The last week with a Friday: Student Teaching week 14

This was my last full week of classes... can you believe it? next week I will be writing my final blog for student teaching and saying my goodbyes to the students of Juniata Valley. Even though I'm starting to think about how I am going into my last week, there are quite a few things that happened this past week!

On Monday for my small vet classes, I was given the opportunity to bring in my dog for students to go over animal behavioral training and practice palpating for physical examinations. They really enjoyed doing tricks and working with Keika. Having a live animal really changed up the dynamic of the class and student interest was definitely peaking!

On Wednesday Raylene and I took the Blue Juniata officer team to the Huntingdon County Vo Tech where they presented opening and closing ceremonies at a luncheon that hosted the Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding. They all presented very well, and Russell Redding was very kind and made sure to touch base with all of the officers, The Blue Juniata President was even offered to sit at the reserved table in the front of the luncheon.

On Thursday I had my natural resources students present information about trout to the 1st grade at the elementary school, the elementary students have been following the stages of life of the trout, since Raylene participates in trout in the classroom. My students were able to enhance the 1st graders knowledge about the fish they have been watching for a couple months. The trifolds my students created will be displayed at the fish release, so that the public can also get more information on the Trout that are being released into their waterways. Also on Thursday Raylene and I hauled ourselves down to Harrisburg for the south-central PAAE meeting, I didn't realize how many of my cohort were student teaching in my region. It was nice seeing them all. However, what I really enjoyed was even though PAAE is for Agricultural Educators they opened up a small portion with the state officers to allow FFA students to be involved, which any time you can involve students, I personally think it's a win.

On Friday I only saw my morning classes because the 3rd marking period celebration was underway. Even though these celebrations take away from instructional time, I think they are an awesome idea and a good way to keep students motivated. It promotes good behavior and it allows the teachers to thank the students for being the best that they can be. Yeah, it's nice to be appreciated as a teacher, but the students deserve appreciation and reward for the hard work they do as well.


last week of student teaching, here I come!