Checking In With #psuaged14, Meagan Slates

West Perry Student Teacher
Meagan Slates

This semester the members of #psuaged14 are completing their student teaching all across the state! This week we are checking in with Meagan Slates who is student teaching at West Perry High School to see how her classroom experience is going so far!

Meagan (@Meagan_PSU) grew up in Hickory, PA and attended Fort Cherry High School where she was a member of the H.G. Parkinson FFA Chapter. She chose to do her student teaching at West Perry High School for a number of reasons. The program includes two teachers and a variety of courses ranging from plant and soil science to Ag mechanics and wildlife. The school is also has a larger Ag department than where Meagan went to school and they also have a large and FFA chapter as well.

The variety of courses has been one of Meagan’s challenges but she wouldn’t change it at all. She stated “I love that I get to teach something so different every class period but it's a challenge when it comes to the topic I'm not an expert in. However I know that I always have the help of my cooperating teachers and that is awesome!”

Meagan and students welding ice cubes together!

While the job can have its challenges, the benefits definitely outweigh them. Slates’ favorite part of her student teaching experience so far is getting to see the students succeed and enjoy what they are doing. She also enjoys attending conferences with the FFA chapter and watching the young ninth graders come to class. The ninth graders are learning to weld and completing a feed scoop project. “The students love being in the shop and working on their projects. It’s so cool to see how many of the younger students are scared to weld but end up liking it!”

Meagan’s advice to future student teacher candidates is to “challenge yourself! Teach those subject areas you’re not confident in. During student teaching you have a cooperating teacher and a PSU advisor to help you…use them! Ask questions you’re not sure about and take chances.”

Meagan and her cooperating teachers Mr. John Hines & Mrs. Ayla Miller (Detwiler) of West Perry!
 Both are PSU Alums!

Keep up with Meagan and follow her student teaching journey on her blog:  http://agvocatingforthefuture.blogspot.com/

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog!

Laura Metrick 

Student Blogger

2014 Teach Ag! Avenger

@Its_Laura Beth