How many months has it been? How many weeks? What about days?

How many months has it been??? How many days?

How much time has passed since we went to a field day? It's been 319 days since UC Davis Field Day

How many days since my classroom has been full? 313 days since our campus has been full of cheerful faces

How many days since we've attended a leadership conference where someone had ripped nylons? 359 days since MFE & ALA conferences

It's spring semester, I have a bazillion things to do so of course my natural reaction is to write a blog. Why do I do this to myself? A couple reasons. First and foremost, procrastination. But more importantly, when my to-do list is long my brain doesn't turn off. There is this constant hamster rollin' along in my brain and there is no off switch. Now, don't worry I still have no problem sleeping (I wish there were trophies for sleeping! I would win, hands down), but when I am awake it is like there are 100 browser tabs open in the brain. I can think of 50 projects, ideas, papers, jobs, or tasks that need to be completed right now. Don't fret, they'll all get done. But as I had a jam packed day of class, watching the inauguration (because it's history and I always watch regardless of who it is), speaking practices, State Degree and Proficiency proof reading, an FFA meeting and a school board meeting I started to think about the hustle and bustle of a normal year. 

During our FFA Bingo meeting tonight, by the way Riley and I called numbers and basically made it our personal talk show, Riley asked me what good came of 2020? What was a highlight? I thought for a long time-- finally I said, her wedding was a highlight and she reminded me that it was her highlight not mine... LOL whoops! I like to be positive about 2020, but man it was a hard year. I started to think on my drive home about what good happened in 2020, here's what I came up with:

• I started the year off with good friends!

• I was able to take a handful of kids to contests and conferences

• I worked with some awesome people to put on a baller virtual Livestock Show

• I helped some of my most favorite students (of all time) graduate and get some big $$$ scholarship money

• I got to spend quality time with family and friends

• I actually did get to travel a tiny bit (don't travel shame me!)

But tonight during our meeting, we did some additional Conversation Bingo. It made me sad that the majority of the things we talked about were pre-COVID. The amazing parts of my job, we can't do right now and it's killing me. These are experiences that our students will miss out on. Freshman won't get their awkward first conference. Seniors won't get their last few field days. Our fair and show experiences are anything but normal. Our juniors won't get their internship days. Sophomores won't get the chance to feel some relief from not being the newbies at State Convention. 
Working on a campaign for our Booster group this past December, I was asked to get some alumni testimonials. These testimonials broke my heart because I am so worried that our current students won't have the same feelings, experiences, and passion as our alumni because of the pandemic-hand they've been dealt.

 "I remember the first day I got my FFA jacket-- it may have been too big and super stiff, but opening the box it came in was one of my proudest moments as a teenager. Since that day my jacket has allowed me to travel across the United States, develop myself as a leader, meet lifelong friends, and reach goals I didn't think I could achieve. My jacket means much more than just a piece of corduroy. My jacket is a symbol of my past as a member of the FFA, the purpose for my current studies at Chico State and a glimpse at my future as an agriculture educator."

-- Taylor Richardson, Class of 2017

"Being in FFA completely changed my life. Growing up in a more urban setting, I was never truly exposed to the agriculture industry. As my time progressed in FFA, I realized being involved in the agriculture industry is my passion. I was originally placed in an Ag class on a whim, but because of FFA and the opportunities provided, my whole life was changed and for that, I am grateful."

Luis Magdaleno, Class of 2016

"My FFA jacket represents the best version of myself. My jacket taught me to always find the balance between passion and professionalism. When you put on your jacket for a meeting or competition you know it's game time. The FFA jacket holds you to your highest standard of quality and reminds you to be confident in what you bring to the table."

Emma Manoukian, Class of 2016

Everyone is so hyped that today was a day of history... While that may be true, the history that's killing me is that I have never been out of in-person school so long, with the exception of my first 4 years of life. I have always been a student or a teacher. I go to school daily, that's my place, that's my home, that's my life (I get it that it's sorta pathetic). But what makes me most nervous is that our students have forgotten all the important things from going to school and being a student. How can we continue to jeopardize our students, their health (mental) and future by keeping them out of the classroom? What will we do when students remember nothing of the good from school or FFA like the alumni. What happens when the only thing they remember is that they had to zoom classes for months? How many months will it be? weeks? days? 

