Week Seven - National FFA Week

This week has been pretty full of accomplishments for my students! In Ag Science we have been really starting into our scientific labs where the students are becoming more comfortable collecting data using the Lab Quest equipment. So far our labs have focused on temperature and pH. I am finding it a little different teaching in a lab than a classroom, which I never thought would be any different. By having my students spread out working with equipment it makes it harder for me to keep an eye on them and make sure they are on task. Most of my students are very good at staying on task, but I am finding a few more discipline problems while working in the lab than I had in the classroom. I am working on moving around more between the groups and having my peer tutor do the same in order to keep the classroom order. I am also finding it is more crucial now than ever to be sure that my instructions are clear before dispersing the students to work. It causes a lot of headache if even something that seems insignificant to explain to me, but the students don't understand what the lab is asking. I am also trying to make sure that my instructions are always clear and ask if there are questions before we begin.

In NRM we have been busy as well, the students started the week by building Eastern Bluebird boxes that we will put up around the school. Each student built two boxes one to place around the school, and one to take home. The boys in the class really enjoyed being able to make something that is going to be used. The girls in the class seemed to enjoy it as well, but weren't as excited as the boys. After that we started with our monitoring station project. We are taking pallets and recycling them by using the boards to make a bench and planter that we can place into our garden where we have a bird feeder. The students spent a block working on deconstructing the pallets into usable boards. After that they spent part of a block designing the station. I originally split them into teams and asked them to each come up with a design, while they were working they asked me if they could all work together as a class because it would take less time if they all worked together and they wanted to get started in building right away! I let them have total ownership of the project, whenever they asked me if they could try something, my response was "what materials do I need to get you to do it." It was pretty funny watching their frustration looking to me for definitive answers, but I think they will be more satisfied with their work when it is completed and they know they did it all on their own.

This week in horticulture our plants finally arrived for our greenhouse so we spent the entire week working in the greenhouse prepping the soil, planting plugs, and watering the plants. This was my first look into how the greenhouse operates, and it was great having two classes of horticulture working together. We had Hort II students run stations by teaching Hort I students what to do while preparing the greenhouse. Each day, Hort I students rotated though the stations so they had the opportunity to learn all of the process involved with the greenhouse!

For National FFA week our officers visited with the freshman Ag Science Class and talked to them about what classes are offered in the Twin Valley Ag Department and about the chapter. Students were also involved by hosting a faculty breakfast for all the teachers. Finally after school on Friday we hosted a Bowlful of Blue and Gold Ice Cream Social! I decided that while I had the chance and see what that blue corduroy is all about, I found an FFA jacket in the closet that fit, and put it on. When I put it on I thought about all of the opportunities that I missed out on by not being in FFA, and I thought about all of the opportunities that I can offer students now by being a part, and by becoming an advisor!