Fun in the classroom...underrated, I think.

Fun is not fluff. Fun is not frivolous. Fun is a powerful force. Think about it. Human beings, and perhaps a few other higher animals, find it meaningful and desirable to have fun. Humans don’t count simple survival as the yardstick for a life well lived. Cyndi Lauper had it right. In 1983, Girls just want to have fun stayed at #2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for two weeks in a row. “Humans just want to have fun” would have been a more accurate title, but not as catchy for sure. One of my favorite quotes is “It’s not the number of breaths you take - it’s the times that take your breath away.” A human wrote that.

Want proof that humans want and need fun ? Think about the travel industry. Every year humans spend billions of dollars on travel- to find fun. Toys are fun. Children want toys. Adults spend lots of money on toys… RV’s, jet skis, golf clubs- all for fun.
Here’s my point. When teachers design learning experiences that not only produce content mastery, but are also fun, they are partnering with a powerful ally. Inside the human brain, fun is not just fun. Fun is survival linked. The human brain is designed to master quickly and remember well anything that is linked to personal survival. Fun is linked- very linked. So, when teachers make a learning experience fun, they are strategically increasing retention and transfer and decreasing the need for review and re-teaching. Fun makes for more efficient and more memorable learning. Fun is survival linked and survival drives human attention and deep learning.
Recently I was watching a high school Spanish teacher conduct a lesson on grammar. It was the day after Valentine’s Day. She organized the class into teams and asked each team to submit a Valentine’s Day card with an original, romantic metaphor- in Spanish. Each team then shared their work and the class voted on the best romantic line. It was hilarious! They reacted to each effort with applause or groans. The winner was: “On the highway of love, you have a lot of curves and I have no brakes.” What fun! Make no mistake; they were getting the grammar right. The fun made it faster, easier, and more memorable. Fun is not just fun.

-Mike Rutherford
Rutherford Learning Group

Seven is the Lucky Number!

With the beginning of each new school year I get asked frequently about fundraising tips and how to raise those much needed dollars to benefit local Agricultural Education programs and FFA chapters.  Below is one of the tips I often provide to those seeking additional support for their programs...

It is seven times easier to raise funds from an existing donor/sponsor than to try to get a new donor/sponsor to support your program's efforts. And furthermore, you can better inform your existing donor/sponsor about the value of your program, students and recent successes (it takes seven different exposures for a potential supporter, on average, to take action).  A study was done years ago that showed that the number one reason people stopped using a business's services or stopped frequenting an establishment was perceived indifference. Stay in touch with your supporters. People need to feel significant and important, and they need to feel that you care. Send them e-mails, send them a note card, send them a newsletter, and stay in touch regularly! Don't get discouraged and remember it takes on average seven interactions with a potential supporter before they are willing to commit to your program their time and financial resources! It has been proven that consistency of contact with your donors and prospects generates trust, which ultimately means many more donations.

*Portions of this post was taken from The Laptop Millionaire by Mark Anastasi.

Joshua W. Starling
Executive Director
North Carolina FFA Foundation

Doing it Right

Football season is just around the corner.  High school, college, pro or even fantasy football – we enjoy them all!  We are impressed by the talents and skills of running backs, wide receivers, offensive and defensive linemen and the special teams.  But we always seem to pay more attention to the quarterback.  As the leader of the team, they set the pace.  They often are interviewed and receive the spotlight of the media.  Team success is often measured by the quarterback’s success.  But how does Eli Manning or Tom Brady execute successfully every game?  We see them for three hours on a Sunday afternoon – in the spotlight; on the field; making the big plays.  But what we don’t see is far more important than what we do see.

Do you remember the first time you met an agriculture teacher?  More than likely you met them in a classroom and were impressed by their abilities.  You saw them up front – in the spotlight – showcasing their impressive talents and skills.  You probably wondered how they learned how to do those things.  You saw them for a couple of hours at school – in the shop or greenhouse or taking students to events and practices.  But what you didn’t see is far more important that what you did see. 

Let’s look at a typical week for a successful quarterback.  As soon as the game ends, the media is interviewing them.  On Monday, they spend time reviewing the game videos to see what went right and what went wrong.  They want to see what they did.  They spend time with the coaches to receive some personal as well as team coaching and feedback.  They truly want to improve – they want to do better next week than they did the previous game.  After coaching, they practice so they can perform plays better.  They take time with their team to learn and improve.  They also take time individually to reflect and prepare.  They spend some time in the weight room to continue to develop their strength.  As the next week gets closer, the quarterback takes time to watch their game videos of their upcoming opponent.  They study their playbook and make sure they have each play precisely memorized for perfect execution.  And in the midst of all those activities, they also take time to rest, rejuvenate and recuperate.  All that just for three hours of game time on Sunday.  There’s so much to do!

