Week 16: Final Reflection

In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn

-Phil Collins

As I sit at the kitchen table at my home in York County, PA, I can honestly say that this is not how I expected the end of my internship to go. The past 16 weeks have had their ups and downs, but I am grateful for all of the teachers, students, and support staff I was able to meet throughout my experience at Oley Valley School District.

Throughout this experience, I have learned more than I ever could have imagined. Not only with a broader knowledge of content knowledge, but so much more!

No need to reinvent the wheel

Students in the Teach Ag program at Penn State have been told, "don't reinvent the wheel." After being told this a bunch of times, I admit that I didn't exactly follow that advice until we started digital instruction. With this time of digital instruction, there is great opportunity for teachers to use and find resources for a plethora of different topics. I found so many great resources for teachers to use in this time of digital instruction and continue the use into the classroom.

Teachers should be respected, not your friend

As a student teacher just a few years older than some of my students, finding the line between the teacher and friend was difficult. As my time in the classroom progressed, I realized that I would much rather gain my student's respect than to be seen as "cool" or their friend. This was difficult to continue through the digital learning period, but something that I planned to continue working on through the entirety of my student teaching experience.

Spend the time doing your research

I did not grow up with a background in high school agriculture. With this lack of FFA knowledge, I found it important to research as much as I could about the meeting structure, different competitive events, and SAE projects. When I was able to enter with some research, I was able to ask better questions on how these events worked. This also is true in content knowledge. Having the confidence to teach material is important, but knowing that you put in the time before hand is rewarding.

Remember to be human

During this time of digital instruction, it was easy to find resources, set a due date, and give grades. Right now, our country and world are in a time of extreme uncertainty for all. Taking time to ask how students are doing is crucial in keeping a positive connection with students. In the classroom, my students enjoyed when I could tell a personal story or connection to the content material.

Despite the whirlwind of this semester, I can honestly said I have learned more than I ever imagined during this student teaching experience. I want to thank Mr. Deysher, Mrs. Rice, and all of the Oley Valley students for helping me learn how to become a better teacher. Thank you!