What do you love most about being an ag educator?  To me, students are ultimately the heart and soul of this profession.  I enjoy the opportunity to reach students that maybe other teachers have been unable to.  Being an ag educator allows me the chance to inspire students and experience something different every single day. 

What is your biggest challenge as an ag educator?  I would say my biggest challenge is confidence.  As a young teacher I am constantly second guessing myself.  I think this is something that many young teachers grapple with.  Experience is such a powerful part of the teaching profession.

What have you learned thus far in your teaching career that you wish you would have known when you first began teaching?  There will be a lot of ups and downs.  But the ups always seem to outweigh the downs.  I think it’s important to understand that things won’t always be perfect but if you have a strong support system you can tackle any challenge you are faced with.

What advice would you give a novice teacher entering this profession in 2015?  Industry experience is incredibly valuable in this profession.  I wish I would have taken more core ag classes to have stronger diversified skills as an ag teacher. 

What personal qualities or abilities do you think are important to being successful in this profession?  Being open minded, flexible, hardworking and able to manage your time efficiently.  Most importantly, being positive.  Your students feed off of your mood, so your attitude truly has an impression on your entire classroom environment.

What specific skills are important to being successful in this profession?  Classroom management and the ability to ASK FOR HELP!

What most prepared you for being an agriculture educator?  I had an incredibly valuable student teaching experience.  It really took me out of my comfort zone and taught me to better understand the dynamics of different personalities within ag departments.  Seize every opportunity possible when student teaching because they are experiences you can always have in your back pocket!

Describe ag teaching in one word.  Adventure!