But when we think about it, how different is it being a quality agriculture teacher?  After each class, meeting, or event, we are immediately working to prepare for the next event.  We are spending time reflecting on what we just did in the classroom or lab.  We are evaluating our performance and seeking coaching and feedback from other teachers and mentors.  We are taking time to develop new ideas and practice our presentation skills and techniques.  We are already reviewing and updating the next lesson plan to learn about what’s important in the agricultural industry.  We are reading materials and expanding our mind to learn new things to share.  We are networking with other teachers and sharing ideas.  We are actively involved in planning and conducting the next event with such precision to ensure perfect execution.  And in all that, we are taking time to rest, rejuvenate and recuperate.  All that just for a few hours of time with students.  There’s so much to do!

Agriculture teachers always have plenty to do.  Our task lists are lengthy and seem to grow daily.  As we start a new school year, let’s make sure while we are busy doing, that we are doing the right things.  Football players do not take time to practice free throws.  Make sure we spend our time wisely to gain maximum results.  Doing – more importantly, doing it right – is the key to our success as an agriculture teacher.  But doing isn’t always glamorous or doesn’t always put us in the spotlight.  Preparation is the key to successfully doing – but more importantly, successfully doing it right.  Never grow weary in doing; for those efforts provide the rewards of our toil.  

You’re Ready!

Now, it’s time to get something done!  And when we do, that prepares us for our greatest mission of all – serving students!  Remember, “Without labor, neither knowledge nor wisdom can accomplish much.”

-Joshua Bledsoe, NC Agricultural Education Coordinator

Stealing Ideas

The summer is a great time to stop, reflect and decide on new ways you are going to teach, stay organized or just become a better teacher all around but why do we have to do this all by ourselves?  We don't!  So the challenge for this month is to share your great ideas on how you already make your Instruction, FFA & SAE's rock or ideas on how you will improve them.  This could be ideas on how you plan to redo notebooks for students, plan a new grading system, organize your room, incorporate technology or delegating responsibilities for shop activites or officer responsibilities, etc..  The only way this will work however is if we get ideas from a multitude of teachers so that we can do the famous teacher thing of "stealing" ideas.

So here is what we need:

1) Give a brief explanation of 1 or more things that you are going to do new this year. (Ex. I will incorporate composition notebooks to encourage more writing in my classroom while maintaining a folder with metal clasps for guided notes and item banks.)

2) Take a picture of the supplies that you need to accomplish this goal.

3) Give an explanation of what this would look like when first introduced, while doing the activity, and a finshed result (obviously the finished result part might have to wait if you have never done this before).  Pictures here would also be beneficial.

Once you have compiled this information put the descriptions into a word document and attach the pictures as jpeg files.  Send all this information to ncagteachers@gmail.com.

Also don't forget to check out our pinterest page as we have repinned some great ideas already from other agriculture teachers both here in North Carolina and across the country.  www.pinterest.com/ncagteachers

Your Summer Calendar

Few people outside of Ag Education understand what we do in the summer. Although we do not typically have students in class we are still teaching students and preparing ourselves and our program for the next year. In our county we have to turn in a summer plan of each day’s activities to the CTE Director and our Principal. I think of it as a to do list and or guide and although it is May I have already got plans for most days. Oh sure I have State Convention, FFA Camp, and Ag Teacher’s Conference that take up some of the summer ( Mr. Jessup likes going to SLC so I usually take vacation that week). I try to attend at least two in-service workshops each summer and not necessarily in the area I teach now. I have taught Horticulture, Animal Science, Ag Mechanics, Ag Production and Agriscience and have found the workshops to be very helpful and an important part of the summer that gives me a chance to find out what other teachers are doing. 

The Ag Teacher’s Creed says “I will endeavor to develop professionally through study, travel, and exploration.”  The summer is a great time to fulfill this part of our creed. Do take vacation time for yourself and family especially spending time with your own children. They will not always be at home (we hope) and this is important in recharging your focus and energy. Mr. Davis and I used to take a day to go surf fishing to mark the end of one year and the beginning of another (vacation day). My vacations have taken me to various parts of the US and Canada so that I have a better idea of what life is like in both cities and rural areas outside of NC. 

We also need to spend time working on facilities and repairing equipment. I usually go by Federal Surplus to buy replacement tools and equipment very cheap. Preparing for our livestock facility and riding across NC to find livestock is something that has to be done. Making contact with students is important and we do that when we have our mum planting time, SAE visits, officer retreat and Program of Activities planning. We usually are in contact with some of our students each week and this helps to build relationships that help in the classroom. 

Some years our county’s Ag teachers have gone on tours to other programs across the state to glean ideas and reinforce that camaraderie that makes our profession so unique. I have never had a day in the summer that I have not had more to do than I could get done and probably never will. The Ag Teachers Creed also says “I will strive to set before my students by my deeds and actions the highest standards of citizenship for the community, state and nation’. Spending the summer working with students, developing our knowledge, and improving our program and ourselves lets the public see that we are setting a high standard with our deeds and actions.

