What makes teaching ag great?

We asked agriculture educators from across the state what makes their career awesome.

Skills Succeed

"Teaching agricultural education plain and simple is rewarding. What I love the most is seeing students develop and grow as they learn new skills and gain confidence in their abilities. Watching students progress from knowing little to nothing about a particular trade or agricultural concept to being able to perform complex tasks with ease is incredibly rewarding. It makes all the hard work and dedication of being a teacher worthwhile. In the agricultural classroom, students gain skills needed to succeed in life and years down the road, they will be thinking of their time with you in Ag Class when performing those tasks probably with a smile on their face. ”

Rylyn Small, Agriculture Instructor, East Prairie

Essential to Life

"We have the chance to teach kids every day about the industry that is essential to life! We may be learning about animals or plants, understanding a budget, building a trailer, finishing up a resume or interview, competing in an event, or somewhere in between, but each student is going to be better off with these experiences, no matter what they do as they become an adult in our society, which is pretty exciting! ”

Jon Kirchhoff, Agriculture Instructor, Sherwood

Never Having The Same Day

"Being an ag teacher means I never have the same day twice. One day I am the teacher, the next I find myself being a student- improving on my skills for my students. My classroom transforms into a lab, animal rehabilitation center, meeting room, modified greenhouse, or simply a space to gather in fellowship and recognition. Even after 10 years in this profession, I have never taught the same lesson the same way. ”

Jessica Aeschliman, Agriculture Instructor, Savannah

Hard Work Pays Off

"What makes teaching ag great is being able to see the hard work of your teaching pay off in your students' successes.”

Hannah Fritsche-Donze, Agriculture Instructor, Ste. Genevieve

Make Connections Between What is Taught & the Real World

"What makes ag teaching so great is it provides the opportunity to do so much! Students get to learn about a much wider variety of topics than in a traditional classroom, and they get to make the connections between what they have been taught and how it applies in the real world. Ag teachers get to make things relatable to their students on a daily basis and the learning never stops.”

Dean Reichel, Agriculture Instructor, New Bloomfield

New Challenges, New Events, and New Relationships

"What makes teaching ag great is that everyday is exciting and new. There is no daily grind that you slog through. Everyday and every year there are new challenges, new events, and new relationships to build. Every new group of students bring their own personalities, perspectives, and goals. Helping them chase down those goals is challenging, but also very exciting. There is nothing more rewarding than when you get to watch them achieve those goals.”

Joey Stokes, Agriculture Instructor, Buffalo

Experiencing Student Growth

"Experiencing student growth is what makes teaching ag great! I love seeing the look on my students' faces when they accomplish something that they never thought they could do. I also enjoy watching them grow and learn, the moment that an idea or concept clicks is a magical moment to witness. Some of the greatest joys of being an ag teacher have happened while traveling with students. To have the opportunity to watch them experience something for the first time, such as flying on a plane, putting their feet in the ocean, or touring the White House, are moments I have been blessed to be a part of. Watching students grow personally and professionally is what makes teaching ag great!”

Jackie Carlson, Agriculture Instructor, Jefferson C-123 School

Mold Learners into Productive Citizens

"Being able to provide opportunities for students to explore career options, leadership training, and fun events to mold learners into productive citizens and leaders in their communities is why I love teaching ag.”

Kendra Smith, Agriculture Instructor, Mexico

Network of Friends and Colleagues

"What makes teaching Ag great? It is something different every day! You will also create an unbelievable network of friends and colleagues that give nothing but amazing support. You are teaching & preparing young adults for the greatest and most virtual industry in the world.”

Zach Crews, Agriculture Instructor, Slater

Make a Difference in the Lives of Students

"I teach ag to make a difference in the lives of students. As a kid, my brothers and I were greatly impacted by Ag Ed/FFA. I feel like this is my way of giving back to Ag Ed. I have learned to live by the following quote because of FFA: “You can get everything you want in life if you just help enough other people get what they want.”

