Healthy Arguments


Image result for ffa manualWhile observing one of the classes, Mr. Honeycutt was talking about the age limit of being an FFA member. He had told his students that it was two national conventions after graduation of high school. I didn't agree with him, because I have always heard that it was four years. I was showing cattle four years after graduation. I was too scared to say something, so lucky for me there was an FFA manual sitting right next to me, so I thought why not look it up? He noticed me reading the manual and made attention to me, asking what I was looking for. 
This week has been great. I have totally fallen in love with teaching. I couldn't imagine myself in any other career. I have noticed something though. In each class that I have taught there has been some arguments, maybe not even that. Maybe we could call it disagreeableness. 



I didn't want to tell him at first, just because I am the student teacher, I am still learning. I am supposed to follow his lead. I felt like I don't have the knowledge to challenge something he says. Finally I found what I was looking for in the manual. It in fact is four year, with some special circumstances for the military. 

I looked up at him, and I actually raised my hand to bring attention to me. I said actually its four national conventions after graduation. He didn't believe me at fist, but then I read the bylaws and it is true, four national conventions after graduation is when a students active membership runs out.


Image result for shell membrane vs albumin"Another argument story (this one makes me proud).
There are two students that don't EVER agree. Usually they argue over dirt bikes, or four-wheelers, rarely do they come in talking about something we learned about in class. Until this week, they came in and I heard the work "albumin" I knew that was something I had taught them. I just listened for a few moments to see where the argument would go. THE WHOLE CLASS GOT INVOLVED. It was awesome. I actually made it part of the class, we debated weather the part they were discussing was the albumin or the shell membrane. It was super cool for me to see that these students are talking about my class OUTSIDE of class. They are learning from me, I am ACTUALLY teaching them and I think that is super cool!

Comments

  1. Daniel FosterFebruary 2, 2020 at 8:19 PM

    I have heard that is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain an idea without accepting it.

    Healthy, courteous discourse is what this nation needs more of.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Becky HaddadFebruary 3, 2020 at 9:29 AM

    Way to capitalize on the controversy this week!! I don't have a lot to add, so I'll leave you with another way to channel those arguments: https://serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/sac/how.html

    ReplyDelete

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