Whoa This Thing is for Real!

Over the last several weeks I have had many people inquire to how student teaching is going, the answer is always the same sarcastic response "i'm surviving." Yes it's good news that i'm surviving but even better news is i'm having a great experience. Taking time to reflect each week I ask myself how I got so lucky to be a part of such an amazing school and program. As I continue to add classes, get to know my students, and attend various events it's clear to me that I have definitely chose the right profession. This week I continued to help students prepare for for an upcoming leadership development event, taught two classes, and experienced the 8th grade visit day.

The 8th grade visit was probably one of the coolest events I have experienced in an Ag program thus far. Prior to the 8th graders transitioning into the high school they have the opportunity to visit the local vo-tech and visit the high school, helping aid in their decision as to which one they want to attend. Different from my home town students who choose to go to vo-tech will actually spend the entire day at the facilities taking all of their courses including their specialized areas and  regular core classes. So the 8th grade visit is extremely important to help students decide where they want to go to high school.

During the visit to Central Columbia High School they spent the entire school day visiting the various programs and pathways that the school has to offer. During the visit the ag sciences wing students got a taste of a variety of units taught throughout the program. The first stop was finding out what FFA was all about from a couple of our officers. Then they headed to the greenhouse to learn all about seeds, ultimately getting the opportunity to plant seeds. One of my favorite activities included the stop at the live animal lab where students were able to interact with rabbits, a calf, and a goat. The last stop was discussing biology, anatomy, and animal science as students got to feel a set of cow lungs as they were being inflated and deflated. I know that if I were an 8th grader seeing these awesome opportunities that the agricultural program had to offer I would definitely choose the ag sciences, sciences, and health pathway.

My task throughout the day was to take the time to visit the rest of the school. I took some tips from my students on which classrooms I had to visit and they sure picked some good ones. I checked out the media center which hosts the weekly school news, arts and theater, and the sports medicine program. It was a great experience checking out what the rest of the school had to offer. Overall, it made me even more proud to call myself a Blue Jay for the next few weeks.


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