Saturday, May 16, 2015

Never did I ever...

While the 90 days of May are in full swing I have been extremely busy. For once in my life it has not been all school/teaching related. 

I did a few things in the last two weeks that I never thought I would or could do. Each taught me something about myself and the type of person that I want to be along with the type of teacher I want to be. 

First, I ran a half marathon! Now for those of you that know me well, you know I typically don't run unless something is chasing me or there are cupcakes at the finish line. I ran my first 10K last fall in Disneyland.  For whatever reason this completely perked my interest in running. For the last eight months or so, I've diligently planned to run two days sometimes three days a week. And running a half marathon is something I never thought I would do, but completing it give me a sense of pride, accomplishment, purpose, and confidence. All things that I have once or twice in my life forgotten that I had. It was liberating and sooooo FUN! I'm not sure that I have the same motivation when running places other than Disneyland, but I plan to keep trying and improving... 

Ran it with the #soulsister Jill! 

The other thing that I completed was my masters degree with Chico State. This to me has been one of the most difficult but rewarding experiences of my life. It was everything great and awful all at once. I have been working on classes for my Masters for the past two years and finished my thesis this semester. I dubbed Sundays for homework or assignments during the time I took classes. Everyone now keeps asking when I plan to get my administrative credential... The answer is never! I just don't see that in my future or ever being part of my passion... And I'm big on that! If it's not making me feel successful or like I'm making a difference or helping someone to find their passion, I'm out! 
My friend Natalie was my saving grace during the whole program. Mollie, our professor, was my thesis cheerleader!

While it was difficult, I'm glad I did it. It doesn't make me feel smarter or anything crazy like that but it has allowed me to be part of another university, meet and work with some great professors, and collaborate with friends (mostly FaceTime to get through homework). The whole process taught me a lot about myself, how I prioritize time, how I work with others, how I handle stress, how I want to be a better teacher. 

Throughout the last two weeks of craziness, I have had project visits, meetings, parent and student emails, phone calls and texts. That's because this upcoming week is FAIR! 

It's always a crazy time but with all the calls, visits, videos, emails and texts, I am just reminded how great my students are. I have been gone from school a decent amount lately and they have completely stepped up and taken responsibility for themselves and their projects. They have asked questions, worked together, called professionals, communicated and worked diligently to dial in their animals to the best spot they can. Regardless of how much or little individual students need me, they all know the expectations I  have. They are all successfully rising to the challenge, which doesn't happen in every chapter/program. It's a simple question from me about their pig's weight that begins a conversation including feed amounts, weights, videos along with questions about changes they can and will make. Even when some people (parents) try to ruin the progress through hindering their child's growth, and responsibility, I am reminded that those students need the expectations the most, but they are also the ones that rise to the occasion without question. Kids love the competition of fair and livestock, as do I. But at the same time, I try to remind the kids, the big picture isn't about what award or ribbon you won, but maybe the late night barn duty with one of your friends or the silly jokes in the barns. It's about working together, being a team player, and having a great experience. Trophies and ribbons are just a perk. 



Stay tuned for a fair post! 

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

90 days of May

A friend tagged me in this picture the other day on Facebook. 
 
Although I'm not sure how accurate it truly is. At a staff meeting a couple weeks ago my principal said that everyone needed to prepare for the 90 days of May. While I'm fully aware of how busy and crazy the month of May is, I actually never thought about how busy it is for other teachers. 

And really why is May so crazy??? 
The days are longer,
The weather is nicer, 
Kids are restless, 
AP Testing, 
Standardized Testing, 
Placement Tests, 
Seniors are checked out, 
FFA Banquet, 
Fair,
Officer Elections,
Senior Trip, 
Fundraisers, 
Master Scheduling,
The list goes on and on...

May has just begun and yet I feel like it's been May for at least two weeks. Not to mention that I picked up another class to help out for the last six weeks. 

However, this class has given me some perspective as a teacher, adult and potentially a future parent (someday). We have reached a generation of students that literally have no idea how to act as respectful human beings to one another. I like to think that I don't stay in my little bubble of Ag students. But apparently I do!! With a few exceptions of course... 

This new class is all freshmen and none are of an FFA background because it's not an Ag class. It is appalling to think that we have many students in schools, who are so intolerant of each other and each other's beliefs. I like to think we have come along way towards equality and common decency, but I think many of our students are regressing when it comes to being a student. 

I'm probably gonna get flack for this but I think it goes back to parenting. 
#1- If you could be their parent and hold them accountable that would be great! It's pretty difficult for me to hold kids accountable when it's a new concept.
#2- Tell them NO... I know this begins at a young age but them constantly thinking that homework and class work are optional is not okay. 
#3- Teach them respect. While I don't have this issue often, other teachers get disrespected daily-- which is not okay. 
#4- Teach them tolerance. They don't have to like the person they sit next to but teach them enough manners so they have common decency when sitting there. 

I am a teacher... Not a parent... I am here to help facilitate the learning of children. While some days I feel like a drill sargent, it's pretty hard for me to also teach children skills like, respect, tolerance, decency, etc. 

So on top of all the craziness of May, discipline at school seems to be off the chart... Instead of the Hawaiian minion, I'm feeling like the purple one might last until June! 

One thing this class has really taught me is, I would not trade being an Ag teacher for the world!! 
My kids are amazing! Even the ones who are a little rough around the edges learn from the ones who are on their A game. Behavior (good or bad), like success, is contiguous!! 

I think more kids on campus could learn a little something from the "Ag kids". 

While they might be goofy, they are upstanding individuals!