It is
difficult to explain how quickly and slowly a decade moves. When I first
started teaching, I naïvely feared that the days would move slowly and I would be
looking for things to do to fill down time. After a less than ideal first year
of teaching (if you know, you know - if you don’t, I plan to write a book
someday, so stay tuned for that thrilling chapter about how my career in
education started), I truly questioned if I would reach the 10-year mark in
education.
Let me start by saying it takes a village to support a teacher, many
pieces need to fall into place at the right time, and there needs to be a fair amount of growth,
reflection, and grit along the way. I’m thankful to have sporadically maintained my blog from
student-teaching in 2013 (yikes!) so I can look back and reflect over the past
10 years - and what a journey it has been.
Here are my top 10 lessons along with some
powerful quotes about life I’ve garnered through the first decade in my
#TeachAg journey.
Teaching a fetal pig dissection
1. Surround yourself with positive
people – “If you are going to reach your potential, surround yourself with
eagles. People who will push you forward, make you a better person, and help
you soar.” ~Author unknown
2. Redefine Success – Success is not
what you accomplish in life. It’s about what you inspire others to do. It is
easy to become caught up in accolades, awards, and titles. Look deeper and get
caught up in how you have touched others’ lives. “The real success is growing
your positive influence and making those around you feel valued and empowered.”
~Mike Azzalina
3. Find your Tribe – As much as you
believe you can make it on your own, you will eventually realize that you need to
lean on others sooner rather than later. Take time to build and maintain relationships
in your life with God, family, and friends. It’s a lonely journey to try and tackle
the world on your own.
Annual selfie at the National FFA Convention
4. Know your Why – When passion meets
purpose, it is a powerful thing. On tough days, you will most likely ask yourself
“why”. Why do you spend time doing the little things that no one will see? What
motivates you to get out of bed in the morning? If you aren’t committed to a
cause, then you need to find your passion and make it your purpose.
5. Value Your Time – Just because you can
do everything doesn’t mean you should do everything. Burnout is a real thing
and if you’ve flirted on the edge of burnout, you know it is a scary tipping point unless you can recognize the warning signs.
Alpaca Shearing with Lightning Jack
6. Work Hard & Stay Humble – A
strong work ethic will carry you far in all facets of life. You may not always
be the smartest person in the room, but there is no excuse not to be the
hardest worker. “If you want to look good in front of thousands, you have to
outwork thousands in front of nobody.” ~Damian Lillard
Peru 2022
7. Choose Happiness – Life is too short
to not enjoy the company of
others, a once-in-a-lifetime experience, or the chance to make a positive
impact in the world. Don’t wait until it’s too late to find what makes you
happy. “It's not that life has
been easy, perfect, or exactly as expected. I just choose to be happy and
grateful no matter how it all turns out.” ~Albert Einstein
8. Travel adds value to your life – Gaining a new view of the
world is critical to develop empathy for others. “Why do you go away? So that
you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes
and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to
where you started is not the same as never leaving.” ~Unknown
Teaching a dissection to teachers during a virtual CASE Institute
9. Savor the Small Wins – There will be
some days, weeks, and months that become challenging. Find a way to remember
and celebrate the small victories each day. Human nature is to talk about the
negative things that we encounter, so change the narrative and push yourself to
remember the positive attributes of your day.10. Take Time to Reflect – We can learn
so much from ourselves if we take the time to slow down, look back, and learn
from our experiences. Learning to take 10 minutes to write down my thoughts has
helped to bring a sense of calm to an otherwise chaotic day.
If I had to use a word to describe Year #10, it would be "extremes." The good days were extremely good, but the challenging days/weeks were extremely difficult. Full disclosure, I had started looking at jobs outside of education for a few weeks in February questioning if I wanted to continue teaching. The people I surrounded myself with over the past few months have taught me some valuable lessons and pushed me to reflect deeply. I've found what it means to be genuinely happy in all facets of my life while still pursuing goals that challenge me. Creating new daily routines for self-reflection and prayer have helped me to become more centered and productive with my time. I'm starting the summer with a clear mind and renewed spirit - ready to enjoy the small victories and live each experience to the fullest as I prepare for year #11.
Binoculars out! Spotting a 3-toed sloth in the canopy less than 2 minutes after jumping off the bus this morning!
