Spring Break Week

So it has officially been way to long since the last time I wrote a blog so I figured it was time to write one up. This week I am on spring break, which is quite nice, I am just relaxing at home not doing much. The big news is I have a Interview today for a teaching job in Georgia. I am pretty excited for it, I do not yet know if I wish to move out of the state but I am willing to do it. I think it is time for a new experience and I think this would be the best opportunity for that.

Besides getting ready for this interview the past few weeks have been jammed packed with teaching and different FFA events. I had the whole class load for 3 weeks and it was a lot of work, but I loved it. At the beginning of the semester I knew that this busy part of the year was when I would decided whether or not I would want to teach, and I have decided that I definitely what to become a teacher. After we get back from spring break I will be down to just 3 classes, which will be nice, so I can work on my portfolio and try and get that elusive job! It is starting to get nerve wracking wondering when I will get one and IF I will get one. So keep your fingers crossed for me.

 I know it has been a while since I have blogged and should have a whole lot more to say, I am busy here on the farm and have to get prepared for this phone interview today. So I hope everyone is having a great week and their student teaching experience is going as well as mine.

Peace Easy Lemon Squeezies
Bret

Teaching to an empty room

Hey there everyone in the REAL WORLD! It has been about two weeks since I wrote anything, I had planned on catching up last week and plumb forgot. Another end to another week.This Student Teaching is flying by at pace even I didn't anticipate. So Time to catch everyone up with what is going on in the world of Bret Timothy Spurgin and the Pleasantville Ag Ed world. So strap in and enjoy another installment of my life as a Teacher and a Student.

So I'll catch you up on last week first. We had ITEDs all last week, which meant that we had shortened periods in the morning since tests lasted from 8-9:45. I also didn't have the 8th graders all week, which was great, not! It is hard to get kids to remember to do their homework when they have class the next nay, let alone the next week! But i digress, last week was pretty uneventful. Classes went well, no major issues, got the contest ready and well just chugged through.

This week however was a horse of a different color. We had 3 of the seniors make it to state in wrestling, one Ag Ed Student so that was good. Problem was, all the students thought that meant that they could just go up to State, all three days! After Tuesday classes, minus the 8th and 9th grades, where damn near empty. We had one senior show up, on Wednesday only, over half the sophomores and juniors gone. It made it pretty hard to try and get the kids who where there to do much of anything, and no reason assigning assignments, since the ones who where gone where "excused"and they couldn't just get zeros for it. The best thing about the whole deal is that some people dont't seem to give a rip  about kids missing classes and they can miss the whole week after being gone all last week, or with failing grades. It is really pretty comical. But anywho that is really what has been grinding my gears this week It is just upsetting that they kids don't even care enough to be at school, given how much some have missed, it is really just an over all I don't give a shit attitude that seems to be in High School kids. But I really shouldn't say anymore, I don't want to be suspended over this blog so shhh don't tell anyone. 

Other than that we have just been trying to teach the kids who are here while preparing for Sub-districts on Tuesday. Hopefully we do ok, although I am not to impressed with some of the attitudes, I just hope that they get it together over the weekend. Well that is all for now, hopefully see some of you tomorrow at the Proficiency Judging at the Enrichment Center.

Until Next Time,

Peace Easy Lemon Squezies

Bret

Almost like working a weekend in the summer.

We have reached the end of another magical week student teaching. Wait, we have reached the end of the week? Wasn't yesterday the first day that we actually were here until 3:33? Yup kiddos the magic of a two day school week. How worthless. Oh well. I am glad to be back in the classroom. I feel like these students aren't learning a thing. Oh well, so is life and so is the American Educational System.

Since this was a two day week there really isn't a whole bunch to talk about, except my haterage for the ITEDS! Since we are having the Iowa Tests of Educational Development next week I dont get to see my 8th graders at all! With the weather, ITEDs and the stupid schedules for exploratory classes I will have them Once in a a two week span. Wow. Thanks for playing. It is frustrating and hard to plan for lessons when you wont have them for a week and they forget things because, well 8th graders are forgetful. Oh well, I just needed to let that out.

