“Where are you going to student teach?”
It’s a question I’ve heard for years and one that, the closer to it I get, the scarier it becomes. What do I want in a cooperating center? Where do I look? How do I choose? It’s a huge decision and for someone as clinically indecisive as me, an overwhelming one. The school I am placed at will be my home for fifteen weeks next spring and will shape and guide me in my journey toward becoming an agricultural educator. While I know that there are so many wonderful agricultural education programs for me to choose from and that I would enjoy working with any of them, I know that there is one that will be the perfect fit for me. And I am determined to find that perfect fit.
To get an idea of where to begin, I spoke with some past and current PSU Ag Ed students about how they chose their student teaching placement. I interviewed Ms. Rose Cowan (#PSUAgEd18, a current student teacher at Penn Manor High School), Ms. Kayla Hack (#PSUAgEd17, teacher at Honesdale High School), and Ms. Jillian Gordon (#PSUAgEd15, teacher at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia).
One of my first questions was asking Rose, Kayla, and Jillian to rank the following items based on the priority in which they used them to determine their student teaching placements; location, size of the program, cooperating teacher’s personality, curriculum, and program’s reputation. Overall, it seemed that the personality of the cooperating teacher and the curriculum being taught had higher priority while the size and location of the program had lower priority and the reputation of the program was in the middle. I also found it interesting that the three teachers each had different opinions for different reasons, a reminder that this journey is unique to each individual and there is truly no prescribed right or wrong.
As I asked these mentors more questions, there were a few things I came to realize.
1. As Penn State Ag Ed students, we are very blessed with the program we have and the opportunities and support it provides.
2. I need to trust the process and the knowledge and experience behind it.
3. No matter where I end up, I will learn and grow through my experience there.
4. As scary as it might seem, I am really looking forward to student teaching.
So, armed with my newfound knowledge, some courage, and a week off from school (yay for spring break), I hit the road to visit agricultural education programs throughout Pennsylvania on my search to find the perfect fit.
Check out my video reflection below to hear what I thought!
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