Epiphany of Learning
In Agricultural Mechanics I Class
Aha Moment #1
AHA MOMENT #2
Student: "Well I would only need four carriage bolts, right?"
Me: "So does the other side not need any?"
Student: "OH! Just because you cannot see the other side of the picnic table on the plan doesn't mean you can forget about it altogether! I need 8 carriage bolts."
Success. Lead them toward the answer, but never give them the answer. In this case there was a correct, quantitative answer. Other times, there is not one correct answer and different ways of doing things can get students to the same result. Encourage creativity in this sense.
AHA MOMENT #3
AHA MOMENT #4
There was one student in particular that made me realize this. He had no agriculture background and a less than supportive home life. This student took every opportunity given to him. They needed another member on the time to complete the five member team to compete. He was there. Get this, even if it was outside of his comfort zone. Oh, and I like my comfort zone as much as the next person, but the best lessons are learned outside of it. This should be our goal as educators, get students so bought into the program and classes that they forget about their fears and just jump right in.
AHA MOMENT #5
This is an exact quote: "Mom, I am never wearing that ugly, blue, corduroy, FFA jacket. Ever."
Guess who ended up wearing that jacket? Me.
Guess who ended up being president of the club that wore those awful jackets? Me.
All because of a teacher.
I have the opportunity to have this kind of impact on students when I student teach, when I help in the classroom. How am I going to use this opportunity?