All Things Athens!

When deciding which cohort member I wanted to visit virtually, I decided to go with someone that teaches at a school very far away from mine and a school that I thought ran things differently than Pequea Valley. Who might that be you ask? Why, Megan Royer! I was very excited to visit Miss Royer virtually and learn all about a school that is so close to New York, it might as well be a part of that state!

Like always, the day I chose to observe or have someone observe me always turns into a crazy day! I visited Athens when they had a half day, so the entire day was a “Go, Go Go!” kind of day, but one I can relate to and appreciated seeing. On top of that, the school was playing the wrestler matches for a few of the school’s students that made it to States. I was also excited to visit Miss Royer because I knew she had lots of fun and exciting projects going on and wanted to compare and get ideas for future courses I might teach!

Miss Royer teaching many courses throughout the day, and is constantly running up and down the steps to get to the different classrooms that she teaches in. I commend her for always knowing what class she is teaching and when, getting her online learners logged on right away, and coming into each class with a positive attitude. I also thought that Miss Royer did an amazing job balancing all the interruptions from the wrestling match on the loudspeaker. While it was a distraction for learners, Miss Royer was able to balance having students working on their projects and still enjoying the wrestling match!

It was interesting seeing how the different classes were as far as interaction from students and behavioral differences between classes and different grades. I noticed that some of the classes had students who were really chatty (in a good way) and other students who preferred to sit in completed silence.

There were some things that you can’t really tell on a Zoom call, like the room décor and the way each student behaves non-verbally, but there were many things that I could pick up. I noticed that students really appreciated enthusiasm and positivity from Miss Royer. I noticed that the shop class is ran differently than the one at Pequea Valley. I noticed how every class was filled with fun projects and learning opportunities from students!

While my visit to Athens was not the most conventional, I was able to learn so much about a different school district and area of Pennsylvania!

Comments

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