Student Teaching - Day 1

My blog has a new purpose!

Because I've started my semester of student teaching, and I need to keep a daily log, my blog will serve as my journal for student teaching. I'm very excited!

YOED 4000 met this week on campus, and I went to Portland, my first placement, on Wednesday. I stayed all day, although we only had to observe a few classes. Knowing the teachers and many students ahead of time made me feel right at home, so I didn't mind staying. The classes were all going over Parli Pro for degree requirements, so I was able to lend my knowledge when they got a little hung-up. I love Parli Pro! I also love that it was only the second day of class but they were already being engaged in active learning for something that can certainly benefit them regardless of their industry.

I think I will be going back and forth between some of Mr. Shartzer's and Mrs. Amy's classes. She has Floral Design 1st block, possibly my favorite ag class ever!, so I hope I can teach a little in there. Mr. Shartzer's 1st block is Ag Mech. Just because I made an A in my own Ag Mech class doesn't mean they should rely on me just yet! I hope Mr. Shartzer allows me to plan some days for experts in different fields - plumbing, construction, welding, etc. - to come into the class and either help with a project or just discuss tips on getting a job in their respective industry. If we do this, I hope my dad can get away from his woodworking job to speak to the class. He's very creative and I'd love for him to discuss the best way to interview for a job of his type.

I also want my mom to demonstrate some fun ideas from her 4-H Dog Project for Mrs. Amy's Small Animal Care class. I want to try to incorporate the young 4-H'ers in her group with the high school students. Beneficial for both! Mr. Shartzer also has Wildlife Management - a subject I had always thought should be a CDE and hope one day to make it so - and Ag Sales. Amazing classes that I can't wait to teach!

As for my first day, I also was asked to help right a speech for one of the chapter officers. I was happy he had just met me but trusted me enough to revise his speech. I get to do that this weekend! I'm trying to think of an effective way to help him add meat to the speech in the places I would suggest without writing any of it myself. I'm thinking a list of effective words and phrases, some printing research, and leaving blank spaces in his draft. I trust he can do it, and at the same time I know what kind of things he could add to make it exemplary, so I want to meet in the middle somehow.



At the end of the day, the afternoon announcements came on and told me I had a message. When I got to the office, I had flowers!! It's actually a live plant (I noticed later) with some flowers inserted. This means I can keep it forever in my own classroom one day and remember when some of the ladies from the 4-H office gave me flowers on the first day of my student teaching.


This weekend I plan to finish hemming the rest of my dress pants, wash the dress clothes I wore to class this week, plan some ideas to ask Mr. Shartzer and Mrs. Amy about, work on Discussion Meet (not student teaching related, but needs to be done), and revise the speech for my new student. :)

I can't wait for my first full week!