, repair needs, plant needs, transportation needs and the list goes on and on. I am going to share the top three things regarding budgets and school funding in the realm of Career and Technical Education utilizing advice from two seasoned agriculture educators and the business manager here at Midd-West High School.

1. Relationships

• Initiate and Invest. Relationships like the Secretary that oversees your accounts, business managers and administrative assistants play a huge role in the success of the financial aspects of the program. Initiating and investing into these individuals help get them on your side is will be powerful down the road. Give them flowers, FFA apparel... long story short, make them feel appreciated. I was also recommended to send students to them first, they enjoy the opportunity to help them learn through the process and see their successes. In that though, these relationships are delicate in the sense that your emergency does not constitute as their emergency. Ever. The district office is a business office, they run on business hours, not school hours. They're "slow" season is during the summer, take the time to work with them then!

2. Fundraising

• Identify multiple funding sources. Whether that is through program fundraisers sponsored by the FFA or through an alumni association, access to resources beyond simply school funding can help programs ensure a "safety net" for years when funding may be questionable. When solidifying these multiple funding sources, it is important to keep a creative mindset. Never say no to an opportunity that may result in an profit. These multiple sources help teachers plan for success. These efforts also allow for a unique opportunity to keep your program visible in your community. When those external groups see the value see the power of the program they will seek out ways to support. My cooperating teacher also gave some awesome advice, the school board approves each major financial decision of the program. This helps build rapport and maintain program support on an administrative level.

3. The Program Budget

• Much of this process is dependent on infrastructure at the local level, but there are many general terms and themes that arise across the board. There are potentially up to three sources of external funding that the school (with an agriculture program) can secure - Perkins (federal funding), Vocational Subsidies (state funding) and Fair Funds (state funds). These funds will come a year late and because of that, is why careful recording of program concentrators, students who take at least 2 agriculture classes a year, plan to continue taking agriculture coursework and have set an agriculture career objective, is so important. The program budget will be itemized into subcategories that can range from equipment repairs, propane for the greenhouse, NOCTI testing, etc. Purchase orders play a big role in billing process throughout the year, because of the line-item system in the budget. Again, another important reason that those relationships with the secretary is so important!

Simply put, plan ahead - budgets get completed a year in advanced. You won't really know what you'll need next year but with careful planning, good record keeping and efficient communication successful budgets can be possible!

Simply put, as always, relationships are easily the most important factor in this situation. Establishing and working to maintain relationships with the correct parties will help ensure effective and efficient use of program dollars.

Until the Next Teac{HERR} Tale, K. Janae

Teac{HERR} Tales: Mastery & Growth

As a 4-H alumnus, I'm naturally drawn to their motto: to make the best better. Despite long to-do lists, I am continually reminded that there is purpose behind each assignment that accompanies our student teaching internship. Many of them to quite simply, make the best, better. 

Now, please don't miss understand me. I am by no means writing this blog and boasting that I am already classified alongside the best and just working to be better. I've got work to do to get there, but assignments like the Action Based Research and Student Learning Objectives are designed to help to do just that. 

I worked alongside my cooperating teacher to develop my understanding of the Student Learning Objective, or SLO process early on in the semester. During which, we selected my Equine Science class and Horse Selection and Evaluation unit to focus my Action Based Research and SLO on. 

SLO's are based off of five components. Those components are strategically designed to help teachers identify an area of need and improvement in their classroom that they wish to intentionally improve. Results can be analyzed to serve as Action Based Research. These five components and how they fit for my SLO are shown below. 

1. Context

- This SLO was focused on 36 students enrolled in an Equine Science class in grades 9-12. This class is an every other day course that is 40 minutes long. 

2. Goal

- Students will classify, evaluate, select and manage animals based on anatomical and physiological characteristics

3. Measures

- Students will take a written pre-test, mid-term and final. They are designed to determine mastery at an initial level (pre-test) and mastery or growth of content knowledge and competency levels at the mid-point and final point of the unit

4. Indicators

- Students will achieve at least a 25% or higher on the pre-test, while on the mid-term and final student scores would increase by 25% of the pre-test score or achieve 100%

5. Expectations

- Scoring brackets were set to determine success. For example 0%-64% of students meeting the indicator targets equates to a failing status, 74%-91% is proficient and 92%-100% earning distinguished

Simply put, various factors played a role in the results that were determined during this assignment. Student awareness of assessments, student absence, every other day class schedules are just a few of the factors that surely influenced the results. 

Simply put, regardless of what school or state I teach in, I will surely be required to perform some form of an SLO or Action Based Research assignment. This was excellent practice, along with a great mentor!

Until the Next Teac{HERR} Tale, K. Janae

Teac{HERR} Tales: Enhancing the School Farm, One Tree at a Time

The Forestry classes at Midd-West High School have a unique outdoor classroom. Granted to the program by the school district, these students, along with other agriculture students at Midd-West have access to a 15 acre school farm. This land is viable for planting and student committees hav
e actively sought out resources to get seeds donated.