Jarred Sayre, Agriculture Instructor, Milan

Impactful

"No other profession do you get to know your students at such an impactful level and provide an education, not only in agriculture, but also in life lessons.”

Erica Hart, Agriculture Instructor, Kearney

Prepare Our Next Generation

"Teaching ag allows me to stay involved in the agriculture industry and prepare our next generation of students to feed the world.”

Roger Smith, Agriculture Instructor, Naylor

Contributing Members of Society

"It’s an honor and privilege to be a part of Ag Education in Missouri. To see students grow into contributing members of society due to their experiences within Ag Ed is very rewarding. I’m truly blessed to be a part of such a great profession.”

Matt McCrory, Agriculture Instructor, Troy

Give Students the Knowledge and Skills

"Teaching agriculture is so rewarding. Each day is different. You have the opportunity to give students the knowledge and skills they need to become successful adults. The best part of being an ag teacher…the kids!”

Jennifer Thogmartin, Agriculture Instructor, Neosho

Serve the Industry I Love

"I teach Ag to serve the industry that I love. From the earliest time I can remember agriculture has been my passion. After spending more than 15 years working in the agriculture industry I took the opportunity to share that passion with young people by teaching agriculture at State Fair Community College. I have been doing this for 8 years and I have never regretted my decision to become an agriculture teacher. I stay connected to the industry that is so important to me, I get to guide young people as they pursue their career goals, and I get to strengthen American Agriculture by sending passionate, prepared employees into the workforce. This career encompasses all those things that are most important to me and is truly rewarding. "

Brad Driskill, Agriculture Program Coordinator, State Fair Community College

Best Job Ever

"Best. Job. Ever. Name any other job where you can work every day with all segments of your community to improve their lives and their future, and the future of the industry you love? Name any other job where every day is unique, every student is full of endless possibilities, and every year holds more lifelong memories and relationships? I cannot imagine any occupation being more rewarding than being an Ag Teacher. "

Bruce Fowler, Farm Business Management Analysis Specialist, University of Missouri

Merging Agriculture and Working with People

"Teaching Ag has been very rewarding for me over the years at both the high school and university levels. It allows me to merge the two areas I truly enjoy and respect – Agriculture and Working with People. It is awesome and humbling to see students making a difference in agriculture and their communities while knowing that you played a role in their lives. "

Jon C. Simonsen, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Ag Education & Leadership, University of Missouri

Knowledge that Sticks

"The thing that makes teaching ag great is that I get the opportunity every day to make a connection with my students and then use that connection to teach them USEFUL, IMPACTFUL, and RELEVANT information that will stick with them for the rest of their lives. Whether my student becomes a Vet or works at a gas station, my hope is that they will have learned to do something in my program that helps them earn a living and serve their families and communities in a useful, impactful, and relevant way."

Shiloh Walden, Agriculture Instructor, Willow Springs

Variety & Diversity

"To me one of the best parts of Teaching Ag is the variety and diversity that it provides. Over the course of one day, you can go from planting flowers in the greenhouse, to teaching public speaking to working on engines in the shop and then show up the next day and judge livestock, help kids learn the importance of parliamentary procedure and then teach kids how to weld. It is ever changing, never boring, hands on and allows you to have fun while helping to make a positive impact in the lives of your students and community."

Brent Niemeyer, Agriculture Instructor, Sweet Springs

Seeing a Young Person Succeed

"Early in my teaching career, I left the profession and worked in a variety of other ag related positions. What brought me back to teaching was the relationships with students, the variety (no two days are ever the same), and the feeling of satisfaction that comes with seeing a young person succeed in some way, knowing that I had played a role in that success. I'm almost twenty years into my teaching career now, and I can't imagine doing anything else!”

