Constant Struggle of Quantity vs. Quality

Being at the CATA Summer Conference this week, just like each summer, allows me to reflect on the past year keeping the future in mind. 

Without a doubt, this has been one of the most rewarding years in my career. While it's been short, my career hasn't been without challenges. But I've maintained the mindset that I love my kids and if I'm not pushing myself to do better, I cannot ask the same of them. 

In April (and for a few months leading up to it), I experienced something I had never done before. I had a student run for State Office. Now, this was not only a challenge for me as a teacher, but it was unchartered territory for anyone in my chapter and community. I am not entirely sure how teachers have state officer candidates every year. Fortunately, I surrounded myself and my student with some of "the best in the business" to help her feel prepared. It was the most emotional and mentally grueling process and I DIDNT EVEN DO ANYTHING. 

We train our students to be remarkable. Plain and simple. I'm still not quite sure how my student handled the process so professionally, when at the end of the day-- she's a kid. I think that is one  of the parts of agriculture education that gets overlooked by some-- these are kids. But, these are extradorinary kids. We push, raise the bar and occasionally have unrealistic expectations of "our kids". 

The thing I've reflected on the past few days that has weighed heavy on my mind, has been what makes us successful, as agriculture education and FFA programs? Who determines how and why we are successful? Is it the numbers? Is it the championships? Is it the community involvement? Is it the recognition? Is it who laughs the most (I think this should be measured-- because we'd win). Although I have no answers to any of these questions, I am most certain that it is the lives changed and the constant balance of quality and quantity. 

As a profession, we need to reach all our kids to make a difference but we need to find those kids with endless potential and push harder. Does this mean that all kids don't have potential? Uh heck no-- but we need to open doors of possibility to as many kids as possible. Do we have to have a state officer to be successful?? Maybe for some you do. But I've decided that looking at my crop of seniors this year-- I was lucky enough to open doors for them and assist them with finding their passion, plan their futures and help them be as successful as they could during high school. 

Do I have a state officer? Nope. Do I have some extraordinary kids? Hell yes. I know that everyone judges success different but at the end of the day, we need to find the balance of high quality kids and their involvement with reaching the masses to make sure we are impacting more kids and their futures. 

Agriculture education is a family. Working together to serve kids and help them be and do better is one of our most important jobs. One of the speakers during the conference made the comment that we need to be "infusing the culture into the next generation". Our culture should be one of teamwork, high expectations, family and hard work. That's what we need to perpetuate to our kids so they know they are successful if they are working to always be better.

Some of my kids who do extraordinary work and have limitless potential as they leave high school for bigger goals and dreams. 

The only way you'll earn $500/hour

I just had the esteemed honor of presenting scholarships at the local high school tonight. 

Again this year, I can't help but be frustrated as a I walk away at the conclusion of the evening. While there were a few significant improvements from last year, there's one big thing that weighs heavily on my mind. 

Why aren't kids applying for scholarships?! Like really!!! I'm not just saying this as a current teacher, but I am saying this as a former scholarship winner. I worked diligently my senior year to literally fill out every scholarship application so that I could maybe sorta kinda qualify for. I just sat through a two hour presentation of scholarships awarding more than 150 individual scholarships, yet the names called were the same ones over and over. 

Now I don't want to discount the hard work, good grades, and years of homework that these students completed but this begs the question of where the heck are the other 350 kids in the senior class?? What are we as educators, and we as schools, not doing? What are we doing that discourages or doesn't encourage all students to fill out these scholarship applications??

There are definitely the top of the class, high achieving, highly intelligent students applying for scholarships. There's also the other extreme of students, who come from nothing, and have nothing that are being pushed to fill out applications because they are involved with various programs or clubs. What about the in between? What about the average kids with average grades and average dreams? 

Who is pushing them? Anyone? There's one thing I've learned as a teacher-- don't ever discount someone because they don't shoot for the moon. Just because someone doesn't want to be an orthopedic surgeon, doesn't mean they are less deserving of a scholarship. Being realistic is actually refreshing!

High school isn't easy, but applying for scholarships is 90% of the battle senior year. Parents that let their kids float through school are doing them a disservice. People are begging to give free money to high school kids. Push your kids!! Even if grades aren't perfect, community service is lacking, or they aren't atheletes. Push! Teachers and schools can only do so much, but the kids have to have the initiative to check the scholarship board (daily!). 

I was able to hand out four $1000 scholarships with absolutely no requirements. No gpa, no service, no religion, no family heritage, no nothing required. It's quite possibly one of the easiest scholarships to apply for and yet students don't apply. I'm not sure what the answer is but it has to be a combination of kid, teachers, schools and parents pushing. 

"Knowledge is the eye of desire and can become the pilot of the soul."

There is a scholarship for every student. Just apply!

Some of my kids in Htown who received scholarships... A combination of good kids, parents who pushed, an open career center and teachers who care...