Last year, the school farms inaugural year, students and parents put forth time to plant a corn and pumpkin crop on the school farm. This year, as the school farm moves into further phases of development, Forestry students are focusing more on environmental impacts.

During our Silviculture and Forest Ecology Unit, we focused our energy on utilizing the content learned in this unit to help invest into the land around us for future use. Our Community Based Unit of Instruction was designed to look like the outline below; however, the weather created a constraint of some form because I will unfortunately not be here to see the full project in fruition. Nonetheless, the project is off to a great start!

1. Defined Riparian Buffers
2. Identify Soil Type and Texture
3. Evaluate the Site
4. Research and Identify Tree Species
5. Identify Funding Sources
6. Order Tree Seedlings
7. Install Riparian Buffer

The Forestry students determined that the most suitable species for the riparian buffer include Graystem Dogwood, Speckled Alder, Button Bush, Red Elderberry, Viburnum, Silk
y Dogwood, Eastern White Pine and Winter Berry. All of these species have expansive root systems, do well in partial sun, wet or sandy soils and produce a fruit or nut that can help enhance the wildlife habitat.

While the students evaluated the riparian buffer site they identified other needs aside from the riparian buffer that need addressed when looking at the site from a conservation stand point. The stream access needs established infrastructure and the
current field line should be pushed back to the line of soil type change the students identified during their soil survey.

As the projects continues the Horticulture class will also have more of a prominent role as well as the school farm FFA committee.

Simply put, it's been fun getting to dive into this project with the Forestry class. I wish would be around long enough to see the fruits of my students labor, it may mean swinging back around for a visit!

Simply put, there is extreme value in designing unit like this. Students have a unique sense of buy in because of their direction connection, opportunity to work and ownership. 

Until the Next Teac{HERR} Tale, K. Janae

Teac{HERR} Tales: This Way to the Big Kid Job

See here's the thing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking questions. There is absolutely nothing wrong with seeking out opportunities to make yourself better then you were yesterday.

As I prepare to enter into my professional career, no longer a student, it is essential that I take the time and initiative to seek out and take advantages of opportunities that will surely make me better at the interview process, at the job hunt and then successful in my own classroom.

In order to do this, I scheduled a time to meet with our high school principal, Ms. Hutchinson, to perform a mock job interview. Ms. Hutchinson was more then willing to get this appointment on the calendar right away and I appreciate her willingness to invest into my future career in amongst afternoon school duties and disciplinary actions.

Ms. Hutchinson chose to led this mock interview off in a conversational format, and though I would have appreciated the formalities for the practice, I was also really thankful for the chance for her to answer a question, me to answer it and her to break down and process my response. In doing so, I was able to identify some areas for growth and improvement as I work my way into a "real" interview.

Here are the questions Ms. Hutchinson asked...

1. Tell us about your prior experiences and how they have prepared you for this position
2. Describe a learning activity that you have implemented as a teacher that required higher level thinking and creative problem solving. Rate its effectiveness in enabling students to meet identified learning goals/objectives.
3. How does an agriculture teacher effectively incorporate literacy into everyday teaching?
4. What are the most important things to know/remember about assessment of student learning?Explain your understanding of differentiation and an example of what it would look like in your classroom
5. What measure does agriculture education need to take to stay relevant in today's economy and world?
6. In terms of managing study behavior, how do you determine and communicate priorities to students?

Good questions, right?! I was most challenged by the questions regarding literacy and assessments. Good reminders for me to do my homework and stay fresh on the terminology that we discussed in our course work at Penn State and connect it directly to examples in my classroom. 

Ms. Hutchinson's willingness to dissect each question and response after I finished allowed me to leave the room with some really good advice I'll share with you.

1. Find a way to take control of the interview. Seek out ways to talk about your strengths if they don't come up in the conversation. You've got to sell yourself!
2. Writing skills are not ignored! The quality of your cover letter and your essay or other evidence of writing speak directly to your professionalism, level of care and academia. 
3. Know the school and community that you're interviewing for. Do your research and incorporate what you've found into your responses.
4. Ask questions of your interviewers. Ms. Hutchinson values the questions her interviewees ask almost as highly as writing skills. One of my favorite example questions she shared was in the context of one-to-one technology. What expectations do you have for the implementation of technology by your teachers?

Simply put, this was surely a powerful experience. I surely came back with plenty of take-aways, too many to share in one blog!

Simply put, I'm thankful for a chance to identify areas of improvement before I head into a real interview room. I'm thankful that advice came from an adminstrators who values my success. 

Until the Next Teac{HERR} Tale, K. Janae

Time Flies When You're Working With Great Kids

I'm not going to lie, I am getting ready for the end of this semester.

But at the same time I'm not. It's not because I'm tired of this teacher life. It's just that I'm ready for graduation and more job seeking and "big kid" world. You see, I LOVE what I do. I love the sphere of influence I have in this job. I love the daily challenge of this job. I love these kids. Quite simply, I'm ready for my own classroom. I'm ready to continue on this passionate pursuit of a brighter future for agriculture's tomorrow through today's youth.