Feels like eternity thus far...

Pictures from when life was good and I could see my peeps!

Close the Gap

Okay, since I haven’t written anything in a while I figured I would give it a whirl. On the phone yesterday, a friend said I hadn’t written a blog in months and I told her that sometimes I don’t feel like I have much to say(or write) unless I am annoyed. I guess that isn’t the healthiest but it seems to work.

So today, here I am… Slightly annoyed and writing.

An interaction yesterday gave me some perspective to think deeply about my job. What are we doing? Why are we doing in? How do people still not see the value of agriculture education? Where did I go wrong? These thoughts made me think back to a less than positive interaction at the beginning of the school year where a staff member questioned my understanding of my students, their backgrounds and my compassion towards them.

If you didn’t know, our school district has been hammered for the past year for lack of equity. I am a firm believer that this comes from how our district has handled issues between the charter school and the elementary school. That’s my personal assessment. But it has now cast a shadow over every decision made, every email sent, even most conversations and trainings.

But yesterday’s questioning asked for conclusions and perceptions of equity and the cookie cutter mentality within our agriculture classes and FFA on every level.

If anyone were to look at our class rosters, they would know they are equitable in every sense of the word. If anyone looked at our gradebooks, they would see equity. If they looked at FFA meeting sign in sheets, again it would be equitable. If they saw completed Agriscience projects, they would see equity.

However, while our classroom and program are equitable, I am not sure that people understand the real question of equity at the higher levels of involvement. At state conference this past year we had Lupita Cortez Alcalá, Chief Deputy Superintendent of the Department of Ed. speak to the membership. One thing I remember specifically from her speech, was how she addressed that in most cultures it’s not the norm to send a child off for the weekend or week to stay with kids, teachers, and chaperones. When she talked about this, I really thought about how I have been so lucky to have students whose parents trusted that I always would take care of their child on a trip. But I also recognized that this idea would take an entire culture shift to close the gap at leadership conferences and any activity that requires travel. I have even been reading a book recently that addresses gender equity—and probably not the kid you think… It refers to boys and how they learn, why they do or do not get involved in education, test scores, classroom cultures, etc. There are issues everywhere and everyone handles it differently.

While I know there are always gaps to close in regards to student involvement (I would literally take 95% of all my kids to a conference if I could), I can’t help but think how can we make adults understand.

How do we ensure administration understand? How do we make communities get it? How do we get away from the stereotypes that adults perceive to be true? How can we agree to disagree without making others feel inferior (cuz that’s definitely how I felt)? While I can agree there are always improvements to be made, I think we are well on our way to ensure that agriculture education and FFA are ahead of the rest on campus. 

How can we create an education system that appreciates all types of programs as long as they provide opportunities to kids? How do we encourage all programs to step up their game instead of criticizing programs that go above and beyond because its different?

Following yesterday, I still know and maintain that FFA and agriculture education makes a positive difference for kids. We work hardest on campus to involve ALL kids and provide opportunities they would not otherwise have.

“There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.” Jiddu Krishnamurti

Apparently, we just have to continue to educate others. It feels like a never-ending battle when you feel passionate about something that works and people still don’t understand. If you've never seen Bre Holbert's retiring address from the 2018 National Convention, I think she sums it up perfectly. (Video)

Why do you care where I go?

When I was in high school, I ran into this funny predicament... People thought my college of choice was their business. I got asked multiple times from adults and teachers on campus, "Fresno, really?" "Why would you ever want to go there?" "Isn't that place the armpit?"

Here's my question, why did anyone care where I went? Now that I am a teacher, I talk with students all the time about where they are going to go to college. But NEVER do I ever cut down a college or university because I think there is some magical college they should go to. What I think really should have no bearing on where they go, because that's just it... THEY are going.

Teachers, adults, school staff, parents, etc. here's a thought: No matter where a kid shows interest in attending-- support it! Because at the end of the day they want to go somewhere and try something new. Now, it's important to have the "realistic" convos to ensure a kid is applying to match schools along with their dream schools, but as long as they are striving to do something with their future, why would any adult or person shame that?

