Student Teaching Week 11: Banquet Week

Mr. Kessler and his retiring senior officers.

Woahhh... What a week! This past thursday night I helped Mifflinburg FFA put on their 87th annual banquet. It was a roller coaster of a week in preparation for the event but it was so worth it. Ms. Spurrier was out sick and we still had over 100 flower arrangements to complete. Thank God for Ms. Zimmerman. She was a woman on a mission. No one wanted Mr. Kessler and I arranging their flowers. This was one of the larger obstacles we needed to hurdle, but in the end everything truly turned out great. The level of pride this community brings to the agriculture education program is truly inspiring. 335 past, current, and future members were in attendance along with administrators and community contributors.


This week really showed me how close knit the agricultural community is, especially here in Mifflinburg. On Monday night we had our advisory committee meeting. These community members truly support agricultural education. A Lot of them were FFA members and are now agricultural leaders of the area. As Mr. Kessler would say, "This is a group of movers and shakers." The advisory committee dedicates their time to combat in favor of the program in many different ways. That may be negotiating with companies for educational equipment, donating tools to the program, or contacting administration for change. This is such a unique support system that other teachers do not receive.

Mifflinburg FFA's Retiring Officer Team.

This was a great week for the whole community. The agricultural education team here at Mifflinburg has done a great job keeping the community involved, whether it be through the chicken BBQ, the fair, the Cider sale, the advisory committee, or the annual banquet. It is so important that we make and keep those relationships with people outside of the school. The more people we have supporting the program, the more opportunities our students will have. Creating the environment where everyone is welcome and wanted is key.

The New Mifflinburg FFA Officer Team.

Mr. Kessler has stressed the importance of having the community behind your program throughout this experience and I have now seen it first hand. Ag teachers are not ordinary, you must be able to coordinate everything while staying composed. As Mr. Kessler said, "Ag teachers are like ducks." "They are calm above the water and paddling like Hell under the water." My goal for the rest of student teaching is to absorb as much knowledge in community involvement as possible.