Real FFA Week Planning Tips (You Don’t Have to Reinvent the Wheel!)

FFA week is quickly approaching (it’s Feb 21-28, 2026 FYI!) and one of my favorite strategies to use when planning FFA week is grabbing the National Chapter Quality Standards.

I am not saying that you need to hit all 15 quality standards or even do a National Chapter application. I just like using the examples and ideas to get my officer team’s brainstorm moving. Most likely you already spent some time with your officers planning your Program of Activities (POA). That is great, you have a foundation that you can build your FFA week activities onto. 

Here are some gentle reminders for you as you plan FFA week

• You don’t have to have an event everyday of the week

• You don’t have to do everything the “old” advisor did

• You don’t have to say yes to every idea your chapter officers come up with

• You don’t have to do a dress-up week 

• You don’t have to do what other chapters do

• You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every year, you can repeat activities!

The great thing about being a FFA chapter is you get to make the decisions that best suit YOUR chapter, YOUR officers and YOUR community. There is no “best FFA week award.” If you go back to the purpose of FFA week it is a time to celebrate agricultural education, leadership and community involvement while honoring long-standing traditions and embracing new ones.

Let’s try and take the pressure that we put on ourselves off and have a great week that is sustainable, fun and student led. 

The first thing we gotta tackle is deciding on your activities. This might be the hardest part for you and your students. 

If you have students (or yourself) that don't like staring at a blank document and trying to come up with something brand new all on your own, using ideas from other chapters is a great place to start. 

And good news I took some time to research some past National Chapter Model of Excellence and Premier Chapter ideas to get your ideas popping. As you look at these ideas you can take them and copy/paste them into your chapter or you can take them as inspiration to create something new in your chapter. 

*Reminder: You don’t have to do all new activities. Aim for sustainability this year. If you think you can only handle 3 activities during the week and only one new one. Do that!

National FFA Implementation Guide

Before we get into some FFA week ideas for you, the most important thing to know is that National FFA has your back! For FFA week they have provided a new implementation guide to help you get started on your FFA week planning and execution. 

This implementation guide has everything from example event ideas, templates for emails/certificates, lesson ideas and more. You can find that implementation guide here. 

Here are some of our favorite resources they provided this year:

• News Release Template & Congressional Letter

I will be honest, one of the first things that I will forget to do is share news with stakeholders of our FFA chapter. I am great at getting the students, families and administration up to date, but legislatures and the general public tend to go to the wayside when my plate is full.

These simple templates can be edited and sent out in just a few minutes by you or your reporter. Remember, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel! Find the templates on page 38. 

• Engagement Ideas

This is a loooooong list of engagement ideas to use during FFA week with your school, members, school staff, service organizations, and even fundraisers. Check it out on Page 9-10. 

• AgEd Academy

If you are looking for something that might work as a sub plan, try out the AgEd Academy. These are online learning modules that students can self-pace through to learn more about AgEd, FFA and managing a chapter. You can find the Academy right here. 

Ideas to Spice Up FFA Week

Growing Leaders

• Leadership: Tech with Teens (McClain FFA, Ohio)

This FFA chapter connected with the local senior center to provide technology lessons to seniors. What a great way to use our students technology skills to better the community. 

• Healthy Lifestyles: Digital Detox Day (Hanford FFA, CA)

Instead of doing a typical dress-up day during FFA week, maybe try to do an action based week. I absolutely loved this idea of a Digital Detox Day. Students in the Hanford FFA Chapter turned in their cell phones at the beginning of the day so they could focus on being present in the school day. 

• Career Success: The Great American Teach-In (Bok Academy Middle FFA, FL)

This chapter did a spin on a traditional career panel with over 20 speakers that engaged with 500 students. They even provided a breakfast for the speakers with their FFA Alumni chapter. 

Building Communities

• Changing the World with a $5 Bill (Stillwater FFA, OK) 

• For a citizenship activity the Stillwater FFA challenged students  to serve their community in whatever way they could. The kicker was, they could only spend $5 which was provided to them by generous donations to the project. You too could have your chapters do a similar activity. Like Advisor Randy Branscum said purpose is to show students that “no one is too small, busy or insignificant to make a difference.” 

