Hired! Teacher Candidate Matthew Holt Hired at Brockway High School #psuaged16

Abe Lincoln once said "I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him."   A graduate of Brockway High School, Matt will be returning there; this time to the other side of the desk!  Matt spent two years at Penn State Dubois before transferring to University Park to complete his degree in Agriculture & Extension Education; choosing an environmental focus. Matt has a love for the outdoors and has always been passionate about it.  As a freshman, Matt's first agriculture class focused heavily on forestry which had him hooked. Soon after he couldn't get enough of environmental science.  Matt was actively involved in the Penn State Teach Ag! Society, serving as an officer.  

Mr. Holt engaging his student in hands on learning with
female bovine reproduction. 

Matt is one of 12 teacher candidates that have spent the semester student teaching.  He has spent the last 15 weeks at West Perry High School with Ms. Ayla Miller.  He has grown deeper into the role of a teacher through his experience at West Perry.  "During my student teaching experience I have learned so much about animal science and developed various activities for wildlife and natural resources. I want to bring these tools and experiences to my classroom at Brockway.  At Brockway High School, Matt will be the the second agriculture teacher where he will teach with Mr. Kyle Norman.  Mr. Norman teaches Agriculture 1, 2, 3, and 4.  Matt will take over the Wildlife and Natural Resources, Horticulture, Animal Science and Intro and Advanced Ag Mechanics courses with the possibility of an 8th grade rotational.  


When asked what he is most excited about Matt responded, "being able to go back to my hometown."  Matt knows the people and said "I know I can make a difference in the students lives there through FFA and Agriculture in general." There is something to be said about going home and giving back and Matt will be doing exactly that.  Not many people are able to go back to the same place they were Tagged to Teach Ag!  "I know the opportunities available to students that can completely change their lives, all they have to do is take the first step."  And you get to lead them to that first step! Congratulations Matt, or should we say Mr. Holt! 

Matt with Ms. Ayla Miller and Mr. John Hines his mentors at
West Perry 

If you would like to read more about Matt and his experience  student teaching, check out her bog at: http://fromthewoodstotheclassroom.blogspot.com/ or connect with him on twitter  @mholt5595. 

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.

Kayla Hack

Student Blogger

Twitter Handle: @hackkayla

2017 Agriculture Education Student Teacher

Kyle Norman, 2006 PSU Alumnus, and Brockway Agriscience Teacher finalist for Teacher of the Year Award

Kyle Normal helps his students dissect
a ruminant digestive system

Kyle Norman from Brockway High School, is nominated for this year’s Teacher of the Year award, and has made it into the top 12 so far! He graduated from Penn State in 2006 from the Penn State Agricultural Education Teacher Preparation program. He has been teaching for seven years, with his first year at Central Mountain in Lock Haven and his past six years at Brockway High School. Three other teachers in his school have been previously nominated for the award; they must be doing something right!

His preparation for education started while he was in high school. Kyle had some great teachers in high school but his ag teachers, Mr. Kennis, Mr. Way, and Mrs. Carr really stood out. They gave him the inspiration to become an ag teacher and the background knowledge that he would need to be successful in college. Penn State helped him with teaching by requiring him to take a wide range of classes, giving him a good range of knowledge to adapt to different topics and situations that occur in a high school setting. His professors at Penn State also helped to inspire him to continue with his career goals, especially Dr. Scanlon, his adviser, who helped keep him on the right path. To continue growing as a great teacher, Kyle keeps up with his professional development by taking college classes to earn his masters degree and he continues to take courses beyond the degree requirements. He also attends workshops when they are offered at SLLC and other FFA activities.

Brockway agriscience students constructing a  high tunnel

At Brockway, his class sizes could be considered small, ranging from about 7 students to as large as 16. Sixteen students in one class are the largest he can have as per the recommendation of  his local program advisory committee. Mr. Norman's classes are structured in the the traditional format of  ag 1, ag 2, ag 3, and ag 4. In those classes, he focuses on different topics including animal science, horticulture, small gas engines, forestry, wildlife, electrical, wood working, welding and other topics that his students find interesting. He tried to build in a little time in each class to directly address his students interests. If they are really interested in a topic, he will take extra time to go more in-depth with it. Kyle goes above and beyond in the classroom by teaching engaging in hands on lessons like dissecting the digestive tract of a cow and teaching students how to use a GPS system by having them geocaching in their area. GPS systems are being used more and more in agriculture today such as in planting and fertilizing, especially out west. His program also operates a greenhouse and hi tunnel, as well as starting and running a local farmers market.

Brockway Agriscience Programs Greenhouse

Kyle finds the other teachers at his school that have been nominated inspiring. He says that they are great teachers, and great people. They always put the students ahead of themselves and are always working to better themselves, their classroom and Brockway. With technology changing, they are always looking for ways to integrate new technologies, experiences, and teaching methods into their classroom. He looks to them for guidance and support throughout the whole nomination and award process.

Kyle feels very fortunate to work in Brockway with amazing teachers, administrators and staff. He said the feeling of being nominated for teacher of the year is surreal. “There are about 500 school districts in Pennsylvania and just to be nominated is an honor, but to make it to the top 12 is unbelievable. My program is not all that different from the other agricultural programs in the state. I truly believe that any ag teacher in the state of Pennsylvania could be in the top 12!”

Mr. Norman's students release pheasants
with the game commission

A video can be found here, showing Kyle Norma with his students. It was done by We Are Central PA. 

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! 

Jeanne Case

Student Blogger

2014 Dover HS Student Teacher

Twitter: JRose_Case

Moving On.....Catching up with 2012 Graduate Mackenzie Crooks

As our 2012 Student Teachers graduated from Penn State on May 5th, many of them had no idea what the future would bring. Now, as summer reaches its climax, many of them now have some idea of where their lives are heading. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will showcase some of our graduates and update you on where they are heading. In this weeks edition, we follow up with Mackenzie Crooks!

Ms. Crooks (top left) with her FFA Officers and other teachers of the Lebanon HS Agriculture Department. 

Mackenzie, a native of Irwin, PA, was a great addition to the class of 2012. She completed her student teaching experience under the guidance of Mr. Kyle Norman at Brockway High School. We asked Mackenzie some questions about her experiences at Penn State and what she is looking forward to in the future.

a)     Why did you choose this school to teach at?

I chose this school [ Lebanon High School] because it had everything I was looking for in a program.  The ag department is fairly new and one of the largest ones in the state of Indiana.  I set out looking for a multi-teacher program so I would have guidance from more experienced educators during my first (and most challenging) year of teaching.  I also liked that it was a newer program.  The department head is amazing and takes all of my ideas into consideration and has even used a few of them.  

b)     What are you most excited about for the upcoming year?

I am excited to have my own classroom and students!  This year will be challenging since the school is under construction and I have to switch rooms half way through the school year.  But I am probably most excited for the new greenhouse that is being built.  I will be the person in charge of over seeing it, and the administration has set the expectation bar high.  I have a lot of great ideas to try with the greenhouse and cannot wait to get in there.

c)      What advice do you have to the student teachers of next year about the Job Search?

The job search can be a very tedious thing, but stick with it.  Keep an open mind to moving somewhere new, and don't limit yourself to one area.  There are a TON of possibilities out there for you; you just have to find them!

d)     Did you feel prepared for the Job Search Process?
I felt very prepared for the job search process.  The last week that we spent at Penn State really helped me to gain the confidence that I needed to succeed in finding the right job.  The mock interviews were extremely helpful.