Reflection on a Student Teaching Site Visit

 While I would have loved to visit several schools in-person to view their FFA and agriculture programs and get to know the teachers face-to-face, Covid-19, my semester class load, and budget did not allow it.  Many of the schools I contacted were quite far away and would have required a day or two to drive and visit the school.  This would have cost quite a lot in gas, food, and lodging, and taken up quite a lot of time for homework.  All of the interactions I did have with the ag teachers and FFA advisors were similar to interviews of the program and teachers over zoom or google meet.  However, there were three schools in which I was given a virtual tour by phone camera.  These were always a nice addition to the virtual visits and gave me a bigger picture of the program.  

Of the three, I will recount the visit to one of them.  When I “visited” Octorara high school, I talked with Mrs. Martin about CDE and LDE involvement, fundraising events, agricultural industries in the area, student activities and involvement, and courses taught in the program.  I was amazed at the amount of diversity the school had in the programs and activities that were available to the students.  The program puts on some very unique fundraisers like a petting zoo and rabbit bingo.  Students have the chance to raise and stock local streams with trout, participate actively in the Solanco fair, and raise calves, pigs, sheep, or goats in the animal holding facilities.  Needless to say, I was blown away.  I thought my high school agriculture program had some pretty amazing facilities, but the more I visit and experience other Pennsylvania FFA and agriculture programs, the more amazed I get. 

After talking with Mrs. Miller over zoom on a laptop, she switched me to her phone and gave me a virtual tour of the facilities.  First I saw the tanks/tubs in which they raise the trout.  They have two large tanks and a smaller one for the younger fish.  They also had a hydroponics system and some trays of plants on shelves growing under LED lighting.  All of this was in one building which resembled a greenhouse.  After that, we went to the high tunnel which was housing cool weather crops and the barn where they were keeping 2 pigs.  There was a pasture for the pigs and close to the pasture was a compost bin.  There is also an ag mechanics workshop which houses a new tractor that students can work on and learn tractor driving.  

Mrs. Miller was very accommodating and polite the entire time and was super enthusiastic about her program (which she should be :) ).  I really enjoyed talking with her about Octorara high school’s ffa and agriculture program and often found myself comparing what I saw to what my alma mater had.  Overall, contacting and visiting the possible student teaching locations was a unique experience and something that I will take into account as I begin student teaching and eventually start teaching as an agriculture educator and FFA advisor.  Even though it was online, I still felt that I got a very good idea of the strengths and weaknesses of each placement and which would be a great fit for me.