SLO Action Reserach Weld & Electricity

Many public Pennsylvania schools use what is called a student learning objective otherwise known as an SLO to measure understanding of important information gained throughout their courses.  As part of our student teaching experience we h

ad to create and conduct our own SLO and Action Research project. 

I created an SLO to measure retention of electrical wiring skills gained in a general agricultural mechanics class.  My problem statement read… Retention of information and skills previously taught is very important especially in the agricultural mechanics shop when each class is a building block to the last.  Mr. Smith & Mrs. Oberholtzer have noticed in their welding and electricity class many students do not retain information related to proper wiring.  Each student in this class has already taken introductory Ag. Mechanics and covered in depth general electrical principles to pave the way for their learning specifically in welding and electricity.

Below you can see the infographic I created for measuring growth of my 7 students in my welding and electricity class. 

Hay Rack Construction (Community Based Unit)

Community support and interaction with community members is vital to any successful agriculture program.  At about the halfway point in my student teaching experience I was approached by a local farmer to construct a hay rack for his dairy cattle.  I jumped on the opportunity and began discussing his vision for this final project.  It was something that would fit in very nicely in my welding and electrical class.  My students by now were also proficient in both arc and MIG welding and had the choice to use either or during the construction of this project. 

To make the most of this community based unit of instruction I also incorporated other members of the community.  On April 18^th I took my seven students on a tour of a local Amish metal fabrication shop.  This proved to be very beneficial.  My students got to ask an array of questions and see how a metal fabrication shop functions.  There they got to see them build a large two compartment mulch dump box.  It was interesting because they were building it for an uncle of one of the students in my class.  They also got to see a CNC cutter in action as well as three other large metal shears.  This Amish metal fabrication shop does many small customer projects as well as builds two products of their own.  These products include a hay conditioner for the small hobby farmer and driveway graders.  It amazed my students and me that while this small shop located in Lancaster County actually markets their products to multiple dealers up and down the east coast. 

On Wednesday April 20^th we had a conference phone call with Jason Scales who is the manager of educational development with Lincoln Electric.  During this conference call the students got to listen to best tips and tricks when constructing a hay rack and other relatable products.  This conference call proved to be very successful and the students as well as I learned something new.  The students also learned about career opportunities in welding and with Lincoln Electric.

Then on Thursday April 21^st a college representative from Thaddaeus Stevens College of Technology came and spoke about their welding program and metal fabrication program.  This meeting proved to be a valuable tool as well.  While only one of my students was a senior who was graduating it got the rest of my students’ minds thinking about maybe pursuing a technical career at Thaddaeus Stevens.  She brought a plethora of information that she shared with the students and also offered to partner with Lampeter Strasburg in the future to set up any industrial tours or college visits.  Holly and I thought this was a great door which we opened with a local upper level institution of education.

All week long we continued as well working on the hay rack.  The students impressed me greatly with their go get it attitude on this project and taking ownership of it.  I am very proud of the progress all seven of my students have made in my welding class.  They should be completing this project this coming Monday just in time for the cows to be eating hay out of it.

And So It Comes To an End

Fifteen weeks.  The past fifteen weeks I have spent my final semester as an undergrad student teaching at Lampeter Strasburg High School.  With two of the coolest, wisest, talented, caring, comical, down to earth mentors a person could ask for.  Who would have ever thought I would have enjoyed Lancaster County as much as I have.  I really feel like I have become a part of the community than just a squatter here for the past fifteen weeks.

At the beginning of my journey I had no clue what was in store for me.  Sure we had been given all the hype by last year’s student teachers.  Prepared all fall semester for this experience, but until I truly got to Lampeter Strasburg it was a complete toss-up.  As the internship began the nerves ran high.  Every day though I became more and more a part of the school community though.  Every day I got to know more and more of my students on a personal level.  Every day I encountered challenges, but overcame them with guidance and continuing to go through this experience with an open mind.  Every day I felt fortunate to be in such a great cooperating center.

When I began to take on a full course load that is when I realized what it was like to be an educator.  The preparing was endless, but so was the learning that was occurring in my classroom.  I stepped out far beyond my comfort zone in veterinary science 2 and felt at home in my welding and electrical class.  Many a times I wished I would have done this or done that differently in my lesson plan, but the past is the past and the meaningful discussions I would have with my cooperating teacher made me want to strive even harder for excellence.

By this point in my student teaching experience I was also gaining familiarity with other teachers, faculty and staff, and community members.  Going at this alone is not the way to succeed in this internship or the profession.  Make connections.  Meet new people learn all that you can from them. 

