It was a whirlwind of a week as we have officially hit the 1/3 mark of our student teaching internship!
Sunday, as I thought about the week ahead, I did not feel prepared. After two snow (cold) days last week and then being out Friday for the Global Learning in Agriculture Conference, I hadn't seen my students in almost a week. On top of that, I was on the road all weekend to attend a family member's funeral. Sunday night I sat in my apartment and stared at my plans for the week wondering how I would get through it.
And what a week it turned out to be!
Monday was filled with exciting lessons as I got back into the swing of things, cheese sampling in Animal and Vet Science, engine parts in Power Technology, model flowers in Plant and Soil Science, public speaking in Ag Careers and Leadership.
Tuesday was even crazier as I taught a long day of classes, conducted an SAE visit, raced back to school for a #PSUAgEd19 Cohort meeting, and then headed to the county Farm Bureau meeting to wrap up the night. By the time I walked through my door at 9:30, I was more than ready to call it a day.
Two crazy days led to another as the hecticness of Tuesday meant that I showed up to my first two classes on Wednesday a bit unprepared. I thought on my feet and made it through both periods without a hitch, though I now understand why preparation is so crucial! But hey, that's life sometimes and it was a good test for me to roll with the punches and think quickly.
Thursday and Friday flew by and left me wondering how a week can simultaneously feel so long and yet pass so quickly.
It was a crazy week, an exhausting week, a challenging week, but I didn't work a day of it. I've heard the quote, "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life." a few times but until this week, it didn't mean much to me. Was I tired this week? Yes. Did I wish there were more hours in a day? Yes. Was I occasionally challenged and frustrated? You bet. But at the end of every day, I could sit back and smile at what the day had held. Each morning I could head out to school excited and happy to be doing so.
Agricultural Education is not the right career for everyone. You have to love it, and wow, do I love it. Tuesday, Mr. Hughes had a meeting during 8th period so a substitute teacher was sent down to monitor the class. My freshmen are, well, freshmen, and tend to get a bit rowdy. The period was hectic and loud and by the time the bell rang, I needed to take a moment to catch my breath. As I was collecting my materials to pack up, the substitute turned to me and said, "That was great." I definitely laughed a little bit because to me, it had been far from a great period. He smiled, "Seriously, you are great at what you do." This little bit of encouragement has had me thinking all week. Every lesson will not go as planned, every day will not be perfect, students will not always behave perfectly, but if you do what you love and you don't give up, that's half the battle.
I love Agricultural Education, I know it is what I have been called to do. Every morning when I leave my apartment, I know I am in the right place. When a student finally understands a concept that they have been struggling with, it makes the tough days worth it. When someone tells me that I am doing a great job, even when I feel like I am failing, it reminds me of why I am here. Being an ag teacher may take a lot of time and energy but to me, it's not work, it's what I love.
Sunday, as I thought about the week ahead, I did not feel prepared. After two snow (cold) days last week and then being out Friday for the Global Learning in Agriculture Conference, I hadn't seen my students in almost a week. On top of that, I was on the road all weekend to attend a family member's funeral. Sunday night I sat in my apartment and stared at my plans for the week wondering how I would get through it.
And what a week it turned out to be!
Tuesday was even crazier as I taught a long day of classes, conducted an SAE visit, raced back to school for a #PSUAgEd19 Cohort meeting, and then headed to the county Farm Bureau meeting to wrap up the night. By the time I walked through my door at 9:30, I was more than ready to call it a day.
Thursday and Friday flew by and left me wondering how a week can simultaneously feel so long and yet pass so quickly.
It was a crazy week, an exhausting week, a challenging week, but I didn't work a day of it. I've heard the quote, "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life." a few times but until this week, it didn't mean much to me. Was I tired this week? Yes. Did I wish there were more hours in a day? Yes. Was I occasionally challenged and frustrated? You bet. But at the end of every day, I could sit back and smile at what the day had held. Each morning I could head out to school excited and happy to be doing so.
Agricultural Education is not the right career for everyone. You have to love it, and wow, do I love it. Tuesday, Mr. Hughes had a meeting during 8th period so a substitute teacher was sent down to monitor the class. My freshmen are, well, freshmen, and tend to get a bit rowdy. The period was hectic and loud and by the time the bell rang, I needed to take a moment to catch my breath. As I was collecting my materials to pack up, the substitute turned to me and said, "That was great." I definitely laughed a little bit because to me, it had been far from a great period. He smiled, "Seriously, you are great at what you do." This little bit of encouragement has had me thinking all week. Every lesson will not go as planned, every day will not be perfect, students will not always behave perfectly, but if you do what you love and you don't give up, that's half the battle.
I love Agricultural Education, I know it is what I have been called to do. Every morning when I leave my apartment, I know I am in the right place. When a student finally understands a concept that they have been struggling with, it makes the tough days worth it. When someone tells me that I am doing a great job, even when I feel like I am failing, it reminds me of why I am here. Being an ag teacher may take a lot of time and energy but to me, it's not work, it's what I love.
Victoria,
ReplyDeleteI love the pictures. It shows active engagement of your students. You are able to do this through planning, as you mentioned in your post. I just want you, and anyone reading this post, to remember that you were able to "think on your feet and roll with the punches" for a couple of your class sessions, because you do good planning, and can make connections/adjustments to those situations where you may be feeling less than fully prepared. Keep up the great work, and I look forward to seeing this all in action very soon (weather permitting ) .
-Dr. Ewing
I enjoyed reading this and I am very happy for you ;)
ReplyDeleteVictoria, this is the part of the student teaching that starts to really stretch and test your time management/planning skills. I'm sure you are noticing that every second of "free time" counts and that there are dozens of ways for you to spend it. With more time and practice you will continue to develop time management/planning practices that work for you.
ReplyDelete