"To Succeed in Life, You Need Three Things..."

 As I wrap up my time student teaching at Big Spring Middle/High School, one quote rings true by one of my favorite people, Reba McEntire. "To succeed in life, you need three things: a backbone, a wishbone, and a funny bone." I needed a backbone to stand up for myself and what I wanted through this experience. Plus, I needed a backbone in order to stand firm in the rules and regulations that I had set in my classroom for several reasons, but mostly to have a backbone to support my students and what they want to learn/are passionate about. However, I also needed a wishbone to wish, dream, and be creative when it comes to lesson plans and how I can engage and educate students on agricultural topics. Without the wishbone, educators become stagnant- stuck in a rut that not only affects your teaching experience, but also how students learn and engage in the classroom and with the teacher. Overall, you need a funny bone to keep your head above water. Regardless of what people say, I can tell you firsthand that teaching is not easy, especially being a student teacher in agricultural education as I have found. You are constantly busy and planning to make the best experience for your students. No matter how busy or challenging that teaching can be, you need to laugh. Laugh at yourself because in everything you are still learning alongside your students. Laughing with students to build rapport and create memories that overshadow the challenges. Just laugh and you will feel better! Thus, this was the theme of my student-teaching experience more than any numbered list of moments that this blog could give. Therefore, don't be afraid to stand up for yourself and others! Step outside of your comfort zone and try new things, even if you might fail or not go to "your" plan! Enjoy life and teaching with laughter!

Thank you, Penn State and Big Spring for this experience!

Just Keeping It Veal,

-Ms. Emily Jay

Spreading the Word on Bird Suet!

 As I had mentioned in my other SAE visit post, my middle school classes all participate in a 3-hour minimum intro SAE project. This might not use the AET website, which can be way too difficult for middle schoolers, but it still conveys the same message as the SAE For All's Foundational SAEs. It happens over a series of weeks and the records are kept on a PowerPoint that students share with the class. Since the school district does not allow home SAE visits anymore, I had to do all my SAE visits within the school day and most of them during class time. Students did everything from taking care of their pets at home to making a Google Site on the Ag Mechanics of a Tractor to making the heating bags to conducting research on some agricultural topic that they are passionate about (like endangered succulents). Yet, there is one project that over time continued to jump out at me. Not only because I found it cool, but because I could see the passion and growth in the student who chose to do this SAE. 

What is the SAE you say? It was making bird suet from old bird seed that she had just sitting around at home. Now, that might not seem so cool to you, but to see the thought process behind this idea was amazing. The girl did not pick something that she already had at home or a passion. She chose to think about what resources were going to waste around her and how she could utilize them- change them- into something better. It kind of sounds like teaching a little bit doesn't it? She was willing to step out of her comfort zone and learn something new to share about agriculture with her class and community. 

The first "visit" started out with talking through her idea of making bird suet and what supplies were needed. How could she better share this process with the class? So, we discussed having a day or part of a lesson where she would share her SAE, when it was complete for the class, and the whole class would make bird suet. With this idea, I questioned what ingredients would we need. Peanut butter was one of them. So, I told her that I had to check students for any allergies for it to work, but in the meantime, try to find alternative ingredients to use just in case. 

After this first meeting, I would check in periodically during class time to see how the project was going. At one point, her dad had thrown out the old birdseed because it went bad, but by another check-in, she was able to find more birdseed to use. It was also during one of these check-ins that I was able to inform her that no one was allergic to peanut butter in the class. By a few more check-ins, we both agreed that we would not have the time for the whole class to make birdseed if we were going to get the wooden shelves done in Woodshop, but she was still going to make some and bring them into the classroom as a visual or for those who wanted to have bird suet.

Soon, there the bird suet was and now she and I were in another "visit" to figure out when she could share her SAE with the class. It ended up being the last week of the marking period. She presented her SAE to the class that was finished with their Woodshop projects in the Innovation Lab part of the classroom while I was helping those who were struggling or behind finish their shelves in the shop area. Don't worry though because I could see everything through the windows that go between both spaces.

Overall, she did a fantastic job and received a high score on her SAE project and Slides' record book. Yet, little did I know that this SAE would not end there. Do great SAE projects ever just end after one accomplishment, one goal, or one year? No.

Fast forward to the Earth Day Expo in April, which is a day designated for releasing the Trout in the Classroom Rainbow Trout. The school makes a whole event out of it, where my cooperating teacher organizes multiple local organizations or agencies tailored around the environment and natural resources to come and give presentations to the students and staff. It was during this time that this same girl walked up to me with a question. She had been participating in the trout release and was now helping to ensure that the vendors were taken care of. 

"Ms. Jay, I have a question for you," she said. "Do you think I could share my SAE project during this time?" At first, it surprised me, but excited me. I wanted to immediately yell out "Yes!", but I knew this was not my own event to give that answer.