Tim Warren, Agriculture Teacher, Hobbton High School

Getting It All Done

I think we all agree that it is an understatement to say, “Spring time in the Ag. Department is busy”.  We know that this time of year means working with CDE teams, growing and selling plants, preparing for the state awards deadline, organizing the chapter banquet, completing school-wide projects, registering for summer camps and conferences, and the list never ends. How do we get it all done?

If we were grain farmers and it was time to put corn in the ground, we would want to be ready. The seed from the local dealer would be lined up and ready to go, along with the herbicide needed for pre-plant. The planter would need a tune up by checking all the components and servicing all moving parts. Finally, we would have to prepare the field and ask ourselves if the tractor was ready to put in the long hours necessary to guarantee our crop would be planted in the most optimal planting window.   

We can learn several lessons from the grain farmer.  First, we can gather all materials and have them on hand before the spring activities begin. These materials may include our greenhouse supplies/tools and supplies needed to prepare CDE teams. We can accomplish this by making a year-long schedule which allows us to slowly chisel away at all the steps that get us ready for spring.  A second way to improve productivity is to ask for help and even allow others to help us. I find a lot of help from Alumni members, but these relationships must be developed well in advance. It is okay to be specific for what we would like for a volunteer to do for us. By being specific, both parties understand the expected outcomes and our students benefit. We should all consider allowing a volunteer to water the greenhouse on a weekend we are away, work with a CDE team, provide supervision for a community service project, or be a speaker for our classrooms. Finally, we need to put in the extra time to empower students to be the leaders they can be. If we get students to buy into our programs, they can help our chapters to achieve success. More importantly, our students end up far ahead of their fellow classmates, as they are gaining leadership skills and developing a good work ethic that many students do not have the opportunity to achieve. 

I never accomplish as much as I would like to, but with some year-long planning, I think spring time in the Ag. Department can be less hectic, more productive, and more successful for our students. 

David Overcash, NCATA President-Elect

Have Success In Your Plant Sale

The plant sale at Ayden-Grifton High School is a micro scale experience of the real world of plant production and sales.  I am a first year agriculture teacher, but I taught horticulture in the community college for 14 years.  We had a plant sell every year as a fund raiser for our horticulture club and that is how I got my feet wet in this daunting task.  Although students are our growers, they still have to address the same issues that small scale and corporate growers face.  First, the students have to answer the question, “What do people want to buy this year?”  The problem is they have to answer the question 12 months before the homeowner buys and the garden magazines come out to entice them. 

The first thing we think about is what are the right plants?  What are the hot sellers for this year?   I believe the best way to approach this question is to follow general trends.  Have you noticed that the big box stores are stocking more perennials?  They sell well because people don’t have to replace it next year.  We also noted that the annual selection retailers are offering has fewer types of plants than they did 3 years ago.  The annuals trend towards the basics: marigolds, petunias, impatience, begonias and geraniums.  Another great place to look for trends is Southern Living magazine.  They show what is newest and best in plants and plant design, and it’s a magazine our buyers read.  Vegetable plants should sell well this year , people see their garden plot as a way to save money and eat organically.

People love color.  The question is what color is hot this year? You will always have that teacher that just loves blue flowers, but most people like the basic colors: white, red, pink and yellow.  They want pink but not just any pink, hot pink is often what they are looking for.  The pastels and soft colors are out of style.  The bright and neon are in.  When I see an ad or watch the never ending series of garden shows, I look for the predominate color being used.  When plant groups are shown, which color catches your eye first?  Michele Spence the agriculture educator at North Lenoir High School offered me this suggestion, “Grow basic plants and purchase color plants wholesale as you need them.  You get the color you need and don’t tie up your assets with the wrong colors. 

Thirdly it is true, size matters; especially when plants are involved.  People like to buy big, the bigger the plant the more they like it; especially in annuals, perennials, and vegetables.  Planting a 2’ tall tomato evidences gardening competence!  My neighbor last year was so proud when he was showing off his 3’ tomato plants early in the year. Later I found out he bought them the day before he was showing them to me.  The average customer wants to have the plant look mature the minute it goes into the ground.  

Whether you visit a garden center, watch a home improvement show, or go to the spring home and garden show - containers are in.  People love the look of those gorgeous plant combinations in pots but lack the ability to create that look.  This year we will sell the basics, but offer to design and plant your pot or container for you. This was done by Becky Mitchner at AGHS and teachers are still talking about it.  Have your customers bring in their pots, tell you the colors they like and if the pot will be in sun or shade. Then, let them pick up their containers the next day full of bright colors, big plants in a wonderful design.  One compliment and they will be back next year for more.  You get to sell plants, the students learn how to design a container and the customers are happy, what more could you want?

A final thought.  If you want to know what not to sell next year, go to a big box store in mid-June, your eyes will be opened.  Remember even your best laid plans will be compost if they don’t sell.

William Scott - Ayden-Grifton High School