Reflections and Resources from Experienced Ag Educators

Thursday evening March 31st was the Northern Region Dinner Meeting sponsored by the Center for Professional Personnel Development at Penn State at the Country Cupboard in Lewisburg, PA.

You can learn more about The Center at http://aese.psu.edu/teachag

Not only was this a DELICIOUS meal, but the evening left all very satisfied after reflecting on the agriculture education career, giving advice, sharing stories, and sharing resources. I truly learned a lot from the event, and am so grateful for the teachers who attended to provide advice!

Giving a Twitter SHOUTOUT to the awesome teachers  who shared with us!

As student teachers, Stacia, Janae and myself were able to ask questions throughout the night about really anything. From "top tips for new teachers," to "how did you know that you wanted to teach ag!" we had some lively conversations. Our cooperating teachers, along with other teachers who attended the meeting shared stories and swapped memories. It was very interesting to hear their perspective, and to see the many different resources that people brought to share.

Mr. Steinfelt brought the Envirothon App to share with others! It is an app that students can get on their phone that helps them study for Envirothon. From bird calls to soil identification, students can practice anywhere they are! I brought some resources that we used in our Intro to Ag class for the students learning the FFA Creed. In one activity, I actually took some of the questions from an NAAE post for CDE Creed Questions and then put them in a bowl. Then students would have 30 seconds to answer a question they removed from the bowl. This made studying and practicing for the creed a little more fun!

Then Mr. Frederick generously provided us with resources. Ranging from pamphlets on "How to grow Snap Peas" to posters about Equine Anatomy, Mr. Frederick never ceases to amaze me with what he will bring to a meeting.

Biggest Take-Aways and Best Tips from the Teachers

- Breathe! Your first 1 - 3 -5 years will be hard, it's ok
- Ask for help! Don't be a hero
- Go into a school NOT trying to fill anyone else's shoes, Be the Best YOU can be
- Think carefully about a program before you accept a job
- As devastating and frustrating as something seems at the time, you WILL be able to laugh about it in years to come
- Look at the facilities before accepting
- Always have questions in an interview
- Don't compare yourself to other teachers!
- BE YOU
- Be honest!
- When you get to a program, set short and long-term goals for yourself and that program!

So much helpful advice all rolled into one fantastic evening. I am very grateful for the tips, advice, and resources. More so, though, I am so extremely grateful that there are ag teachers all over the state that we as new teachers will be able to go to for advice and help. This is refreshing and inspiring to me! Thanks to Center for providing us with this opportunity!