We started Day 2 of #CVCostaRica22 back at the Tirimbina Rainforest Preserve by seeing a 3-toed sloth within 5 minutes of our arrival. No sooner had we started moving toward the classroom, our guides spotted a 2-toed sloth in another tree, so the group got the chance to see the differences between these species of sloths. Our guides noted this was exceptionally rare, so we knew the day was off to a great start! Students used binoculars and magifying scopes to focus in on these furry creatures and capture some unique images!
I spy a 3-toed sloth!
The group visted the seed traps we set last night and collected bat guano captured overnight from bats in the open forest. Fruit-eating bats are the most abundant seed-dispersing mammals in the world. Costa Rica is no exception and is home to 30 species of frugivores. Each night, bats can communte several miles to find their food often venturing out of the rainforest into open areas in search of their favorite fruit tree. In this process, most of the seeds ingested from fruit pass through the bat's digestive system intact, then are defacated during flight. The seeds "raining" across the landscape can eventually germinate and become pioneer plants and assist in the process of reforestation.
Back in the classroom, teams worked to identify seeds found in the guano to indicate the location of nearby plants. Students used dissecting microscopes to zoom in and view the various seeds found in the bat guano. Our group was able to identify seeds from a pepper plant and a ficus plant. This event concluded our bat study last evening where students got to see a White Lined Bat, Sevas Short-Tailed Bat, and Black Motais Bat up close!
The morning ended with water quality testing and a macro-invertebrate study in the Sarapiqui River. In Costa Rica, the country is committed to ensuring that water is clean and free from pollutants. Before rafting down the Sarapiqui, students had to determine the pH and levels of phosphate and nitrate in the river. After a quick walk across our favorite suspension bridge and a trip down a spiral staircase, our group reached the banks of the Sarapiqui to work with our guide to conduct this water quality testing. Groups returned a perfect pH of 7 and no detected nitrates or phosphates.
After the water quality testing, students dispersed for 15 minutes to catch various macroinvertebrates using strainers. Macro-invertebrates are important in determining the history of a river and its water quality. A river with a high diversity of macros indicates a healthy ecosystem where a high abundance of pollution-tolerant macros indicates poor river health. Our groups found several skimmers, a beetle, and even a tiny fish! Overall, our guide said a high quantity of skimmers was a sign of a healthy ecosystem since we didn't locate any pollution tolerant species.
Investigating the final count for each type of macroinvertebrate
Students working with our guide William to finalize water quality testing results
After lunch, the group enjoyed white-water rafting on the Sarapiqui! Our group was in 3 separate rafts and enjoyed a 7-kilometer journey down the river while observing more sloths, a monkey, and several bird species hunting for fish.
Our group arrived safely in San Jose, Costa Rica yesterday and hit the ground running today in the Tirimbina Rainforest!
On our drive this morning to Sarapiqui, we stopped at a coffee plantation high in the mountains to learn about the "golden bean" that allowed Costa Rica to become a successful country. Costa Rica only grows Arabic coffee and harvests ripe coffee beans by hand.
This distinction sets Costa Rica apart because the coffee harvested is of higher quality, which demands a higher price. Other countries (such as Columbia and Vietnam) depend on quantity of coffee harvested rather than quality like Costa Rica. Our group picked up some high quality Expresso, French Roast, and Low Roast coffee to take back and sample with friends and family in the United States. While stopping at the cafe, we also were able to see a team of oxen and a beautiful ox cart.
The ox cart is viewed as a traditional part of Costa Rican culture that symbolizes "peace, humility, and hard work." We couldn't agree more with these adjectives that describe the country and great Costa Ricans we've interacted with so far on our trip!
Along the switchback roads coming down the mountain, we stopped to see the La Paz waterfall and discussed some of the devastion that can occur during the rainy season with extreme flooding and landslides. We continued our descent and saw several dairy farms (Holsteins & Jerseys), then finally some Brahman cattle in the lowlands.
We arrived at the Tirimbina Rainforest Preserve a little before lunch and jumped right into a "Rainforest Color Challenge" to identify flora and fauna that were yellows, blues, reds, blacks, and pinks. After lunch, it was time to cross the Sarapiqui River on a swaying suspension bridge to enter the rainforest. Our group was treated to a colony of "ants moving plants," a 300-year-old tree, and great views of toucans, frogs, and spiders.
Before departing for the afternoon, the group set up seed traps for a study to analyze how bats move seeds across the rainforest. Stay tuned to see our results tomorrow morning!
