The Ups and Downs of Week 8

 Highs of the Week:

1. Teach Ag Essay Contest: I wasn't sure if any of my students would be interested in participating in this year's Teach Ag Essay Contest, but I presented them with the opportunity and got a few maybes. One student in particular was super excited about it and showed a lot of initiative when getting started! We took two prep periods this week to start working on her lesson, and we made a lot of progress on her planning. We were able to work together to find a topic that she was passionate about and will be able to teach a really engaging lesson with! Stay tuned for the results!
2. Taking Control: In one of my more boisterous classes, I've noticed that some of the students are getting louder and more disruptive as the weeks go on. I finally started to recently feel like the problem was getting a little out of hand, so I strategically rearranged the assigned seats and started giving a 5 point daily grade (all or nothing) for classroom behavior. It may seem kind of elementary, but it really is helping to make the class more manageable again!

Lows of the Week:

1. Mishaps in the Shop: Friday was a day for the Ag Science I students to work on their projects in the wood shop. Nothing major happened, but the last period of the day was full of tiny inconveniences and mishaps; from me getting sawdust in my eye (even while wearing my safety glasses) to a student spilling a whole container of polycrylic clear coat on the floor! Luckily, the highs of the weak definitely outweighed the lows!