And so it comes to an end.  My final day of student teaching occurred yesterday April 22^nd 2016.  I cannot say enough how much of an enjoyable an experience it has been.  While there were times that I did not think I could do it.  Through friends and family I made it to where I am now with graduation just two short weeks away.  The thanks that the students gave me yesterday was unimaginable in just the short time that I was there.  Who would have ever thought that I would make such an impact on so many young lives?  It was a blast teaching all of my students even sometimes when the road became rough or it did not seem to exist there at all.

To my cooperating teachers words cannot express how grateful I am to have gotten to spend the last fifteen weeks with the both of you.  You put in so much time to prepare me to be the best agricultural educator I can be.  Your patience and guidance was second to none.  Your assistance in all the assignments I had to complete would have made some people walk away and make me fend for myself.  Both of you chose to go at them with me with an open mind providing thoughtful discussion.  I looked forward to every morning opening that greenhouse door and saying good morning as I was nervous and excited for a day of teaching.  I cannot say thank you enough that every night and morning you asked if there was any assistance you could provide for me.

On that note I will leave you with this.  True experiences can only be made if you go at them whole heartedly.  Make the most of your time in whatever it is that you do.

Be That Someone

There is just one more week left in my student teaching experience at Lampeter Strasburg High School.  It is now mid-April and I think it is safe to say spring is here to stay.  After our surprise snow squall we had last weekend!

Reflecting on my past week I was unsure of what to share with you.  So many awesome experiences have occurred during my student teaching internship.  I have only gotten to share snippets with you. 

This past week some of my students were in some not so great moods.  However, some came to school saying to me “I’m glad that I have first period with you Mr. Tate, it makes starting my day that much better.”  This shocked me.  I have only been here for 13 weeks and making that big of an impact on a student’s day means a lot to me. 

As I said some of my students were in some foul moods.  I could tell this first thing in the morning greeting my students at the door.  This simple task of greeting your students at the door can give you a breadth of information of what is going on in your students’ lives.  While some of my students might have been in a foul mood.  I realized every day I must put my best foot forward to be a positive impact of change.  Keeping that positive energy flow in your classroom can make all the difference in how well your lesson could go. 

I was also reminded that you don’t know the struggles someone is going through until you have gone through them yourself or you are alerted or informed of the situation.  A few students of mine have gone through some not so great circumstances lately. 

While I realize I cannot fix everything I do hope every day I can make someone’s day just a little bit better.  Because after all it’s the little things that mean the most.   

Eastern PAAE

The Eastern Region PAAE meeting was held this past April 6^th at Garden Spot High School.  If you’re keeping up on things and are observant.  I am teaching at Lampeter Strasburg High School home of the Garden Spot FFA Chapter however, Garden Spot High School is known as the Grassland FFA Chapter confusing, right?  This high school is just up the road from us so Mrs. O, Mr. Smith, and I didn’t have a long drive at all.  

In my travels to Garden Spot High School Mrs. O pointed out the New Holland sale barn to me.  It is the largest sale barn on the East Coast.  FYI it really isn’t much to look at.  But, it is an integral part of livestock production on the East Coast.  Many farmers in my area use this sale barn. 

When I arrived at Garden Spot High School I got to observe their facilities and their greenhouse was blossoming with vegetables and flowers!  During the meeting we had guest presenters from the Center for Dairy and PDA.  The Center for Dairy Excellence was promoting their Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow Curriculum and if you haven’t checked it out yet you should!  Mr. Sheely, from PDA gave use some food for thought.  There are 163 schools that offer agricultural education courses in Pennsylvania.  Seventy percent of those programs are comprehensive high schools within the commonwealth.  On a side note twenty four percent of these programs are not approved programs.  Meaning they do not meet PA Department of Education requirements for the Career and Technical Education Standards.  Another interesting fact is that Pennsylvania employs 238 agricultural educators!

Other topics of discussion during the meeting consisted of SAE integration throughout the state and incorporating AET into our programs.  NOCTI was also brought up and these are exams that students take if they are “completers” of your program.  Lampeter Strasburg conducted theirs April 6-7.  The PAAE conference being held at MiddWest High School was discussed.  What intrigued me about this conference were the vast opportunities agricultural educators could choose from to meet their individual needs.  Overall the meeting was very productive and informative.

The Hoorays and Oh man I wish I would have of Dairy Labs!

Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this past week I conducted three labs in my vet science class.  We wrapped up the dairy unit in my vet science 1 class and what better way to do it then incorporating some labs into the mix of things!  Monday we conducted a cheese evaluation lab.  Wednesday we did flavor defects in milk and Thursday we made butter.  The response from the students was phenomenal and I was proud of the work I had done to successfully complete three labs.  However, there were many takeaways, notes written down and oh man I wish I would have done this differently! 

I will begin with the HOORAYS!

Student engagement was at an all-time high.  Students dug right into the “milk” of the material.  The hands on kinesthetic activities really cranked student engagement up at 7:40am.  Having lab worksheets for the students to use as they went through each lab activity really cut down on questions and uncertainty of what to do next.  Students communicated with their peers around them deciding which cheese was which, the flavor defect in the milk after tasting it, or just exactly what is that sweet spot for making butter. 

Now onto the OH MAN I WISH I WOULD HAVE!

During the cheese lab I wish I would have had a small activity for the students to do after they had gotten their 9 types of cheeses.  Something as simple as list as many cheeses you know describe them and then compare with a partner sitting next to you.  During this time as I was dismissing tables and making sure students were getting the proper amount of cheeses those students who had already gotten theirs had down time when they were not on task.  I also briefly spoke to the class about cheese making.  I wish I would have had a few slides about the process of making cheese and describing what curds and whey are.  During my milk flavor defect lab I wish I would have broken my PowerPoint up into two chunks.  I felt like I was losing student focus about ¾ of the way through the PowerPoint.  During our butter making lab I wish I would have allowed for enough time at the end for the students’ to wash their milk jugs.  I was stuck cleaning a few jars at the end of the period and wiping up tables. 

In closing labs are a great integration into classroom instruction.  However, they require a lot of planning and preparation.  My cheese lab would not have been nearly as successful had I not gotten the cheeses the day before and been fortunate enough to enter the school on Sunday.  Had I not been able to enter the school on Sunday I really don’t think that lab would have happened Monday morning at 7:30am.  Having everything created ahead of time lessens the amount of confusion and stress and allows for you to run through the lab yourself.   

Interacting with Those in the Agriculture Education Profession

On Monday, March 28^th, the Eastern Region Dinner Meeting sponsored by the Center for Professional Personnel Development by Penn State was held at Shady Maple.  If you are unaware about what Shady Maple is, it is a smorgasbord nestled in the heart of Lancaster County.  Leaving hungry is your own fault. 

After devouring an array of food options we shared resources, reflected on our teaching methods, gave advice, and shared in laughter.  The event was extremely beneficial for me as a pre-service teacher and received so much good advice and resources from others in the profession.  Olivia and I got to interact with teachers who had strong food science, veterinary science, agricultural mechanics, and natural resources programs.  What was great about the evening was that everyone in the room is doing what they do because they love what they do.  The amount of laughter in the room and information gathered was second to none. 

We were informed prior if we brought a resource we would get our meal paid for by Mr. Frederick.  Of course I jumped on that plug!  I brought a rubric I had created for my electrical wiring unit.  I found out early in my student teaching experience it is very important to be as transparent as you can be when grading students.  That way if they disagree with their grade you can show them exactly where they fell short at receiving points.  Mrs. Oberholtzer brought an SLO she created for her class others could possibly use if they have some sort of animal science program.  Mr. Smith brought a form he uses when conducting his small gas engines class and students bring in their own engines to fix. 

The evening concluded with Mr. Frederick providing us with an abundance of resources!  These resources ranged from pamphlets on how to identify trees and anatomy sets of a cow, pig, and dog.

Another favorite moment of mine which I have gotten to experience numerous times now, is traveling with Mr. Smith to these agricultural education events.  The wisdom, advice and hysterical stories he has shared with me have also all been filed away like the resources given to me at all of these events to use at a later date.  

SAE Visit #2

Recently, I visited a student of mine who is in my welding and electrical class.  I got to see his first ever SAE project.  Since he is a freshman, however he has been raising dairy beef for a number of years through 4-H.  Before heading out to visit, together during RTII/flex we looked at his AET record book and evaluated the overall record book.  We agreed that he needed to begin keeping more routine detailed records of what he specifically does with his dairy beef.  We talked about how if he continues with his record book keeping he could win multiple awards and money.  All for just keeping detailed records!  This intrigued him and I believe the fire is now there for him to stay on top of entering records.  

