Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Month of Thanks - Day 1

I need help with being more grateful. The best way to do that? Practice being grateful by calling to mind blessings each day. On Facebook, I'm 'attending' the 2nd annual Blessed Turkey project, where I record each day's thanks. I decided that on here, I would expound upon my daily posts.

Day 1: Today I am blessed to have a husband who recognizes my strengths. Dan connected me with a grad student who needed to observe university instructors teach lessons. It was such fun to share my philosophy of learning/teaching, even when guest lecturing!


The back story: A former Animal Sciences student, now an Ag Ed grad student, contacted Dan needing to observe some university instructors. He is currently going through reasons with his students, so while, it might be helpful for the students to have another listening ear - it wouldn't really help her with her project. So, he connected her with me. Similarly, in my classes, my 'lectures' for the year are basically behind me. I invited her to observe one of my guest lectures in a colleague's class.

It really was a lot of fun after the class to disseminate why I approached the topic the way I did, why it's very important to me to include activities that can be reflected upon, and then connect the activity to the topic. I truly love experiential learning...and seek to incorporate its elements into all my classes. I want my students to become LEARNERS - not consumers of information. This is the best way I know. This is why I am also thankful for my ag ed roots - not only from the classroom (undergrad & grad education), but for the experiences that led me there (4-H and FFA).