Second Year Check-In with #psuaged15 member Jillian Gordon (@jillianedu)

#psuaged15 member and 2015 Penn State grad Jillian Gordon.

It's great to keep in touch with our past #TeachAgPSU graduates! We love to give you a chance to see what kinds of awesome things our Teach Ag Grads are up to in the classroom and beyond!

This week we're checking in with #psuaged15 member and 2015 Penn State graduate Jillian Gordon (@jillianedu) as part of our Second Year Series! Since graduation, Jillian was hired in Georgia as the agri-science teacher at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia. 

During Jillian's time at Penn State, she was heavily involved around the University, being initiated into Alpha Tau Alpha (Penn State's Honorary Agricultural Fraternity), a member of Penn State Teach Ag! Society, and a Teach Ag! Avenger. Her student teaching experience took place at Ridgemont High School in Ridgeway, Ohio, alongside Ms. Stephanie Joliff. 

Clarke Central High School, in Athens, Georgia.

After starting her first year at Clarke Central, Ms.Gordon quickly learned the challenges of classroom management and catering to different styles of learning. Ms. Gordon teaches a wide variety of subjects and makes good use of her constantly-refining classroom management practices. During her second year, she found more success in classroom management and was better able to understand how to cater to different styles of learning, which not only helped her to teach, but she says it, "...helped my student engagement and learning skyrocket.", going to show that learning from experience is valuable, especially as a new teacher!

Some of her favorite moments in teaching are when she gets the opportunity to bring new students to FFA events. She says that it's great to see students express the fun they have on trips, and to see them looking forward to the next ones! One of her most inspiring moments came from the exhausting end of her first year teaching at Clarke Central. One of her students sent her a message thanking her for the change that she was able to make in their education. "I left that year feeling pretty exhausted and not really thinking I had made much of an impact. I started BAWLING when I read this student's text."

Ms. Gordon's students working on the landscaping
for their school garden.

One of her biggest struggles was stepping into a program that she was starting. "...program participation and interest has taken a lot of work. A lot of the things that normally an officer team would handle, in the first year I had my officers help but I did most of the work as a model for them." The students at her school were never exposed to FFA, or even knew what it was. Ms. Gordon had fun being able to teach them for the first time, but said it was also pretty stressful.

Her advice for incoming teachers and those that just completed their first year teaching: "IT GETS BETTER!" She explains that everyone told her this, but that there's truth in it. "... I feel so much more confident with a year under my belt. My students who I have this year who had me last year how even mentioned to me how much more put together and rigorous my teaching is." She says to take things one day at a time, especially in the first few years.

"...there is no other job like this one."

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.

Hunter Kauffman, Student Blogger

Wildlife and Fisheries Science

The Pennsylvania State University

Email: hlk5120@psu.edu

Instagram: kauffman_hunter

Second Year Series: Check-In with Hannah Harris (@han_lou93) of #psuaged15

It's great to keep in touch with our past #TeachAgPSU graduates! By reaching out, we get to learn from the struggles and successes of past #psuaged members, and see what kinds of awesome things they're up to in the classroom and beyond!

Ms. Hannah Harris, #psuaged15 member, with the Nittany Lion Shrine.

In the first post of our Second Year Series for this year, we had the opportunity to catch up with #psuaged15 member, and 2015 Penn State graduate Hannah Harris. 

Ms. Harris was hired in 2016 as the Agriculture Teacher of Troy Area High School, located in Bradford County, PA, where she teaches a wide variety of classes ranging from Animal and Plant production, to Forestry and Power Machine Technology.

We asked Ms. Harris what her most inspiring moment as an agricultural educator has been the past two years, and she says, " It's hard to narrow it down to one event." She goes on to say that one of her best moments was a visit from the Pennsylvania Secretary of Education, Mr. Pedro Rivera. Rivera came to tour Troy Area High School during a visit of several STEM education programs throughout the Commonwealth this fall. Speaking of that visit, she says, "...the best moment was when my perpetually shy student stood right up and volunteered to show him around. She talked his ear off about what we do and showed him out metal shop and I couldn't have been more proud." 

Ms. Hannah Harris (L), alongside some of her students and Mr. Pedro Rivera (R).

A large part of teaching is about adaptability; finding what works and what doesn't within your program and your district. She quickly found that it was important for her, as a teacher, to get others involved in her program. We asked Ms. Harris what she is doing differently compared to her first year teaching, and she says, "...It takes a little extra time to communicate with my officers but it's extremely important that I have learned to delegate certain task for them to complete." 

Ms. Harris's dedication to her students and Troy's Ag program is paying off; not only in these seemingly large breakthroughs, but in small ways as well. Harris stresses the importance of promoting your program, and recommends to ensure that proper time is given to reach out to the community. "I moved to a place that I didn't know and didn't have any friends or family around but that was okay! Go out, meet people, meet teachers, farmers, stakeholders, parents, anyone one that you can. You will never guess how essential those relationships are." She also says to follow through; be sure articles are written, posts are being made, and to get your program out there. "PR is always worth the time." 

We thank Ms. Harris for the wisdom, and wish her the best of luck in continuing her teaching career while making an impact on the students and community of Troy Area High School!

Hunter Kauffman, Student Blogger
Wildlife and Fisheries Science
The Pennsylvania State University
Email: hlk5120@psu.edu
Instagram: kauffman_hunter