Travis Kramme, Agriculture Instructor, Sullivan

Giving Back

"My Ag teacher, Mr. Robert Norton, encouraged me as an FFA member. I wanted to do something to give back to the organization that meant so much to me as a student FFA member. I teach ag because it is a part of me."

Johnny Viebrock, Agriculture Instructor, Smithville

Sharing Passion

"I love agriculture and FFA. What other occupation could I go into to share my passion and make an impact on the future? What I didn't realize is I would be getting a wonderful, caring, and tight-knit family. Teaching Ag in Missouri has the benefit of 500+ of your family members sharing information, helping your students, and being there to celebrate the victories and to support you in the hard times."

Marie Davis, Missouri FFA Executive Treasurer & DESE Northeast District Supervisor

Useful Knowledge

"Every day is a new day when teaching ag! I love sharing my passion of agriculture with students and watching them accomplish their goals through FFA. Agriculture and FFA are useful to every student no matter where the future may take them! I love knowing what I teach is useful to everyone!"

Renee Baird, Agriculture Instructor, Farmington

Diversity of Agriculture

"I tell my students, “Everything can be linked to agriculture.” Agriculture is so broad and diverse that being able to teach it to students and community members opens doors for no only them but me. No one knows everything here on earth so be open to learn new things and agriculture is an awesome way to accomplish that!"

Alissa Swindell, Agriculture Instructor, Delta

Fun, Challenging, and Rewarding Career

“I am an agriculture teacher by choice and not by chance.” The first sentence of the Agriculture Teacher’s Creed describes my choice to serve students as an agriculture teacher. Teaching agriculture is a fun, challenging, and rewarding career. If you have a passion for agriculture and like to work with people, then we need you as an agriculture teacher."

John Tummons, Ph.D., Ag Education & Leadership, University of Missouri

Ag Ed Family

"I teach Ag Ed because I would go absolutely crazy if I had a job where I had to sit down for 8 hours a day, I love being able to do so many different things; teach, do SAE visits, FFA event, train teams ect. It is absolutely the greatest job in the world and I would not trade this career and being part of the AG ED family for anything!"

Josh Bondy, Agriculture Instructor, Paris

Motivate Leaders

"The reason you teach ag is to teach the next generation about the future of our food supply. You also have to achieve the passion to motivate kids to become leaders. We teach ag because it is the one program that will affect every student every time in their lives one way or another. It's the best industry to be involved with."

Gary Reichel, Agriculture Instructor, California

Cultivate Agriculture Students

"Are you interested in cultivating and growing the next generation of agriculturalists and leaders? – If so, you can accomplish this by becoming a teacher of agriculture.  As an agriculture educator, you will mold, lead, and create an environment where students will grow and accomplish their goals as individuals and members of a team.  Just as a gardener cultivates the soil and plants to produce food, you will cultivate the students to become farmers, business owners, salesmen, and many other careers in agriculture.  Consider a career in Agriculture Education."

Keith Dietzschold, Missouri State FFA Advisor and Director of Ag Education

Life Lessons

"I love teaching agriculture! Every class is different and allows me to teach a variety of subject matter. If we don't educate the future and show agriculture in a positive light, who will? One of my favorite things about teaching is seeing students succeed — not just in FFA, but in the classroom as well. That includes building a project, learning to weld, seeing their seeds germinating, building a glucose molecule and understanding the structure behind photosynthesis, and so much more. The classroom for agriculture isn't just the four walls — it takes the shop, greenhouse, farm, animals, jobs, CDE/LDE, and the lessons learned are so applicable to life and carry with them forever."

Tiffany Kauffman, Agriculture Instructor, Nixa

Spread the Passion

"I teach ag because it allows me to spread the passion that I have for the industry. It allows me to work with the best of the best students and watch them excel and attain goals they never realized they were capable of before agricultural education. I get to be a part of feeding the world, developing leaders, and speaking up as an advocate for the greatest vocation on Earth."

