Week 6

This week gave me a quick realty check as to the commitment it takes being an agriculture educator who actively utilizes the 3 circle model. When comparing weeks, some weeks are light with little after school commitments whereas others, it seems like we have something every night; this was one of those weeks.

The most notable thing this week was Manheim's attendance at my first ever ACES conference. While I'd love to say this was an effortless trip and we had no issues, that unfortunately was not the case. That being said I really enjoyed this trip and felt like I left a better educator. I also was able to connect with students I don't get to see in my everyday classroom which was refreshing and exciting.

Before the bus even left the parking lot in Manheim, we were dealing with student drama. Without asking, the girls decided to change up their entire rooming situations which naturally resulted in MEGA drama. After a stern talking to, Mrs. Anderson and myself thought the issue was resolved. However, after finding people where they shouldn't be during room checks, we realized that was not the case. Further, we encountered issues such as student bullying, students of the opposite sex being in each others rooms, and tabaco possession. Taking 28 students on a weekend trip after not being able to for 2 years, it's not shocking they got a little wild. While I think it can be easy to look at our ACES experience with worry, I find myself having learned a lot about student behavior management and how that looks outside the building. I really tip my hat to the way Mrs. Anderson was able to handle all the challenges students were throwing at her and I definitely think I'll be stealing some of her tools for my toolbox.