I was always uh let's say "strong enough" to not care what people thought of my college choice, because I knew Fresno was the right place for me. And you know what? It was the PERFECT place for me. If every person felt that UC Davis (for example) was their perfect school then admittance percentage would go down even more, tuition would go up and people would be crying daily about their lack of acceptance at their perfect school. There is a reason there are over 2,500 colleges and university in the United States!

Every school offers something different and provides a unique opportunity for a kid to feel like it's "their school". We should focus more on exposing kids to the experiences that allow them to see all types of colleges, so they can make an informed decision about where to attend. We, as adults, need to encourage that they see, visit and apply to more than one dream school (And that it's not the end of the world, if they choose something other than a dream school).

Most recently, I (and others) helped encourage a kid to look at a school they did not have at the top of their list. Only because it was a "match" did she apply. She recently visited the town, campus, and met with athletic coaches. It's like flipping on a light sometimes, when you step on a campus-- you just know. Kinda like love at first sight??? In that first instance, she knew she was going to commit to the school, athletic team and the idea of wearing purple FOREVER.

The craziest part was that adults have had the audacity to question her choice. It's just nuts to me that someone who has never visited a school can have such a judgemental reaction to someone's choice. A little word to the wise: Not everyone wants to go to YOUR school. People want to find THEIR school. "Finding your school" is how kids stay in school, get involved and feel accomplished when they finish.

Be proud but be supportive!

Just some of my girls that have found THEIR school!

 Kansas State University

 Cal Poly

California State University, Chico

It's been awhile... But back to school we go!

Welcome back to school! Every year I reflect back on prior students as new groups come busting into my classroom. I subbed a freshman Ag Bio class on Thursday and it really got me thinking...

You know those kids you get in class that make you want to rip your hair out on a daily basis??

Well this is about one of those kids.

Picture this, my first year at Healdsburg and one of my Ag Biology classes jacked full of kids I had been “warned” about. I rarely do seating charts, until the students “can’t handle sitting next to friends”. I tell them in the beginning of the year this is how our seating charts work. This class was mixed with freshman and sophomores, so the level of squirrely was especially high.

I think it was probably three weeks into the school year that this class got a seating chart. One of the main reasons, was a sophomore boy who repeated told me he never asked to be in my class, talking about his hair and shoes, and spent more time wandering the classroom, pretending to get tissues, than actually in his seat. Even when he was at his seat, he usually stood instead of sitting. So when I made the seating chart, I made sure to put him next to a freshman girl that seemed to have her stuff together as a student and would hopefully rub off on him (sorry Taylor).

All year, he tested my patience and gave me more grey hair than I can count, faster than I could highlight it. I encouraged him to get involved and attend conferences, even though the last thing I wanted to do was spend more time with him. But I figured he needed FFA and leadership in his life. The more he got involved, the more you could watch the spark in him. Following that first year, he actually signed up for an Ag class on his own. He even found a location to raise a market animal for the fair.

 Sometimes you just have to tell kids they are going to an event or conference... No option

I think his junior year was a true turning point. He had straightened out his grades, did his junior internship with a local vineyard management company, raised a goat for the fair and became super involved in FFA (with some constant pushing). Through his internship and keeping his goat at a local grape farmer’s house, you could see a sense of responsibility and ownership in something bigger than himself growing.

Senior year, he excelled at school, in FFA as an officer and pursuing college and scholarships (thanks Taylor). He was one of the only students wanting to pursue a career in viticulture, so scholarships were plentiful. He decided that SRJC was the right place until he could transfer to a UC. Since graduating, he’s been taking viticulture and enology courses along with general ed. Last fall, he even brought me a bottle of the wine he made in class. Earlier this year, he even got a job for a local vineyard management company where he’s been working around the clock the past few weeks to prep for harvest.

It's amazing the transformation a kid can go through from having no clue about their future and caring more about their hair than anything else. To then being fully immersed into an industry they want to be part of while working and going to school learn as much as possible.

When people doubt the effectiveness and importance of FFA and Agriculture Education, I think of Luis. I call him my poster child—which he loves, but it’s true. 

