By: Cody McClain
Agriscience Education
We have all had the moments when we have no idea what we want to
do when we grow up. Do I want to be a teacher, loan officer, police officer,
lawyer, or I don’t know? I experienced one of these moments when I was
riding home in an old international school bus, which struggled to reach
55mph on interstates, from State FFA convention during my senior year in high
school. As my Ag teacher was driving the bus, I asked her a million questions
about her life as an agricultural educator. She expressed her joys and
discomforts of being in the profession. Like for many FFA members, their last
state convention as a student is memorable and life changing. The challenges
in calculus made me rethink my decision in a future in math education. It is
not uncommon for many students to change their major in college. After my
experience at my last convention and a great deal of consideration I made
this change this switch to Agriscience Education only a few weeks prior to
graduation.
Throughout my college endeavors in Agriscience Education, I have had many
opportunities to explore the insights of the career. My Early Field
Experience (EFE) at Marysville High School was one of those opportunities
that provided me with the energy and motivation to continue pursuing my
passion in agricultural education. During my EFE, I had the opportunity to
collaborate and learn from three amazing agricultural instructors that
practice diverse and powerful leadership and teaching styles.
My experiences included teaching lessons in leadership, career building
skills, and agricultural safety. I acquired a variety of lessons in animal
sciences, agricultural mechanics, plant sciences, and much more. One of the
many experiences was the opportunity to expand my interest in agricultural
mechanics. In fact, this experience enhanced my desire to be a “shop
teacher” or in other words, teach topics in agricultural power, mechanical,
and technology systems. Every time I left my cooperating school, I felt more
inspired in being a future teacher of agriculture. The many early morning
drives to Marysville were very rewarding, in which, I received valuable
knowledge and skills that will help me be successful in an agriculture
classroom and FFA program. In the end, my experience created a vision for my
future career that I hope someday will blossom into reality.
Cody working with the students.
Cody working with machinery with the class.