Planning is Key: Student Teaching ATHENS STYLE

Last weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to chaperone 44 students from Athens at the Pennsylvania FFA Association ACES Conference. Mr. and Mrs. Steinfelt and I were extremely proud of our students and how they represented the Athens FFA Chapter name.

Some of my students printed some pictures from the conference and put them in a frame for me! This was a really sweet and thoughtful gesture that really made me feel like their FFA Advisor, I was even wearing my owl necklace that day!

We were also very excited that after this busy, fun-filled, and exciting weekend that we had Monday off for the holiday! What a nice treat to have a day of rest in between the conference and the work-week. I was very excited to be able to spend that extra day planning and preparing for the week.

However, Monday night the skies darkened, the clouds appeared and snow and ice descended upon Athens Area School District. Tuesday morning started off with a text from Mr. Steinfelt saying we had a two hour delay! Wow, I thought, it's about time (not that I was counting or anything but I was pretty sure that I was the only student teacher at this point who had not had a two hour delay or school day canceled at this point!) This then escalated to a day off of school.

Mr. Steinfelt and the Athens Area SD website both confirmed the news that school was canceled!

Wow, the freedom! A second day off of school... what to do? Lesson plan of course! I was also able to work on several AEE 495 assignments and plan for the future.

However, this sure made school on Wednesday (which really felt like a Monday) pretty difficult. The students were very wound up after having such a long break. The routine was changed and that is certainly difficult. I was excited to be able to take the time in each class on Wednesday and apologize to the students for not telling them before hand that I would be missing class on Friday. Many of the students had heard about my dad and wanted more information. This was a valuable lesson for me in transparency and honesty for communication with my students. It was also a really incredible lesson on compassion from my students who all solemnly accepted my apology and asked more questions about my family and how my weekend was etc. I was floored by their sincerity.

Schedule for FFA Week, Athens FFA knows what's what!

Wednesday involved a lot of changing plans to ensure that everything was in order for National FFA Week next week and upcoming exams! Thursday was a rush to ensure that students turned in their assignments to me and that I had sub plans ready for Mr. Steinfelt. Yet again I was going to be missing a Friday class. Mr. Steinfelt and I were also able to sit down and discuss some of my electrical wiring unit (which I am apprehensive about) and then went to pick up supplies for the plumbing unit!

Supplies for DAYS!

Friday was a CELEBRATION for the #psuaged16 cohort. We were able to engage in professional development and learn more about resumes, cover letters, and education interviews. This experience was really valuable because we were able to come together as a cohort and share experiences, troubles, advice, etc. with each other. We were also truly blessed to have incredibly dynamic professionals come help us. From first year teachers, to school superintendents, to PSU Career Services personnel, we had a lot of valuable help!

BIG TAKE-AWAYS
- Snow days are fun, but make things complicated!
- Germination Labs in horticulture class take three times as long as you think they should
- Our cohort is able to network and expand our professional acquaintances through leadership and professional development workshops
- Lettuce from the Greenhouse does taste better!

#AgTeacherBag

Well, that was the long and short of my long yet short week!
Thanks for reading

-Sarabeth