What do you love most about being an ag educator? The relationships I build with my students. It is unlike any other teacher-student relationship. I love being able to teach my students a skill that they can use to make themselves successful in life. One of my most favorite parts is bringing in a student that might not fit in with anyone else in high school and giving them a place to call home. Ag students are so accepting of one another and that warms my heart!

What is your biggest challenge as an ag educator?  PROGRAM MANAGEMENT! As a first year teacher, I started off as a single person department with a 3 month old son. I often found myself saying “I’m so busy filling out paperwork to go on trips with teams, that I’m too busy to actually coach”. I wish my credential program had offered more in this area.

What have you learned thus far in your teaching career that you wish you would have known when you first began teaching? I don’t think anyone can prepare you for how blissfully taxing teaching Ag can be, physically and emotionally. Luckily, I have an amazing husband/family that is very supportive and involved in my career. I don’t know how anyone could do this job without that support system at home.

What advice would you give a novice teacher entering this profession in 2015?  Make sure you know your deadlines! Not just FFA deadlines, but deadlines that your school district has in order to go on trips.

What personal qualities or abilities do you think are important to being successful in this profession? Patience, optimism, and resilience.  Don’t let people get you down.  Always remember that the good out weighs the bad.

What specific skills are important to being successful in this profession? Time management and organization.

What most prepared you for being an agriculture educator? Student teaching and industry experience.

Describe ag teaching in one to two words. Rewarding.