"I would love to say yes, but we should talk to Mrs. McIntire and check with her." That is what I answered instead, but we did end up talking to my cooperating teacher and she gave the green light. 

We were both beaming as we set up a table, a Chromebook with her records and Slides, and her bird suet. She was ready to share with the crowd and she wanted me there every step of the way. To ensure her readiness and confidence, I asked her to share her SAE project explanation with me. I never did get to hear it during the marking period due to the Woodshop project. So, she shared and I knew that she was ready. With each explanation to her peers and teaching staff, I tried to help her pull out more information. Suddenly, she was explaining her SAE project to the superintendent perfectly!

I could not stop smiling. Not because I did anything, but because I was seeing such growth and leadership in one student. Think about it. I didn't have to convince her to share her project that day; she wanted to do that on her own. Proud I was. Although, I did not stop giving her advice. With others' comments and seeing her passion and growth shine, I talked to her about expanding on this SAE project into a Bird Suet business and entering her records in the AET, which I had to explain. I also talked to Mrs. McIntire about these ideas because soon I would be leaving Big Spring and student teaching behind and going on my next teaching adventure. 

I hope she continues to expand this Bird Suet SAE from a natural resources learning area into a business! Who knows? Maybe she will become the biggest small business bird suet business owner one day! Still, it shows that no SAE is too small or random to be successful and that you can learn about agriculture while growing in many other aspects.

It gives me hope for what the future of SAE looks like and the students and projects that come out of this program. 

Just Keeping It Veal, 

-Ms. Emily Jay

South Central Regional PAAE Meeting

Being from the South Central region, I never attended a PAAE meeting until I became a student teacher at Penn State University. So, I was coming in with fresh eyes to this meeting. I roughly knew what to expect being able to attend the summer PAAE conference in July of 2023, but I knew it would be different. I knew that it would not have fun workshops, but more of an informative meeting tone. Still, I was excited to go and be a part of something bigger than myself as an agricultural educator. I was excited to socialize with those whom I considered to be legends in this career field and to learn from them. 

Some might say, "Well, all of that information could have been in an email. What's the point?" It is more than just gaining information that you might not have known if you have been super busy focusing on your own career and life, like student teachers just trying to survive, to read the information in the weekly emails that go out. It is more than just showing up for attendance's sake and to check something off of a checklist. While I did both, I learned more than I could ever have imagined at this PAAE meeting. 

First, I learned about an icebreaker activity that would go well with middle schoolers and that I want to try with students in the future. This icebreaker activity was to go around and say our name and one thing that we would bring to an FFA banquet based on the first initial of our first name. "Hi! I'm Emily Jay and I'm bringing the envelopes." Nothing works well for an "e" name. Still, you could apply this to the classroom and change the scenario to something in agriculture to test out what the students already know about agriculture or the topic that you will be learning about in that class that day. It could also work well to help peers and you, as the teacher, learn students' names in the class at the beginning of a new course or new year.

Second, I also love the Bingo activity that was played during the meeting to keep people engaged and focused on what many deem boring. I, however, was fortunate to see this being played during the Region 6 NAAE Conference meeting that the PAAE graciously paid for us student teachers to attend. It still worked for both meeting settings! How do you play this bingo? Well, every person gets a blank bingo card with a free space. Then, before the meeting starts you write down any words that you think will be said during the meeting. If anyone says the word that you wrote in one of the bingo boxes, you can cross it off. Continue this process until you get bingo and those with bingo get prizes until all prizes are gone. This Bingo idea is something that could be added to any class when you are going through some lecture material or anything that you think students might think is boring to bring out student engagement. You could have students write down words, phrases, ideas, definitions, or statements that they believe the teacher will go over or cover on a topic in agriculture. In this process, the teacher is able to understand students' prior knowledge on the topic to expand on it, but also what misconceptions are out there that you might also need to address. 

Thirdly, I also learned what student resources are out there on the PA FFA Foundation page that could benefit my future students. Along with that, I learned how to look at these meetings through a student lens to figure out what I can do as an agricultural educator to help them and the chapter succeed. This also means being willing to socialize and collaborate with other chapters in the area, region, and state and learn from them. 

Sure there is more that I could talk about, like the Ideas Unlimited Award which I want to enter with a lesson from student teaching, but I might just be hear reciting the whole meeting to you. Hence, I learned more about how meetings like PAAE and NAAE help to promote collaboration and innovation, but also give you and model activity ideas that you can bring back to your classrooms! 

Remember: The next time you are invited to a "boring" meeting, think again! There is so much more deeper to a PAAE and NAAE meeting than you might realize. Just go already!

Just Keeping It Veal, 

-Ms. Emily Jay