As I am visiting potential cooperating centers, there are three things I keep in mind.
1. Does this location have adequate financial and physical resources?
2. Does this location have teachers that would be good mentors?
3. Does this location have the support of the local community and its administration?
I also personally subscribe to the belief that your student teaching experience should be a time of personal growth and experimentation. For example, agricultural mechanics is not currently one of my strengths, but it is an area I wish to improve in by the end of my internship. Thus far, I have visited three schools, all with strong agricultural mechanics course offerings because I know this is an area I definitely want to teach as a student-teacher.
Also, since I am less familiar with FFA than my other cohort members, I would enjoy student teaching at a school with a strong FFA presence. When I visit schools, I focus not on the number of FFA members but the number of activities, meetings, and community service projects a chapter organizes. My reasoning being, quality > quantity. You could have 200 FFA members that do nothing all year or 25 FFA members that meet weekly, have SAEs, and attend State and National Convention.
To date, I have not had the opportunity to experience how an Agricultural Education teacher must balance his/her multiple roles: teacher, FFA advisor, CDE coach, SAE supervisor, and mentor (to name just a few). I know I have a lot to learn about the work, life, FFA balance that is the constant challenge of agriculture teachers.
This past week I visited three programs in the South Central Region. I first visited Northern York County School District, where they have a thriving middle and high school agriculture program. Next, I visited Dover Area School District, which is currently undergoing renovation. So, I would have the opportunity to teach in a brand new high school which was designed with the intention of having an "Ag Suite". Lastly, I visited Conewago Valley School District, specifically New Oxford High School, and saw their CTE hub, which was completed in 2019. This space was built in an effort to close the skills gap that existed in the community.
1. Does this location have adequate financial and physical resources?
2. Does this location have teachers that would be good mentors?
3. Does this location have the support of the local community and its administration?
I also personally subscribe to the belief that your student teaching experience should be a time of personal growth and experimentation. For example, agricultural mechanics is not currently one of my strengths, but it is an area I wish to improve in by the end of my internship. Thus far, I have visited three schools, all with strong agricultural mechanics course offerings because I know this is an area I definitely want to teach as a student-teacher.
Also, since I am less familiar with FFA than my other cohort members, I would enjoy student teaching at a school with a strong FFA presence. When I visit schools, I focus not on the number of FFA members but the number of activities, meetings, and community service projects a chapter organizes. My reasoning being, quality > quantity. You could have 200 FFA members that do nothing all year or 25 FFA members that meet weekly, have SAEs, and attend State and National Convention.
To date, I have not had the opportunity to experience how an Agricultural Education teacher must balance his/her multiple roles: teacher, FFA advisor, CDE coach, SAE supervisor, and mentor (to name just a few). I know I have a lot to learn about the work, life, FFA balance that is the constant challenge of agriculture teachers.
This past week I visited three programs in the South Central Region. I first visited Northern York County School District, where they have a thriving middle and high school agriculture program. Next, I visited Dover Area School District, which is currently undergoing renovation. So, I would have the opportunity to teach in a brand new high school which was designed with the intention of having an "Ag Suite". Lastly, I visited Conewago Valley School District, specifically New Oxford High School, and saw their CTE hub, which was completed in 2019. This space was built in an effort to close the skills gap that existed in the community.
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