Each day of this journey reminds me of how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to serve these students as their teacher for a period of time. I am incredibly thankful for all that they have taught me, the laughs that we've shared, the challenges we've overcome and the growth I've gotten to witness.

Chalk talk in Agriculture Biology - tell me the difference
between DNA and RNA

Week 14 was off to a storming start. I had the opportunity to join Mr. Bittner in Harrisburg representing PAAE at the Pennsylvania State Council of Farm Organizations "Cornucopia" Event. I enjoyed the opportunity to visit with other passionate agricultural commodity and special interest groups on behalf of PAAE. We busily worked outside, soaking up all the sunshine we could this week. The greenhouse, raised beds and school farm are in full swing production and ma
ny other fun projects, this week has been a good one.

As I have for the last 13 weeks, I'll be sharing a high (some of the top notch, #thebestofmiddwest and other dynamite moments), a low (the not so glorious, wish it couldn't been better or those "you'll have that" kind of moments) and a tip (something of the Teac{HERR} Way that I learned or heard that should be shared with #psuaged16 and friends).

High: I got to attend an IEP meeting this week for one of my students. I've mentioned this student before in my blog. This student a pleasure to have in class, he has a smile on his face always, is a hard worker and participates to the best of his ability, all things that I appreciate about him. Mr. Bittner sits on this students IEP committee as his regular education teacher. Mr. Bittner asked our student to present a set of oral reasons he wrote for our Equine Science class for the IEP committee. Our student was quite proud of himself as were his parents and it was an awesome way for the other members of the IEP committee to see what he is doing in his agriculture classes and how successful he can and has been there. Three cheers for student success!

Low: I don't really justify this as a "low," simply as a really awesome growing experience. I have had the opportunity to teach an Agriculture Biology course while at Midd-West. It's definitely been a challenge. I've discovered a different art of planning through this Biology class. A type of planning that doesn't let me plan a week in advance like I can with other classes, a type of planning that requires intentional incorporation of Keystone vocabulary words. I've learned through this class to master effective planning and master the art of learning my content before I teach it to my students and mastering the art of gauging my students ability and comprehension of content knowledge. Now, I use mastering lightly, because it will take time till I'm truly a master at these concepts; however, much practice this semester has helped me gain much confidence in these areas.

Tip: Quite simply, finish strong. Somehow, somewhere we got ourselves to our last week of student teaching. It doesn't quite seem possible. I have regular conversations with students about leaving next week, sad conversations to have but a good rem
inder of how blessed I am to be here.

Simply put, I'm thankful that there's still challenges even in these last few days. Challenges that keep me fresh and relevant has I (hopefully) make my way into some job interviews in the next few months. 

Simply put, how am I possibly in the last week of student teaching?! Here's to finishing strong in this last few days and savoring each moment with these awesome kiddos.

Until the last week, K. Janae

Teac{HERR} Tales: Northern Region PAAE Meeting

I always enjoy being in the presence of seasoned agriculture educators. Not only does it give me an opportunity to be reminded of the power of an expansive professional network, but it reminds me of the reasons why I chose this profession.

I have a strong appreciation for both the National Associations of Agriculture Educators and the Pennsylvania Association of Agriculture Educators and their willingness to accept the pre-service teachers of the profession. Each time I have been given the opportunity to participate in a PAAE or NAAE event, I have grown to appreciate the network of teachers, mentors and friends that I have been able to establish there.

The Midd-West crew caravanned their way to the Northern Region PAAE meeting, to enjoy a meal around the table of fellow teachers and discuss important events and "ag teacher business," if you will. Here were a few fast highlights from the evening meeting...

• Summer Conference

• PAAE executive members shared new information regarding the 2016 PAAE Summer Conference. Midd-West High School will be the host school for this years conference. The tentative agenda is full of some great industry and program tours in the SUN Area and some incredibly relevant professional development workshops. After attending the 2015 PAAE Summer Conference held at Tyrone High School, PAAE members alike should be excited about the opportunities that await in July!
• Industry Certifications 
• PAAE invited a representative from the Center of Dairy Excellence to share with the Northern Region teachers. A new program initiated by the Center is their curriculum to help high school students earn certifications in the area of Dairy Herd Management and Dairy Business Management. How powerful is it for our students to be able to walk out of our classrooms with a certification that allows them to be more competitive on the job market?!  
• State Workforce Development Initiatives
• There have been powerful partnerships forming between various components of the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Education, PAAE and other Agriculture Education categories. Because of these partnerships, heavy attention is being placed on agricultural related careers in the state of Pennsylvania and tools that agriculture educators can use to ensure that they are best preparing their students for careers in need. Mr. Scott Shelly, the Special Assistant for Workforce Development has created this awesome resource for agriculture educators to share with administrators and guidance counselors. Check it out here!

Simply put, there is an immense value in paying dues and being an active participant in professional organizations. In an unique industry like agriculture, it is important to actively seek out these organizations to ensure that we are the most relevant educators possible. 

Simply put, agriculture educators are quite the bunch. I'm proud to be one of them.

Until the next Teac{HERR} tale, K. Janae