What do you love most about being an ag teacher? The FFA, CDE events and how involved in the community our FFA is.

What is your biggest challenge as an ag teacher? Time management.  I knew Ag teachers were very busy during CDE season but I didn’t realize how busy we are the rest of the year.  I wasn’t that involved in my FFA in high school, other than being on the Ag mechanics team, so when I started teaching and learned about all of the different leadership activities and conferences there are it was a bit of a shock. 

What have you learned thus far in your teaching career that you wish you would have known when you first began teaching?  How time consuming it is.  There is always something going on, or some event to go to.  Teaching ag is a labor of love.  We love our jobs and invest a great deal of time into this profession because of it.

What advice would you give a novice teacher entering this profession now? Don’t be afraid to change things up a bit.  If you work in a multiple person department you don't always have to follow suit, but be sure you have good communication with your teaching partners.  Establish your credibility and then find your voice.  Run your classroom the best that suits you, run your CDE practices the way you think will work best.  Be open to suggestions from others but its ok to change things up a bit.  Also, if you plan on getting your Masters, I would personally recommend starting on it as soon as you feel confident to do so.  If you are able to stay student focused and take on the extra challenge, go for it!  It will be busy with BTSA and starting out as a new teacher but I waited a couple of years and wish I would have gotten started sooner. 

What personal qualities or abilities do you think are important to being successful in this profession?  Being flexible. 

What does a typical day look like to you?  Get up, get to school early, plan for the day, teach all day, CDE ag mechanics practice, small engines practice and then usually a meeting 2-4 times a week.  

What most prepared you for being an agriculture educator? My industry experience.  I have used what I learned working in the welding shops and put it to use teaching students.  I am able to show them the “tricks of the trade.” 

If you could relive one of your most memorable days as a teacher, which day would it be and why?  At the officer retreat I was in charge of the games.  We have all the officers from the section go to the same officer retreat.  Our theme was “Knights of the corn field” and I was King Shamp since I was the only male.  One of the games was a sledding/jousting game.  It was hilarious trying to see students balance on a sled being pulled by 3-5 team members and holding a board. 

Describe ag teaching in one to two words. Awesome