ACES: Week 1

The end of one month is coming to an end and with that the beginning of a new adventure, a new role, with ACES. ACES stands for agricultural cooperation establishes success and is one of the first FFA conferences of the year. Members from all over the state come together to learn how to build leadership and other personal skills within fun, interactive workshops. Let's not forget about the food! Those mashed potatoes are to die for! Each year this event is located at the Sheraton in Harrisburg spanning over 3 weeks that chapters can choose from. Yet, there will be four weeks this year due to the abundance of chapters and members traveling to attend. 

This year it is my turn to go to ACES not as a student, like I did for my four years of high school, but as a student teacher/advisor. I was not only coming with Big Spring Middle FFA, but also the High School FFA. What I can tell you for sure is that it is a different experience. One that left me completely exhausted days after the event. It all started with the Teacher Karaoke game on the first day. Did I get over my fear of singing in public? ... Absolutely not. Although, I realized I have to keep up with the newer songs if I ever get voluntold to do this game at another ACES again. 

Still, I was able to learn some other valuable tips that I will carry with me as an agricultural teacher. First, before going to ACES, always hold a meeting with the members to talk through expectations and etiquette. While middle schoolers know how to eat, they sometimes don't understand how not to play with their food or how to avoid too many leftovers/wasted food. Don't get me started on sugar and sugary drinks like, Mountain Dew! There just needs to be a limit set. As for expectations at night or in the halls, students must be warned about the noise level and the correct behaviors while still being allowed to have fun. The last thing that you want to do is to get a call from the Courtesy Corp (something I can now say that I've tried). However, if you do need to pull a student aside and warn them of their behavior, it is better to be firm from the beginning, but also show them the reasoning behind why your behavior standards are the way that they are (which is usually for the wellbeing of students). Once you have established firm standards, then, over time, can you become softer in your approach with students. I totally saw the difference with this during ACES comparing when I had to talk to the one middle schooler one-on-one and when my cooperating teacher did so.

Overall, I learned a lot from this weekend, even if it did wipe me out. Plus, I am starting to build rapport with both the middle and high school students as I go. Hence, I was able to try and do new things at ACES by being a student teacher/advisor. As I continue to push further into student teaching, I will continue to dare to be bold and dare to be the start that I know I can be for those that I am teaching and leading. I will dare to be me each and every day of this process. 

Keep coming back for more on my student teaching process at Big Spring Middle/High School!

Just keeping it veal, 

-Ms. Emily Jay