If only everyone understood Ag kids...

When a kid returns from missing a ton of school, what is your least favorite question?
The question that "grinds my gears" is, what did I miss? or did I miss anything?

Next week, I am taking 11 students to National FFA Convention. Naturally, to help them prepare with being gone we discussed informing teachers of the absence 3 weeks prior, and then each student provided a form for teachers, last week, to assign them work while they are gone. This is so kids can make sure they do the work, and not fall behind in classes upon returning. Simple right?

Apparently not! This year I have had more issues with teachers complaining about the missed school than ever before. I am having a really hard time understanding this? Why does a teacher think they get to de-grade (yes it happened) a student or program for taking an education field trip, just because they miss their class? How is this okay?

While I feel like I my kids are amazing, I am not naive to the fact that they are kids. I know that kid's aren't perfect, but FFA kids are some of the best you can have. They work hard in and out of class-- And the ones that don't, don't go on trips.

National Convention and even State Convention, provide students with invaluable experiences that will carry them beyond the classroom. From www.ffa.org, "In October nearly 63,000 FFA members and guests from across the country participate in general sessions, competitive events, educational tours, leadership workshops, an expo and shopping mall, volunteer activities and more. It is one of the largest annual student conventions in the world."

How can a general education teacher argue with that? How can they think that 4 1/2 hours of class is more important that gaining experiences at the largest student convention in the world?! I hate to burst their bubbles but it isn't. Class is important (I am a teacher), but so are all the skills they learn while gone. 


For many of these kids, it's the farthest they have been from their parents and they handle with class. They look professional each day, they work together, they meet industry professionals and have every college imaginable at their fingertips. Many years, I even have my students participate in a National Day of Service where they perform community service that betters the city we are in. Last year, we packed boxes of food at a local food bank that disperses 16 million meals each year. 
End of rant....
Honestly, I had to prepare for 7 days of a sub, but it's worth it. The kids that go to National Convention are:
Can't wait for next week and the amazing memories we'll make like these...

It's a once in a lifetime type of experience for many kids. How can I explain that to a teacher who thinks their class is the most important thing in the world? I think teachers forget, one subject or class doesn't teach a student everything they need in life. The entire school experience is what makes our kids successful. Programs like FFA and leadership conferences are helping make our kids successful. 


A. Some of my best and brightest
B. Want to be there for the experience (not to get out of school)
C. Are working towards something bigger than themselves. They are determined to be good people!

Living to Serve

As many know, "living to serve" is the last line of the FFA motto. As I sit on a charter bus from Louisville to Washington D.C. I am reflecting back on the many scenes, speeches and discussions from National FFA Convention. 

Both National and State Conventions manage to get inspirational keynote speakers for the kids to hear. One thing that always seems to spark discussion are those speeches that focus on doing for others. They seems to get kids in the mindset to talk about what we can do at home to be better, while doing mostly for others. 

Last night, we watched the founder of Kid President (look it up www.kidpresident.com ), Brad Montague give an unpolished, nervous, completely inspiring speech entitled #ShineGreatness. The conversations this sparked even with just the two girls I have with me was crazy. During the keynote, they kept say "ooh that's good" and "we need to do that" and "how can we make that happen?" To me this is the greatest accomplishment of keynote speakers. Really the art of appealing to high school kids to get them completely pumped, is amazing to me. There's always an added bonus if they become pumped about serving others rather than themselves.

One of my biggest goals each year is to do as much community service, with my kids, as possible. From can food drives, to the Sonoma County Secret Santa Hearts, to working at the Foodbank, I'm always impressed by those who want to do more for others. Now, I might have grown up normal or abnormal, jury is still out, but my mom was always a big proponent of doing community service no matter how big or small. 4-H played a big role with this, always volunteering here and there around our little town. I feel like I've absorbed some of that, because when we do for others, we are much better at being grateful for everything we have.

Following the session and speaker last night, I took my girls to Steak & Shake (one of my faves!). It was busy and packed with regular customers and a whole lot of FFA members. At one point an elderly man, who had seen better times came in a sat down. Quickly following, a young lady from California in full FFA dress, came over introduced herself and told the man she would like him to order anything he wanted and she was going to buy him dinner. She sat and talked with him for a good 15-20 minutes. That is just pure goodness. It made me even more proud that she was from a California chapter. My girls just sat watching and talking about all the things we need to do at our own school to get more people involved in community service and practicing better servant leadership. In that hour, they decided on at least 5 things we can do to involve our chapter starting this month. It was also discussed about how we can't "let the service die" after the holidays because people need help all year.

I can't wait to get back to California, so the girls can explain all their great ideas to the officer team. I think the best part of their ideas are the practicality, because we can make all of them happen.

Brad Montague, talked a lot about how adults want to do good, but kids are innately good and untainted with loving people. They do good and spread greatness just because-- no contest, no prize, no recognition-- just plain old feel good service! I think everyone needs to be more like that!

From Kid President:

"Love changes everything. So fill the world with it."

The girls at the National Day of Service. We worked at the Dare to Care Senior Foodbank which provides 4,000-6,000 boxes of food to seniors each month. 

One of the messages from Kid President "treat everyone like it's their birthday" 

Living to Serve

So I've been on an unintentional hiatus... I've been extremely busy at school with meetings, new curriculum, and then adding in personal life stuff, life is just been a little crazy! 

Last week I was fortunate enough to take seven students to the National FFA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. Now this convention draws over 60,000 FFA members and is the largest student leadership conference in the country. Now this means that we get some pretty good speakers, who talk about agriculture, leadership, and just doing more. 

Two of my favorite speakers were from large companies. The COO of Monsanto and the president of Elanco, we're both informative and really fascinating to listen to. I personally enjoyed both speeches, because both men spoke about how we are going to feed the world. They talked about how FFA members in the room are going to be responsible for feeding, not only our country but our world. Whether they become farmers, or research scientists, they will need to figure out how to do more, feed more, and produce more with less. 

This is such a valuable concept for not only high school students but individual consumers to grasp. We live in the United States-- we live in a country of choice. Most people don't have to worry where their food comes from, if it will be safe, or if we'll have enough to feed our family each day. Sadly there are people that struggle with this on a daily basis. 

During national convention, I had our chapter participate in a National Day of Service organized by the National FFA. Anyone who attends the convention is able to sign up for one of the service activities. Although the service activity that directly related to food and packaging meals was already filled, I was able to sign our kids up for a project that allowed them to plant trees in underdeveloped neighborhoods of Louisville. They had a great time and it was a prime opportunity to give back. 

I think more kids need the opportunity to participate in community service activities. I also think that service activities that are directly related to food and hunger in communities are essential. At our officer meeting tonight we discussed all of the upcoming community service activities that the officers would like to do. I'd be lying, if I said I wasn't impressed with each of their suggestions and ideas to facilitate activities that give back to the community. 

From the Sonoma County Secret Santa program to working at the Redwood Empire Food Bank, collecting cans and nonperishable food items as well as setting up a blood drive, these are just some of the activities that the officers have planned. It really warms my heart, that the students I have, that are so fortunate in so many ways, are the first to want to do community service for others. I feel like they really listened to the speeches given by the Monsanto and Elanco presidents and how it is becoming their responsibility to feed the world and contribute to their communities. They want to do more, give more and serve more...

"Success has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others."

Just another reminder of why I'm thankful for my job and students... 

Before they headed out to plant trees... 

Some of the kids at the Expo! #weareffa