The week started off with my Ag Science 3 students finishing up their pesticides exams and beginning our next unit on soil and land use management. We started off with a fun review about the properties of soil and taking a look at soil profiles and how they are formed and ended with edible soil profiles for the win.
As the week progressed my students began engaging in their web soil survey land use project and on Wednesday took their private applicators exam. We ended the week with one student teaching us about rice production from planting to plate as part of the Penn State Teach Ag! Essay Contest.
In Ag mechanics this week we wrapped up our small gas engines unit and on Thursday began our welding unit. Starting with what is the definition of welding and moving into can we weld ice cubes with candles. The students were highly engaged in this lesson and by the end created a concert definition of what welding really is. I am excited to see if this high level of enthusiasm continues with them throughout this unit.
When I look back on the week there were some true highlights that I want to touch on. Not only did I get to try out some new fun activities and lesson ideas but I also had the opportunity to conduct my second SAE visit! I had the opportunity to not only see my students SAE project but engage in the process of tobacco stripping. The student walked me through the process from seeding the greenhouse the whole way to the selling point. I was in the right place to get my first schooling about the tobacco crop, a highly labor intensive crop that this students family has been growing for generations.
In addition, this week I attended the Penn Ag banquet where we chaperoned students that helped to sell 50/50 tickets to benefit their scholarship program. Now the banquet and watching the students engage with industry members was a highlight but the best part was the excitement of one student in particular.This student often voices to me how he dislikes getting homework because he has not time at home to complete it. Typically after school this student is working on the family farm and then eats dinner with his family and that about wraps up his day. Well on this particular night we left for the banquet after school and did not return until about 9:00, meaning this student had a much needed break for the night.
The highlight was watching as this student enjoyed the fruit and chocolate fondue offered during the meal. I'm not sure you could see the fruit for all the chocolate, but this student was so excited about this evening with amazing food, no farm work , and a comedian during dinner. It was a refreshing moment to see this student sincerely appreciative of this opportunity, perhaps more than the others. It's moments like this that just make me think about the impacts of agricultural education and the power of FFA.
As I continue to grow and develop as a beginning teacher I continue to hone the reasons why I have this burning passion for Ag Education, and its weeks like this that continue to remind me that its not only because of the impacts that we have on the students, but the impacts that students have on our lives as educators.Well thats all for this four day week, I can't wait to see what next week brings.
Till next time...
Wonderful blog Deanna. Glad a student chose to teach about rice from seed to table. Most of our students have no concept of this important crop. Also glad that you experienced some of the cultural heritage of Lancaster County via the tobacco SAE visit. A most important crop to many of our families.
ReplyDeleteThe observation on student at the banquet - away from the farm for one night - is a powerful observation. FFA adds so much to a students life experiences and often we do not see this. It also allows us to see students outside of their normal comfort zone. So students learn and we do too.