As I pulled up to the farm my student was already outside of the parlor with his calf leading it around.  He informed me prior at school that his calf was a bit rambunctious and he had a hard time leading it.  All signs were opposite while I was there.  He did a superb job leading his calf.  The cool thing about these visits is anything can happen.  Also, you should never assume anything and any moment can be a teachable moment.  Come to find out my student or his father had never used a weigh tape before.  So, I got to explain to them how to use it and we then weighed his calf.  His calf is right on track for fair in September currently weighing 325 lbs.  After weighing the calf he spoke to me about his duties on the farm and the chores he does taking care of the calves.  He said he enjoys working with the animals as long as they are bucket trained!

He then took me into their milking parlor and I got to see their facility.  I got to speak with his father a little bit more while he was milking and made somewhat of a personal connection.  I truly saw the significance of these SAE visits.  They are a very powerful tool to have in our box of things ag. teachers get to do over regular teachers. 

Deadlines

Thursday, in my welding and electrical class the students began constructing a boot scraper.  All of the students were excited to put their welding skills to the test thus far and finally construct something out of metal. 

Class began on a great note going over how to properly set up the plasma cutter which the students just became certified on.  After that I passed out their directions to constructing a boot scraper.  Upon all the students reading through the directions and procedures we headed out into the shop.  The class measured out 26 inches of flat stall and marked it in the appropriate spots to be cut in the metal shear.  After all the students’ flat steel was cut in the metal shear they began measuring and cutting their pieces into the proper lengths to be welded together to make a boot scraper. 

At this point the students have been certified in the plasma cutter, oxy-actelyene torch, and of course metal hack saw.  All cutting methods were chosen by the class to cut their pieces of flat steel.  As the class period ticked on the students worked diligently to construct their boot scraper. 

I have found sometimes not to set a time stamp on projects in the shop.  At least for the class that I am teaching this semester, each student works hard and stays on task.  While I realize this might not always be the case, but for this class not giving a time stamp at the beginning of the period ends up in better quality work.  About three quarters through the period students began coming up to me asking “is this due today?”  I realized that many of the students were just finishing cutting their pieces of metal or beginning to cut their holes in their base metal pieces.  So, as students came up to me I told them “no this project is not due today.” 

Sometimes deadlines must be set.  And in the agricultural mechanics shop there are going to be times when there are deadlines which must be met.  However, since there is no monetary amount involved, and these students are not on the job sometimes students should be given the time to construct their projects and end up with a quality piece.  Than something put together last minute.  I did appreciate that my students kept track of the time and worked diligently to complete the task given to them.  Realizing the end of the period was near.  This time I felt that the students deserved more time. 

Reflecting on this class when I come back to school Monday I must take time to talk about deadlines.  While I realize my students were not going to complete this assignment in a period.  Many of my students plan on pursuing mechanical careers.  I must stress the fact that in such careers there will be deadlines.  And to stay employed these deadlines must be met.  Yes, sometimes the deadlines are unrealistic and you will realize when they are, but many times with the skills you have obtained the deadlines you are given must be met or you will be out a job. 

It Doesn't End at 2:45

The life of an ag. teacher.   I think no two definitions would ever be the same.  It is a whirl wind of classroom instruction, grading, SAE visits, CDE practices, county ag. teacher meetings, banquet planning, traveling to state and national events, professional development workshops and much more. 

This week at Lampeter Strasburg was one of those weeks and more.  On Monday, I visited a cohort member of mine to complete an assignment.  That meant leaving sub plans and anticipating the students would get through everything I had set forth for them to do.  Traveling for me, up early away from my students all day and arriving home late in the evening.  To figure out what to make for supper, take the clothes out of the washer and put into the dryer that I had forgotten to do the night before and check my email which I did not get to at all during the day.  My email brought to my attention one of my classes did not get through all the material I had set forth for them.  However, with preparation, anticipation and planning I nipped that setback in the butt and was ready to be back in my classroom for Tuesday. 

Tuesday and Wednesday brought full days of instruction.  My vet science 1 class has begun learning about the dairy industry and I am very excited!  My welding and electrical class are about to begin their individual projects and are pumped to make or repair something of their own.  Vet science 2 is right into the “bone” of things learning all about the skeletal system and fractures.  I myself am learning just as much as them.  If not more! 

Thursday brought an early dismal… at least for the students.  The rest of the faculty/staff and myself spent the afternoon completing suicide prevention modules, grading papers, constructing SLO’s, and preparing for our evening ag. advisory board meeting. 

Spring break was a far off maybe even fictional place for me.  As 7:30 came around Lampeter Strasburg conducted their second of two required ag. advisory board meetings.  Sitting their listening to the educational curriculum coordinator, members from the community, and other teachers I again was reminded that being an ag. teacher doesn’t mean you have to go at it alone.  There are so many people who can help, want to strengthen, and improve your program.

