Week 9: Classroom, Greenhouse & Shop, Oh My!

This week was exciting because it was the first time in a while that we had all 5 full days! It was a fun week where we spent time in the classroom, the greenhouse and the shop! It was also a very exciting week
because the snow is beginning to melt and I have seen grass for the first time in Crawford County!

The Ag 1 students are almost finished with their wooden benches we are working on in the shop. We also have continued our animal unit by talking about breeds and uses of beef cattle and dairy cattle. We have a unique shop and classroom schedule because we will spend 3 days a week in the shop and 3 days in the classroom. I enjoy this because it breaks up the week and keeps the students more interested in what we are learning. However, it can also be challenging because it can cause some disconnect within the lessons. 

In Ag 2 we are working on Arc welding. The students started to get really comfortable and maybe just a bit over confident with their ability to make a bead with a 6013 electrode. That sure changed once we switched to a 6011 and they were a little more challenged. The geraniums that these students planted are continuing to grow very well in the greenhouse! I am looking forward to seeing the final product as the center piece at the banquet! We also worked on a cool project in the greenhouse involving sunflower mats!

The juniors and seniors in Ag 3/4 are continuing to make their lifesize cowboys out of flat steel and sheet metal. I am really excited about this project and love watching this small group of students work so well together in the shop. On the days we are in the classroom we have been discussing monogastric digestion.

In agriscience we are continuing to learn about plant reproduction. We did many different things this week from vocabulary quizzes to taking notes and taking the exam for this chapter. One of the cool things I've got to experience here is giving exams through a system called 'My Big Campus'. The school is one to one and therefore all students have an iPad. I am able to upload the exam and the students just need to log-on and take their exam during class time. Using the iPads in class has been a really enjoyable way to enhance my lessons! I am especially fond of the NearPod app and use it quite frequently!

This week was also another exciting week for the FFA chapter. We had a meeting on Monday and because the weather is starting to get nice we had a lot to talk about! We planned for spring roundup, our food booth at the school sporting events, the banquet and our upcoming trip to SLLC!

On Wednesday evening the FFA chapter had the opportunity to go to the school board meeting for an awesome check presentation. The Conneaut Area FFA Chapter was nominated by a local farmer and received a $2500 grant from Monsanto! It was awesome to not only attend the board meeting but to see the FFA members making the school proud!

I am looking forward to our trip to SLLC this weekend and for what the upcoming weeks of teaching will bring!

"Sometimes you will never understand the value of a moment until it becomes a memory."

-Dr Seuss