Week 4 Student Teaching @etown

Monday - Today was a great day in all three sections. In both sections of Ag. Mech. I Mr. Anderson and I have really developed a co-teaching approach that has benefited the students beyond just at reduction in the student/teacher ratio. The students are showing competent development in their welding skills due to on the spot interactions with their instructors. I enjoy the students considering my guidance and looking to me to help them develop their basic welding skills. Part of what its all about to be an ag.ed. teacher to me.
My Greenhouse management section has hit their stride in developing their research projects and should be ready tomorrow to present their papers and posters providing the first full blown public speaking/presentation experience for many of them. I am going to work hard to set the stage for this experience to make it a positive, productive, and dynamic form of assessment. My approach with objectives continues to keep the students focused on our mission each day, beginning with the end in mind.

Tuesday -  Co-teaching with primary responsibility in the lab for both sections of Ag. Mech. I is going really well with the students comfortable with me hovering around them or seeking me out for advice. It really works well when I am able to refer the students to Mr. Anderson that need to fine tune their techniques because I am able to listen in for both his advice and his approach to handling the fine welding skills that are needed to move on to the next phase. He has a great way of working through the good, the bad, and the ugly without sounding like he is the authority on running beads. He and the student work through the good part of the bead and areas for improvement so that the student walks away with a feeling of accomplishment and attitude toward continuous improvement. I have used Mr. Anderson's approach and adapted it to query the students when they come to me as to what they like and dislike about their welds before I offer any input. We then discuss both techniques for improvement and mental adjustments that might for example, slow them down.  One example, counting one thousands might help some develop rhythm in their welding technique. This holistic approach seems to help some of them improve their competency.
Today was presentation day for half of the groups culminating their experience as "Botanist's For a Week" using technology in the classroom. I used this opportunity to develop good presentation skills and a relaxed demeanor, especially in students who were presenting for the first time. I considered it to be a success and was impressed with the academic content that the students focused upon. We also used the opportunity to discuss media in presentations comparing and contrasting three different YouTube videos and three different posters. I would definitely do this exercise again and believe it would also suit different content applications providing a learner centered experience that puts much of the responsibility for learning and content, on the learner. I will bring it all together after the last three groups present tomorrow.
I am still challenged to make sure I am taking the time to get everyone's attention before I speak, you would not think it would be that difficult to develop the "teacher look" or use silence but, sometimes I seem to get myself in a hurry or my mind is trying to stay one step ahead to keep things rolling. I need to think about that and work on it!
Wednesday- Today was presentation day for the last three groups in our Botanist for a week activity. The groups impressed me for the most part given it was the first time for a lot of them. We prepared for the presentations by reviewing presentation skills and techniques that they have learned or seen over the course of this experience. I even used myself as an example. We spent a considerable amount of time discussing the presentations and wrapping the unit up tying it all together by bringing in the relevancy of this project around to Greenhouse Management and Landscape Design.
Both agriculture mechanics sections made great strides in three days going from no experience with running a bead to doing a respectable job in their submissions for grades. Again, the co-teaching component of this experience with Mr. Anderson really is a bonus unexpected experience for me and I appreciate his flexibility in sharing it with me.
Work on the Bear Trap with our independent study student is really progressing nicely with it now looking and functioning as a real bear trap.

Thursday was a snow day and Friday was @ PSU which was one of the more beneficial seminars we have had to date. I left State College and spent the night in Harrisburg to avoid any weather related issues with ACES Saturday morning. I am glad I did!