Engaging for the Future
History and other social studies have always been my favorite classes. I even considered becoming a history teacher (you never know, I still could). Thinking back on the teachers who taught those classes, they all had unique ways of engaging students and, most importantly, me. Mr. Egger was big on repetition through questions, Mr. Brouillette loved visualization with videos, and Mr. Koehn used crazy, fun scenarios. My past and present experiences influence how I can engage in teaching to support learning. It forms the basis of my educational philosophy.
Teachers must be as engaged in their teaching as the students. A lack of investment in the content will be portrayed negatively to their students and affect learning development. One of the best ways to engage students is to relate content personally to them. My favorite method is using my embarrassing pictures or stories to ease any barriers between students and instructors. This could be a simple picture of my siblings and me wearing fancy clothes or an account about jack-knifing a grain cart. Now, this example does not directly dive into the students’ personal lives. However, it does show that the teacher is not completely different from the students. The teacher makes mistakes just like everyone else. Not only does this help relieve tension between students and teachers, but it also helps students with less of an agricultural background feel more welcome. This method also opens the door for other techniques that will engage learners. A personal connection sets the tone for the lesson, unit, or class.
Additionally, through these connections, I am learning just as much as the students will be. As a past student who enjoyed informing the teacher of fresh knowledge, I know my high school students will be savvy on information, especially in the Ag Ed. realm. Going on SAE visits is a perfect example. There will be students who know the steps to harvesting a steer or what grapes work best for wine-making. These students can help me with my weaknesses and educate other students. To go further with personalization, I can support students’ learning development by getting them involved in my other agricultural endeavors. If my plan of teaching close to home (Howard County) works out, my family’s farm and my produce company would be great resources for my students whether that is through class labs and trips or Supervised Agricultural Experiences. These components of personalization all contribute to engagement and my role in learner development.
As an educator, you can have countless ideas and techniques that promote learning. Yet, these do not directly meet the students' needs. Therefore, how do you pivot from your practices in the classroom to the students’ necessities? In my opinion, my solution is simply to ask them. Once there is a solid student-teacher relationship, I will ask questions about what content the students want to dive deeper into, or if this benefits them. Maybe a group of students has an interest in agribusiness rather than agriscience. On the FFA side, I can ask questions regarding LDE and CDE practices or students’ interest in range judging. My past Agricultural Education instructor strived to find a group of students he could rely on and get advice from. This is a goal I have as well. Furthermore, not all students are engaged in the same way and will not voice their needs. Careful observation of daily activities and assessments can still provide information on these needs. Sometimes it can be an easy change, like a classroom setup. Other times, the change can be tougher, like changing an aspect of the curriculum.
Since agriculture is such a broad and diverse sector, there are many strategies to deliver the content. Hands-on experiences are usually a safe bet, and almost every aspect of agriculture can be demonstrated in an experience. Some examples include animal science labs, range demos, industry tours, and food science contests. These activities give students a real situation where they can apply their knowledge and use critical thinking. Nevertheless, these experiences also come with drawbacks such as time restraints, behavioral concerns, and work balance. In my college welding class, my teacher always said the most nerve-wracking day is when your students turn on the oxygen-acetylene torch for the first time. In contrast, traditional learning, like lecturing, may not be as interactive, but it fits those three drawbacks better. During my lectures, I desire to bring enthusiasm to keep students engaged and make the lecture as effective as the hands-on experience. There is a time and place for both of them. In my case, I want to find a balance between these two facets of education and incorporate aspects into each lesson.
With these components, my daily lessons and schedule must have structure. There are many resources for this, like planners or apps. I recall the Mead Lab plan, which was used in class. Within this structure, I must be willing to pivot and change plans if need be. A personal example is my time observing Mr. Mottl at North Bend Central High School. During the time I was there, Mr. Mottle shifted plans several times a day. He had his base plan, but then many of the finer details changed or were decided on when the time came. These shifts did not phase him at all. Keeping my composure while balancing the fast-paced environment will be key to my students' agricultural education.
Over the years, I have had and will continue to have many influences on what my future program will be. As a teacher, I hope to build personal relationships with my students that help me ascertain student needs. I also want to provide a diverse balance of experiences to deliver the content. To keep structure and organization, I know as an instructor I must stick with the area my students and I love. Who knew that thinking back to all those small practices that my teachers used would impact me in the long run?