Jazzy Adventures in Agriculture: SAE. Learning. Student Success.

SAE visits are in full swing, so watch out students! You better have those records books up to par because your Ag Teachers are coming to check! A few students from Octorara High School had the lucky chance of not only having their Ag teacher come visit, but also a student teacher that will be teaching them in the Spring of 2015. THAT'S ME! I am very excited to be student teaching at Octorara High School. In order to dig deeper into all the responsibilities that Ag teachers have, I had the chance to tag along on an SAE visit. This SAE visit took place on a dairy farm in good ole Chester County. Although Chester County is known for their equine industry, two heavily involved young ladies (sisters) in FFA were proud to show us their dairy cows. First we set a date that worked for both them and their parents (it's important that parents are present in order to make important connections!). We visited the King dairy farm on Thursday August 28th. We decided to meet in the evening around 7. This way we wouldn't be interrupting dinner or their milking time.

Teaching Moment: Timing can be easily overlooked; however, this is a vital component of an SAE visit. As an AG teacher you are going into a student's home and therefore you must be respectful of their time and facilities. Families also do their daily chores or barn work at different times and it is important to keep these things in mind when conducting an SAE visit. This was the first key tip that I picked up from my SAE visit!

As the new kid on the block I made sure to introduce myself. I didn't want to make the students or parents uncomfortable with an unfamiliar face in their house. After our introductions we were greeted with a pitcher of freshly made raspberry tea (yummy! I should go on more of these visits!). We sat around the family's dinning room table and went through the basics of the girls' SAE projects. Both of them were keeping records on their jobs on their farm which included milking and feeding cows. They both were keeping placement record books. We looked at their record books and the progress they had made over the summer till the start of school. We then set goals for each of them. For example, we wanted the oldest girl to have the journal component of her record book updated by the end of September.

Teaching Moment: We talked with the girls about what they think their goals should be. This gave them ownership in reaching their own goals and of their own success. Also, we provided opportunities for them to complete these goals. The one young lady had a study hall during 4th period and so her Ag teacher offered his assistance during that time. This willingness to help students tells them that you care enough about them and their success. I love the phrase "invest in your students and they will invest in you." I hope that I can find ways to be flexible with my schedule in order to help students if needed.

After we looked at their record books, we wanted the girls to show us what exactly all that writing, journaling, and budgeting was for. So they took us out to their barn where they showed us the actual dirty work. They said the worst part about their job is that sometimes they have to get up at 2:30am to start the morning milking. Wow, what dedication! I liked making this a big deal to them because I don't know too many high school students that would do that!

One awesome aspect that I learned about this family is that this year was a growing year for them. Their full time hired helper had quite over the summer, leaving them with a bunch of work to do everyday. The girls and their mom really pulled through to keep everything up and running. I could tell that it was a major change for them; however, it really bonded the family together in numerous ways. They said they grew in many ways, but it was the relationships that really meant the most!

Overall, the girls loved showing us around their farm and I loved learning from them! From watching them set up the milk house to running the feed cart to cleaning the barn for the night, we saw great passion from these two. They are hard working gals for sure! We spent nearly 2 hours talking to them and listening to their daily chores. I was very pleased to have spent my time on this SAE visit at their farm. It wasn't that long ago when I was in their shoes, scrambling to fill out that record book before my Ag teacher came to visit and cleaning up as much as possible. It was a great feeling to take on the opposite role and instead be the Ag teacher. Although a bit strange at first, I left with this awesome feeling that I was making a difference in the lives of students. We have amazing opportunities just like these to look forward to everyday as AG teachers!

The following are some pictures that I captured from my SAE visit in Chester County: