"And on the Ninth Day, God Created the Ag Teacher" by State Vice President, Lane Degenhardt
May Blog
What exactly does student-led mean? It means that we as individuals, we as members have the right to choose what happens to our future, to our organization. This responsibility means dedication, passion, and persistence. However just because we are student-led does not mean we are on our own, so God created the Ag teacher. Every tree has its roots, every story has its origin, and for us as members we have our advisors. The guidance, the wisdom, the knowledge we need is provided to us thanks to these people for having made a choice to be involved in agricultural education to lead us, the future of our country. Many times when you ask an agricultural educator what made them decide to pursue this profession they will give you the same answer “I was inspired by my own agricultural teacher." These individuals work tirelessly to make sure that we get the same unique experiences that they themselves were able to procure as FFA members. We all have a specific story about a specific moment or a conversation with our advisors that truly made us into who we are today. For me it was practicing for the Creed Speaking competition my freshman year in FFA. It was after school and there were so many other things that my teacher could be doing, such as spending time with his wife and kids and yet he chose to spend it helping me. The moment I walked into the room I was told to leave and walk right back in, I repeated this process over fifteen times this was just in order to perfect my walk. We stayed for over two hours after everyone had left to make sure that I had everything I needed to succeed in my endeavors. The stories I’ve heard, the conversations I’ve had, the laughter I’ve experienced, and the tears that have fallen thanks to my advisors is something that has inspired me and countless others beyond belief. However this is something that is in extreme risk in this day and age.
Today within all fifty states there are over eleven thousand agricultural educators this might sound like a lot but there are over 135,00 private and public secondary schools and middle schools. One major argument that could be made is the majority of these schools don’t have an agricultural program for teachers to even go to. But with the major shortage of Ag educators, many schools who might be interested in building a program won’t have the teachers needed to properly care for its foundation. In addition of the 131 reported (meaning their information was sent into the the state office) 55 teachers are within 0-3 years of retirement, that means that within those 0-3 years, over 44% of agricultural teachers are eligible for retirement, leaving a giant need for agricultural educators to step into those new roles. That is the future of our organization, our passion as FFA members. Imagine if you didn’t have the experiences you’ve had in FFA, imagine if that teacher never took the time to offer guidance or wisdom, imagine if everything you’ve grown to love wasn’t available. These thoughts are becoming the new reality as we are in desperate need of Ag educators for the next generation. So what can we do?
If you believe that your passion could be in this field, don’t hesitate to at least look into it. Talk to your Ag teachers listen to their own stories and experiences, and really think if that’s what you want in life. If not for yourself then for the future generations. We are taught to be servant leaders not just for the betterment of ourselves but for those around us. So thank you teachers for showing us exactly what that means and consider the opportunity you have to do that for others.
Today within all fifty states there are over eleven thousand agricultural educators this might sound like a lot but there are over 135,00 private and public secondary schools and middle schools. One major argument that could be made is the majority of these schools don’t have an agricultural program for teachers to even go to. But with the major shortage of Ag educators, many schools who might be interested in building a program won’t have the teachers needed to properly care for its foundation. In addition of the 131 reported (meaning their information was sent into the the state office) 55 teachers are within 0-3 years of retirement, that means that within those 0-3 years, over 44% of agricultural teachers are eligible for retirement, leaving a giant need for agricultural educators to step into those new roles. That is the future of our organization, our passion as FFA members. Imagine if you didn’t have the experiences you’ve had in FFA, imagine if that teacher never took the time to offer guidance or wisdom, imagine if everything you’ve grown to love wasn’t available. These thoughts are becoming the new reality as we are in desperate need of Ag educators for the next generation. So what can we do?
If you believe that your passion could be in this field, don’t hesitate to at least look into it. Talk to your Ag teachers listen to their own stories and experiences, and really think if that’s what you want in life. If not for yourself then for the future generations. We are taught to be servant leaders not just for the betterment of ourselves but for those around us. So thank you teachers for showing us exactly what that means and consider the opportunity you have to do that for others.
