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Did Someone Say Pie??

I know I say this every week, but this week flew by! I might have only been in school for three days of the week, but it still went by quickly and realization is really kicking in that I now only have 10 days left of student teaching at Pequea Valley. 

Tuesday started off with the classroom filled with delicious smelling pie crusts! The Foods Unwrapped students spent the Wednesday before (we were virtual on Thursday before the holiday break, unfortunately) creating dough for pie crusts to determine which type of lipid created the most desirable pie crust. The lipids in question were Crisco, butter, and canola oil. Before the lab, students had background information about lipids, types of lipids, and the functional properties of lipids. They also understood the differences between saturated and unsaturated fats and know which lipids are the healthiest, and which are not so healthy. Tuesday the students came in and we baked the pie crust right away so they could observe and taste the crusts and determine which one tasted the best!

There were some mixed reviews, but the majoring thought that the butter tasted the best (and I definitely agree). A few thought that Crisco tasted the best, but NO ONE thought that the canola oil tasted the best. This was a fun lab to do and students loved the chance to taste their creations! The Lipids Unit was fun and interesting and everyone (including myself) learned so much about something were are consuming. This was my second and last unit that I taught in Foods Unwrapped, which means that I am going back to observing!

Crisco
Butter
Canola Oil 
This week, I dropped a few classes that I am teaching and now only have Intro to Ag Mechanics and Vet Science. Not teaching a full course load feels weird, but I am also grateful for the breather at the same time! While I am not actually teaching Horticulture or Foods Unwrapped anymore, I still am trying to be involved in the class and act as more as a teacher's assistant. I have only had two days of not having the full course load, but I already feel like I am learning so much from observing someone else teach. There are so many things that I was not paying attention to or didn't pick up when I was observing in the beginning of my student teaching experience, so it has been eye-opening to observe little things that occur in teaching that I now know to look for from experience. 

Week 12 was short, but fun at the same time. I am very excited/nervous to start the Welding Unit in Vet Science and am really looking forward to continuing learning about bandaging and to move into suturing in Vet Science! 

#PSUAGED21, are you starting to drop courses? If so, do you also feel like it is very different observing now than it was at the beginning of this experience? 

Comments

  1. elise laudenslagerApril 11, 2021 at 9:38 AM

    Hello Friend!
    While I do not know much about food science, it looks like such a fun class to teach!!! Who wouldn’t love a snack throughout the day haha. I also just started my welding unit for Ag Mech and honestly it was not as bad as I thought. Before we entered the shop to begin my first demonstration I was honest with the students that while I had the theory down, my own skills still needed some work. Also, be sure that when reviewing safety you remind them that their biggest chance of being burned (as long as they wear proper ppe) is picking up a hot piece of metal and not the actual arc. I think this helped them to feel more comfortable steeping into the booth. Also, I know you already did your electrical wiring unit and there are a lot of great opportunities to pull from circuit theory while explaining how a welder works!! Good luck :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nicole GuiseApril 12, 2021 at 4:29 AM

    Hi Michaela - I am curious, what is Foods Unwrapped? Is that the name of your food science course? I have also started to give up courses. It is a different dynamic compared to observing the first week of student teaching. I feel like during my first week I was a deer in the headlights and more worried about content. Versus now, I feel like I am more focused on best practices for delivering instruction or logistics of running a class/FFA program. 2 weeks to go, you got this!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michaela SmithApril 15, 2021 at 7:27 AM

      Foods Unwrapped is a more lab-based food science class that they have here at Pequea Valley. They have a food science course as well though! Students look mainly at the functional properties of lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, etc. and how they use those functional properties in food.

      Delete
  3. John EwingApril 12, 2021 at 8:47 AM

    Michaela,

    Great blog. It is fun to see the activities that you include in your class to help them learn skills and work at evaluating different "creations". Keep up the great work! It will be great to see you teach later this week, too!
    -Dr. Ewing

    ReplyDelete

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