Angel Roller, Agriculture Instructor, Seneca R–7

Make an Impact

"Teaching agriculture is more than just a job, it is a career which provides you with the opportunity to make an impact in the lives of many people. Whether it is in the classroom, on a SAE visit, or attending a conference with students, they are always learning and you are being given the opportunity to teach them. Teaching agriculture allows you to educate students on agriculture, develop soft skills for future careers, help them become educated consumers, and prepare them for the future. The agricultural education profession is an organization and career where you can always pick up the phone or send an e-mail and ask another teacher for help. It is a family of career professionals who work together to create outstanding students and professionals for the future."

Deanna Schnuck, Agriculture Instructor, Boonslick Tech Ed Center

Shaping the Future

"Teaching agriculture is an excellent way to see new opportunities open up to our students. We are a part of shaping their future. We use hands on learning for students to assist them with future career goals in and out of agriculture. We educate students to be future ag experts in their chosen career after high school."

Darren Farmer, Agriculture Instructor, Polo

Develop Leaders of Tomorrow

"Agriculture instructors develop leaders of tomorrow and expose our students to new careers and paths in the field of agriculture. Our goal is to provide the ingredients to promote personal growth, leadership, and career success."

Jay Hale, Agriculture Instructor, West Plains

New Opportunities

"Why teach ag: because every day is a new day, with new opportunities and experiences."

Sarah Peterson, Agriculture Instructor, Mansfield

Learn Together

"I was drawn to teaching because of agriculture. Being able to share my passion for the industry and the FFA with my students has become a major motivator for me to continue to become a better teacher. I may never know the full impact that I make on my students, but I know that it is a give and take relationship, and that I learn as much from them as they do from me."

Duane Melton, Agriculture Instructor, Republic

Encourage Students

"Teach Ag Ed to make a difference in your community and encourage students to make a difference in each other’s lives."

Angie Hamlin, Agriculture Instructor, Highland

New & Exciting

"Every day is new and exciting."

James McCormack, Agriculture Instructor, Jackson

Intrigue Their Minds

"I love learning and teaching about new, innovative agriculture practices for students to intrigue their minds. Creating tightly bonded relationships with students that last a lifetime makes my heart happy. I just don’t teach agriculture, I teach/talk to students about choices, relationships, moral responsibilities, and their character. You can’t help but smile when moments pop into your mind of students that hold a special place in your heart."

Heather Johnson, Agriculture Instructor, Salem

Positive Impact for the Future

"Every single day, you have an opportunity to positively impact young men and women for their future."

Jason Dieckhoff, Agriculture Instructor, Cass Career Center

Wide Range of Experiences

"I had the good fortune to have taught ag at the high school, community college, and ag teacher education levels and at the university level. I also spent time in state administration, local administration, and as President of a two year technical college. Each of those experiences resulted in a very rewarding career for me. Much of what I learned as an ag teacher prepared me for the success I had in the other areas of my professional career. Teaching ag provided a wide range of experiences that helped prepare me to work with business and industry as well as in educational administration. The one thing I liked most about teaching high school ag was that there was a place for the special needs students as well as the straight A student."

Dr. Don Claycomb, Former President- State Technical College of Missouri, Linn, Current member of the State Board of Education

No Career Choice More Worthwhile

"Of the 300+ careers in agriculture there is no career choice more worthwhile and rewarding than being an agriculture teacher. Agriculture teachers provide students with opportunities the students need to grow their passion for agriculture into a successful career in our nations #1 industry, Agriculture. In addition to teaching applied sciences, agriculture teachers provide their students with the development of technical and employability skills. Spending your days helping students achieve success in career exploration and career preparation activities at multiple levels give agriculture teachers a great sense of accomplishment."

Leon Busdieker, Past Missouri State FFA Advisor and Director of Ag Education

Missouri's Teach Ag Campaign made possible by:

Missouri Retired
Ag Teachers Association

and National Teach Ag Campaign sponsor

a project of