The other classes went well this week, well the past two days. The CDEs, for how much time we can put in to them, are coming along well. Next week i take over the An Sci/Vet Sci class so I am excited for that. I guess there isnt to much to talk about this week. How about the fact that have only 5 pages of a roughly 50 page paper done that is due on Monday? Ya there are my weekend plans, you are all jealous, I know. Well That is all for this week. I will leave you with my prediction for the big game this weekend. In a tight one I will take the Steelers over the Green Bay Packers by a score of 31-28. Pittsburgh, hide your women.

Peace Easy Lemon Squeezies

In awe of the wonderful Chicken

Another week has gone by and I feel like I am a week older, not wiser, just older. This week was an exciting week. I taught my first class, took a field trip, and learned that although I was in high school just a short 4 years ago kids sure have changed!

This week started out easy enough. I was all jazzed to finally get those 8th graders in my room Tuesday morning. I had prepared a kick-@$$ lesson for them, got all the supplies ready and i was all set to jet. Then once third hour came around no 8th graders showed up. Ya see, in Pleasantville the 8th graders have a 5 day week, which means in the four days were are here, their cycle continues  like a 5 day week. For example, Tuesday through Friday are days 1-4, but come next Tuesday it is day 5 and by Wednesday it is day 1 again. And we get them on days 1,4, and ever other 5. Turns out Tuesday was day 3 and not day 1 as i suspected, pretty confusing huh? Well Mr. Collins got a good chuckle out of this and so did, minus the red face i sported for an hour. It just goes show that even with all the preparation in the world, if u arrive early you still look like a fool. But then the next day i was able to rock out the lesson. Importance of Animals in Agriculture. We went over domestication and different products and by-products and then we made Ice Cream, they loved it. Mr. Collins says this is the most active group of 8th graders he has ever seen, and I believe him. They have a lot of questions and are seemingly in awe of all a chicken can do and demand a unit over chickens, which I will oblige.

On Thursday I was able to take two livestock judging teams to the Pork Congress in Des Moines at the Iowa Event Center. It was a great experience, since I was riding solo. I found out how much a group of high school kids can wear someone out! The biggest thing I got out of the experience was talking to other Ag Teachers. One first year teacher I know said something that agreed with instantly and a thought that I have had. "There was NO WAY I was like this when I was in high school." Even though I am sure I was, actually I was probably one of the biggest pains in the ass when I was a freshman-senior ;), It really helps me be able to see things from their perspective. Another comment I made to another Ag Teacher was "Do I look new here." he looked at me and said yes without hesitation. It felt so different to be on the other side of the fence, but it a good way. After we got home I was tired, but I was so much more happy with my choice to go in to AgEd and in the fact that I will be an Ag Teacher.

As the week winded down on Friday I assumed full control of the 7th hour Agronomy/Biotech class and we have some good ideas and big plans for them. Ranging from CDEs to the Crop Plot to BioTech and DNA we have alot to cover in a short amount of time, but I am more then willing to take it over. Well that is all for the week, I feel like I have more to say, but nothing comes to mind. I will probably be writing part two to this blog tomorrow, but as of now I have some lesson plans to finish up.... Have I ever mentioned how much i love 8th hour preps? Well anywho, in the words of the immortal Red Green Remember, "I'm pulling for ya. We're all in this together"

Peace Easy Lemon Squeezies!

One down, many to go

Friday! You look forward to it as a student, but man, I think you may look forward to it even more as a teacher! Now don't get me wrong, I am loving this, but It will be nice to not know what the sunrise looks like, for a couple of days anyway. This first week of student teaching hasn't been tough, in fact at times I felt more like the Student in Student Teacher than the Teacher. I think that was due to the fact that Mr. Collins wanted me to ease into the job.  It also gave me time to let my mouth heal, which by the way is healing nicely. The stitches are starting to come out, which is good,, but as it heals it seems to make my mouth smell quiet rotten. No one else has picked up on it really, maybe they are just being polite  I don't know, but it isn't to refreshing. I am killing about one can of mints a day. It may just be paranoia, but it helps.