The day ended with a night bat study and up-close encounters with several species of bats found in the Tirimbina Rainforest. Did you know that various species of bats consume insects, frogs, and nectar from plants?
As you get older, the days may go slow, but the years go fast. The 2019-2020 school year is one for the books and will certainly be a year to remember. There were some highs, there were some lows, but we pulled through and still have the ability to look toward the future "in hopes of better days through better ways."
2019 Del Val Alumni Outstanding Achievement in
Secondary Education Award Winner. Great end to an
insane week at school! #GoAggies
The fall semester started out fairly normal. Great officer retreat in Western PA, selling milkshakes at CV Football games, and freezing to death at Hayman Farm's Fall Fest. Some unique highlights of the fall included a self-inflicted "Hell Week." AgVenture Day Thursday, PAAE Meeting in Williamsport on Thursday night, Agricultural Education Showcase on Friday, and a trip to
Del Val's Homecoming on Saturday morning and a wedding back in Mechanicsburg Saturday night. Thank god I didn't have to teach on Monday (thank you Christopher Columbus). A trip to National FFA Convention rounded out October, which led to a normal end of the semester with a fruit sale, Winter CDEs, and Christmas Week celebrations.
Pennsylvania Agricultural Education Delegation at
3-Circle Summit
February 2020
Indianapolis, Indiana
I will also mention that this year, I stepped into the role of President for the Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators. In March 2019, I was serving my second term as South-Central Region Vice-President when the current President-Elect stepped away. I agreed to serve a shortened term as President-Elect, then step into the role of President in July. To say I was terrified was an understatement. However, through this year of service, I pushed myself to serve my fellow Agricultural Educators to the best of my ability and set a positive example for others. I attended 4 regional meetings across the state, attended meetings of the PA FFA Board, PA FFA Foundation, and PA Farm Show Scholarship Foundation, learned way too much about proxy taxes and dealing with the IRS to correct tax returns, touched the Pacific Ocean in Anaheim, California for NAAE Convention, organized meeting packets, attended the 3-Circle Summit in Indianapolis, forged connections with the Commission for Agricultural Education Excellence, helped to plan a conference, and recognized retiring agricultural educators with an inaugral retiree spotlight. In all, I never could have imagined what I would have completed this past year as PAAE President, but I am thankful for the opportunities I've been provided as they have strengthened my understanding of Agricultural Education, school code, legislative procedures, and the need for leaders to communicate effectively. I've learned from some of the best, but it has been a whirlwind of a year! I'm excited to serve in the past-President's role and wrap up some loose ends before I transition off the board in 2021.
And then the calendar flipped to 2020! How cool, this is the best year ever--complete with the "seeing clearly" and "I'm Barbara Walters" jokes! January and February rolled by pretty normal. I started training my usual teams for State Convention--finally got a #DairyFoods team together and even ordered our own personal milk bottles! We were wrapping up a healthy bunch of Proficiency Applications and American FFA Degrees in March and the world came to a screeching halt. And so began the COVID-19 era (see prior blog post). Craziness to say the least, and I don't think anyone thought it would "happen here." This was a foreign virus that was a problem somewhere else. Well, thanks to global interconnectedness, what happens around the world impacts us here.
2019-2020 CV FFA Leadership Team
Pennsylvania schools closed on Friday, March 13th for what we thought would be 2 week closures. At this point, I new that our trip to Costa Rica would not be happening because our spring break would be taken away. Fair enough, we could postpone until the end of the school year. Well, we never went back to school. After 3 weeks of "optional enrichment," Cumberland Valley began virtual instruction and it was intense for me. Basically revising a curriculum and trying our best to make it interactive. However, I think the kids were overwhelmed with having to complete everything online and via Schoology (our LMS). Some were accustomed to using Schoology for the occassional submission of assignments or quiz, but as much of a learning curve for teachers, it was a reality check for students. We got through it, but I definitely hope everyone's faith in public education and face-to-face instruction has been renewed through this madness. Nothing can replace a teacher working with students face-to-face. Although we missed the usual FFA events, competitions, and celebrations, a lot of individuals pulled together to recognize the outgoing FFA Officers and the Class of 2020. The CV Agricultural Science & FFA Seniors were an awesome group--16 Keystone Degree recipients added to the wall, 14 of which have taken an Ag class since Freshmen year. The outgoing FFA Leadership Team was a great group as well. Even though their year got cut short, they accomplished many feats this past year and kept the chapter moving forward. I also received notification that I was selected as a National FFA Teacher Ambassador for the coming year, which will be a new opportunity to continue giving back to FFA advisors across the state and nation.
