What Do I Seek in a Cooperating Center???

During this semester at Penn State, all of the juniors in the Agricultural and Extension Education (AEE) program have been prepping for when we student teach next spring. This means we have been scheduling clearances, PRAXIS tests, and CPR training classes among others. Most importantly, we have been going all over Pennsylvania to visit high school (and some middle school) agricultural education programs for inspiration for our future classrooms, but also potential sites for where we can student teach in the spring of 2024. So, as we enter these schools and schedule visits, there is one essential question that we must all ask ourselves: What do I seek in a cooperating center? 

Where I Started

To answer this question, I need to briefly dive into what type of program I originated from. For those of you that do not know, I am a proud alumnus of the West Perry FFA chapter. West Perry High School is a rural school that averages about 150 to 200 students per graduating class. As for the ag program, it was and still is a two-teacher program that focuses on agricultural topics such as animal science, plant science, and agricultural mechanics. Both teachers taught at least one introduction to agriculture course. Then, one teacher specialized more in small and large animal sciences as well as veterinary science while the other one specialized in soils, wildlife and natural resources, and ag mechanics. However, wanting to work with animals and maybe be a veterinarian someday, I took most of the animal and veterinary science courses as well as the wildlife, fishery, and forestry course. As for the building, West Perry during my time had two classrooms, a shop area, several storage rooms, a shed, and a greenhouse. The greenhouse has been used to house students' Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects, the tomato and pepper community outreach program, and some hydroponic experiments. For events, we participated in chapter field trips to see agricultural businesses and farms, chapter speaking competitions, area-coordinated events, and area and regional competitions as well as conferences/conventions and competitions at the state and national levels. This list included Agricultural Cooperation Establishes Success (ACES), State Legislative Leadership Conference (SLLC), Mid-Winter Convention, Fall Leadership Conference (FLC), State Activities Week, and National Convention. Plus, some of our biggest fundraisers for the chapter were the annual fruit sale, t-shirt/apparel orders, and beef stick sales. We also had community service opportunities by visiting the local nursing homes, Salvation Army bell ringing, and teaching elementary school classes about Poison Prevention. 

However, my favorite part and one of the main reasons that I switched my major to AEE was the middle school FFA club and 8th grade exploratory ag courses. One of the teachers would end the day at the middle school teaching the 8th graders about agriculture while also getting them excited for such classes and the FFA at the high school. This course usually involved bringing up some of the chapter officers to speak to the students about the FFA for one day. Similarly, the middle school FFA club spent time with 6-8th graders getting their toes wet in the world of FFA by looking at competitions, degrees/awards, projects, and community service as well as other agricultural topics via interactive activities. Both of which I had the opportunity to teach! Sadly, today, these programs are no longer available, but the chapter officers still have at least a day to promote the high school agricultural classes and FFA program. 

What I Want

Thus, having so many wonderful experiences at West Perry that got me to where I am today, I want to see more from a cooperating center. 

First off, I believe that agricultural courses should be a core subject, where students of all ages learn about this amazing industry that keeps the world thriving with foods, fibers, and natural resources. No one is too young or too old to learn about the agricultural industry! They need this knowledge to be a better consumer and to stop the world from always seeing the misconceptions and stereotypes that come with agriculture, like farming. So, I want to see and be able to teach at a well-developed middle school FFA program as well as a high school FFA program. Somewhere where the two programs work together to learn about agriculture, work on developing personal and professional skills, and help out the community. 

Secondly, I also have a passion to help students reach their full potential. Just like my agricultural teachers did for me, taking a shy kid that was afraid of judgment from others and speaking in public to desiring a career in teaching others of all ages about agriculture. They inspired me to dig deeper and dream bigger than I ever thought possible. Now, I want to be that inspiration for students. I want a cooperating center that focuses on its students' needs and goals. Sometimes that might not be agriculturally related, but if it helps the students to feel at home and want to continue to grow and succeed, I want to be a part of it. 

Thirdly, I want a cooperating center that can help me grow in my knowledge of plant sciences, food sciences, and ag mechanics and how to teach these subjects to others. This is because as I stated earlier, I am familiar with the animal sciences and need more work on other agricultural topics. I want to be a well-rounded agricultural teacher so that someday I can maybe even start a new agricultural program in an area that needs it the most. 

Next, I would love to student teach at a program that loves experimenting with new ideas for the classroom, like aquaponics. (I would love to have my own aquaponics system in my future program!) This area could also include new community outreach activities, the addition of field trips and guest speakers, and so much more. Being willing to try new ideas for the classroom, gives the students more new opportunities to learn about agriculture and find careers and hobbies that they are interested in, which also continue to benefit the program as a whole. While, in a teaching perspective, it gives me the ability to try anything within the classroom to understand what will and will not work for my future classroom. 

Plus, as an agricultural teacher in the future, I want to build relationships with other agricultural educators that are willing to help me learn from them anytime, even when I finish student teaching. Relationships that last a lifetime! Hence, I want a cooperating center where I get along with the agricultural teachers. A place where I don't feel like I'm on the sidelines or unwelcome to be there. A place that is willing to work with my crazy ideas and teach me to be a better agricultural teacher. 

Truthfully, the list could go on and on (which is already too long as it is), but these are the main areas that I seek to find in a cooperating center. 

Where I've Been

Right now, I have had the honor to visit Big Spring Middle School and High School FFA as well as Athens FFA, which I feel meet most of the criteria that I am looking for. 

Now that you know a little more about me and what I am looking for, what are some other programs out there that you think I should look into?