So, this blog is definitely past due, but I am super excited to share about my experience while visiting Ms. Boltz at Dover Area High School in York, PA.
Ms. Boltz was teaching 3 of the 4 classes that she would teach when I visited her at Dover. owevr, one of the classes she was teaching was to be co-taught ended up just being Ms. Boltz serving as the student teacher as well as the substitute teacher.
Ms. Boltz was substituting in an Agricultural Mechanics class where the students were workign to rebuild engines that they had previously obtained from various community members. Students were trouble shooting the engines and coming up with solutions to the problems.Through this experience, I realized that having a larger shop area can be both a blessing and a curse. It is incredibly useful in order to have students spread out throughout the shop and have their own space to work, however, it is hard to manage a class in a large shop with a garage door that is allowed to be opened and closed throughout the day to assist with the fumes from various engines.
Ms. Boltz also taught an animal science class where students were focused in on goats. She even had a few goats brought in for students to play with and observe!
Suggestions/Advice that I left for Ms. Boltz:
-Use “cue” words to signal movement
-Use time limits
-Utilize silence more often, make sure you have attention from all students
-Cut off unnecessary conversations when other students are talking
-Incorporate movement in every class (This is something that our principal at BHS is requiring of all teachers)
-Don’t be afraid to enforce rules
Things that I have brought back to BHS:
-Tests are a learning opportunity not just an assessment
-Test was out of 20 points, 10 was just taking the test, other 10 from discussion post
-Olympic music with podium for 1,2, and 3 place after grading tests
-Clocking in and out
-Alexa Friday
Other Observations:
-AWESOME relationship with students
-Treated like another teacher
-No access to online grading platform
-Cooperating teacher is very supportive and addresses students if they are treating Ms. Boltz differently than they would treat her
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