Acquiring the Favorite Teacher

Think back to your favorite teacher as a youth. What made this educator one of the best? Was it the way they talked or the way they got their students engaged? Was it their enthusiasm and encouragement? Maybe you just liked the subject they were teaching. My guess is that it was a mixture of these reasons. For most people in the agricultural field, their favorite teacher was their agricultural educator. But what might have happened if these people who have made a career in agriculture never had an agricultural instructor? Most likely our society would have much fewer agriculturalists. Currently this is a problem; our nation is in great need for agriculture educators. According to a 2011 article in the Agricultural Education Magazine, the profession cannot continue its current offerings or expand programs on the small supply of new teachers. This is an issue because the future of our society is dependent on growth in the agricultural field. Fewer agriculture teachers means fewer students becoming career ready for an agricultural profession. Thus, highly qualified agricultural education instructors are in short supply but this issue can be addressed by advocating for the career, providing incentives for agricultural education majors, and giving support to current teachers.To begin, advocating for agricultural education is the essential first step to creating an adequate supply of instructors. High school and college students should be educated on career opportunities in the field of agricultural education. The National Teach Ag Campaign is leading the way in encouraging students to transform into agricultural educators. They provide many resources for students who are considering a career as an agriculture teacher. But the best way to enlighten students with the joys of teaching is by telling stories. Current agriculture teachers should promote their career to students by sharing their most rewarding moment with the students. They can encourage their students to follow in their footsteps and show them the importance of the job, especially if the student has never considered teaching as a career before.Additionally, incentives should be provided for agricultural education majors who plan to teach. This would urge college students to major in agricultural education and continue with the program. Monetary contributions to a student's education are one of the best ways to motivate them. College is expensive and any financial support helps, so why not use sources to support agricultural education? Providing scholarships, grants, and loans may greatly help persuade a student towards agricultural education who may be debating majors. Also, having financial help in college will greatly lower the student's stress and this will allow them to concentrate more on classes. Ultimately, this will create better educated and qualified teachers for agriculture students.Finally, current teachers need moral support. …