Hello
Six weeks ago Sr. Jeanne Thurin (aka Jocko the Clown) asked me if I would be interested in assisting with a two day workshop for 150 7th & 8th graders from Girard Junior High. She was in need of "teachers" to lead mini sessions on composting, seeding, recycling and soil. She told me she would provide the lesson plan and I would attend a volunteer teacher training session to prepare for the day.
Of course being the loyal volunteer that I am I agreed. She assigned me the seeding session due to my greenhouse and farm experience. I attended a three hour training session, picked up my teachers's manual and had a great morning with Sr. Jeanne. I shared some ideas with her on what I might do in my session..............
Fast forward to yesterday (the day before class) I dug out and dusted off the teacher's manual and began reading the lesson plan.... highlighted a few items and really began to give some thought to two days of 7th and 8th graders and what it might be like to stand before them as the expert in seeding. I made a quick trip out for poster board and flower & vegetable packets in hopes of designing a visual teaching tool.
Keep in mind I have a BSW degree and spent 30 years in higher education dealing with undergraduates and graduates who have long passed 7th & 8th grade....... again I thought how hard can this be?
This morning my daughter Erin called to give me a pep talk and clearly said she wanted no complaining on my part if a student rolled their eyes at me, whined about the heat or wandered off from the group....
Off I went to the farm - praying for guidance and a quick course in education 101. The farm was hot and humid with impending storm clouds. My first group was not quite awake so I was able to breeze through without to many questions. The second group came alive and the third group was full of life and energy. By then it was lunch time and the rains came so we finished the day in Macnificant Dining Room. The background of the greenhouse and the fields provided great resources for a talk on seeding and how seeds grow. I had to work harder in the dining room with no visuals and of course the after lunch lack of attention and energy started to creep in. The final session ended and the buses were loaded. I will go back for tomorrow for day two with the 8th graders. Today was great and I expect tomorrow to be the same but I think I will keep my day job as a farmer!!
My thanks to all of you who are teachers by training or by the luck of your volunteer placement. Many of you have written about your teaching experiences this year - the planning, the creativity you have and most importantly the children you see daily. I can only imagine the energy it takes to keep a classroom alive each day. I have a new respect and sincere appreciation for all of you.
blessings
beth
No comments:
Post a Comment