LEATHERWORK IN THE CLASSROOM

LEATHERWORK IN THE CLASSROOM

HOW AN “OUT OF THE BOX” IDEA CAN ADVANCE YOUR PROGRAM AND REIGNITE YOUR PASSION FOR TEACHING

By: Monica Patrick Frost High School Agriculture Science Teacher

Many of us love what we do and regard our position as an agricultural sciences teacher as a true calling. For some of us rooted in tradition, the job description has changed drastically over the past few years, and I am not just thinking about the pandemic changes.

When I first started my career, I vividly remember thinking that training successful teams, hauling winning livestock SAE projects, and helping students attain scholarships were a top priority. After a couple of years of experence, I grew up a little and realized that everything was about the impact on students, communication with school and families, and not the ability to give opportunities to win. Since then, I have tried to understand my personal limitations and communicate a clear vision for my ag department/FFA chapter with the administration, board of trustees, and community.

This evolution doesn't often happen overnight, sometimes it takes life experience to place you in the needed frame of mind. Seven years ago, I had an opportunity to move schools within the county that I had taught in for fifteen years. My new school was smaller, more rural, and with a more diverse student demographic, including more affluent transfer students, rural farming families, and migrant workers. Frost ISD is a wonderful community where the motto is “cotton is king and friendliness is queen,” but the resources are more limited, and at that time the student experience was very different from what I was accustomed to.

Many of the students are completely immersed in production agriculture at home and do not want to participate in a traditional SAE project. Frost is the smallest and most rural school in Navarro County and the Blackland FFA District. Challenges we face daily are mostly related to budget constraints, our location, and student interest.

As I began settling into the position and getting to know my students, I was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer in my right eyelid and faced multiple surgeries and vision in only one eye for eight weeks. For me, challenge brings about reflection, so during this time, I spent hours frustrated that the kids, families, and community were great, but my students were not hooked on some of my traditional offerings for SAE projects. How could I get them involved?

Around the same time, I began a new leatherwork hobby as an outlet for the stress that I was feeling. I took the chance, not knowing what the interest level would be, and slowly introduce a few projects into my classroom. That first year we made simple bracelets in floral design during our color unit, and ear tag keychains in principles during the livestock identification unit. I did not know that the leather projects would become the answer to so many prayers, including how to involve more students in daily lessons and SAEs. Since then, I have incorporated leatherwork in floral design, agribusiness, principles, and the practicum classes.

With time, I have learned that an ag teacher has to have flexibility to adapt and adjust while building partnerships for resources and guidance. No one can offer everything or know it all! At the encouragement of my teaching partner, I attended a workshop with Don Gonzalesthat that Aaron Heizer hosted at Maker’s Leather Supply. This was the beginning of a valued working relationship with the local business, and a dear friendship with Aaron and his wife Janie. Mr. Gonzales has also contributed to our program when he offered an online class covering drawing for leatherwork.

Resources are one of our most valuable assets, and Maker’s Leather Supply has made a connection with students and built a network for my kids to have professional advice, along with serving as a resource for materials and supplies. Students are so proud to design and construct products for themselves, faculty, staff, and family members, for many this is the only way they can give a gift due to financial circumstances.

Every May we assign a six-week project that allows each student to construct a project to be featured in our leather art gala and sell it in a silent auction. We have been very blessed to have two galas and give all of the money raised back to the students. This event helps build employability or “soft skills'' in each student, not just your strong extroverts that love public speaking or your officers that travel and represent your chapter. The students wear their best dress attire, for many it includes prom dresses or suits, which makes a huge impact on the community members that stroll through the event looking at projects. Our little community loves supporting good kids doing good things, and at the gala they all shake hands, make eye contact, ask questions, and show off their creations.

Our leatherwork does not stop with agricultural pieces like reins or decorative accessories like purses. We have used leatherwork in our 2021 San Antonio marketplace ag mechanics entry; one of our students constructed a saddle for his county show entry as his SAE and won our creative arts division; a student also used his leatherwork SAE as part of his ag mechanics proficiency that qualified as a national finalist; we also used a leather skill for our skills demonstration LDE that qualified for the area level contest.

Thinking positively and accepting that an “out of the box” idea may actually work can advance your program and reignite your passion for teaching. This leather hobby brought me personal peace during a difficult time and lit a new fire for the level of enthusiasm my kids have. My best advice is to practice consistency and reliability when offering a new experience, lean on others for support, and build your resources. A couple of years ago, my class developed the motto that leather is like life you learn how to own the mistakes you make, and then how to fix them so that nothing is wasted.