Owl Pellets: Tips For Ag Teachers

Geocaching is a treasure hunting community teachers can leverage as an instructional tool. Rachel Hendrix (West Virginia University) and John Rickets (Tennessee State University) join the crew to help us learn how to use geocaching to promote critical thinking, teamwork, and communication and to use geocaching as an instructional tool.   Journal article: http://jsaer.org/2022/10/12/gps-and-geocaching-integration-in-agriscience-the-impact-on-critical-thinking/

Understanding and experiencing culture is critical for young agricultural leaders, but there's often some anxiety around having culturally competent conversations. Never fear--Janiece Pigg (Tennessee Youth Development) is here to help us think about opportunities to expand our cultural lens.   Journal article: https://jae-online.org/index.php/jae/article/view/1952

Prepare to enter mentoring! Mentoring is a huge undertaking, and in this episode, Brian, Mike, and Becky explore what we need to enter mentoring and point to tools to support that process in formal mentoring relationships.

There are hundreds of ways to measure success in SBAE programs, and Haley Traini (Oregon State University) joins us to talk about them all! We'll chat about teacher and program performance, overwhelm, and career expectations in the jam packed episode!   Journal article: https://jae-online.org/index.php/jae/article/view/29

We all have students with special needs in our classes. Unfortunately, many of us also need additional training to support our SPED students. Tune in as the OP team chats with Raegan Ramage (Louisiana) as she shares tips for opening communication with SPED teachers, working with students, and involving SPED students in Agricultural Education.    Journal Article: https://jae-online.org/index.php/jae/article/view/29

We rely on a toolbox of instructional methods as agricultural educators. Blake Colclasure (University of Tennessee) and Jack Dempsey (University of Illinois & Cascade Reading) share how our belief in a method's effectiveness affects our use of that method. Spoiler alert: you've got to believe!   Journal Article:  https://agdevresearch.org/index.php/aad/article/view/235

Growing as an effective educator is a skill to practice, especially as we work to engage students. Tune in as we talk with Tre Easterly (University of Florida) about how to improve our teaching by improving instructional clarity, increasing variety, demonstrating enthusiasm, using task-oriented behaviors, and providing opportunities for students to practice what they learn.   Journal Article:  https://jae-online.org/index.php/jae/article/view/1959

Identity is the composite of who a person is, including their thoughts about themselves, how they're viewed by the world, and the characteristics individuals use to define themselves. Join the OP crew for the next installation of the mentoring mini-series as they talk about supporting people in finding their fit and acknowledging contributions.

Mentoring, coaching, advising, role modeling, sponsorship--what's the big deal? Aren't they all kind of the same thing? Join the Owl Pellets team as we work through the difference, and value, of each different type of relationship in our personal and professional lives.

Being involved in agriculture connects kids to their communities. Rebecca Mott and John Tummons (University of Missouri) share how we can use youth livestock experiences to encourage deep reflection and growth toward independence.   Resources: https://bit.ly/41h9lYl

FFA is steeped in tradition. Join the conversation with Mike Martin (Iowa State University) to think about how we engage our chapters and communities over competition as we enact meaningful FFA programs. Mike shares how we can focus on the things that make sense to local members and adapt traditions to make them more meaningful.

A co-pilot mentoring relationship builds trust over time, allows both parties to guide the relationship, recognizes conditions will change, embraces communication as essential, and develops as a skill through guidance and commitment. The Owl Pellets team chats about what this means for us both as mentors and mentees.

Growing as an effective educator is a skill to practice, especially as we work to engage students. Tune in as we talk with Tre Easterly (University of Florida) about how to grow in our instructional clarity, variety, enthusiasm, task-oriented behaviors, and student opportunity.

Ag literacy is an important piece of helping individuals apply what they know about agriculture. Amelia Miller (Michigan Ag In the Classroom) and Brian Warnick (Utah State University) join the Owl Pellets crew to talk about the ways school-based ag ed can engage with younger grade levels, helping students who come into programs with little or no agricultural background, and supporting critical thinking through Ag Literacy. Resources:  https://agclassroom.org/affiliates/programs/ https://agclassroom.org/matrix/ https://www.agliteracy.org/research/assessment/

The encouragement to set boundaries is becoming the norm in agricultural education, but that doesn't mean the boundaries come easily. Mike and Brian get the chance to grill Becky and her teammates Haley Traini (Oregon State University) and Aaron McKim (Michigan State University) as they discuss what boundary challenges for teachers might mean for the Ag Ed profession.

Students who know their career path believe their employability skills are better developed, but what about those who aren't so sure? Jean Parrella (Virginia Tech) joins Becky and Mike to talk about cultivating employability skills in our programs through community participation and cross-disciplinary experiences. 

Career support means providing career guidance, skill development, and sponsorship while psychosocial support focuses on psychological and emotional support and role modeling. Tune in as the OP team talks about how many we can do this for well and how we cultivate other mentors.

Agricultural education classes incorporate a wide range of technical skills. Tune in as Jay Solomonson (Illinois State University) and Trent Wells (Murray State) share what technical skills we need to teach in plant science and how to grow in those skills.

Cooperating teachers want to be a helpful resource to student teachers. Heather Nesbitt (University of Florida) and Debra Barry (University of Florida) help the Owl Pellets team dig in on organizational best practices for mentoring and closing the gap between demonstration and reflection.    Resources -  EDIS Series: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/WC419 - Introduction https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/WC420 - Social Support https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/WC422 - Professional Support https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/WC423 - Role Modeling   Cooperating Teacher Website: https://www.ufcooperatingteacherssupport.com/

Cooperating teacher and student-teacher relationships are one of the most important elements of the student-teaching experience. Dr. Peyton Sweet Moore (Georgia), Bradley Coleman (Oklahoma State University), Heather Young (University of Florida), J.C. Bunch (University of Florida), and Carla Jagger (University of Florida) join the Owl Pellets crew to talk more about the importance of communicating and navigating expectations set up success for the coop/student-teacher relationship.