Walter Biddle Saul Agriculture High School Visit

This past week I visited Ms. Olivia Murphy-Sweet at Walter Biddle Saul Agricultural High School.  It was great to do a little traveling and visit with another cohort member.  The day started early to try and beat some of the Monday morning traffic I might encounter on my way to Philadelphia.  Luckily, traffic wasn’t too intense and I made it for the entirety of Ms. Sweet’s first period class! 

I had never been to W.B. Saul, but had heard about the awesome things their program did on the outskirts of Philadelphia.  W.B. Saul has over 15 agriculture instructors and four pathways students can choose to take if they are accepted into the school at the end of their eighth grade year. 

The morning began with me observing Ms. Sweet’s vet science class.  They were going over diseases and Ms. Sweet did an awesome interest approach with them using a black light and having one of the student’s be “infected”.  The students really took to this interest approach and she had them hooked from the start of the period.  Ms. Sweet then went over with them about how the body fights diseases and infections.  The remainder of the class period was spent with the students working on their OSHA certification.  During this time I got to interact with some of the students and they showed me all the different types of animals they have in their vet science class.  These animals ranged from lizards, ferrets, mice, rats, guinea pigs, and even dogs! 

After Ms. Sweet’s first period class I got to take a tour of Saul.  As I said before students can choose a pathway at the beginning of their ninth grade year.  Saul offers horticulture, food science, animal science, and environmental science.  Their facilities were incredible.  With greenhouses and students working on floriculture designs to a meat science lab and students learning how to cut an animal down from whole hog to retail cuts.  Saul also has an operating dairy, horses, hogs, and sheep for the students to enhance their animal science skills.

The afternoon brought Ms. Sweet’s three hour environmental science class!  That’s correct you heard me right three hours of instruction.  Ms. Sweet did a phenomenal job with variability of instruction and keeping learners on task.  The lesson she was teaching while I was there was about different types of root systems.  After going over the day’s instruction the students spent the remainder of the class period presenting their environmental workshops to Ms. Sweet and me.  These workshops will later be conducted to middle school students at their environmental field day.  The last half hour of class I got to take a tour of their community garden and honeybees they recently reestablished.

My visit to Saul was more than I ever could have imagined.  In the heart of one of Pennsylvania’s largest cities agriculture education is thriving.         

The banquet of the Garden Spot FFA Chapter will now come to order.

Student teaching is well past the halfway point and spring is certainly in the air!  For FFA members it is banquet season and practicing for CDE’s.  Every day I am amazed how awesome my cooperating center is.  The students I teach make what I do enjoyable not just bearable.  The faculty and staff are great and are extremely impressed in the young men and woman who come out of the ag. program.  As I said earlier banquet season is upon us.  Thursday night was the Garden Spot’s FFA banquet.

Again, I was impressed by the students’ preparation which occurred well before the banquet.  They worked diligently preparing the guest list, ordering supplies, picking up flowers, and assembling the auditorium.  It was evident this banquet was not put on by the advisors, but rather the members.  The advisors were there for well simply advice.  The members knew very well the traditions of such an event and had large shows to fill for a specific reason as well. 

The night of the banquet came and I must say the students did an excellent job!  The auditorium shined with blue and gold pride.  This year’s FFA theme is telling your story and as the night went on I think the students did just that!  Something that they did which never occurred at my FFA banquets is they recapped their year.  Many of the FFA members shared a brief overview or story of the events which the Garden Spot FFA chapter participated in.  Banquets are a time to look back on the previous year, acknowledge the accomplishments of its members, and share in good food and fellowship.  Garden Spot’s banquet encompassed all of that.

As the banquet came to a close there was still one more person to be recognized for their dedication to the program.  The Greenhand Degrees, Proficiency Award Winners, and Keystone Degree recipients had all been recognized.  The final celebration of the evening spanned a breadth of 40 years.  That is correct you heard me right 40 years!  That is going back to 1976!  Mr. Smith who is the other ag. teacher at Lampeter Strasburg is hanging it up at the end of this school year and beginning his retirement.  I cannot even describe the respect students, faculty and staff, prior students, and the community members have for this man.  Last night showed just how much an impact one person can have on the lives of others.  Sitting there in my seat as Mr. Smith was being recognized I thought just how fortunate I am to get to work with him and Mrs. Oberholtzer to learn as much as I can about agriculture education before I begin teaching my own students in my own program.  As Mr. Smith took the stage to give his remarks these words he said are the reason why I chose the profession I am in.  “I just wanted to be able to provide students with the skill sets, knowledge, and opportunities to be able to better themselves long after I have had them.” 

Advocating Agriculture

What is the toughest challenge American Agriculture faces in the next five years?  This was the question that was asked multiple times at a presentation in Manheim my cooperating teachers and I took members of our ag. classes and FFA to.  Trent Loos was his name and he is a radio talk show host who has taken it upon himself to bridge the gap between consumers and producers of the products they use. 

Being an ag. instructor, now more than ever we must mold well informed, knowledgeable, investigative leaders for tomorrow.  I have noticed that being an ag. instructor is no longer about teaching a class full of farm boys and girls who will be going back directly to the farm.  Student teaching in Lancaster County the largest agriculture producing county in PA has proven this to me even more.  The students who now are taking ag. classes are growing up in suburban developments, might have an uncle or grandfather who farms, or are two or more generations removed from the farm.  Being an ag. instructor today means teaching students to understand where their food comes from and how it is grown and harvested.  Understanding that genetically modified organisms have been in place for over two decades and regulations are put in place to protect you and your loved ones. 

We must find creative new ways to entice students to take our classes and want to learn about agriculture.  The population is only rising and there will be jobs in agriculture to provide food and fiber, resources, and education to others.  As an ag. educator we have an opportunity to plant the seed in a student to grow and flourish into a soil scientist and protect soil quality.  Become a wildlife manager and figure out ways in which urbanization and wildlife species can still sustain themselves.  Become a doctor and understand the importance of animal research and be an advocate for it because they took an ag. class. These are just three examples of what being an ag. teacher today to me means. 

Don’t get me wrong I love production agriculture and could talk about cows, plows, and sows all day long, but that no longer is the majority it is more like the minority of what we teach.  If anything what I took from Wednesday’s presentation is that I can be that “coupling” between students and the questions or uncertainties they may have relating to agriculture.  I can be that voice for farmers whose farm the school bus passes by each day.  I’m up for that challenge.  Because I believe American agriculture can and will hold true to the best traditions of our national life…     

First Timer... SLLC 2016

Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday of this past week I attended The State Legislative Leadership Conference (SLLC) with my cooperating teacher and five FFA members.  This conference was just as exciting and informative for me as it was the students.  This was my first time ever attending SLLC myself.  FFA members from across Pennsylvania gathered together in Harrisburg to better understand the legislative process.  Students engaged in parliamentary procedure, learning how bills are created and passed, and reading bills being presented in the House of Senate of Pennsylvania.  From the moment students arrive they are enhancing their knowledge of public service, meeting new people, and conducting community service. 

I was excited to attend SLLC because I had never gone as an FFA member.  The conference itself blew my mind away with the amount of information students absorb which is very beneficial to them, their chapter, and most importantly the community they live in.  Being there from an advisor stand point I helped grade proficiencies with other agriculture instructors.  Taking part in this activity opened my eyes to the long hours our dedicated ag. teachers put in to allow for their students to succeed and achieve great things.  I also took part in an Edu Camp with other ag. teachers.  I enjoyed this workshop to be able to gain a plethora of information and knowledge from experienced instructors and advisors. 

Everyone at the conference as well participated in community service.  Our chapter along with numerous others helped do some spring cleaning at local churches.  This was a nice break from the long sessions our students had been in and to get our hands dirty a little bit.  It was nice lending a helping hand completing tasks that would have taken multiple days for these churches to complete. 

We ended the conference Tuesday morning having a breakfast and meeting legislators.  I thought this was a great experience for the students to get to engage in conversation with their local representatives and tell them all about what the FFA does and stands for.

SAE Visit Down on the Farm Tractor Restoration

Recently I visited a student of mine and got to see his SAE projects he has worked on the last four years of high school.  Before heading out to visit, Mark and I looked at his AET record book and evaluated the overall record book specifically honing in on his goals section.  We talked about how after graduation it will be crucial for him to continue putting in detailed records like he does now.  Mark is currently a senior at Lampeter Strasburg High School and has taken ag. classes all throughout his high school career.  Currently Mark is taking tractors and machinery.  He is the head foreman on rebuilding an Allis Chalmers C.  Mark’s knowledge and skills truly shine when he is in the agricultural mechanics shop.

