NEWS A Texas Team Ag Ed Publication
February 2017
Spotlight on Agriculture Education Shane Crafton, Henrietta
If you are reading this when it first comes out, you are probably reading while sitting in line at the Fort Worth market show, so maybe this will either keep you awake, or it might just be the catalyst to put you to sleep despite all the noise of pickup engines and restless animals. Whatever the case, good luck to you and your students as they reap the rewards of a long year’s work with their projects. Many of you have another county show in the books, and I hope yours went well. We just finished the Clay County show, and all went well with the exception of the weather. We had cold, windy weather for the cattle show, ice pellets for the swine show, and four-degree temperatures for the Saturday morning sheep and goat show. I’d like to give a big thanks to fellow teachers Larry Little (Swine), Jimmy Key (sheep and goats), and Chris Beard (rabbits) for doing an outstanding job as judges for our show. I hope you are well rested because the fun is about to begin. Spring is a busy season in the ag-teaching profession. Whether you are at a stock show, Career Development Event, District or Area Convention, speaking contest, degree check, having a greenhouse sale, or simply planning for your annual FFA banquet, there is never any down time. Who helps us get all this done? Great teaching partners are a key, but is that
enough? I have found in 27 years of teaching experience that most successful ag teachers have one aspect in common, and that is a spouse who is involved in all parts of the program. Where would we be without our spouses being involved and helping not only with our own kids but with all the kids of our FFA programs? We are ag teachers, and that is a full time job, but who does everything else with our students? Our spouses become transportation coordinators, concession stand managers, travel agents, nurses, chapter photographers, banquet decorating committee chairs, and anything else we don’t have time to take care of. Basically they are expected to be moms to every student we travel with in our programs. We gripe about being under-paid and overworked, but I would take my job over theirs any day. At least I’m being paid; all my wife gets is a birthday at county show each year and an exotic anniversary trip to wherever the State FFA convention is being held. I just spent four days at the NAAE convention and spent time with two prime examples of spouses who have supported their husbands for many years in all facets of the FFA program. Debbie McClure and Melody Krejci are two very entertaining and interesting ladies, and I now understand how Barney and George have managed
to accomplish so much in their careers. They have had help from spouses who love them very much and see great purpose in what we do as ag teachers. I’ve been teaching in Henrietta for 22 years. Val (my wife) and Cindy (Dunk’s wife) have played a huge role in the success of the Henrietta FFA for that entire time. Where would we be without them? We will never know, and I don’t want to have to find out! Thanks, ladies; you are a major reason the Spotlight of Agriculture Education shines on all our students. So ag teachers, take time to thank your spouses for their involvement and selflessness in making your program work. It should be easy because they are probably right there with you anyway!