Music, Seafood, and Professional Development (Oh My!)

Last week #psuaged22 followed the yellow brick road from State College, Pennsylvania to New Orleans, Louisiana for the 2021 National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) Conference. This conference is held every year for agricultural educators across the nation to come together to lead each other, learn from each other, and lift each other up through challenges and successes. As this was the farthest from home I have ever traveled, I couldn't help but think, "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Pennsylvania anymore" as we packed our bags and left bright and early Tuesday morning to catch our twister. 

It's A Twister! It's A Twister!

Time For Safety During F.A.S.T.

Okay, not really. However, this experience was packed full of many firsts including my first time on a plane which plopped us down in New Orleans on Tuesday afternoon to catch the beginning of the Future Agriscience Teacher (F.A.S.T.) Symposium. In this program, pre-service teachers were engaged in learning about Inquiry Based Instruction, the absorption of the New Farmers of America (NFA) into the Future Farmers of America (FFA), and how to thrive in the profession from a panel of experienced educators from across the nation. As Student Members of NAAE, we were also able to engage in nine professional development workshops. Two of my favorite workshops taught me how to combat microaggressions through inclusive language and good classroom management practices and helped me to better understand how to work with my special needs students through a blindfolded (and admittedly quite messy) strawberry DNA extraction lab. One of my favorite parts of engaging in this event however, was connecting with and learning from agricultural educators across the United States and in every phase of their career. Three of these individuals in particular stood out to me not only because they are passionate about what they do, but also because they are passionate about what the next generation of agricultural educators is doing as well.

1. Robin McLean, a middle school Agriscience teacher at Northern Burlington County Regional School District in Columbus New Jersey, was a familiar face as the NAAE Region VI Vice President. Over a dinner conversation on Wednesday night and seeing her throughout the week, Robin showed me what it means to be a leader in the profession through her bubbly personality and kind words of wisdom. A great connection between networking and the professional development that I was engaging in throughout the week was finding out that Robin's favorite lesson to teach is strawberry DNA extraction and being able to speak with her about my experience with that lesson being used to teach us about working with students with special needs.

2. 

   Also Caught Up With My CT Darla Romberger

   Janae McMichael, an Agriscience teacher at Lampeter-Strasburg High School in Pennsylvania gave me some of the best advice for teacher authenticity and classroom management. As women in agricultural education, teaching Ag Mechanics often comes with students who challenge our role as educators in this area. Janae did an incredible job of encouraging me to be honest with my skillset while keeping my students safe in the shop. Her favorite lesson to teach is Four-Stroke Theory. Hearing her explain her excitement for when students finally grasp a concept reminded me why I wanted to be an agricultural educator in the first place.
3.  David Black, the coordinator for Racer Academy at Murray State University set the stage for work-life balance as an agricultural educator. Having much experience in this field, David explained that educators cannot fill the cups of others if they do not fill their own cups. He is also an advocate for Inquiry-Based Instruction, and presented the F.A.S.T. participants with a few new activities to take to their classrooms when Student Teaching comes around.

It was, overall, an incredible opportunity to learn about the life of leaders in our profession of agricultural education.

The Emerald Crescent City

This trip provided #psuaged22 with the opportunity to enjoy a new culture as well as professional development opportunities. I LOVED the food in New Orleans and was able to try alligator, jambalaya, crawfish, estouffee, and beignets for the first time (real Princess and the Frog vibes). The city was also rich in culture and history and my cohort and I were able to enjoy the music and sights on a guided tour of the French Quarter. 

Peers, colleagues, and life long friends in #psuaged22!

While I found out that there is truly no place like home, being in a new place and immersed in a new culture was an incredible opportunity to bond with my cohort and the rest of the Pennsylvania agricultural education family. One of the challenges I faced this week was transitioning from the role of student to teacher. While I am a student in many respects, I still feel that I lack a voice in the profession due to my inexperience and age. As I begin to transition into the role of Student Teacher this spring, I hope that I may begin to see the teachers that I will be working with not only as a guide for my learning, but also as a colleague that I am able to learn with. In the future I hope to continue to take advantage of incredible opportunities for professional development to become a better educator for my students. I also hope to take the lessons I have learned about the importance of being a leader in the profession and apply that to my own career as graduation approaches. 

'Taylor'ed with love,