Kristen Vingoe

September 13th, 2017

Philosophy of Agricultural Education

My Philosophy of Agricultural Education

Growing up in the middle of Houston, Texas, agricultural education was not an area that I

ever imagined myself becoming immensely involved in as a young student. I was completely

wrong, however, because I knew the moment that I became fully involved in the FFA program as

an 8th grader in middle school, that I was embarking on a journey that would lead me to find my

strongest passion, which I would be extremely willing to pursue. I believe Agricultural

Education is a subject that seems small, to anyone that hasnt been involved in it. I have found

that others find it difficult to grasp just how important agriculture truly is in our local

communities, states, country, and in other countries in our world. According to the USDAs

Economic Research Service, agriculture and its related industries provide about 11 percent of

U.S. employment. This means that, as a WHOLE, the entire scope of agriculture is providing

more than 10% of the United States employees with a job! There are other industries that are

huge, like science, or mathematics, which are also subjects taught throughout education, but

agriculture is so unique, with it truly being our nations backbone. This evidence proves to me

that agriculture education, can, and will prove to be important now and even more in the coming

years. This inspires me to teach to my fullest capabilities, so that my students will also have an

interest when it comes to a career in agriculture.

Throughout my post-secondary educational career, where I am in agriculture

science/education courses, we have learned about the Three-Circle Model, which is a model

that exhibits the three most vital components of a successful, school based agricultural education
program. As a student in agriculture science in high school, this model was presented to me on

multiple occasions, but it never truly settled in my mind how important, useful, and literal it is in

our agricultural programs. The three components, Classroom/Laboratory Instruction, Supervised

Agriculture Experience projects (SAEs), and the FFA program, define each and every agriculture

science program, regardless of which area receives the most, or least attention. As mentioned in

class, a program can focus primarily on SAEs, while focusing less on classroom and laboratory

instruction, and less on the FFA program, or you can have a program that focuses equally on

both classroom/laboratory instruction, and the FFA program, but less on SAEs projects, and the

greatest part about this, is that this is completely acceptable! All agricultural science programs

are led by instructors differently, or are provided resources that can help in one area more than

the other, or that have members or families that show more interest to any of these components.

As an agricultural science teacher, I can customize this to meet the needs of my future students,

families, school, and communities, by examining the Three Circle Model and applying it to my

program.

When it comes to the classroom and laboratory instruction component, I personally feel

that this bubble deserves a great amount of attention and recognition! Ag. advisors may feel

most needed in separate or distinct areas in their chapter program, but the truth is, they are

teachers before anything else. I feel that as an agricultural science teacher, I want to teach to the

best of my abilities, so that I am able to equip each and every one of my students with the

opportunities, lessons, and resources they will need to be successful, in whichever area they

choose. In other instances, classroom/laboratory instruction can also be connected to the terms,

rigor and inquiry-based. When students work and learn rigorously in my classes, I will know

that I am working rigorously as an instructor, and that I am on the right track with my students.
In my AGSC 384 class last semester, we had a guest speaker, Mr. Don Henson, and Mr. Henson

explained to us, that an agricultural science program cannot and will not be successful if there is

no serious dedication given in the classroom, both on my behalf as a teacher, and my students

behalves. In order to set the stage, or create the environment for my FFA program, and my

students with SAE projects, I need to first start in the classroom by setting the bar high, giving

them the knowledge they need to apply to their FFA and SAE activities, and by motivating each

of my students in their assignments, competitions, and projects. I feel that in my time as a

student, I should have retained or focused more during classroom/laboratory instruction time, but

thinking back on it, my mind was more focused on my SAE projects or FFA events, which is

why one of the first changes I will make to my goals and mindset when I become a teacher is to

put serious effort into the classroom and lessons.