Anyway, back to my point. As the week progressed I started to feel much more comfortable around the students, I feel as if we have gotten to know each other better. I did not teach any lessons this week, per Mr. Collins orders, but I did work with the students on quiet a bit of things. The big push this week was finishing up record books and working on Proficiency and Iowa Degree Applications, which I have a fair knowledge about. So it was nice being able to help the students out with those and making sure that they have them filled out correctly. This week was also spent in the shop with the freshmen refreshing welding skills from last semester. It was nice helping them out, making sure they had everything set and when they had trouble helping to troubleshoot the problem with them instead of just telling them what they did wrong. The best welder in that class appears to be a girl as of right now, which is awesome. She is laying some of the best beads I have seen a freshman lay. I feel like I can say that because We did a lot of welding in Moravia High back in the day.

Well I think that i have summed up this week in my blog yesterday and the one today. I am looking forward to next week, I will start with the 8th graders. I have some big plans for them that I will tell you about later. Come next week we will be hitting those CDEs hard prepping the students for Sub-districts, which is just a month away, and then on Thursday is the big Livestock Judging contest at the Pork Congress. Well I hope everyone has a safe and eventful weekend. I will leave you with my predictions for the Championship games this weekend. In the NFC.... Packers 28 Bears 24, and in the AFC..... Steelers 21 Jets 7. Well you all have been great! Peace Easy Lemon Squeezies.

Tonight We Are Who We Are

When I tell people that I have about a 45 minute drive every morning, giver or take, most people think that it must be awful. To be honest it isn't bad at all, mainly due to the Elvis Duran Show and the fact that even though 107.5 may play a total of 4 songs during my commute, there is about an 85% chance at least one of those songs will be a Ke$ha, Enrique, or Lady Gaga which of course gets me pumped up ready for the day. I have been arriving at the school around 7:40 for this first week, since I have no classes and the fact that we have two built in preps, one at the end of the day which is nice to get my work done at the end of the day. When I get to school Mr. Collins and I talk about what is on tap for the day and help out some students who have some questions. Next week I will probably start arriving at around 7:30 so we can start working with students on CDEs and helping them get ready to judge some swine on Friday! I am so jacked for that, hopefully we can do decent and get some students excited about judging this summer.

So today during the 4th period prep I ran to Knoxville to pick up some plywood so we could finish up some of the inside of the greenhouse so we can get the heat turned on, which happens tomorrow something else we are excited about. But anywho, on the 10 minute drive to town I was actually blessed to hear Ke$ha, Enrique, AND Lady G on the trip! The only problem is they cut out the Ludacris  part of Enriques "Tonight". I hate it when the do that on the radio! When they cut out the rap part of a song, it is generally the part that really gets me going. Back to my point, When we get the greenhouse up and running Mr. Collins and I have some pretty big plans for it that I hope we can get going before I leave. One of them is utilizing a hydroponics system with water from the Aquaculture tank. Not only could we save on water but also fertilizer, as the manure produced by the fish would be more then adequate.

I also beginning to work with the Juniors on their the CDE and also getting their record books update so they can fill out their proficency and Iowa degree applications. I really like this group of juniors, they are a group that is excited to learn and seem like that are excited about the FFA. I am also working with the Freshman as they work with the Conduct of Meetings. They are slowly coming out of their shell and I am really pumped to see what they will be able to. Well Kiddos that is all, I know that I kind of rambled there and that you may not see how Ke$ha is related to AgEd, but her tuneskies get me pumped, and when I am pumped then I think I am a much better teacher. Next time I will hopefully be talking about how my first lessons went, which are already finished and hopefully the students enjoy them as much as i enjoyed writing them ;). Welp until next time Peace Easy Lemon Squeezies!

Impacting Students and Changing Lives

The first day as an Agriculture Educator in training went off with out a hitch. Today was spent mostly observing and meeting with the students and other teachers. Mr. Collins and I discussed the future plans for the spring and the CDE contest. I talked Mr. Collins into starting up the Livestock Judging team earlier than normal. We will be taking a group of students to the Pork Congress next friday and having them compete in the Judging Contest. So that is pretty exciting, if anyone else is interested, I know it is a short notice but here is the link to the webpage on the Iowa Pork Producers websitehttp://iowaporkcongress.org/seminarsdetail.php?Bxw6AVZuTXZ-TRI~.

Today was also a reminder about how spacey High School students can be, it is really kind of comical. No real specific stories today, but I am sure that in the future there will be some good ones. Well that is it for tonight, nothing to spectacular of note today, just getting my feet wet, with both teaching and this whole blog thing. Hope everyone has an AWESOME evening! Peace easy Lemon Squeezies