Here's what I learned the last few days. It's been busy at big Mac, and there's no telling when things might slow down.
1) Sometimes things die. A week before the Aldine Livestock Show MacArthur experienced tragedy when one of goats at the school barn died. Thankfully, the student still had a lamb she got to show. The response from students was of genuine concern for the student who suffered the loss. There is a camaraderie among the livestock exhibitors that is truly touching. After school students gather at the barn for hours to help with each others projects, clean each others pens, and catch up. For anyone who says the agriculture education department is just a dumping ground for misspent students, I say come to the ag barn.
2) It's impossible not to get attached. I came into the situation promising myself that I would remain as unattached as possible, knowing in 14 weeks I'd pick up an move somewhere else to a different school with all new kids and teachers. However, that was easier said then done. These students stop in the hall to tell me about their animal, their classes, or life in general. I have kids that I'm secretly rooting for, hoping they'll be able to pull their grades up and graduate in the spring. I was especially touched when one young man asked how long I was going to be at the school and disappointed when I told him I was going back to the Iowa the end of April. He said "aw man, you won't be here for graduation? I'm graduating Miss Rudolphi." I wondered how many times graduation had been in jeopardy for this student and suddenly realized that graduation day would be very, very important.
3) Learning HAS to be fun. I walked into Mr. Arkadie's classroom on the first day and was not greeted by 30 computers, fancy electronics, or a smart board. Suddenly I realized all of the individual and group activities my classmates and I planned in ag eds 402 were worthless, as EVERYONE started their activity with "have students get out their computer...". I realized that this was just another challenge. Much like adjusting to the fact that I won't have to scrape my windshield every morning, I also had to learn how to teach without using much technology and still make it entertaining. In two weeks we have played every sort of game as an interest approach possible. We have played true-false games, variations of four corners (including three corners and two corners) board races, etc. Years of experience being a camp counselor have really come in handy.
4)Time flies when you're having fun. Not only can I not believe how fast the last month has gone, but I also cannot believe how fast every day goes. With school starting at 7am I initially thought the days might drag, but that is definitely not the case. Arkadie and I have three classes of welding in the morning followed by a livestock production class fourth period and Equine science fifth period. The last two periods of the day are conference/visitation for Arkadie so by 1:00pm all the teaching for the day is done and it's on to FFA stuff or planning for the next day. School is over at 2:45pm and then I usually go out to the barn.
5) Home is a feeling, not a place. The gravel roads of Iowa county will always be my home, but this week I realized just how comfortable I am at MacArthur. I got observed this week by Sue a supervising teacher that got appointed to me when I got down here. She is with the Aldine district and will serve in place of my adviser at ISU. Ideally, my ISU adviser would come supervise me 5-8 times throughout this experience but considering the time and resources required, Sue will supervise me instead. After spending about an hour and a half with me and watching a lesson Sue said "you seem very at home here, Josie. And your passion for agriculture is evident when you teach." Hearing someone else, from the outside, tell me that was very relieving. I learned that perhaps I do fit in here, and perhaps I could fit in anywhere. There's no telling where I might be teaching in less than a year, but I know I'm not afraid to travel to unknown places or explore different types of schools. So long as I'm teaching young people about agriculture, I'll be right at home no matter where I am.
This week is the livestock show. Today we spent the day with the other ag teachers in the district setting up the show ring. It's going to be a long but exciting week. Before I go, I want to thank everyone who has read this and/or commented. I appreciate all your support. I'd like to thank the 4 Canadians who have read this blog, or at least the 4 Canadian computers that accidentally routed their user to this site. The fact that I can tell my other ag ed friends that I'm an international blogger makes up for the fact that I have to do this blog in the first place.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The First Month
I've been at MacArthur Senior High School for four weeks. It feels unreal to think I've been student teaching for a month now. How time flies. So far I am loving this experience. My cooperating teacher and the other ag teacher at the school are absolutely phenomenal. This past month has been full of excitement and adventure adjusting to a high school that's almost the size of my hometown and getting to know some of the 5 million people that share my new zip code.
Here is what I've learned thus far student teaching....
1. Sometimes you have to start at the very beginning. For example, the first week of class Mr. Arkadie was discussing horse colorings and one student asked if we were going to talk about horses all semester. Mr. Arkadie turned to him and said "yes, son, this is a horse class." The student looking completely surprised responded with "it is? I thought this was equine science." ....and I thought I didn't know much about horses. My first week here I went with a couple students and Mr. Arkadie to some surrounding elementary students to host livestock petting zoos for students. One group of 2nd graders came out of the building and the principal told the teacher they were to visit the lamb first. The teacher nodded at the principal and said "the lamb? Ok, which one's that?"....I wish I had this story to tell three months ago when people were asking why on earth I thought I needed to go to Houston to teach agriculture education.
2. Sarcasm is a language every high school student speaks and valuable education tool. Considering this is Houston, Texas and my high school sits in a very Hispanic neighborhood I was worried I might need to know Spanish to fit in, however, the only language I need in high school is sarcasm, which is good because it's one that comes somewhat naturally. Recently, one teacher approached a young man and woman in the hall who obviously liked each other, or at least the way each other smelled, and said "you know, if you train your woman right she'll walk beside you and won't need to hold on to her like you are." I decided to get sarcastic after three weeks of holding my tongue and the students are responding positively.
