Brand Story
26 Sep 2022, 22:45 GMT+10
The National FFA Organization works to strengthen science and agricultural educational opportunities for students across the country. The Texas FFA Association and Texas FFA Foundation are the largest state organizations in the country.
On this episode of the Growing Our Future Podcast, Aaron Alejandro introduces Ray Pieniazek, Executive Director of the Agriculture Teachers Association of Texas, an organization devoted to supporting teachers through professional development opportunities, mentorship, and legal guidance. Drawing on his decades of experience with agricultural education, Pieniazek gives listeners a rare look at the demanding and rewarding reality of ag teachers across the country.
Ray Pieniazek, Executive Director of the Agricultural Teachers Association of Texas (ATAT), knows first hand how busy the life of an agricultural educator can be. In addition to teaching as many as 6-7 different classes in one day, ag teachers have the responsibility of managing their specialized learning spaces-from maintaining animal and plant facilities to purchasing supplies and equipment for welding and woodworking. 'There's a lot more moving parts,' Pieniazek says. He recalls bringing a cow to school so students could practice palpation, and remembers another educator using chalk to draw skeletal structures on an actual horse.
Furthermore, an agricultural educator's job continues after the end of the school day. 'Their second day starts when the bell rings,' Pieniazek says. After school, perhaps during FFA meetings/events or Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs), teachers are able to build relationships with students that provide that 'extra oomph'--in other words, the 'competitive edge' that ag education gives students.
The state of Texas offers six programs of study under the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources career cluster: Agribusiness, Animal Science, Plant Science, Applied Agricultural Engineering, Food Science, and Environmental Science. Within each program of study, there are 5-7 courses. The range of offerings means that agricultural educators must be well-versed in everything from floral design to swine to agricultural metal structures. Furthermore, Alejandro points out, teachers must keep up with 'growing populations, urban sprawl, pests, wildlife, and more to be able to share the most contemporary information with students.' As part of its professional development programming, the ATAT offers an annual conference offering everything from 'pesticide certification to tours of a hatchery.'
The many facets of the job can be daunting, Pieniazek says, which is why the ATAT's mentorship program, an initiative that pairs retired agricultural educators with new teachers, has been so successful. 'We're able to pay retired ag teachers to go into schools and get with first or second year ag teachers to provide that mental and moral support as they navigate their way through a school system', Pieniazek says.
Alejandro and Pieniazek agree that investing in agricultural educators creates more opportunities for participating students. 'We know that in the state of Texas these students graduate at a higher rate than their peers. They go to college at a higher rate than their peers. They finish college at a higher rate than their peers,' Alejandro says.
Pieniazek points out that while agriculture science education produces great leaders in the agricultural sector, its reach goes far beyond. The 'soft skills' learned in the ag science classroom and in FFA, such as public speaking, leadership strategies, and collaboration, prepare students to become doctors, lawyers, and accountants as well. 'We are preparing them for those situations where they're going to make a difference in the lives of someone else,' Pieniazek says.Listen to the full episode with host Aaron Alejandro and Ray Pieniazek here.
In this podcast, the host covers:
About the Podcast Host and Guest
The Texas FFA Foundation's purpose is to strengthen agricultural education and the Texas FFA program, so each student can develop their potential for personal growth, career success and leadership in a global marketplace..
Learn more about the Texas FFA Foundation at mytexasffa.org.
Learn more about the Agricultural Teachers Association of Texas at TexasTeachers.org
Learn more about Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources at: https://www.txcte.org/resource/agriculture-food-and-natural-resources-career-cluster
Media Communications
Inquiries: [email protected]
Media contact and published by KISS PR [email protected]
This content is published on behalf of the above source. Please contact them directly for any concern related to the above.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies (including product offerings, regulatory plans and business plans) and may change without notice. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.
Get a daily dose of Raleigh Times news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Raleigh Times.
More InformationSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico: As the global trade war deepens, Puerto Rico is seizing the moment to lure international companies to relocate...
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana: Eli Lilly's obesity drug Zepbound led to nearly 50 percent more weight loss than Novo Nordisk's Wegovy in the...
SHENZHEN, China: China's passenger car sales climbed for the third consecutive month in April, increasing 14.8 percent from a year...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks were bought up on the Nasdaq Composite and Standard and Poor's 500 while the Dow Jones industrial...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. worker productivity fell in the first quarter of the year for the first time in nearly three years, leading...
TAIPEI, Taiwan: Taiwan's China Airlines has placed an order for 14 Boeing 777X wide-body aircraft, consisting of 10 777-9 passenger...
MOUNTAIN VIEW, California: Google will pay US$1.4 billion to settle allegations that it unlawfully collected user data in Texas without...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The number of measles cases in the U.S. has gone over 1,000 for the first time in five years, according to federal...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America,...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: This week, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a 20 percent cut in the number of four-star generals and admirals,...
RALEIGH, N.C. (CN) - The disputed North Carolina Supreme Court associate justice seat was filled at last Tuesday morning, after over...
Western North Carolina -- Even after decades of federal service, many retired U.S. Army Corps of Engineers professionals find the call...