NEWS A Texas Team Ag Ed Publication
From
the
October 2019
Range
Terry Baize, Hamilton
In last month’s article I mentioned a mentor, Rick Cunnigham, who was very helpful to me in my career. Over the next few months you will see mentorship as one of the focuses of my articles. Each month I am going to pay homage to a teacher who acted as a mentor to me. For those of you who teach hunter education and the stages of development that a hunter goes through as they mature, you know that the last stage is giving back. I believe teachers, as we mature in our careers, also reach this stage. Mentorship is so important. As I think back over my career, there is no way that I could have had the longevity in teaching that I have had without the teachers that mentored me. Not everyone mentored me in the same way, and I learned something different from each one of them. Most of these teachers probably never really considered themselves to be a mentor to me but their instruction and encouragement have proven to be of tremendous value. As an association, we are also addressing this issue of mentorship with the VATAT Professional Mentor Program.
The program is now in its third year and has been a rousing success. This year 22 mentors are mentoring 40 new teachers as they navigate through their first year of teaching. I wish I could have had this program available to me as I went through my first year of teaching. However, there are still many teachers who are new to the career who also need our help. I believe it is our duty to step-up and help to fill this need. I looked up the definition of a mentor and this is what I found, “An experienced and trusted advisor.” We can all fulfill this role to someone in need. If we are going to solve the problem of teacher retention in our program, then we need to be part of the solution. The mentor program is great, but 22 mentors can nowhere near reach everyone who needs an experienced and trusted advisor. I would encourage you to seek out those in need and make yourself available to them. Mentoring does not have to be programmatic. Sometimes just listening to someone’s problems, offering a friendly handshake, or an encouraging word are all some need. Also, I encourage teachers
who are early in their careers to seek out mentors. I firmly believe that if you just ask, you will receive. This week I was saddened to hear of the passing of Danny Prater. Danny taught in Dublin for many years, and immediately befriended me when I first came to Hamilton. Danny was one of the many great mentors that I have had over the years. Danny taught me that ag teaching, though hard work, could be a fun and enjoyable career. Danny was always smiling, and he had a quick wit about him. He was just enjoyable to be around, and his students adored him. Continue on page 2