UW-Platteville Pre-Professional Days Reflection

The Daily Life of a Teacher


The session I attended was “The Daily Life of a Teacher” by Justin Doyle and Travis Meyer. They are both Agriculture teachers at Darlington and Blackhawk high schools. This was a fun session as these two were both dynamic and engaging speakers. It was informal and questions could be asked during the session. I thought it was very interesting how both speakers lived on farms, so they were practicing their content area even when they weren’t at school! This also established their credibility in the classroom; they do it for a living. A quotation the two used was “Be a marigold, not a walnut.” The meaning of this quote is that marigolds are good for whatever is around them, they benefit all. Walnuts kill things around it and provide no help to others. Another quotation they used that stuck with me was “Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” This was very moving to me because of the truth behind it. There can be a learning barrier if the student doesn’t have a positive relationship with the instructor. Once the student recognizes the instructor’s intentions, learning isn’t such a chore. Forming a better relationship with the student can heavily impact how that student learns. It is also very important to have a relationship with the students’ parents and families. Both speakers send home a letter each month to one kid’s parents saying how class is going. They also regularly attend the sports events and the students appreciate their presence. Most of the people that attended the session were students with few professors scattered throughout the room. I don’t think that I would really enjoy working in the agricultural field as I have years of experience working on various farms doing various chores. I think my experiences there proved to me that I’m not fit for an agricultural career, rather, temporary positions to assist me on my way to my own career. I really enjoyed the energy that these two men brought into the room and I am very thankful that I attended the event. I left with a valuable experience and some knowledge I didn't have before attending.