 I still have the grey hair from him, but I am so proud of his dedication to learning everything he can to be the best!

May.... I have some more time...

May....

May, I have some more time....

Does that ever happen to you? It's mid-May and I feel like I've run out of time to do anything. Time for school, time for fair, time for anything that requires thought or planning.

I am running on fumes. We have our fair next week and things are going haywire!! No, really... I have 35 kids showing a bazillion different species. It really is a fun experience because the fair is unique, small and so supported by the community.

So fair is next week, then we have "dead week", then the following week is finals and we are done. While I am pretty pumped to be done with this school year, I can't say I am ready for the weeks following. Following school, I have our officer retreat, then CATA Summer Conference, then State Fair, then County Fair. It's a never ending list of calendar dates that I am slave to.

It's funny though... I follow a group on Facebook for Ag teachers, where people post questions or seek ideas about FFA, livestock, curriculum, officer things, etc. Not too long ago, I read a post from a teacher who had lost their "spark" and questioned their choice to continue being an agriculture teacher. Everyone commented tips and tricks of how to maintain the spark, along with others who know her commending the great work they see that she does. It made me think... Everyone always tells me they don't know how I do it, or how I have the energy I do, but in reality, every person who becomes an Ag teacher has the potential to give 150%. We choose when we want to give that and when we would rather conserve that energy for another time.

Some days are harder than others to choose. When we would rather be with family, or get drinks with friends after work, or do anything else-- Ag teachers choose to do a project visit, catch up on grading, work on a new class, or plan an officer retreat. This never ending choice is why people lose their spark. I hear more and more about Ag teachers moving to other careers or even move up into the district performing new jobs. But it's because we have allowed ourselves to make poor choices. We have chosen our "kids" over other areas of life (for some even over their own kids). Finding balance in our choices and accepting our choices is the key. We cannot constantly give 150%, choosing school over everything else and then resent our choices. WE CHOOSE! It's simple... CHOOSE BETTER!

"One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes... and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility." Eleanor Roosevelt

Whenever I feel myself, starting to feel "less sparky", I peruse the last few years of pictures... It reminds me of why I choose them...

Where is the school year going?!

Does life ever slow down? I feel like the longer I teach, the faster life zooms by.

This year I took on our school's leadership class in addition to my regular Ag classes. I was very nervous to tackle this class, especially while teaching another new class. In all complete honesty, it has been one of the most challenging things I have done as a teacher. 

Daily, I think about why it has been so difficult  to wrap my head around the schedules, posters, ASB meetings, rallies, etc. I have come to the conclusion that it's the kids and my lack of experience. The kids are genuinely good kids, but I've had to start from scratch with many of the students with teaching basic concepts like responsibility and follow through. Luckily I have some FFA kids in the class, so they have been instrumental in helping set the example for being a leader in class. 

Today, an FFA kid gave a practice workshop to the leadership class. I was amazed that when she asked them to give another student a power clap, they had no clue what that meant. It occurred to me that many of the best techniques, like power clapping are not done in many classes (probably none) except that in Ag classes and FFA conferences they are traditions for building people up to be leaders. Something as simple as a clap, changed the attitude of some students. After the workshop concluded they asked to learn more claps. 

It's crazy to me that we worry so much about curriculum, standards, tests, AP this or that, yet we rarely encourage students to take classes that make them better people. From responsibility to follow through and rigorous academics to person connections, FFA could quite possibly be the most genius organization that has ever roamed the earth! 

We need to take more time to smell the roses, so to speak. Slow down, teach the important life skills that students might only get during the school day, and stop worrying only making them smart, but worry more about making them better people.

This school year is blowing by and I feel like I'm behind on making them better people because we've been so focused on less important things like just getting things done for the sake of doing them. With all the recent fires and displaced people, it's become apparent that less and less students believe in, doing for others. While we have collected a crazy amount of items and worked diligently to help, there is a funny divide that has been created. It's amazing the number of kids that have stepped up to really contribute and give, while others sit back and wait for someone else to give. I feel like it's very telling of their leadership qualities and future leadership potential. It is just one more way for students to grow and become better people-- Funny that some simply choose not to...