Wintertime Slump

It is that time in the school year, where I feel in a slump. For no real reason other than cooler days spent watching Hallmark movies and drinking hot chocolate seem more appealing than teaching. I remember during my credential program a graph they showed for first year teachers.

While I'm not convinced I'm completely at the disillusionment stage. I feel like I'm at the intersection of frustrated and concerned. As with many years, changes on campus have created a "funny" feeling with many individuals. The sense of uncertainty and unknown plagues both the teachers and students. While reading an article about teacher slumps, this paragraph resonated with me:

"We have no precise analytic definition of the teaching slump, let alone a consensus among scholars about how to use the concept for research purposes. And yet it inhabits the inner and public lives of teachers, cutting a wide emotional path between the "bad day" and "burnout." Slumps have a life cycle. Often they're the last station before cynicism: the settled conviction that my passion for teaching and yours for learning are beyond repair." From Savor the Slump article.

While I know that my passion for teaching and students is not beyond repair. I feel like I need to focus on the amazing things my kids are doing and the opportunities they are creating for themselves through Ag education to help pull myself to that rejuvenation status like in the graph.

Amazing things happening now:

1. Canned Food Drive & Sonoma County Secret Santa Program: All my kids are pumped to donate items to those less fortunate. I think this speaks volumes to the type of kids I have in class. They feed my soul with their giving hearts and constant "give more" attitudes.
2. Changes from National Convention: Since attending National Convention, my officers changed our December FFA meeting from making gingerbread houses to a service project of making blankets to donate to the local senior center. They got all kinds of awesome ideas after watching the founder of Kid President's keynote speech. Watch his latest video here: Kid President Speaks from the Heart
3. One of my students created an awesome Ag Education program for grades K-8. She is calling it "Seeds for Students". She goes to the classes, presents about the importance of seeds and food production. Then each student gets to plant a seed to take care of at school and eventually take home. If you have an instagram, you should follow @SeedsforStudents

 

From Kid President, I feel like I just need the reminder to be awesome and treat everyone like it's their birthday...

Most Hated Yet Rewarding Assignment on Campus

For the last three months my students have worked on a project (in addition to all their regular work) that has become the most hated yet rewarding assignment on campus. And I only say hated because they haven't finished it... 

The Agriscience project that I do with my all my classes is basically a science experiment on roids... No really, it's certifiably a crazy difficult project!! 

So what's the point? Why do I make my kids to a project that no one else does on campus? Why do I encourage them not to work with a best friend on the project? Why do the need to write a research paper?  

Um well short answer: Because they need it and I love it... 

Really though, a semester for doing agriscience projects is one of the most rewarding times that students spend in my class. Although I'm sure they might disagree currently, as their projects are due tomorrow.  The sigh of relief and accomplishment as they hand in the final paper is something unmatched. 

Seriously, the paper ends up being 12+ 

page research paper.  Students create a problem or question, set up an experimental design, conduct research, execute the experimental design, collect all the data and reach conclusions based on their findings. It's hard, it's complicated and yet they all survive!!! 

My favorite part about the project is the process. Watching kids who have never really conducted any research at the beginning of the semester, develop into kids that are thinking critically about agriculture and science, is amazing. They surprise themselves with how much they learn! And it's not just the research and data collection, they also learn how to use computers to their benefit, how to work together, how to read instructions, how to respond to feedback, how to take constructive criticism and how to ask questions in order to make their projects better. 

Now, there is usually some type of argument (between kids), crying and malfunction with spray glue at some point in the process but they all live to tell the stories. I love that the instructions and guidelines are the same yet for every student, yet they all create a different idea/project. Recently one of my students presented her project at the school board meeting and the board was shocked at the level of difficulty and inquiry type learning she had done with the project. Last week my VP, brought some admin from other schools into my class to show them the agriscience boards from last years projects. I love this because it just gives my Ag department, one more opportunity to be unique and stand out in a positive way. As my principal says, we're "moving away from cows and plows". While we are still learning about "cows and plows" in class, I love knowing that this project is raising the bar for my students.

I've recieved numerous texts, calls and emails this weekend from kids asking for clarification to make sure their project is perfect. At the end of the day, not all their projects will be A's but they will all be able to say they completed a project. 

Kids are finishing up papers tonight and we'll start display boards this week! I am giddy to watch them work together this week on their boards. 

I'd be lucky to have two division winners again in 2015... Fingers crossed!