Hobbies and interests outside of teaching: I enjoy hiking, camping, and basically anything outdoors. I also really enjoy exploring new places and have a new found love for floral design and photography.

What do you love most about being an ag educator?  I love seeing the transformation that occurs in students from being a part of agriculture education.  Nothing is more rewarding than seeing your shyest student grow into a fantastic public speaker.  The transformation that I see in my students is why I love my job so much!

What is your biggest challenge as an ag educator?  There are simply not enough hours in the day to do as much as I would like.  Managing your time as an agriculture teacher is extremely difficult.  You always feel like you can and want to do more, but you never seem to have the time to do it all. Also, as a new teacher, there are so many things you don’t know how to do... so much is unfamiliar.  Being willing to admit that you don’t know how to do something can be extremely difficult and requires a great deal of humility.

What have you learned thus far in your teaching career that you wish you would have known when you first began teaching? Over the past sixth months I have learned the following:  

• Thank you cards can go a long way

• Don’t be afraid to try new things

• Always bring snacks for kids on field days

• Set goals for yourself and actively work to accomplish them

• Buy 500 file folders- you’ll use every single one

• Find a good mentor and put them on speed dial

What advice would you give a novice teacher entering this profession in 2015?  As a first year teacher I constantly have to remind myself that “Every professional was once an amateur”.  As a new teacher, make sure you try hard, but don’t be too hard on yourself.  Secondly, take the time to thoroughly write out and save your lesson plans.  Then, make sure to go back after each lesson and write suggestions for how to make it better the next time.  Be sure to keep everything organized electronically and keep a binder of master copies.  This seems like a consuming task, but it will be well worth it.  Most importantly, if you would like to keep your sanity, you must have one work-free day per week!

What personal qualities or abilities do you think are important to being successful in this profession?  To be successful in this profession, you have to be a go-getter- set goals and aim to accomplish them.  Additionally, you cannot be afraid to try, fail, get back up, and try again.  Make sure you aim to be as well-rounded as possible.  Be sure to learn as much as you can in order to best serve your students.  If you are not organized, you should have started working on that yesterday.  Work on becoming a lifelong learner and gain the skills necessary to inspire others.

What specific skills are important to being successful in this profession?  As I mentioned previously, you have to be well-rounded to make it in this profession.  You should be eager to learn enough to have basic skills and knowledge in every area of agriculture- even if you never plan to teach in the subject area.  If your heart is set on teaching Agriculture Mechanics, don’t be afraid to take a few Floral Design classes. Expand your skills as much as possible; you’ll never know when you’ll need them.

What most prepared you for being an agriculture educator?  My own experiences in the FFA at Central High School, as well as my experiences at UC Davis prepared me to be an agriculture teacher.  My own agriculture teachers showed me what it looked like to be successful in this career.  As an undergraduate, UC Davis prepared me for the practical skills I use in this job every day.  Thus far, I have learned the most from the year I spent student teaching.  The year was full of valuable experiences and I had great mentors that helped me grow as a teacher both inside and outside of the classroom.

Describe ag teaching in one to two words. Worth it!