National Teacher Appreciation Week: Ag Educators – Study, Travel, Explore! #teachag

Not only is it Thursday of Teacher Appreciation Week, but it is also the first Thursday in May 2012. What does this mean? It means that the #teachag campaign has begun to inundate Twitter on Thursdays with tweets about the passion agricultural educators have, the different they make, and the rewards of the profession.  I am fortunate to be blessed with a great group of agricultural education colleagues both in New Jersey and around the US, people who like me live the line of the National Association of Agricultural Educators’ Creed which states “I will endeavor to develop professionally through study, travel and exploration.” 

I was reminded of that today as I sat in a workshop with six (plus a Skyped in) agriculture teachers from around New Jersey who were learning the requirements of a grant we had all received to infuse our classroom instruction with the Curriculum for Agricultural ScienceEducation (CASE).  These colleagues will be sacrificing their own time this summer in intensive study (with homework, a portfolio and an end of training exam!) to help increase the rigor and relevance of the programs of study their schools offer.

My twitter feed (post about Agriculture Teacher Travel Opportunities) served as a further reminder that through travel I have the opportunity to connect with my colleagues across the nation to develop professionally. I have been fortunate to have experiences at regional professional development conferences, national workshops, and through being part of a Teach Ag in DC program that have not only helped me strengthen my teaching practice but also allowed me to get to know my colleagues better.

On a daily basis, I get the chance to explore ideas and content shared by agricultural educators from Florida to Oregon to Texas to Iowa and nearly everywhere in between. By being part of a networked group of educators on NAAECommunities of Practice and on twitter, I get the chance to grow.

Ag Ed colleagues from Maryland and Iowa and I during Teach Ag Day events in Washington, D.C.

Agricultural education colleagues, I appreciate you!  Let’s continue to travel together on this journey of study, travel and exploration.