Abandon Ship!!

Friends, there's something so interesting about this student teaching internship experience. 

So much of it is a dream come true, here I am being an agriculture educator, teaching lessons and advising blue-jacket wearers. 

So much of it is an uphill climb as I daily am seeking opportunities to become the best version of an educator I can be. Reflecting on failures (which happen quite frequently) and rejoicing as I find myself smiling at the end of the day because "I did it." Small victories friends, small victories.

 Midd-West 8th graders learning about
the many careers in Agriculture

You could argue that week three of this internship still classifies as the "honeymoon stage," which is absolutely a valid argument; however, I would say that so much of these past three weeks has been quite realistic. So "real" in fact that it makes me laugh. The craziness of the day-to-day life of an agriculture teacher, the relevancy of everything that my cooperating teachers put me through has been so intentional, so valuable. My experiences thus far have been incredibly authentic, some purposefully designed that way as my cooperating teachers strategically include me as a fellow colleague, not just some average student teacher (for that I am so thankful) and has my students, quite simply, are just normal students. 

Here's the thing, these first three weeks have flown by, this week was full of seed dissections, engine disassembly, lesson planning, faculty meetings, advising over an FFA executive meeting, banquet preparations, FFA recruitment, torch-lighting struggles (it happens), judging practice, greenhouse planting, department meetings... Yea, you get the point. No wonder these weeks are flying by!

As I look back on week three, 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). 

Three cheers for unconventional
writing spaces!

High: I feel confident in saying that I believe I have mastered the art of organized chaos this week. Welcome to the life of teaching in a multi-laboratory facility right? Out of all the lessons I taught this week, I think I bypassed the lesson and rolled on my own for a good 80% of them. Listen, I led the crew to abandon ship and we ended up drawing on tables and doing some self-led dissections. Here's the thing, good things can happen when you stray off the lesson, people!

Low: This week has made me so very thankful for the upbringing and I have had. Not a day goes by when I don't learn of student who's home life is quite frankly just not fair. There is no doubt that these kids deserve a quality education and a safe learning environment regardless of their background and  home life is. I've been privileged enough to grow up in a home where I never went a day without knowing that I was loved and cared for. It hurts me to know that's probably not the case for some of my students. As I work through these 15 weeks I desire to find ways to love on these kids and showing them that I care in unique way. 

Tip: "Be stubborn about your goals, but flexible about your methods." It's really that simple. When you can get to the point that you will be flexible about the way in which we deliver our content, but consistent in our goals to provide a high quality, engaging and rigorous learning environment good things can happen in our classrooms. It requires some conditioning of your students to venture off the beaten path with you, but from what I've found this week, it can make for an incredibly powerful learning experience.

Simply put, adapt and overcome! Students will be crazy, pieces won't come together quite always as planned, but you owe it to your students to move forward and give them your best regardless.

Simply put, I'm just really thankful for this experience. For the challenge that it daily presents me, the constant learning curve I'm up against, the people I get to work along side and the authenticity of my day to day adventures. 

Until Next Week, K. Janae