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House Hunters: Student Teaching Center Edition



Hi Everyone!
   I thought I would take the time to update you on my Ag Ed journey through all of the craziness that has happened over the past couple of weeks. This semester as many of you know started out for me joining class via Zoom. As the semester has gone on it seems as though unfortunately many of my peers are also attending college via Zoom just like I have been! Before this huge transition I was lucky enough to visit two schools in person, I am thankful for the opportunity they both gave me! It was amazing to see all of the opportunities both programs offered to their students. From greenhouses, to shops, and student projects there were endless avenues for students to find what sparks their interests and explore.
   Along with the amazing facilities, both schools offered my favorite part which was having the opportunity to get to know the students. Sharing their interests with me, their post high school plans as well as giving me a tour of their school were all things they did not have to do but I was flattered that they felt comfortable enough to not only welcome me into their program but to see a little into their lives. This sneak peek really allowed me to see the dynamic of the program and how close of a relationship each student had with the program educators.
One of comment that really stuck out to me during a visit was when a teacher shared "I try to give each student a clean slate when they come into my classroom, I don't know who's good and bad in other classrooms so I give them all the opportunity to be a "good" kid until they prove otherwise. What I have found is because I don't have any expectation of my students as being "good or bad" other teachers are shocked when a student that can sometimes be a problem in other courses is good for me." The teachers also offered guidance in making this decision as they know how confusing and challenging it is looking at student teaching centers. Most importantly, they all reminded me to go with what I believe is the best fit for myself.
   Not only were the teachers willing to share amazing advice during my visit I was lucky enough to have a program arrange a Zoom session so that I could meet with the teachers and ask questions "in person"or as in person as possible. She also shared with me details that go beyond what I would be involved in if I were to be placed at her school such as tools about gaining confidence in front of a classroom, knowing what kind of classroom environment I might have, how to navigate that process, and being able to identify what I would need from a student teaching relationship.
    Throughout this entire process I felt it was a lot like being on the show House Hunters, looking at all of the amazing programs and the foundations they build for their students to grow. The lessons I could learn in the program are similar to what children learn when growing up in a house. This process of finding is a center has been nothing but exciting and humbling, I cannot wait to find my perfect home for this next chapter of my Teach Ag journey!

- Megan

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