3. There's more to agricultural education than FFA. At MacArthur, FFA is an option, but these students do not bleed corn gold and national blue, in fact they hardly know that is. Unless FFA meetings happen during the school day, hardly anyone attends. Unless that state convention is within 8 hours of Houston, Mac doesn't go. We aren't spending all spring gearing up for CDE contests and apply for proficiency awards, instead we are frantically getting ready for the Aldine ISD livestock show. The AISD show is a unique opportunity for students in FFA to show livestock. In the fall all the students who are interested get to buy animals, spend the winter taking care of them, and show them and then sell them in the spring. For many of these students their first time seeing a lamb is the day they show up in the fall to select theirs for the year. The neatest part about the show is that between October and February all the animals live together in the school barns. Every morning and after school students tend to and work with their animals. They learn responsibility, showmanship, and about animal nutrition together-- the perks of rural life within the city limits!
4. There's more to life then education. Here, high school is the least of these students' worries, in many cases. The school day is just the beginning to their very long day, or the end to a very long night.
5. When in doubt, grind. The first three hours of every day are welding in Mr. Arkadie's class. Right now things are pretty intense working to get a trailer made for the Aldine ISD Livestock Show silent auction. Despite being busy, having nearly 30 students is too many to have working on a trailer. While waiting to start new projects I've had to get creative in keeping students entertained. Without enough welders for student to practice welding with (Perhaps the ag ed dept could ship a few of their new ones down here....) the grinder has become my salvation. When students can't find anything to work on we find old pieces of welded metal and have competitions to see who can do the best job grinding down the weld. It's safer than welding, and cheaper, and grinding is a life skill everyone needs.
The days are long and the nights are short. I go to school in the dark and sometimes come home in the dark. Yet, I've never had so much energy or gotten out of bed at 5:10am with so much enthusiasm.
Here is what I've learned thus far student teaching....
1. Sometimes you have to start at the very beginning. For example, the first week of class Mr. Arkadie was discussing horse colorings and one student asked if we were going to talk about horses all semester. Mr. Arkadie turned to him and said "yes, son, this is a horse class." The student looking completely surprised responded with "it is? I thought this was equine science." ....and I thought I didn't know much about horses. My first week here I went with a couple students and Mr. Arkadie to some surrounding elementary students to host livestock petting zoos for students. One group of 2nd graders came out of the building and the principal told the teacher they were to visit the lamb first. The teacher nodded at the principal and said "the lamb? Ok, which one's that?"....I wish I had this story to tell three months ago when people were asking why on earth I thought I needed to go to Houston to teach agriculture education.
2. Sarcasm is a language every high school student speaks and valuable education tool. Considering this is Houston, Texas and my high school sits in a very Hispanic neighborhood I was worried I might need to know Spanish to fit in, however, the only language I need in high school is sarcasm, which is good because it's one that comes somewhat naturally. Recently, one teacher approached a young man and woman in the hall who obviously liked each other, or at least the way each other smelled, and said "you know, if you train your woman right she'll walk beside you and won't need to hold on to her like you are." I decided to get sarcastic after three weeks of holding my tongue and the students are responding positively.
3. There's more to agricultural education than FFA. At MacArthur, FFA is an option, but these students do not bleed corn gold and national blue, in fact they hardly know that is. Unless FFA meetings happen during the school day, hardly anyone attends. Unless that state convention is within 8 hours of Houston, Mac doesn't go. We aren't spending all spring gearing up for CDE contests and apply for proficiency awards, instead we are frantically getting ready for the Aldine ISD livestock show. The AISD show is a unique opportunity for students in FFA to show livestock. In the fall all the students who are interested get to buy animals, spend the winter taking care of them, and show them and then sell them in the spring. For many of these students their first time seeing a lamb is the day they show up in the fall to select theirs for the year. The neatest part about the show is that between October and February all the animals live together in the school barns. Every morning and after school students tend to and work with their animals. They learn responsibility, showmanship, and about animal nutrition together-- the perks of rural life within the city limits!
4. There's more to life then education. Here, high school is the least of these students' worries, in many cases. The school day is just the beginning to their very long day, or the end to a very long night.
5. When in doubt, grind. The first three hours of every day are welding in Mr. Arkadie's class. Right now things are pretty intense working to get a trailer made for the Aldine ISD Livestock Show silent auction. Despite being busy, having nearly 30 students is too many to have working on a trailer. While waiting to start new projects I've had to get creative in keeping students entertained. Without enough welders for student to practice welding with (Perhaps the ag ed dept could ship a few of their new ones down here....) the grinder has become my salvation. When students can't find anything to work on we find old pieces of welded metal and have competitions to see who can do the best job grinding down the weld. It's safer than welding, and cheaper, and grinding is a life skill everyone needs.
The days are long and the nights are short. I go to school in the dark and sometimes come home in the dark. Yet, I've never had so much energy or gotten out of bed at 5:10am with so much enthusiasm.
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