Many of you are about to wind up your first year of teaching! Congratulations! Be sure to read next month’s newsletter for:
Lori Goodson, Editor
Mary Hammel, Technical Editor
Name: Katelyn Pinkston
Location: Anderson County School District, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Class/content area taught: Agricultural Education (Veterinary Science, Equine Science, Introduction to Greenhouse and Crop Production, Floral Design, Animal Science, Greenhouse Technology, and Small Animal Technology)
What are you most excited about with your new career? The thing that I am most excited about with my new career is the opportunity for growth. I am excited for my personal and professional growth as a teacher, the growth that I hope my department experiences, and the growth that I hope my students can experience as they participate in my classes.
What you enjoy most about teaching: I love thinking through how I can provide learning experiences for my students. I enjoy utilizing all methods of teaching in my classroom, but I always want to think up experiences that I know my students will remember. That is what is most fun!
In what ways has your school/district supported you? They have supported me in numerous ways since I started back in the summer. The biggest project that they have supported so far is starting up a hydroponics program that will produce 128 lettuce heads a week for a Backpack Buddies food assistance program. It has been great having their support and encouragement to do more!
What are some specific things you believe KSU especially helped prepare you for your new career? All of the instruction on lesson planning really helped, because that is a big part of the job. I also think the agricultural education department prepared me for all of my extra duties as an FFA Advisor. I am so thankful for my time at Kansas State and in the agricultural education department!
Are there specifics about your background that make teaching the perfect fit for you? My dad was an agricultural education teacher for over 30 years. I grew up getting to see the lifestyle that an ag teacher leads, and I fell in love with it! I am so thankful for that experience, which led me to this career!
Suggestions/encouragement for new teachers: Time management is huge! If you use your time wisely throughout the day, then you can still have personal time in the evenings and on weekends. Set your priorities and figure out what needs to be done now and what can wait until later. Personal time is so important, so make sure you allow yourself to have it.
Bonus question, thanks to the Pandemic: COVID-19—How has the Pandemic shaped your classroom—the environment, safety precautions, etc.? How has it affected you as a new teacher? This has played a huge role in my first year. I am thankful that during this fall semester we were able to have in-person instruction for eight weeks.
Honestly, COVID has impacted so much, but being a first-year teacher has allowed me not to compare it to previous years. I am just rolling with the punches and working day by day. If I have learned anything, it is the importance of being flexible and willing to do what needs to be done to make it the best experience for the students.
Have you signed up for the 2021 Rural Education Summit that will be held virtually on the morning of Friday, March 26? With the focus totally on rural school districts, we know you’ll want to be a part of the great discussions!
We’ve posted the schedule, so check it out at 2021 Rural Summit.
We are focusing on three key issues: Recruitment, Reinforcement, and Retention. Our key speakers to start the day will be KSU College of Education Dean Debbie Mercer, Kansas Commissioner of Education Randy Watson, and COE associate professor Tuan Nguyen, who will present his research on rural education.
When we will break out into sessions, based on the three issues. Presenters will submit a video for attendees to view prior to the conference. We will have various speakers, including session presenters who will provide a brief overview of their presentation and then lead a discussion with attendees in small groups.
Two key national presenters for sessions will be Allen Pratt, Executive Director of the National Rural Education Association, Chattanooga, Tenn., who will discuss “Rural Education…Stories and Updates from Pandemic to Innovation,” and representatives of the Rural Schools Collaborative, Cambridge, Wisconsin, who will discuss the I Am a Rural Teacher National Advocacy Campaign.
Other topics include:
We are keeping the event to a half day, to make efficient use of your time. PLUS…we’re making it affordable for individuals to attend to encourage greater attendance…and greater discussion. The early-bird registration fee is $10 to encourage several from your district to participate, so register soon. To register, use this link: 2021 Rural Summit.
The live Zoom sessions will be a great opportunity for several of your administrators and teacher leaders to visit with the presenters and other educators to share ideas, after having had an opportunity to view their videos prior to the actual conference.