SAEs are one of the most widely-known and noticed aspects of agricultural education

programs everywhere. When looking at the SAEs component in the Three Circle Model, SAEs

also can be aligned closely with the terms relevance and implementation, which I feel is a

perfect characterization of everything SAE projects represent. SAE projects can range from any

type of livestock animal project, to an internship or paid position in an agricultural career, or

research projects. Relevance comes into play when a student applies what they have learned in

the classroom, to their projects, and finds that what they have been learning and taught, is

relevant to themselves and the success of their SAE project. When I look back at my own

experiences with SAEs, I have discovered that absolutely every animal project proved to be

relevant, not only relevant in my own learnings with agriculture, but relevant with what I have

learned in my ag. classes, and what I will teach as an ag. science instructor. I feel that SAEs are a

hugely instrumental part of a successful agricultural science program, but should not be so
focused upon that the other components are overlooked. There is an educational system, known

as Sloyd, and one of its defining principles is that, projects should be practical and build the

relationship between the home and school. SAEs are a perfect example of how projects can be

practical, such as building a piece of machinery that would be useful to a farmer, or raising a

steer that will become beneficial to a consumer. There is a significant tie between SAEs and our

last component, FFA, by projects and events being a building block between students and

families, but also their schools and communities.

The FFA organization is the last component of the Three Circle Model, and in my

opinion, is one that is so crucial and necessary, in order to tie the other two components in to

establish an amazing ag. science program. The FFA program component can be closely related to

the terms relationship and engagement. FFA members build relationships with their fellow

members, their FFA advisors, their school teachers and administrators, their families and other

families, and lastly, their community, all because of the FFA program. They work feverishly to

engage themselves in every aspect that they possibly can by promoting and standing for the FFA

values and mission. FFA can offer so many students priceless opportunities, such as leadership

conferences, or the chance to gain success in competitions like Leadership Development Events

(LDEs) and Career Development Events (CDEs). When it comes to being the advisor of an FFA

program, I will be teaching my members how to lead, work together as a team, and achieve

accomplishments, and I think that these activities are only fueled by adding together all the three

components of the Three Circle Model, like a perfect math formula! The FFA program

nationally consists of 649,355 members in the United States, the US Virgin Islands, and Puerto

Rico, and this alone shows how significant of an organization this is, not only to agricultural

education, but for the success of our young leaders as a whole in this world. My own experiences
with FFA caused my whole mindset of myself as a leader to grow, by being involved in as many

LDE and CDE competitions as possible, attending as many state and national conventions as I

could, and by being given the chance to attend a leadership conference like the Washington

Leadership Conference, in D.C., and I am forever grateful that the FFA afforded me these

chances, so I can only return the favor, by one day affording these chances to other young

students.

The Three Circle Model is a model that we, as young agricultural educators, should focus

primarily on when we become agricultural science advisors, not just to ensure that we are giving

our attention to each of the components as much as we should, but so that we can delegate and

decide which areas are most important to the chapter as a whole, but also which areas can do the

most success in the lives of our students. In my ideal agricultural science program, I would put

the most emphasis on classroom and laboratory instruction, so that I can pave the road for what

routines and standards I set for my students in our FFA chapter and in their own SAE projects,

and so that I can apply and witness rigor in this area, and proceed to watch my students build

relationships within the FFA, and apply their learnings to their SAE projects so that they can see

the relevancy behind what they have experienced and learned. As a future agricultural educator,

my experiences have taught me that I will need to examine each and every student individually,

and apply what I know about the FFA program, SAE projects, and classroom instruction, so that

they can succeed in each and every area. I will use what I have learned from my own high school

agricultural experience, as well as my college agricultural education learnings, to help inspire my

students to succeed in whichever area they choose, and wherever they desire to go. I cannot wait

to see my students attain success, and I hope that seeing this success will also bring me the
satisfaction that I have helped them, just as my agricultural science teachers and professors

helped me get to where I will be.

Ag and Food Sectors and the Economy. www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-

statistics-charting-the-essentials/ag-and-food-sectors-and-the-economy.aspx.

Statistics. www.ffa.org/about/what-is-ffa/statistics.