So You Want to be an Agricultural Educator?

For our second weekly reading within The Agricultural Education Magazine there was an article that strongly related to me.  Looking back and drawing on personal experiences I now see the benefit of effective planning, having strong organizational skills, managing a program, and incorporating community involvement into a program. 

Planning and Preparation > Planning on the go

When planning and preparation is put into constructing an effective lesson plan student understanding and knowledge of the material being presented to them is exponential!  Looking back on my own experiences throughout high school in my agriculture program my instructor always had clear objectives stated on the board that he planned to get through before our time together was up.  He also took the time to figure out what was the best way to convey theories and information.  When we were learning about electricity he would use the white board and multiple colored markers to show us different types of circuits.  Plumbing for instance he would bring in the actual pieces commonly used and have them taped to the board with their name while we were going over a worksheet on how to properly set up a drain or water line.  Bottom line it is crucial to put the time in ahead of the teaching lesson so the time spent on that lesson is most effective.

Whenever in doubt organize it out!

One skill in the teaching profession that will make your life much easier is having strong organizational skills.  If you have all your materials and a focus with a clear end objective in mind your already well on your way to succeeding and providing the best learning experience to your students.  I noticed this too in my agricultural educator.  He always had links uploaded prior to class.  His lesson plans were laid out on his desk to glance at or if there was a sub for a particular day.  Most of all it was noticeable in the shop.  For the most part it was clutter free.  We all know no agricultural mechanics shop is 100% clear of clutter.  Having tools and materials in their designated area made working in the shop that much easier.

Oh you have a managerial position?  But you’re a teacher.

Being an ag. teacher doesn’t just mean you teach the reproductive system of a cow or how small gas engines function.  You wear many hats and one of them is being a program manager.  There are many functions and activities outside of the ag. classroom.  Being well organized and managing these things properly makes your job more fun and allows your students to get the most out of being in your class or the FFA.  When I think about this and relating it back to my high school experiences.  I vividly remember my ag. instructor always having a list of important dates on the whiteboard.  Around banquet time we the members coordinated it for the most part, but our advisor was there to keep us on track.  In the shop I remember working on hay wagons and while we all couldn’t be welding on the sides he would have some of us cutting metal out, others welding the sides on, and a few cutting the boards out for the floor.

Get the community involved!

Community involvement and support makes just a good ag. program a great ag. program.  I could go on and on about why an ag. program needs community involvement, but it’s quite simple it helps you as an educator get supplies and resources for your program and offer opportunities for your students to get hands on experiences.  This topic relates the most to me and is what made my experiences in the ag. program leave a lasting impression on me.  I joined the dairy judging team my ninth grade year.  My teammates and I decided to take it serious so local farmers who had invested time and money into the program graciously decided to coach us.  Looking back on it now my ag. teacher making those relationships and finding the people who could enhance our skill set really means a lot to me.  My tenth grade year of school I wanted to show a market steer so my ag. instructor hooked me up with a local farmer who raised beef cattle.  It turned out to be one of the greatest experiences of my life.  I showed market steers all through high school and still work on their dairy/beef cattle operation.

So being an ag educator means so much more than discussing the differences between conventional tillage and no-till.  We have a lot resting on our shoulders to make our students and program successful.  With careful preparation, organization, good management, and community involvement our path to success can be a whole lot easier.