We hope you will join us. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at lagoodson@ksu.edu. Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you on March 26.
Click on the graphic below to find out more information!
It’s March—which means spring rain (maybe?), a much-deserved break (hopefully you were able to make a stop or two in the Little Apple), and assessments! While you may be putting in a few extra minutes in your classes reviewing material for the tests, it’s also a good time for you to consider the achievements your students have made—whether they show up on a test score or not.
As your students take the assessments, know that you have done your best. If you’ve kept a journal for reflection, now’s the time to spend a few minutes flipping through the pages and seeing just how far your students—and you as a teacher—have come.
Take time to reflect upon your teaching, how you’ve prepared your students for these assessment and, most importantly, for succeeding in your class and with your content. Flip through your past lesson plans and make note of what works and what didn’t, what needs improvement and what was successful.
As assessment results come in, make use of that data. Use the results to see how your students have progressed and to determine what general areas you may need to spend more time on or approach in a different way.
Do not, however, judge your teaching abilities based on assessment results. Assessments are only part of the picture regarding your students’ achievements. Ideally, testing would be an absolute way to judge your abilities to help students learn. But veteran teachers and administrators know other factors affect how your students do on the tests.
As you move through the school year, don’t miss a thing! Be a part of EdCATS!
We want to help beginning and early career teachers like you thrive in your career! Check out #WeAreEdCats for teaching tips and to stay in touch with the COE! Check out the website at coe.k-state.edu/forever-edcats.
We asked some of your favorite Curriculum and Instruction professors, “What do you think is most enjoyable about teaching this age level/content area?” We think you’ll find their responses provide you with a few smiles…and some motivation to keep up your good work in the classroom.
Dr. Brad Burenheide (Secondary Social Studies)— “Everything. The content, the kids, it is intellectually stimulating and enjoyable.”
Kaylee Myers (Elementary Education)— “The students, of course. They bring a smile to my face, especially each morning when they walk in ready to go and a new day has begun.
Cyndi Kuhn (Technology)— “I love technology, and there are so many options and always a new one. Embrace them.”
Dr. Sherri Martinie (Secondary Math)— “There are so many applications of the content to the real world. There are definitely opportunities to be creative teaching math. It is also very rewarding when students that have struggled with math start to make sense of things and enjoy learning the subject.”
Dr. Tonnie Martinez (Secondary Language Arts)— “I always loved when a student would say, “I hate English class.” I would tell them, ‘If you still don’t like it at the end of the semester, I’ll give you your money back!’ It broke the ice, and sometimes I was shocked when one of the “haters” came in during the last week of school and told me they didn’t want their money back and they liked English now.”
Dr. Tom Vontz (Social Studies)— “The honest and sometimes inaccurate and funny interpretations of the world that come from the mouths of little kids.”
Dr. Vicki Sherbert (Secondary English/Language Arts, Speech/Theatre, Journalism)— “We get to bring exciting literacy experiences to our students. Sharing our enthusiasm about books, authors, poetry, drama, etc. with our students is critical to help them develop their own literate lives.”
Dr. Phillip Payne (Music Education)— “The most enjoyable part for me is to see students developing their love and knowledge of music. They learn to take ownership of their musicality and to see that is immensely gratifying.”
What’s up?
Why don’t you send us a photo of you at work in your classroom! Or, do you have a question about classroom procedures? A suggestion for a topic we should address in Before the Bell? Want to add your name to our mailing list? Or provide a different email for our list? At the very least, just email and say hi!
Early-career teachers, feel free to jump in and offer suggestions to those who are following your career choice!
We’d love to hear from you, so please email us at lagoodson@k-state.edu.
Go, COE Cats!
Believe it or not, spring AND the final weeks of your school year are within reach! OK–it’s Kansas, so I can’t promise the spring thing, but I CAN promise that you only have a few more weeks for the school year.
We want you to make the most of those final weeks. To help out, here are some of the topics we’re going to be addressing in the April issue:
