6 minute read
Advocate for Yourself
BY: RAY PIENIAZEK AGRICULTURE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
28 T he word advocacy comes from the Latin ‘advocare,’ and means ‘to call out for support.’ The origins of advocacy date back to ancient Rome and Greece when wellestablished orators would perform as advocates who wrote orations specifically pleading someone’s cause. Personalities such as Cicero and Caesar were among the greatest Roman lawyers and advocates. As an agricultural science teacher, there are many things you might have to advocate for. Since the definition of advocacy is the act of speaking on behalf of or in support of a person, place, or thing, three items you might advocate for are yourself, your program, and your profession. The hardest thing on the list is advocating for yourself. Taking time to maintain your health and wellness is one of the many ways to approach self-advocacy. Teachers have a way of just working until they can’t anymore. Make sure you are getting the proper rest to keep your body functioning correctly. Ag teachers might have eating habits which do not exactly help maintain health. Corner stores and Buccee’s are not proper places to eat. Although the jerky and kolaches are good, you should not think they are a nutritionally balanced meal. Unfortunately, heart problems run in my family. One year for the bus physical the doctor recommended a stress test, as my blood pressure was high. Sure enough, I was put on blood pressure medicine. Thank goodness I had it because some of my students surely would have made it go up! If your doctor gives you advice, or you suspect something is wrong, get it checked out. Don’t wait till it is too late. Another way you may advocate for yourself is planning for retirement. You might think its too far away to think about, but in reality it is not that far away. Check your TRS statement every time it comes. If you don’t think it was reported right, do it quickly because you only have five years to get it corrected. Plan for another source of income while you are teaching - I am not just saying to get another job. Invest your money. Putting away even $50-$100 dollars a month will add up over 30 years. I still get a statement from a 403B I had during my first ten years of teaching. Unfortunately, over the next 18 years I never added to it. What a dumb move! That investment tripled without me adding to it. Finally, spend time with your family. Tell them how important they are to you and how much you care about them. They will be the ones with you for the rest of your life. Advocating for your program is something you should do daily. I hear so many teachers say the counselors dumped students into my class. Do they know what your class is about? If they don’t, it is only your fault. I always talked to counselors and academic deans to make sure they knew what each class offered and the class requirements. Sell them on the benefits of your program. The biggest thing happening in our CTE programs right now are “THE WORD ADVOCACY COMES FROM THE LATIN ‘ADVOCARE’ AND MEANS TO CALL OUT FOR."
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Programs of Study. Have you discussed with your counselors or administrators which ones you are offering? If you have not, it is time to do that. If you need information on Programs of Study, call either my office or Les Hudson at TEA for advice or help. Remember even though a course may not fit into one of your programs of study, it doesn’t mean you can’t offer it. Think about advocating for a practicum program in your school to help students reach the complete status. If you ever need assistance on ways to approach your administration about courses to offer, please reach out to the Ag Teachers Association.
Do you use your students to advocate for the program or have they been to present some of the great things they do to the school board? My favorite LDE was agricultural issues forum for the fact I could showcase my students’ speaking skills and knowledge to various community groups. They always looked forward to the team coming to speak.
The last area of advocacy you might be involved with is your profession. How do you advocate for teaching, or teaching agricultural science education? It is hard to suggest to a bright student they should come take your place one day, but shouldn’t we have
the brightest ones teaching the next generation of our students? Teach Ag is always looking for names to send materials to. If you have a name, submit it to their website.
Are you communicating with your legislator, and know their stance on career and technology education? Getting to know the staff in their office is a great way to start. Invite them to your local activities. They love having their faces associated with high school students. Be involved in the process when the Agriculture Teachers Association of Texas needs you to reach out and speak for our program. A phone call can easily be made to let them know how their constituents feel.
If you want your program to succeed, tell everyone you can through every medium you can about the great things you are doing for the youth of the community. Take care of yourself and those around you. Advocating for the future of agricultural education will help us stay viable in the school system. Thanks for all that you do.
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Teach Ag Tips
PLANNING FOR SPRING TRAVEL IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM BY: TAMMY CHRISTIAN, PENELOPE
Secure Substitutes - Every district has a different system for securing substitutes. Start as early as the start of the school year if possible. Make it a habit of revisiting your calendar at the beginning of each month to be sure there are no necessary revisions.
Secure School Vehicles and Trailers - Once again start early, submitting all vehicle requests when you secure your substitutes. Revisions can always be made, but the earlier they are done the better!
Leave Good Lesson Plans and Instructions - Leave good plans for classes and keep them relevant. Always be thorough, because you may not always end up with the same substitute. Leave your contact information so if anyone has questions, they can get ahold of to resolve issues quickly.
Have a Travel Buddy - If you are attending a stock show, contest, or other event you are not familiar with, find a friend who has been there to tag along with. Those people can help you avoid glitches or lost time.
Thank Your Administrators - Take the time to thank key people for allowing you the opportunity to take students on off campus for various experiences.
YOUTH LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 2020
Patriotism. Responsibility. Leadership.
Those are the keys to our proud past and bright future. Encourage your students to attend the five-day conference where they’ll grow their skills and empower their peers.
