My First Week as the Student... Teacher

Week one of student teaching was full of many firsts along with fun an exciting moments all in between.  For those of you tuning in late or might have forgotten.  I am student teaching at Lampeter Strasburg High School located in Lancaster County.  The area is heavily agriculture production based, but intermixed with suburban areas. 

Day 1

I traveled to Farm Show with Mrs. Oberholtzer my cooperating teacher and Mr. Smith the other ag. teacher within the department with five students receiving their very own official jacket.  Monday was a lot of fun seeing my other cohort members and chatting about how their first day on the job was going.

Day 2

Was my first official day observing in the classroom.  I observed two classes of Vet Science 1. I will be teaching one class of this just one week from tomorrow.  I also observed the agricultural mechanics class which I will be teaching as well.  The afternoon brought my first department meeting.  I got to attend this and see how one functions. 

Day 3

We went back to Farm Show for the entire day taking 20 students with us this time.  It was nice walking around Farm Show with my cooperating teachers picking up helpful resources, taste testing food, talking dairy cows with producers, and seeing how you manage getting 20 students off the bus in the morning and getting 20 students back on the bus in the afternoon.

Day 4

My observation continued, but I assisted students figuring out the proper drug to use for an animal that was sick and how many milliliters to administer.  One thing I learned during this assignment is to have patience.  Some students struggle with math.  Heck I was one of those students when I was in high school.  It is exciting to see a student’s face light up when they figure out the right answer. 

Day 5

It’s finally Friday!  On Friday I got to grade students during their practicum skills assessments.  I got to observe and grade students on how well they can fill a syringe, administer a subcutaneous and intramuscular shot, halter a cow, and hold a cat.  These activities were a lot of fun for the students and me the teacher.  This part of the lesson showed me how variability is crucial during a lesson.

Some other takes from the week:

·         Getting in a routine is very beneficial

·         The gym teacher is a graduate from Athens my high school alma mater

·         Prep period is something to make the most of

·         Getting to know the office staff is of great importance

·         Speaking to students can sometimes brighten their day ten fold