Guest Blogger Series: In-Class Success from Out-of-Class Connections!

Editor's Note:This blog is part of a series of guest contributors from the national school-based agricultural education family. Ms. Annette Weeks is in her 17th year of teaching agriculture, 4 years were spent in Southeastern Idaho and 13 years in the Battle Ground School District in Southwest Washington. Annette, her husband and three children live in Vancouver, WA and enjoy being active in the community by supporting the local high school sporting teams and activities. For 12 of the past 13 years, Annette and Kevin have been able to teach in the same high school, this year Annette moved high schools.

"As long as students know that you actually care about them personally and about their education personally, you can do anything." ~George Lucas

When I was in school getting ready for the classroom I just knew I was going to make a difference in some child's life! Okay, I hoped I would make a difference in someones life. Or better yet I was worried that I wouldn't make any difference at all....

Here is what I have discovered about working with students, they don't believe that you care about them until you create a relationship with them.

"Positive teacher-student relationships — evidenced by teachers' reports of low conflict, a  high degree of closeness and support, and little dependency — have been shown to support students' adjustment to school, contribute to their social skills, promote academic  performance and foster students' resiliency in academic performance (Battistich, Schaps, &  Wilson, 2004; Birch & Ladd, 1997; Curby, Rimm-Kaufman, & Ponitz, 2009; Ewing & Taylor, 2009; Hamre & Pianta, 2001; Rudasill, Reio, Stipanovic, & Taylor, 2010).

FFA Members:

So, what can you do to create these relationships? Well, one of the easy ways is to connect with your students through the FFA. The Advisor/FFA Member relationship runs strong and can hold up a student through thick and thin. The students will come back to you time and time again reminiscing about their time in the FFA, sometimes it will include something from class, but more-often-than-not the lasting memory will be of something zany that went on in the FFA.

Sporting Events:

What about those students who just aren't interested in the FFA? Does that happen? You bet it does - I have spent the last 13 years teaching in a large, multi-teacher program. My FFA numbers did not represent what it should have for that many teachers. However, I have some strong ties to the students, their families and the community. Why, how does that happen? My husband, my family and I attend a great deal of the sporting events and other activities that take place at the school. We traveled with the Girls' and Boys' Basketball teams last year as they made their run for the Washington State Tournament. When they lost, we hurt with them. The next morning I was able to discuss with the students what we saw take place on the court, how silly the refs were or how great the dance team was during half team. These common experiences create a basis for conversation with your students that you might miss out on if you don't attend at least some extra-curricular events.

Dances:

Chaperoning dances is a time for students
to see you outside of the classroom.

What else can you do to create a relationship with students? Well...there is always chaperoning dances. My husband and I were the "Dance Managers" for the high school for five years. This means we attended EVERY dance for that five year period. Let me tell you, I really got to know a different cross-section of the student body. It wasn't just my students who were there, it was a quarter of the school (our student population was 2,200 some years). This created ties to kids who recognize me in the stores or in the community. These are the relationships that are important outside of our subject matter - maybe more important. The reason? We are meeting the students where they live and in their own interests.

Attending events, such as weddings,
show you have an interest
in the students beyond the school doors.
It also allows them to introduce
you to the people most important to them.

Community Events:

Finally, don't be afraid to attend community events. Honestly the times where I grew closest to the student body, especially my students, was during funerals and weddings. (there was a period where we had 1-2 suicides every school year) This shows your human side. The students see you have the ability to mourn with them and that you really do care about their lives. Don't be afraid to cry with them, it is not a weakness, it shows a great deal of strength and these fragile young people need to see solid examples of getting through the tough times. My greatest joy is the weddings and the babies - enjoy them! They are the next generation of our programs, look forward to the promise they hold. Don't be afraid to express this joy with your students and their community.

I know you are all thinking, where will the time come from. Choose the activities wisely. Begin by asking your students what they are involved in and make sure to see one event for each that is represented in your program. This is just a place to begin. Your time will loosen up, it gets easier, really it does. You really never know which student your presence will mean the world to.

"To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world." ~Dr. Seuss

Submitted by:
Annette Weeks, NBCT
@weekanne
Agriculture Teacher
FFA Advisor
Prairie High School
Battle Ground, WA
weeks.annette@battlegroundps.org