Why Ag Ed?

Why is Agricultural Education important, and how is it a fulfilling career?





     My name is Tyler Renz, and I am a 5th year instructor at Elma High School, in Elma, WA. Agriculture education as an entity is currently in a precarious position, such as the rest of education among many states across the country. There is a drastic need for new high quality educators to fill increasingly vacant positions. This sounds like a relatively simple task to accomplish, find someone with an agriculture background, get them certified, and put them in a classroom. Now this may work in certain circumstances but in the vast majority of situations it takes a certain type of individual to bring the passion and dedication it takes to run a successful program. Some people hang their success on the number of banners hanging on the wall, or the quality of projects leaving through the shop doors, I believe success lies in the students we send out in the world. 

      We need people in this world that have an understanding of what hard work and dedication can create, as well as people that understand the importance of agriculture. FFA is a prime opportunity to engage and form these future leaders. CDE’s and LDE’s are efficient tools we as educators can utilize to give these students valuable skills and knowledge which they can use in future careers. This year our Dairy Cattle Evaluation Team took 1st place and will be traveling to Indianapolis in October to compete at nationals. Events such as this one, give students valuable skills beyond simply choosing the best cow, but instead the ability to make a decision and defend that decision to an outside entity. Being a successful agriculture educator cannot be given an all-encompassing definition. You will make and build a program that fits you and your ambitions, and that is perfectly fine, as longs you are doing what is best for your students. This position takes a tremendous amount of time and dedication to be an effective instructor, however, the rewards are beyond belief. FFA and agriculture education as evolved beyond cows, sows, and plows, to being the most influential and quality leadership development enterprise in many communities and schools across the nation.

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