Week 13: We are ALL-In!!

 What a great week!! Regional LDEs, the ALL-In Conference, formal observations, and tons of student growth! As I sit down to write week 13's blog, it feels like Monday was so long ago. While weeks like this can often feel overwhelming, I am so thankful for the extra time to connect with my students and CTs. 

Let's recap some of the week's Highlights:

Regional LDEs:

Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to gain some coaching experience working with L-S's Creed speakers. After weeks of practices, learning about body language, speech inflection and how to answer questions professionally one 9th grader placed 1st place during our Regional contest this past week and will be moving onto the State level competition. Through this experience I learned a lot about the kind of time commitment that is needed past your standard teaching contract in order to be effective as an FFA advisor/LDE coach, and the reward that can come from putting in the effort. I am so proud to have been a part of this student's journey and I know they will find much success in future speaking competitions! 

ALL-In Conference:

In a "normal" year FFA members would have the opportunity to travel to a wide array of leadership conferences throughout the year, however due to Covid restrictions these were all combined in one, virtual format: the ALL-In Conference! This conference has two tracks - a gold (targeted towards upperclassmen) and a blue (targeted toward underclassmen). Students each received their own zoom link and could participate remotely from anywhere, however we decided to invite them all back to school in order to enjoy the company of their peers (something I believe students have truly been missing this past year). 

Students participated in sessions that expanded their leadership and ag literacy knowledge, and also had an opportunity to connect with their peers at L-S and other members across the state! It was wonderful to students having fun and connecting outside of class. I look forward to being able to take students to in person conferences in the future! 

Observations and Student Growth: 

While this week was packed from start to finish with fantastic activities and learning opportunities for both my students and myself, my favorite part was my formal observations on Thursday. Yes, I know it probably sounds crazy that I actually enjoyed being observed, but I have come to love the opportunity to show off my student's work and receive valuable feedback for my own growth. 

During my first block (Ag Mechanics) I had both my university supervisor and an assistant principle from L-S sitting in. After a quick review of welding safety and welder parts, we transitioned over to the shop. Due to the hybrid schedule, it had been 5 days since these students had been in the shop so I made sure to throughly go over the steps to setting up a welder and showed them another demonstration on striking an arc and creating a tack weld. I explained the goals for the day: To complete the sticking an arc practicum and practice tack welding skills. After that it was student work time. 

A big take away from this semester is that all students work and move through material at different paces. So how do you adjust to make sure the more skilled students don't get bored but that you don't rush past the fundamentals for others? I've found that providing clear instructions for students to check in for feedback and further instructions throughout a lesson in the shop works best. As a student completed a new task they would get my attention and in 1 minute I could provide them with feedback and next steps. Some students moved faster and others continued practicing the fundamentals, but by the end of the lesson, my goals were accomplished and everyone was engaged and learning throughout the entire period.

At the end of this period, I asked my students to share something new (a pro tip or important piece of information) that they picked up during the lesson as part of our wrap up. I really like this quick discussion at the end of class because it allows all of my small pieces of feedback to individual students to circle back and benefit the entire group. One student spoke up and shared "...that you can do a lot better if you put in the effort"! Arc length, speed, angle, and amperage are all so important to creating a quality weld, but what does pounding that into students head's mean if they do not have a growth mindset and willingness to continue learning? I am so glad that even in the craziness of this lesson, and this whole semester, my students have picked up on the most important thing I could teach them. This is something I will carry with me as motivation in my future career. 

At the conclusion of this lesson, I debriefed with the assistant principle. We talked through each part of the lesson, and had a great conversation on the strong points and areas to continue to think about in order to grow. One thing that really stood out to me was that this was a real conversation! Both parties asking questions, discussing daily challenges of the hybrid model and thinking of creative ways to overcome those obstacles. As I search for a future teaching position, I will definitely be thinking about finding a school with a supportive administration that is willing to come down to the Ag shop and truly listen to our concerns. 

All in all this was a great week! Looking ahead, I am sad that this will be my final week at L-S. I have learned so much and created so many connections. 

Questions:

#psuaged21 

What is one thing you have observed during student teaching that will stick with you as you move forward in your career?

What are your feelings about going into our final week?