Mark is a talented welder and machinist.  I met Mark in the shop on his family farm where he has spent much of his time in the evenings and on weekends.  For his placement project books Mark has restored two tractors.  Mark has over 500 hours combined in the two tractors.  The first tractor Mark restored was a Farmall 100.  Most of the restoration on this tractor was minor engine repair, hydraulics, and painting it.  The second tractor Mark restored was a Farmall 300.  When Mark got this tractor it had seen better days.  Mark overhauled the entire tractor rebuilding the carburetor, tinkering with the torq-amplifier, adjusting the hydraulics, replacing the tires, and painting it. 

Mark finds his satisfaction working in the shop on equipment.  This winter he received his Keystone Degree and is going to continue with a placement SAE on the family farm to get his American Degree.  Mark lives on a family owned dairy farm and hopes to take it over from his dad and uncle when the right time comes.  Visits like this have shown me the connections you can make on a more personal level with your students.  The excitement Mark had showing me his project was contagious.  I look forward to making more visits in the up in coming weeks with students who have gotten livestock animals to show at the fair.

Promotion and Devotion

 

Wow what a week it has been!  National FFA Week at Lampeter Strasburg High School has come to a close and I am super proud of the job well done that the students did.  So let’s talk about the week.

To begin with I set the goal to have all my materials for the entire week ready to go by Monday afternoon.  For the most part I met this goal and it alleviated a good chunk of stress this week would bring.  I again am setting the same goal for myself this week.  Planning proved to be monumental this past week and whether it is National FFA Week or not having all your ducks in a row (for the most part) is super beneficial to the success of your Monday starting off on the right path and a continual upward climb than downward slope throughout the entirety of your week.

I want to specifically touch on three events that occurred during this past week.  The first was wear your official dress to school day.  While nothing has changed since I was in high school and we wore our official dress to school and many students complained and whined about having to do it.  Wearing your blue and gold corduroy jacket speaks volumes!  When other students and teachers see a swarm of blue and gold jackets you make a statement before even speaking to them.  You are a part of one of the largest and best youth development organizations.  You believe in the future of agriculture, enhancing your personal skills of leadership, group collaboration, public speaking and much more.  You learned that to live and work on a good farm, or be engaged in other agricultural pursuits, is pleasant as well as challenging.  You are an advocate.  You are the voice of modern day agriculture.

The second event was something my cooperating teachers informed me is a big hit every year and our preparation for it started well before National FFA Week.  On Wednesday the Garden Spot FFA chapter held an ice cream social for all the teachers after school.  The excitement and thanks received from faculty and staff was surreal!  Now think about this.  Where is your ag. classroom located?  Probably many of you like ours it is nestled way back in a far corner of the building.  So while we had all these teachers from other parts of the building corralled down in our wing we made the most of it.  Students’ projects from the vet science classes were out on display for the teachers to look at.  In my welding and electrical class we devoted a day solely for constructing different types of welds or electrical splices to be on display in the shop.  Anytime you get the chance to show off your program do it!  While it blows my mind the respect the other teachers have for my cooperating teachers.  I truly believe many of them really do not know what it is we do in the ag. department so that is why you have things like an ice cream social or teacher breakfast to show appreciation for all the days students have missed in their classes traveling to CDEs and other events.  And show them what it is you are doing in your classes.

Last was a farmer’s breakfast we put on this past Saturday.  The students did a phenomenal job delegating tasks and getting all the food and supplies around.  Again an event like this showed how much the FFA organization means to these kids getting up at 5am on a Saturday and the turnout from the community to support such an organization. 

While FFA Week only comes once a year that doesn’t mean you have to wait until then to show off all the cool things your chapter and students are doing.  Newspaper articles, bulletin boards, and school board meetings are all great ways to promote your program. 

Thinking About Having a Guest Speaker... This is for You!

Wow this past week has been a whirl wind of instruction, chapter FFA meeting, back to school night, and winter pep rally!  It might sound crazy, but I’m beginning to get used to this organized chaos.  The rapport that I am beginning to build with my students is phenomenal.  I can’t begin to say how thankful I am for the guidance and wisdom I am also receiving from my cooperating teachers as well.  I also witnessed the significance of back to school night and having an open line of communication with the parents.  While all these things left a lasting impression on me this week.  There is one thing I am super ecstatic to share with you.  That would be my career speaker panel I had come in on Friday afternoon for my vet science 2 class.

