What do you love most about being an ag educator?  There is something new every single day.  Sure, I went from working in the industry, checking lettuce every day, to teaching every day.  But teaching allows for so much more variety and enjoyment on a day to day basis.  Even when I teach a unit that I have taught before, I never teach it in the same way.  I figure, if I’m bored with it, the kids will probably get bored with it too.  So I continue to change my techniques and delivery style, hoping to make my lessons even more engaging.  When you teach adolescents, no two classes ever receive the information in the same exact way.  I enjoy the variety that accompanies that.      

What is your biggest challenge as an ag educator?  Time.  There is just never enough daylight to accomplish everything I set out to.  I am always looking to improve and take on new challenges but because of this I find myself without enough hours in the day.  I have to set realistic expectations so that I am able to balance my time between school and home. 

What have you learned thus far in your teaching career that you wish you would have known when you first began teaching?  I wish I would have realized just how flexible you have to be as an ag educator.  Not every educator, or program for that matter, fits an exact mold.  It’s a marathon, not a sprint, so be flexible and find your own niche. 

What advice would you give a novice teacher entering this profession in 2015?  First, I would encourage anyone considering teaching as a profession to finish their undergraduate work as quickly as possible and take additional course work post-graduation.  In the teaching profession the units taken after your undergraduate degree can be very helpful in moving you over on the pay scale once you begin teaching.  Second, I would recommend that novice teachers find their passion.  Successfully ag educators are passionate about what they do. 

What personal qualities or abilities do you think are important to being successful in this profession?  The ability to throw your ego out the window and be humble.      

What specific skills are important to being successful in this profession?  Time management.  Communication, oral and written. 

What most prepared you for being an agriculture educator?  Student teaching.  My cooperating teacher did an excellent job of showing me the “unwritten book” of ag teaching.  The experiences I had as a student teacher were not something I could have gained from a college classroom.  The insight I gained into the team dynamics of a multi-person department were very valuable as well.    

Describe ag teaching in one to two words.  Fun!