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Well That was a Blur


As I am writing this blog and reflecting on this past week of student teaching, I'm left wondering what even happened. It was one of those weeks where one day you woke up and it was week 5 of student teaching and by the end of the day it is already week 6! This past week started with no school on Monday, and ended with a snow day and a virtual learning day (because of the snow). So with only one full in-school session and another half day of in-school learning, I don't have many days to reflect on, but I do have so much to look forward to!

Recap of Week 5:

  1. Students are still working on soldering in Intro to Ag Mechanics, and I am realizing how hard it is to have students in completely different places in the shop. I know that most of that has to do with COVID, but I also know that this could happen any year with sicknesses, sports, etc. It is hard to manage students in a shop that are ready to move onto the next project, and still have some that need a demonstration to start the first step. 
  2. My Vet Science students are finally done preparing for the fetal pig dissection after completing their group  research on animal systems! They should be good to go for a Monday start!
  3. Virtual days are strange to me, especially when they are asynchronous. Hardly any of my students completed the activity that I had posted on their daily agenda. I think after Friday's virtual day, I realize how important it is for (some) students to be in school. It seems like they have way more motivation when they are in school, rather than told to do work at home. It also didn't help that the day before was a snow day so they already had a break from school.

Things to Look Forward To: 

  1. The fetal pig dissection! I am very excited to finally be starting this and seeing how each student does with it!
  2. Picking up horticulture full time! I am ready to learn more about horticulture and get students excited about plants and agriculture. 
  3. FFA Week! While I have participated in various FFA weeks, I am really excited to see things from an advisor perspective. The officer team has a great week lined up and I'm glad to be apart of it all. 

My Main Focuses Moving Forward: 

  1. Getting my talkative class to understand when it is time to stop the extra chatter and focus on me or the task at hand. I want the class to feel like they can talk to each other and to feel welcomed in the class, but I need them to know when it is time to get serious. This is something I started to work on last Wednesday, but it an area that I want to do better in this week. 
  2. Preparing for Horticulture and Food Science. I will be starting a full class load during week 7, and I want to be fully prepared so I am not overwhelmed. I am looking forward to working with new students, because I know from my observations that each class is very different because of student dynamics!
Fingers crossed that week 6 of student teaching is a full one, but we will see how the weather and pandemic cooperate!

Comments

  1. elise laudenslagerFebruary 21, 2021 at 2:21 PM

    This past week certainly did seem to go by quickly! I think one of the biggest things that I am learning during this experience is that as educators we need to be adaptable. It can be difficult to manage this new online learning world, however I think if we continue to stress the importance of our lessons and try our best to be a positive face for the students to see everyday we can keep them engaged and excited about learning. I'm looking forward to hearing how your activities for this upcoming week turn out!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nicole GuiseFebruary 22, 2021 at 4:51 AM

    Hi Michaela - I am also crossing my fingers for a full week of "normal" instruction. My Intro to Ag students are doing the CASE Build-A-Bloom activity and we keep having to postpone it, but hopefully this week we will get to do it! I think I have the opposite problem when it comes to chatty students - some days I just feel like I'm talking to myself all day long. Any suggestions? You're doing great! Keep up the amazing work, excited to hear more at mid-internship seminar!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michaela SmithFebruary 22, 2021 at 5:28 AM

      In the beginning of the semester I tried really hard to get to know my students and now I ask them questions based off of what they like and do. I have really been focusing on my shy students and remembering personal things to strike a conversation. It seems to help them feel more comfortable and willing to talk when they are unsure at first.

      Delete
  3. John EwingFebruary 22, 2021 at 5:34 AM

    Michaela,
    Thank you for sharing your week with us. As you noted, this experience goes past very quickly. I am glad you are focusing on getting better so your students have the best learning opportunities. Your example of getting students on task is a good one. You are 100% right that students need to "want" to be there and have fun, but you as the teacher must set the tone for getting down to business when that bell rings. Keep up the great work and I hope week 6 is a good one!
    -Dr. Ewing

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mrs. VanSantMarch 1, 2021 at 6:56 PM

    Michaela,
    It's great to see how much you have grown in just two weeks! Getting learners to listen rather than chattering is already a huge improvement. Although this is a difficult year, one thing that we have all realized is just how important education is for our students and being able to provide that space for them at school is crucial to their educational success. Being frustrated that learners didn't complete your online assignments is a good thing.... it means you care! Keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete

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