Hobbies and interests outside of teaching: Building creative household projects, Raising livestock (cattle and sheep).

What do you love most about being an ag teacher?  I love working with young people and sparking an interest in their future career.  I have an opportunity to teach employable skills, strategies and problem solving skills that students can use for a lifetime. I love developing their self confidence.

What is your biggest challenge as an ag teacher?  The biggest challenge for me has been time management.  There are so many things that an ag teacher does beyond the task of classroom teaching.  These other activities are fun, they are very productive, they make a huge difference with the students; but they take time.

What have you learned thus far in your teaching career that you wish you would have known when you first began teaching? Don’t stress about the lesson of the day just have a clear goal in mind, prepare and enjoy it.

What advice would you give a novice teacher entering this profession now?  Get to know the people in the profession and the ag industry and then ask a lot of questions!  From your local section to throughout the state... use those resources.  The stories and experience that they have are not written in a text book and I don’t think there is an app for that.

What personal qualities or abilities do you think are important to being successful in this profession?  A teacher needs to be a very positive individual.  You need to have enthusiasm, patience, and a passion for the industry.

What does a typical day look like to you?  My day begins with morning chores at home; which I enjoy.  At school a quick check of the e-mail, then a review of the goals for the day.  I check or set up labs or demonstrations before the students come in.  The classes operate one by one, but be ready to adjust as each group reacts different.  Lunch is filled with kids with questions.  After school there may be a department meeting, a leadership team meeting, or a practice with the judging teams.  Before I leave; I like to reflect on the day, prepare for the next day or the rest of the week, which may include ordering or buying materials for the class.

What most prepared you for being an agriculture educator? I believe that being an officer in the FFA, and having great role models throughout my life has served me best in my career.

If you could relive one of your most memorable days as a teacher, which day would it be and why?  A memorable day for me as an agriculture teacher would be seeing one of my farm power teams win the state championship in 2003.  This was a group of students that came in to the program with no prior experience in production agriculture or machinery.  They worked hard for a couple of years and as we say as a coach “they put it all together” on that state finals day.  It is a memorable event because we do these extra things for student success.

Describe ag teaching in one to two words.  Honorable profession