Site Seeing

As my Student Teaching Placement Interview is quickly approaching on April 5th, 2021, I have taken some time to think about what kind of site I would like to Student Teach at and reflect on how those factors relate to what I observed at some of the programs I have visited so far. After consulting with some peers and having a hardcore brainstorming session with Dr. Kevin Curry, I tidied my list of eight potential Student Teaching sites to four solid potential Cooperating Centers willing to host me as a Student Teacher next spring.

Coming to you in just a year is me... but cooler.

C.C. (Not Just For Email)

But first, what is a Cooperating Center? For those of you that have not drank the Kool-Aid of agricultural education, a Cooperating Center is a program and agricultural educator willing to hold the hand of yours truly to and through my Student Teaching Internship. During this fifteen week endeavor, my Cooperating Center and Cooperating Teacher will help me to learn and grow as I navigate the chaos of being a baby teacher. Since I studied under two male teachers in high school and focused on Animal Science classes during that time, the past few weeks I have been seeking out Cooperating Centers that were the home of strong female agricultural educators who could teach me confidence and poise in the classroom as well as help me to explore the content areas of Agricultural Mechanics and Environmental Science. With this in mind, the Cooperating Centers and Cooperating Teachers that I met with include Mrs. Darla Romberger from Cumberland Valley High School, Mrs. Alex Barzydlo from Dover Area High School, Mrs. Kelly Bier from Shippensburg Area Senior High School, and Mrs. Kayla Pohle from Honesdale High School.

Do You Have Zoom?

Just in case you forgot what Zoom looks like...

While the purpose of visiting various Cooperating Centers is to, you know, visit them, the current social climate with the COVID-19 pandemic made in-person visits few and far between. While all four of the
educators that I reached out to were incredibly accommodating when it came to touring their program, I was only able to visit Mrs. Kelly Bier at Shippensburg Area Senior High School in-person. As for the rest of the Cooperating Centers I visited, Zoom saved the day once again allowing for virtual meetings and tours of the facilities at each of these facilities. 

Pro-Tips from Pros

Though I was not able to meet with Mrs. Romberger, Mrs. Barzydlo, or Mrs. Pohle in-person, these agricultural educators went above and beyond to help me in my Cooperating Center search. To start, Mrs. Romberger developed a PowerPoint with pictures of her classroom, lab space, and greenhouse to help me visualize her program and familiarize myself with the subject matter she teaches. Similarly, Mrs. Pohle shared a video with me that highlighted her program's curriculum and student opportunities, helping me to identify areas in which her program could help me grow. One of my favorite parts of meeting with this potential Cooperating Teachers however, was receiving heartfelt advice from tried and true warriors of agricultural education. When I was explaining how I wanted to branch out and learn new content area, Mrs. Romberger reminded me to stay in touch with my passion projects. When I expressed some of my insecurities about finding the right program to help me grow, Mrs. Barzydlo encouraged me to follow my gut. When I expressed my interest in learning from a strong female educator, Mrs. Pohle assured me that I was looking in all of the right places. And when I shared my interests in a Cooperating Center that is involved in the community, Mrs. Bier and the Shippensburg FFA Officer Team showed me how to serve others. Overall, these individuals showed me what it means to be an educator at heart, concerned not only with their own students, but how I might also benefit from their teachings as a future educator.

The Birds and the Bees

It's a Ruffed Grouse and don't you forget it!

Okay... so there were no bees, but there were birds! While I would have LOVED to visit each of these programs in-person, visiting Mrs. Bier and her students at Shippensburg Area Senior High School gave me the opportunity to reconnect with the high school atmosphere (I haven't stepped foot in a high school since COVID-19 sent us to jail with no 'Get Out of Jail Free' card). Between visiting a brand new greenhouse and learning about classroom technology, I had a blast remembering why I want to become an agricultural educator. Additionally, Mrs. Bier's Wildlife class was learning about song birds. Our friend pictured to the left is a Ruffed Grouse. Did I know that a Ruffed Grouse is Pennsylvania's state bird before visiting Mrs. Bier? No. Will I ever forget it after learning how to identify birds with her students? Also no (yay education)! Visiting with this Cooperating Center was a breath of fresh air for my love of learning and interacting with students and I am now hyperaware of the birds currently living inside of the State College Tractor Supply where I work. 

Overall, I cannot thank these four agricultural educators enough for welcoming me into their programs (and Zoom rooms). Soon I will be receiving my Student Teaching Placement and I cannot wait to see which of these programs I will get to grow with next spring. 

'Taylor'ed with love,