NEWS A Texas Team Ag Ed Publication
November 2016
Spotlight on Agriculture Education Shane Crafton, Henrietta
November is here, and like me, I’m sure you are finishing up with buying those last pigs, validating all of your animals for spring shows, and preparing to finalize all those stock show entries and plans. Leadership development teams are in full swing, and many of us are dealing with meat and fruit sales along with maybe a football concession stand or two. How do we accomplish all of this? Well, what I have learned over 27 years of teaching is that it will take a complete team effort, and I’m not just talking about us, our FFA students, and their parents. The team effort I’m referring to is everyone that is needed to have a successful chapter. First, it is important to build relationships that will make your job easier. Obviously our jobs are easier if we have good relationships with our school board, administrators, and the rest of the faculty where we work. This will make it easier to ask for help when we need help with transporting kids to contests, running stock shows, or simply sharing those kids so we can have time to practice for contests. I know we have all fought that battle. Another part of that team is teaching partners. I’ve had the same exceptional colleague, Tony Dunkerley, for 21 years. I know what he’s doing, and I know what I have to do before either of us does it. That doesn’t just happen overnight. You
have to build and maintain that kind of relationship. I now have a third teaching partner, and I’m sure it is harder on him because he has two relationships to build. Many of you don’t have teaching partners. If you are alone, that makes relationships with parents, students, and school employees that much more important. Does anyone feel like their spouse is part of the FFA team? They probably deserve an article all to themselves. Val and Cindy have been together as long as Dunk and I have been, transporting and chaperoning students to stock shows, conventions, banquets, and to any other place I had to have them delivered. These two ladies might be the team MVP’s, as I’m sure many of your spouses are. Finally, how about other school staff, secretaries, janitors, and transportation coordinators? I’ve been known to make a mess or two in my time, and I’ve noticed that when I arrive at school the next day, my building is clean and ready to go again, thanks to Tammy and Robert. Ed and Al always have the right transportation I need to get to the contest or show no matter when I need it and are always available to pick up class supplies. Mrs. Tyler and Mrs. Brooks have covered me time after time over the years when I lost a receipt, forgot to turn in a list
of students on a trip, or anything else I need to make my day go easier. As ag teachers we need to build relationships with all these team members to insure the success of our programs. Be sure to treat all of these individual with total respect and help them out when you can, because one day in the near future, you will need their help, and if that relationship is in place, they will help you make your program a success. These relationships will keep your program and students continuously in the spotlight. Without a doubt, it takes a team to build a successful ag program, and I’m extremely grateful for the team that surrounds me.