STUDENT
ENGAGEMENT INVOLVEMENT, AND BUILDING QUALITY RELATIONSHIPS BY: S H A N NO N M C C U I ST I O N D E N T O N H I G H S C H O O L A G R I C U LT U R E S C I E N C E T E A C H E R
Agricultural scientist, farmer, and celebrated philosopher of natural farming, MasanobuFukuoka said, “The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.” These words have never been more valid. In agricultural science education, we don’t solely focus on educating students; we focus on building character and creating a well-rounded young human being. How do we accomplish this? We search for the individual’s core that we all share. Every person wants to be seen, heard, valued, and respected. These are all essential in knowing oneself and being a part of the “bigger picture.” Grasping this concept and honing in on the students’ individualities will help you create meaningful relationships, which is imperative when engaging them in the classroom. Building relationships is the number one reason why students come to your classroom. It’s why they want to learn from you, why they trust you, and why they will listen to you. You can have the coolest, Pinterest-inspired classroom education has ever seen, you can wear the funniest of costumes on spirit days, you can have the most beautiful, elaborate lessons planned out, but if you don’t generate a positive classroom culture by building relationships with students first, you will never have total buy-in.
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