A Week of First's

I can't believe that week four of student teaching is in the the books. This was a week of firsts for me.

It was the first week/time that I have ever been dismissed early from school for the potential of ice due to the increasingly cold temperatures.

This week was the first time that I had a student confide in me about why they were having a rough day and why they refused to do anything in my class that day ( something that was not the norm for this student).


It was also the first week that I feel that my encouragement and knowledge aided in a student staying after school to work on their awards application. It sounds silly but it is a good feeling when a student  stays after school because of you… connections are being made.

It was also the first time that I brought out the big T word…Trust... to my students, a chat that we had to have to ensure that their behaviors do not escalate nor continue as they were.

It was the first time that I have had a student that was suspended from school, this lead to another first of having to gather work to send home for him. Unfortunately we are in the heart of our electrical wiring unit so much of what we are doing is the hands on component that I can not easily replicate for the student.

I also had my first parents night this week, what an interesting time. I was intrigued to hear the questions that parents had for the teachers, and what concerns they had about their child's agricultural education. On a side note I think that I sometimes take for granted the information that I know from being in college. For example, if you mention the world population or 2050, many people, aka the academic world know that this is when the population is expected to reach 9 billion people and agriculture is expected to produce 50% more food than before. However, it was expressed last night that the local community or a least many parents, are just learning of these numbers and statistics.

Another first was aiding in preparing for a conference, we are taking 7 students to the State Legislative Leadership Conference in March and although Ms. C had most of the form completed I get to finish the rest and even email it in. I know what your thinking, WOW emailing a form that is really no big deal… your wrong it is a big deal, when it is something that you have never done before. Not the emailing part of course but the being responsible for my students registration part. In addition, I also got to create the take home packets, and learn about all of the verification forms that had to be signed in order for students to partake in an overnight trip.

A big first this week was attending my first official Manor FFA meeting, 7:00 p.m., Ag Room 342, 50 students and a raring Parliamentary Procedure Team making amendments and taking names.

This week was my first time writing a grant application, my cooperating teacher and I are looking to secure crop and weed seed samples as well as a moisture sensor to aid our students both in the classroom as well as FFA and SAE projects. 

Finally a first this week was having my first "real" job interview. An interview where they asked more than just the generic interview questions, they were out to learn about my views on education, assessment, and building rapport with my students.

To my readers these firsts may seem simple but the little unknowns can quickly build a daunting tower. 


My final thought for this week is something that I feel I need to share, it is perhaps the greatest reflective realization that I have had thus far...


I have come to the conclusion that I am not the teacher that I thought I would be in the classroom.  I began evaluating why this was and really reflecting on the thoughts and beliefs of what kind of teacher I want to be.

 I look at the experienced teachers that I respect and hold in the highest regard and I find qualities in them that I want to be able to express one day in the classroom. They meet the image of myself that I had conceived prior to student teaching. 

What I overlooked was when I would reach this image and goal, the teacher I want to be is not a student teacher or a new teacher, it is the image of a 3, 5 or 10 year teacher that I one day will be.

 I know that I will not reach these expectations of myself while student teaching or even my first few years of teaching, and that is ok. 

I am a different person everyday that I leave school. I have a new look on the impact I am making, and the future that I see for myself, I constantly am refining and reflecting what I have done and will do differently in the future. This is the stage that I am at and I will progress at my own pace till I reach the image that I want to reflect.


 till next time...

“We do not learn from experience... we learn from reflecting on experience.”

~John Dewey~