Week 9: Community Relations

This has been a hectic week to say the least. This was also a week that highlighted community relation and how it supports an agriculture program.

This week we were dissecting in my Ag Science II-IV classes so my week started with a trip to Bixler's meats, the local butcher, to pick up some reproductive and digestive tracts. Even though we were learning about poultry in this class, the butcher didn't handle any birds and I wasn't able to have any of my students bring in any birds (live or dead) due to biosecurity reasons, so instead I was able to get tracts from pigs. I picked up both types of tracts this week but we were only focusing on the digestive tracts this week and I actually think that using the pig tracts instead of birds' actually provided a greater learning opportunity.

My students seemed to enjoy the chance to get their hands dirty cutting apart the dissection tract and while some of them were a little grossed out, most seemed to really enjoy it. For me it gave the opportunity to compare and contrast digestive systems across species with the tracts, reviewing some of the material they had learned in past agriculture classes.



This week was also my first of a few FFA banquets I would be attending this spring. In this area, there are several other FFA chapters within an hour's drive of Tri-Valley so each chapter invites their neighboring chapters to send representatives to their banquets and some other social functions. This week was the Upper Dauphin FFA Banquet and I'll admit that at first I thought it was strange to attend another chapter's banquet. This was not something we ever did at home. Then while attending Upper Dauphin I realized how great of an opportunity this was - through the simple gesture of inviting a few extra guests, the chapters were ensuring a friendly community bond was built amongst the chapters.

I had a great time at the Upper Dauphin FFA Banquet. It was a great chance to see how another chapter performed their banquet and allowed Mrs. D and I the chance to compare ideas and think of ways to improve our own Tri-Valley Banquet coming up in May. One of the highlights we both really enjoyed at Upper Dauphin's was that it was the 60th anniversary of the original FFA chapters in that area, and so one of their officers gave a beautiful presentation on the chapter's history. While not everyone would be able to give a presentation like theirs, I do believe that celebrating your chapter's history is another great way to continue to build the community relations within your own local chapter.

Overall, this has been a great week and a great example of the value of community relations to a chapter's success.

Scoping out the Anatomy Class

This past Friday I got to end my first week by observing the 7^th period anatomy class taught by one of the biology teachers. It was my first real venture to the second level of the school so some of my 11^th and 12^th grade ag. students looked a little surprised to see me show up in their anatomy class. The class had been learning about hair anatomy and how different species have unique hair follicle characteristics. During this class they were completing a hair anatomy microscopy lab. Before they started the lab activity, the teacher reviewed the hair anatomy info from the day before, covering key terminology including integument, morphology, cortex, medulla, and cuticle. After checking comprehension with questions it was time to start the lab!

Once the students reviewed the directions on the worksheet they began the lab. They moved around five different stations in the back of the classroom, analyzing different hair samples with the microscopes to determine species identification, drawing their microscopic observations and recording descriptions of the samples utilizing key terminology. The animal species they were trying to distinguish between were sheep, cat, dog, horse, rabbit and human. The students appeared to enjoy the class and be interested in the lab and showing what they know. As I’d walk around the room, I’d ask the students what they thought their microscope station showed and why, and the students would explain to me how different characteristics of the hair samples helped them identify the species (or guess since they weren’t reviewing until the next class period).

Throughout the lab I talked to the teacher, we discussed how much she enjoys teaching at Tri Valley, how she still remembers her own student teaching experience and while teaching is still stressful it’s better once you’re in your own classroom. We discussed classroom layout and compared how the classroom is organized and how she would change it to better accommodate lab activities.

Say hello to Blackie

We talked about how much she enjoys teaching biology and anatomy at the high school, and how her own love of science led her along the path from “discovering dinosaurs” in the woods near her home to now using that “dinosaur” in her classroom. (The “dinosaur” is actually the real remains of a Shetland pony from her childhood. Her father helped her assemble it as a child and now, twenty years later, he resides in the back of her classroom. Pretty cool!)

Overall, it was an enjoyable experience, with the teacher inviting me to come back and call on her whenever I needed. I’ve also noticed an appreciation of art throughout the school, as there are murals in some of the classes, including the ag. shop and in the anatomy class. Most of them are images related to the subject (like the FFA emblem in the ag. shop) or inspirational messages like this one in the anatomy class.

"COURAGE is knowing what not to FEAR"

Look at what pennants are right next to each other!

Higher education and careers are also emphasized throughout the school, with many posters advertising career and college opportunities. Many of the classrooms also have college posters and/or pennants hung up on their walls. Behind “Blackie,” the Shetland pony skeleton, the back wall in the anatomy classroom is covered with university pennants, including two that are very important to me.

Getting to know the biology/anatomy teacher was really helpful and I can’t wait to see what other wonderful staff I get to know over the next 14 weeks.