This may not have been "Lucky #7," but it has been a unique year to say the least. I couldn't bring myself to create a virtual FFA Banquet, so we are holding out for a small celebration in late July to pass out awards and graduation swag. The best way I found closure was creating my "Adopt a Senior" video that was sent to seniors on May 30, 2020 (what would have been their graduation day). Of all the videos I made during #Coronacation2020, this was the most meaningful.
Until next year, here's to making hay while the sun shines, remodeling my house, and hoping to get back to some type of schedule in September 2020.
I'd been waiting for the year 2020 to use all the corny jokes associated with perfect vision, seeing clearly, and of course watching the memes to finally hear Barbara Walters say "...and this is 2020." Little did we know, 2020 would not go how any of us predicted. As a teacher, I can say I've gone through a crazy situation or two over the past 7 years, but nothing could prepare us for the #Coronacation that has brought life to a screeching halt.
Today, Governor Wolf announced that schools will not resume for the rest of the year. The last time I taught in my classroom at Cumberland Valley High School was Friday, March 13th.
Let's recap that week just for the history books: Sunday, March 8th--Daylight Saving Time (lost an hour of sleep), Thursday, March 12th--full moon (the school environment is a bit crazier), and Friday, March 13th (school closure announced until April 6th). As teachers, we were given 3 hours on Monday, March 16th to visit our classrooms and gather materials to finish out the 3rd Marking Period. However, I knew that this could potentially be the last time in my classroom until the summer. I grabbed textbooks and important departmental paperwork to take home, cleaned my desk like I normally do for the summer, and did a once-over of materials in the refrigerator and mechanics shop. It was eerie being in the school on Monday without bells ringing, students asking questions or being tied to a schedule. My focus was to use the 3 hours available to summer-proof the Ag Department...in March.
For the past 3 weeks, we have been providing "Optional Enrichment" to students while finalizing grades for the 3rd Marking Period. We are concluding our "Reorientation Week" for online learning and will be moving fully to online learning beginning on Monday, April 13th--a month since school closures were announced.
Not going to lie, I enjoyed the first Monday off. I didn't have to drive to school at 5:30 am, and I could work on grading all day to finish posting grades online. However, the rest of that week got weird. No sense of a schedule, days flying by without any after school FFA activities, and actually being home to feed my animals "at the end of the day." Although I think as teachers we are always thankful for a small break in the action, this is certainly not what we had in mind.
Last Friday, April 3, I was getting ready for a funeral (story for another day) and straightening my hair. Probably for many reasons, I finally cracked and started crying. One of the thoughts that was running through my head as tears were flowing was that I wasn't going to be driving to school when I finished getting ready. I instantly envisioned myself in my classroom two weeks prior scrambling to pull together resources I would potentially need for the next 3 months. It finally hit me that I love being in my classroom, shop, and lab and would do pretty much anything to be back there in an instant. Heck, I even debated driving past the school just to see it and have the sense of comfort and belonging that I've become used to. I never thought I woud have such an affinity for a place (other than my family's farm), but as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. I honestly don't know how I will react the first time we are permitted back into the school to retrieve personal items before the summer.
As I pulled myself together, I instantly shifted my thinking to the students we now know we won't see until after social distancing policies are lifted. How many students felt that school was their only safe place to see friends, talk to adults that care about them, and get a meal? I know these phrases have been spoken continuously by educational leaders, but now it really hit home that some students aren't in a good place due to school closures and we as educators will not get to create a complete sense of closure with them for this school year. I will never look at the end of the school year through the same lense again. I did establish some end-of-year traditions early in my teaching career to bring this closure, celebrate the graduating seniors, and wish everyone a successful summer. I always created a slideshow of class pictures I've taken throughout the year and a special senior slideshow of pictures from the past 4 years. My favorite end of year tradition is having students write down their favorite memory on a piece of paper that is kept in my memory box and categorized by year. The senior "rite of passage" is getting the chance to read all of the memories compiled since their freshman year in Ag classes. One of my priorities will now be keeping these traditions in place so this year's Seniors get a chance to see how far they have come since August 2016. Luckily through FFA, we will get together at some point in the summer to have an awards ceremony to recognize our award winners and celebrate the Class of 2020 as much as we can.
