Adventures of a NAAE Student Memb{HERR} - "Laissez les bons temps rouler!" {"Let the good times roll!"}

You know, there are some days where I’m not so sure if I can do this job - this whole “ag teacher thing.” It requires long days and extra hours and crazy high school kids. Teaching is surely not for the faint of heart.

But then I think to myself, “really K. Janae?!" 

I know that I WANT to teach agriculture at the secondary level. I know that I NEED to teach agriculture at the secondary level.

But some days it is hard and its overwhelming and stressful and surely doesn’t seem attainable. And then I end up in New Orleans.

See now you’re thinking, right so Mardi Gras and good seafood cure the doubts? Nope, but they surely do help! It’s the group of people that I just spent my week with that wipe away that fear of incapability. I am so thankful that school-based agriculture education provides for me a network of people, with passions just like my own, on a state, regional and national level. I am so thankful that I attend a university that has instilled in me the value of joining, participating in and attending the meetings and conventions of state and national agriculture educators associations.

I had the sincere honor of attending the 2015 National Association of Agriculture Educators (NAAE) Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana this past week. My fellow cohort member, Katie and I, were two of eight pre-service agriculture teachers attending this national conference, proudly representing Penn State. Here, in the middle of "creole country" we networked, learned, collaborated, developed, explored and refueled.

Here it is, some more adventures and reflections from an almost teac{HERR}, summed up in four little letters...

N - Network. I shook hands with a lot of people this week. Some that fall under my list of “unofficially celebrities,” like Dr. Larry Case and Dr. Dwight Armstrong, both of the National FFA Organization, but I’m kind of a nerd like that. I was introduced to state and national staff members, teachers and teacher educators from across the national this week, all who took the time to thank me for choosing agriculture education and mostly likely, in doing so, telling me that they have jobs! I mean, no pressure. Katie and I also had the unique opportunity to participate in the Region VI reflections during our regional meeting, representing the future of agriculture education. I am honored to have gotten the chance to share my heart a little bit with a great group of teachers from the northeast part of the nation.

A - Advice. When you introduce yourself as a preservice teacher, you basically ask for everyone to pour out their years of wisdom on you. To that I say, yes! Let my cup overflow! I want to hear all that these seasoned, zealous individuals have to share! The good, the bad and the ugly, I’m on a mission to continually make myself better and I am so thankful to spend the past few days with people who desire to be a part of that process. One of my favorite words of wisdom I was given this week came from a young teacher in South Dakota. He very simply said, “best of luck during your student teaching next semester, remember to thrive. #psuaged16, I hope you’re reading. We’re 51 days away from this student teaching internship, my wish for you all is that you don’t simply survive through that experience, that you take this given advice and you thrive.

Thank you NAAE for recognizing pre-service teachers!

A - Active. Yes, the past few days have been crazy running from one workshop to session to meet up with another crew for a meal. But this week brought into perspective a different level of activity. I have had decent exposure to the workings of the PAAE, our state association of agriculture educators, so by default, could assume some of the opportunities for involvement at the national level. I am thankful for this incredibly unique experience that allowed me to see, first hand, the extensive list of involvement opportunities that await me as a future agriculture educator. I look forward to participating as a national committee member and applying for professional development experiences like the National Agriscience Ambassador programs.

E - Educator. I am an agriculture educator by choice, not by chance. I know that I am not only needed to meet a national shortage of agriculture educators, I know that I want to be an agriculture educator. I know that I want the hard and overwhelming and the crazy because at the end of the day, I have an incredible sphere of influence. A keynote speaker this week shared that as educators, next to their families, we see students the most in a week. For the time that they are in my class, I will deliver content and I will change lives. I am thankful for a week surrounded by people who are devoting their lives to the same mantra to refresh and refuel.

Authentic beignets from the real
Cafe De Monde

You should also know that I tried alligator and infamous car-broiled oysters  and beignets this week, soaked up some southern drawl, travelled down Bourbon Street and talked “ag teacher” all week. It was kind of dynamite.

Simply put, a huge thank you is due to the Penn State Teach Ag! Society, the Pennsylvania Association of Agriculture Educators, the Penn State Center for Professional Personnel Development and the AEE Instructional Team for providing the resources for me to experience this network of educators on a national scale, in the great city of New Orleans. 

Simply put, some days I’m pretty sure that I’m not cut out for this teacher life. Then I stand among theses passionate people, take a deep breath and continue on towards the finish line. 

Until the next time I’m 37,000 feet up, K. Janae