7/16/20 7/16/20

Teacher Confidence

I wish I was more confident in the classroom.

Don’t we all?

There is something deep down you know you wish to change. Maybe it’s classroom management Maybe it’s a particular skill you teach Maybe it’s feeling alone Whatever it is, there is a way to level up your teacher confidence!

What is teacher confidence? “teachers confidence in their ability to promote students’ learning” Hoy, 2000.

Here are 4️⃣ ways to level up your confidence this year All quotes from Tschannen-Moran, Woolfolk-Hoy, and Hoy, 1998.

1️⃣ MAINTAIN A POSITIVE ATTITUDE ➕ “Feelings of relaxation and positive emotions signal self-assurance and the anticipation of future success”

How do you do it? Reframe your response to a “failure” or “mistake” to say “Good.” Find the good in all things.

2️⃣ FIND ENCOURAGING TEACHER FRIENDS 👯‍♂️ “Social persuasion can contribute to successful performances”

How do you do it? Make new friends in your school, county, region, state, nation that you can chat/text/DM when you need to talk!

3️⃣ OBSERVE OTHERS 👓 “Watching others teach in skillful and adept ways—can access t the observer’s personal teaching competence”

How do you do it? GET out of your classroom! Knock of the classroom door 🚪 next door and ask to watch for 10 minutes! (Virtually-same thing, email an exceptional teacher in your school to sit in on their lecture!)

4️⃣ BE ADVENTUROUS 🧗🏽‍♀️ “Mastery or enacting (actually doing it) experiences are the most powerful source of efficacy information”

How do you do it? Try new things, test out a new technique, no a new review activity, create a new attention-getter etc.

So, which of the 4️⃣ are you going to try this year? Let me know⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

Want a deeper dive into teacher confidence? Check out the latest episode of the Green & Growing Podcast.

7/6/20 7/6/20

Into the unknown

It feels like this upcoming school year we are walking…

(Cue Elsa)

INTO THE UNKNOWN, INTO THE UNKNOWN, INTO THE UNKNOWN

Ooooo oooo ooo ooo

There may be a way for you to feel more peace this upcoming school year.

Leaning into the unknown creates momentum

And what that means to you is will move forward with confidence

And the real value is you will feel more peace.

I just read an article from an An FBI agent of 25 years who said “If you want to increase safety, you must move toward the challenge.” She said when confronted with the unknown out brain goes into fight, flight, or freeze mode. Which releases hormones like cortisol which turn on “survival mode”. When you lean into the challenge with calm you reduce your cortisol levels so your brain can focus on prefrontal cortex jobs like planning and decision making.

And being able to move forward is what you want right?

Here is a place to start.

Join the GERMINATE Virtual Conferences this week. Over 850 registered agriculture education teachers, for 30 pre-recorded sessions from current agriculture teachers in the topics of FFA, SAE and Classroom Instruction.

Pouring into your teacher cup now will help you take one confident step into the unknown.

5/5/20 5/5/20

End of year reflection

Want to get better next year?

I'm going to ask you to do something you might not want to do, bear with me.

Ask your students for feedback.

Let them give you feedback on the good and bad of the class. The growth points you have and the gold that you have already uncovered!

Here are 3 ways you can do this!

TOP 5 BOTTOM 5

Top 5 and Bottom 3 list of concepts/knowledge gained by being a part of AgEd class this year. These can include topics discussed in class or learned throughout your participation in FFA or your SAE.

Each of your TOP 5 and Bottom 5 aspects require written documentation. This must include at least a paragraph for each point on your list. You must address why you found value in learning this aspect, and how it will help you in the real world.
Include a visual for each TOP 5 aspect in your written project.
(Can be done in paper form or presentation form)

COURSE REFLECTION

Address the following FOUR questions in at least one paragraph EACH: (1) What did you learn about yourself throughout the semester? (2) If you had it to do over again, what would you change? (3) Consider the course as a whole: What was most beneficial to your development in agriculture? (4) What would you have liked to learn more about? (Can be done in paper form or presentation form) Get a copy of the Top 5 Bottom 5 and Course Reflection document HERE.

Google Form Course Evaluation
There is a template on google forms for a course evaluation. You can tweak it to fit your class/curriculum. Google forms are a great way to collect data and evaluate it. You can check it out here.

4/14/20 4/14/20

Virtual Coffee Recap 4/6 & 4/13

Virtual Coffee has passed its 4th week and here is your recap! Below are the topics for the coffees (4/6 on the left, 4/13 on the right)

You can join us at the next coffee! Virtual Coffee is every Monday at 11 a.m. EST. The calls will last about an hour. You can join us via ZOOM.

Hope to see you there!

You can access the Virtual Coffee content in THREE ways.

Listen to the playback on the Ag with Mrs. Wedger Podcast ( you can find it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify)

Watch the playback of the coffee. You can access it on the Digital Learning Resources in the Green & Growing Education Teachable site for free (lots of other great resources are there too)

Read the chat from the Zoom call on this google doc link for 4/6 and 4/13.

3/30/20 3/30/20

Virtual Coffee 3/23/30 Recap

Over 75 agriculture teachers from across the county attended the first Virtual Coffee hosted by Hannah Wedger and Sarah Nerswick!

The purpose of the Virtual Coffee was to provide a community of problem solvers! Each teacher was able to start the call by "tooting their horn." They could shout out a win to the group. Then we hopped into the meat and potatoes of the call, SPOTLIGHT TEACHERS. This is where five teachers were able to ask the group for their input on a problem they were facing due to digital learning. And man, did the teachers SHOW UP. If you would like to listen to this weeks call you can check it out HERE on the Ag with Mrs. Wedger Podcast. Below you will find the three ways you can access the content shared at the coffee!