Planning for National Convention
During the FFA National Convention, I talked to a few Agriculture teachers on how they planned for their students. Both those who stayed back at their home school and those who went to the convention. The teachers had different ways for their students who remained at school to continue to learn during their classes. Some of the teachers simply left busy work for their students, such as worksheets or simple lecture material that substitute teachers would not have much difficulty presenting. One of the teachers, on the other hand, had their students working on different projects and speeches for other upcoming competitions.
For the students that went to the convention, the teachers seemed to have one of two main methods to the first was teachers who only brought competing students. These teachers had their students focus solely on the competition that they were competing in, they did not make their students worry about homework for their other classes. The other method was the teachers who brought non-competing students. These teachers had their students work on homework for other classes when they were not at the convention center. In some cases, all the students were asked to bring something back to their classmates, this could have been something they learned or something that they found interesting during this experience.
There was no singular way that the teachers connected the convention to their curriculums, some having it as a way for students to create a way for their students to learn on their own, by attending workshops in areas of personal interest. Other teachers had the convention simply as an educational field trip, where students were expected to bring back information to share with their classmates.
For my future administration, how would you like me to prepeare my students for the FFA National Convention and what type of work would you like me to leave for those who do not attend?
For my future students, what do you think would be a fair way to create assignments for those who do and do not attend the National Convention?
For my cohort members, based on your own discussions, what do you plan to have your students do during the National Convention?
For the students that went to the convention, the teachers seemed to have one of two main methods to the first was teachers who only brought competing students. These teachers had their students focus solely on the competition that they were competing in, they did not make their students worry about homework for their other classes. The other method was the teachers who brought non-competing students. These teachers had their students work on homework for other classes when they were not at the convention center. In some cases, all the students were asked to bring something back to their classmates, this could have been something they learned or something that they found interesting during this experience.
There was no singular way that the teachers connected the convention to their curriculums, some having it as a way for students to create a way for their students to learn on their own, by attending workshops in areas of personal interest. Other teachers had the convention simply as an educational field trip, where students were expected to bring back information to share with their classmates.
For my future administration, how would you like me to prepeare my students for the FFA National Convention and what type of work would you like me to leave for those who do not attend?
For my future students, what do you think would be a fair way to create assignments for those who do and do not attend the National Convention?
For my cohort members, based on your own discussions, what do you plan to have your students do during the National Convention?
Good job Abbie! Glad you used your time at convention to learn more about how to prepare yourself and your future students for educational experiences in the classroom and at convention itself.
ReplyDeleteI am glad to hear you recognize that everyone does it differently and you have to decide what works for you, your students, and your administration. I have not had a competing team, but when I do I will take a second chaperone/teacher so I can be with the competing team and the other students can run their own schedule. Our program attends convention every other year and takes upper class men as a capstone trip so they can experience the FFA at a national level as well as agriculture in different parts of the country. We also try to travel with neighboring schools if we have low numbers in attendance because it is a cheaper trip for the students. In regards to work for students when you are gone for a week, I did not stray from my curriculum, I made it digital and tailored the assignments so the students were still on track. I take the mindset of the substitute is not an ag. teachers so I do not expect them to teach but to facilitate behavior, productivity, and papers/videos.
ReplyDeleteAs a middle school teacher, I rarely get to attend convention. However, last year when I was earning my Honorary American Degree, I got to attend. All of my students were left behind. National FFA provides choice boards for convention exploration that I left behind with my yearlong class and provided some resources on Google Classroom. For the semester and quarter class I teach, I collaborated with the media specialist so she would work with those classes on an project so their learning moved forward.
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