What am I looking for in a Cooperating Center???

Choosing a Cooperating Center is a major step along my journey to becoming an Agriculture Educator, and there is a lot of things to consider such as...

• Is location important? Or more importantly is the type of community and student demographic important? 
• What types of classes do I really want to teach? 
• Should I try to find a school with a large or small FFA?  

Being able to find a school that is a good fit for me is essential to making the most out of this experience, so taking the time to really think about what I need to excel is important.  

1. What kind of classes do I want to teach?

Agricultural Education includes a wide array of subjects ranging from agricultural mechanics to plant and animal sciences, and provides students with valuable technical and transferrable skills they can take with them after high school. My ideal cooperating center would allow me to gain experience teaching classes in subjects that I am currently less confident in such as ag mech, horticulture, vet science or forest. I want this experience to challenge me so that by the end I can feel more confident in my own classroom. Additionally, I would like to have an opportunity to teach some classes that I find fun such as animal or food science. Overall, I'm ready to be able to learn alongside my students while we discover the opportunities the agricultural industry holds. 

1. Do I want a strong FFA program?

An essential component of the three circle model of agricultural education is leadership development which is often associated with FFA. FFA plays a vital role in helping students to prepare for success, and I would like to find a cooperating center that strongly values this aspect of learning. While I did come from a high school with a fairly active FFA program, I wasn't as involved as I could have been and I would like to learn more about CDE's and LDE's by participating in them with my students. 

4. Is SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experience) important?

Yessss! Each student not only having an SAE, but one that helps to motivate them is something that I want in my own future program, so having the opportunity to work with a teacher that also strives for this would be very helpful. Additionally, gaining practice with The AET, or Agricultural Experience Tracker, which is a great tool used to track student's progress on their SAE, would be nice. 

3. Anything Else???

Some additional attributes I would like to see in my cooperating center include the incorporation of new technology, as well as a welcoming and inclusive classroom culture. The agricultural industry is constantly changing and evolving, so preparing students to be able to utilize technology for their benefit is essential. Likewise, teaching students how to work well with others, especially those that are different from themselves is an essential tool for them to have as they move forward in life. I would love to learn how to manage my classroom in a way that allows all students to grow and learn. 

To wrap it up, a variety of classes, a strong FFA and SAE program and and innovative and inclusive classroom environment are a few of the components I am looking for in a cooperating center. Finding a school with all of these may be difficult, however it will allow me to get the most out of my student teaching experience. 

Question: For any current teachers, what was on your list for a cooperating center? Also, what do you wish you would have added (or dropped) from your list?