My other thoughts now center on how we (as a society) will change after this social distancing phase ends. Will we value education more? How will we perceive family gatherings? What are all the small things we will begin to appreciate more? Will we have a more balanced approach to work/life? Will people change jobs due to a newfound passion/skill set?
Personally, I have enjoyed being able to feed the animals on my farm every morning and night (something I haven't done since my senior year in high school), eating lunch with my parents, playing cards in the evening with my Grandma, and getting to see my sister during the week. Additionally, I'm finally getting the time to start landscaping and working on the interior demolition on my house. I'm not quite sure when it would have gotten completed had the world not shut down, but it's given me lots of time to have a more balanced life.
I will be happy to transition out of my basement office when this is all over. I'm not sure where the first place I will go when the stay-at-home orders are lifted...but I bet my classroom will be one of them.
“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”
I found this quote in October 2017 when I was creating my application video for #AgEd2Malaysia. This phrase struck a cord with me because each time I reveal to my family that I'm going away for a trip, they always ask "why." This 27-day journey in Malaysia was the longest period of time I've been away from Central Pennsylvania. Fully immersed in a culture drastically different than my own, this trip has helped me answer "why do you go away?"
11.Travel to Learn. I was eager to participate in #AgEd2Malaysia to
learn about the Malaysian Education system, the Islam religion, and how
agriculture impacted the development of Malaysia post-independence. I had done
some preliminary preparation with our #AgEd2Malaysia team, but no preparation
could compare to the in-country learning opportunities. The most meaningful
learning experience for me happened when we were visiting a Sikh temple on
Harmony street in Johor Bahru. A youth leader from the temple dropped what he
was doing and welcomed us inside. He never asked what religion we were—he treated
us an equal. After this humbling experience, I spent a lot of time thinking about
how much I don’t know about world religions (I had never heard of Sikhism) and
what would I have done if a group of Muslims/Hindus/Sikhs showed up at my
church and asked for a tour. Before this experience, I probably would have said
no out of fear of these unknown religions. I gained many valuable insights into
Malaysian culture by experiencing it firsthand.
22.Travel to Escape. My life in the United States is driven by schedules,
deadline, and constantly working to stay ahead of the next curveball that may
be thrown. This trip reminded me about the importance of truly understanding
people, developing genuine friendships, and taking a break from a predictable
routine. The point in the trip where I realized there is more to life than
working was on our island-hopping adventure in Sabah. Snorkeling in clear-blue
water, I was mesmerized and could have continued looking at tropical fish and
coral reefs for hours. Sometimes traveling is a chance to enjoy time away from
our daily routine and enjoy time in a new country.
33.Travel to Discover. Discovery was a very important facet of this
trip. I discovered the value that Malaysian culture places on hospitality. From
the day we were greeted at the airport, to the numerous meals prepared, and the
elaborate welcome to secondary schools, we were always treated as guests of
honor. I also discovered the value placed on family after staying with a
Malaysian family in FELDA. In this home, 3 generations lived under the same roof
and worked together to cook meals, care for children, and complete daily
chores. Finally, I discovered my ability to overcome language barriers and
communicate with my host family at FELDA. With an initial fear about the
language barrier, I finally discovered common interests we both shared, which
allowed the final days of my home-stay to go smoothly.
44.Travel to Meet New Friends. We were very fortunate to have spent 27 days
with 10 students and a variety of lecturers from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
From the second this group met us at the airport, I knew this group of
individuals would leave an unforgettable impact on me. They greeted us with
open arms, graciously showed us around 4 states in Malaysia with class,
hospitality, and a positive outlook for future collaboration. I will never forget
this group and hope I can somehow repay the hospitality they have shown us.
55.Travel to Experience a World Different Than Our
Own. Traveling 9,000 miles
across the globe opened my eyes to how different cultures solve the same problems
that we all experience. Just because another culture does something different
does not mean it is wrong. This was a very important sentiment that was repeated
by several members of our group throughout the trip. I also experienced
religions other than my own, which was perhaps one of the most impactful
opportunities of my life that I plan to share with members of my church upon
returning.
Coming back to where you
started is not the same as never leaving. When I arrive home in rural Central
Pennsylvania, I will never take any tradition, cultural norm, or religion for
granted and seek to understand the people behind these valued pieces of daily
life. The challenges of adjusting back to a daily routine/schedules/deadlines
will be intriguing to me and I look forward to my new perception about the
United States after being away for 30 days.
During our group reflection on Monday
evening, Shelby, Thomas, and Nisa asked us the question, “Why do we teach?”
Members of our group quickly responded with the following phrases:
·“Pass on knowledge to students”
·“Give every student the
chance to succeed”
·“Inspire students to find
their passion”
This question resonated with the
group as we had just finished our last teaching episode at Dato Lela Maharaja Vocational
College. Our 3 teaching experiences scaffolded from teaching Form 2 students
(14 years old), then hosting an Agriculture Day for 60 secondary students, to
finally teaching students (16-19 years old) at a Vocational Agricultural College.At Dato Lela Maharaja, students are part of a
specific agricultural program (Agronomy, Poultry Agro-Industry, Ruminant Agro-Industry,
Agro-Mechanization, Aquaculture, Ornamental Horticulture, Architectural
Landscape, or Agriculture Food Processing).Our 6 teaching teams each chose a content area and were tasked with
preparing a 90-minute lesson for a group of students. During our planning, we
needed to consider that students may have advanced content knowledge, have
strong English communication skills, or may have covered the topic of our
lesson previously in their studies. Nonetheless, our teaching teams collaborated
and utilized teaching strategies centered around student engagement, inquiry,
and project-based learning.
Drawing upon past teaching
experience, two teachers decided to utilize an activity they implement in their
secondary Agricultural Science programs in the United States. Melissa Grant, Indiana
AgriScience Teacher, and Darla Romberger, Pennsylvania AgriScience Teacher, are
both Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE)-certified in the Agricultural
Science—Animal course. Melissa’s group consisting of Manny Catala (@MCatala35),
Azira, and Ain provided instruction to the Poultry Agro-Industry group while Darla’s
group of Mikaella Koster (@MikaellaKoster) and Fatin instructed the Ruminant
Agro-Industry class. Knowing that both lessons needed to be challenging, engaging,
and somewhat flexible, the CASE-certified teachers decided to utilize inquiry-based
lessons from the CASE curriculum and implement them in a Malaysian classroom.
The poultry instructional team led
a class of Form 4 students (ages 15-16) and focused their lesson on internal
anatomy and physiology of poultry animals. After briefly introducing the function
and appearance of internal organs, students created digestion murals of a broiler
chicken (Project. 5.1.4.) utilizing assorted craft supplies. Before creating
the mural, students needed to justify how each craft item accurately represented
each organ. Melissa noted, “It was awesome to see students in a different
country enjoying the same activity that my students do in Indiana.” The
students loved being out of their seats collaborating and creating a poster
that they could display to other students in the Poultry program.
The ruminant instructional team
led a class of 19-year-old students (that would graduate with a Vocational
College diploma at the end of the year) and concentrated on the topic of
biosecurity and the effectiveness of various biosecurity practices.After a brief introduction about the various
control points in a biosecurity plan, students replicated various scenarios on
a farm to evaluate the effectiveness of biosecurity practices (Activity 3.3.2.
Biosecurity: Managing Risk). The class had already discussed the concept of
biosecurity, but our group was confident in the problem-based activity we had
planned. The instructional team explained the purpose of a nutrient agar petri dish
and gave instruction how to label, swab, and seal a petri dish with parafilm—all
new concepts for this group of students. Students then predicted which
biosecurity scenario would result in the least bacterial growth and therefore
be the most effective practice to reduce the spread of disease. “It was rewarding
to see project-based learning and inquiry strategies come to life in a
Malaysian classroom and hope that I inspired these students to ask questions
and become more engaged in Animal Science content,” Darla reflected.
After teaching in Malaysia and
the United States, I’ve realized that teachers across the globe teach for the
same reasons—to inspire, motivate, and share knowledge with students,
regardless of what country we teach in. When tasked with teaching a class of
Malaysian students, I instantly thought of all the barriers we would have while
teaching (language, content, etc). However, I quickly remembered why I enjoy
teaching—sharing my passion about animal agriculture with future generations of
students and turned my focus on this thought while planning and teaching our
lesson. This motivation will continue as we enter our classrooms next fall and
continue to motivate, inspire, and share knowledge about global agriculture and
our second home—Malaysia.
