What Can YOU Do to Bring the Best and Brightest to Our Profession

I is estimated that there will only be 758 qualified agriculture teachers prepared to enter field for fall of 2009. Over past studies, only approximately 53% of qualified teachers will enter field, leaving only 401 to enter profession. state data shows that they expect to have 652 positions to fill leaving a 251 (38.5%) teacher deficit. This has potential to reach epidemic proportions if we are unable to recruit additional students into field of agricultural education and growth in secondary agricultural education programs continues (Kantrovich, 2007, p. 7). The data suggest that after just five years, between 40 and 50 percent of all beginning teachers have left profession. Why do beginning teachers leave at such high rates? (Ingersoll & Smith, 2003). These bleak statistics are not unfamiliar. For as long as many readers can recall, there has been ongoing attention to difficulties of recruiting new agriculture teachers to profession. It has been well documented that teacher shortage challenge is further exacerbated by number of agriculture teachers who exit profession after spending just a year or two in classroom. perpetual shortage of agriculture teachers has impacts that reach far beyond a reported statistic. It goes without saying that middle and high school students enrolled in agriculture courses deserve and brightest teachers that our profession has to offer. Additional- ly, schools, families, communities, and agriculture industry have a vested interest in preparation, placement, and longevity of talented young teachers. total program model comprised of classroom and laboratory instruction, supervised experience, and FFA provides stu- dents with opportunities to develop a multitude of leadership skills, gain exposure to various agriculture careers, and engage in local community service activities. These myriad experiential learning opportunities are all too frequently taken from students and communities when school districts are unable to identify and/or retain a well-prepared agriculture teacher. What qualities make an agriculture teacher best? An answer to this simple question can generate nu- merous results. Effective teachers have been characterized as demon- strating productive teaching behav- iors, being organized, successfully managing a classroom, promoting positive interpersonal relationships, and participating in professional ac- tivities (Miller, W. W, Kahler, ?., ?., & Rheault, K., 1 989). A study by Dyer and Roberts (2004) identified forty characteristics of effec- tive agriculture teach- ers. As we look to recruit to our profession, we need to be mindful that the best ican manifest itself in a variety of ways across different settings. While we could find many common characteristics of effective agriculture teachers, being an individual and finding ways to work within a specific set of circumstances in service to he unique students we face each day, may be most important characteristic. Regardless of our role in Team Agricultural Education, as middle school or high school teachers, state staff, FFA Alumni, community leaders, or teacher educators we must recognize critical need for a collaborative effort in bringing and brightest to teaching profession. Teacher recruitment and retention is truly a grassroots effort requiring a commitment from all. In middle school and high school classroom, students may never have considered personal satisfaction derived from teaching. …