I began this event back in the fall semester preparing for my student teaching experience.  When people within the agricultural community came in to talk when I was in high school or in college during club events I greatly enjoyed these events.  My first unit of instruction in my vet science 2 class was terminology and careers in the animal sciences.  I began researching local companies, veterinarians, and talking with community members to begin to formulate a list of possible speakers.  When I got to Lampeter Strasburg I immediately began getting in contact with these people.  It was amazing how interested and supportive these people were willing to try and make it work in their busy schedule to come and talk to the students.  The big day finally came this past Friday and I must say I was blown away by my students’ interest and attention to the speakers the words of wisdom my speaker panel gave to the students and the overall success of the guest speaker panel.  So… you’re probably saying to yourself MASON who did you have come and speak?  Aaron Harris a recent graduate of Penn State and old roommate of mine came and spoke on behalf of Land O’Lakes.  Dr. John Kreider came and spoke on behalf of Eastern Lancaster County Veterinary Clinic.  Matt Hershey spoke on behalf of Select Sires.  Jeff Peifer spoke on behalf of ABS Genetics.  A Bradford County native!  Dr. Bill Braungard spoke about his experiences being a large animal veterinarian and his work formulating dairy nutrition rations with Cargill.  Dr. Gregory Martin spoke on behalf of Penn State Extension.  And John Frey spoke about his work promoting the dairy industry and providing support and resources to dairy farmers through The Center of Dairy Excellence. 

These seven men hit all the key points I wanted them to talk about to the vet science 1 and 2 classes and FFA members.  They spoke about their experiences in their chosen career field, educational background, working hard, and networking with everyone you come in contact with.  While everything went off without a hitch at least to those in the audience, but I filed a few things away for the next time I do an event like this.  Oh and by the way my cooperating teacher was away on a field trip with a student who won a scholarship so it was me in the room with the sub.  Here are a few takeaways…

1.      Preparation is crucial!  These events do not happen overnight!  With good planning you can pull things like this off, but you have to make numerous phone calls send emails align dates and times to work with everyone’s schedules and have answers to the questions they might ask when you are on the phone with them.

2.      Notify the office.  Let them know what is going to occur on the day of your event.  Notifying the office made things go much smoother. 

3.      Inform your speakers to wait in the office until a designated time when you will come and escort them down to the classroom.  I did not do this and I was running back and forth down the hallway picking up my guests.

4.      Name tags for your students make everything much more professional. 

5.      Having your students create meaningful questions and researching the companies that your guest speakers work for beforehand makes for much more of a purposeful discussion.

6.      Allow for time at the end of your guest speaker panel for them to give one final closing remark.  I kind of got cut short with time because of our winter pep rally.  I was busy making sure we got through a few of the students questions and did not allow for any time for the guests to make any final remarks

7.      THANK THEM!  Show them how appreciative you are of them.  Make sure to get email and postal addresses!

Week Two of Student Teaching at Lampeter Strasburg

Week two of student teaching was eye opening.  Monday as well as Friday were in service days.  Mrs. Oberholtzer and I made the most of it making copies, evaluating supplies, and brushing up on lessons.  The hallways were dark and quiet and I’m not sure if other teachers were tucked in their rooms or scooted out early.  Either way I saw that on days like Monday and Friday it is very important to get the most out of it.  Come in with a plan, work, work, work and make preparations you otherwise could not until the end of the regular school day. 

Fast forward to Thursday night which I had been super excited for all week.  Thursday night was our county record book meeting at Lancaster Mennonite High School.  This was the first time I got to interact with the other ag. teachers within the county.  The evening began with a short presentation from the conservation district followed by a dish to pass supper. 

After finishing our meal we began grading record books.  I was a bit nervous at first grading student’s record books.  I didn’t want to cheat any student out of points they worked so very hard for.  Sometimes things are never how they seem and the grading sheet provided to me helped me work through student’s record books off of AET.  AET really seems like a great platform for students to record their records on.  The more interaction I have with it is making me feel comfortable enough to work with students one day on my own using it.  The evening was long, but it was very enjoyable to read through students’ record books.

The other part of the evening that really warmed my heart was the laughs and conversations I had with the other ag. teachers.  Lancaster County has a very diverse group of teachers ranging in numerous years of experience, personal backgrounds, gender, and curriculum taught.  It was powerful to see the thoughtfulness and care they put into their students.  Events talked about at this meeting would not be conducted for another two months, but it takes ideal preparation for such large events to go off without a hitch.  It was also great to hear kind words from so many people about the program that I am in and the cooperating teachers I am placed with.  I am truly excited for the next 13 weeks.  Monday I begin teaching Vet Science II and agricultural mechanics wish me luck!  Stay tuned to also hear about a career speaker panel I have set up to occur in just a few short weeks!