• Community Scavenger Hunt

• Connect with local businesses to have students do a local business scavenger hunt. This could be as simple as giving each business a special stamp or sticker to give to those who visit their business. Member could have a “passport” to collect as many stamps/stickers as they can for a prize. 

• “Trick or treat” for canned goods 

• I have seen a lot of amazing chapters do a door-to-door canned food donation around Halloween. I distinctly remember a chapter in CA mentioning they do this around the Holidays and blast Carols in the neighborhoods. To remember that our community needs our help throughout the year why not try a Valentine’s Day Canned Food drive using the same principles during FFA week. 

Strengthening Agriculture

• Bold Celebrating Leadership Teacher Showmanship (Taylor-Katy FFA, TX)

• This chapter spun their agricultural advocacy event to have the teachers of their school to step in the show ring. Members partnered with school staff and teachers to mentor them in their showmanship skills. Can you imagine your Principal showing a heifer? It could be you next year!

• George Washington’s Birthday Party from our very own Cassidy McAllister

• You know we celebrate FFA week around President’s Day which is George Washington’s birthday? Why not throw George a Birthday Party. We love to celebrate General Washington’s contribution to agriculture and our nation as a whole. He deserves some cake (and maybe even candles). Cassidy’s chapter also has a member/staff member dress up as George to make it more real. 

Whatever you decide to do for FFA week with your officer team and members is going to be great. 

Just remember to keep the MAIN THING the MAIN THING. And that is to use FFA week as a time to celebrate agricultural education, leadership and community involvement while honoring long-standing traditions and embracing new ones.

How to Rediscover Life Outside of the Classroom

The teaching profession is undervalued, underfunded and under-supported. 

Less people are choosing to pursue a career in education and more people are fleeing the profession than ever before. 

According to the Education Week, the amount of people completing teacher-education programs declined by a third over recent years. And the National Education Association survey in 2022 found that 55% of teachers say they will leave the teaching profession sooner than originally planned and 90% said burnout is a serious problem. 

I would wager a guess that most of us who enter the teaching profession don’t even intend on leaving. Myself included. 

And yet, I left. After 10 years in the classroom I packed up two printer paper boxes of awards, student made ribbon roses and countless owl trinkets home to sit in my basement for the past three years. 

I loved teaching. I was good at it. And that wasn’t enough to stay. 

I had someone reach out to me on social media blaming me for giving up on something I loved. That was a good reminder that social media is just a highlight reel. That person didn’t see everything I was going through.

I would leave my house before 6 a.m. to get to school. 

I wouldn’t see my kids or husband before I left.

I drove close to an hour each way.

My department forgot about me throughout the year for meetings and get-togethers.

My admin only came to my room once.

I was doing all the FFA things.

I had serious behavioral issues and they were brushed off.

I was getting paid less money than I was in my previous school district.

While I still loved teaching, I was at a breaking point as a person. As a human. 

I needed a change and I am so thankful I was able to get connected to a company that allowed me to learn and grow with them while still being education adjacent. 

I Left The Classroom, Then Came Back – Here’s How I Did It

The past three years I was able to rediscover who I was outside of being a teacher. I was no longer tied to the identity of being a teacher. . I was just me. With a job. 

And after years of discovering who I was outside of the classroom I realized that being in the classroom is a part of who I am. So I returned with a new mindset about what being a teacher is to me. I asked myself this question…

How do we marry the fact that we LOVE being a teacher but it doesn’t define everything we are?

I used to only identify myself as a teacher. I used to pour all of my energy, my identity and my success into what happened in my classroom. 

In my story, it wasn’t healthy. I became burned out. And yes, being burned out from teaching is a real thing. And leaving teaching is an acceptable action if you need that off ramp.

I took that liferaft and clung on to it harder than Rose did to that door on the Titanic. 

It took years to be even open to the idea of heading back to the classroom. The one thing that allowed me to come back was working on who I was outside the classroom. 

And I am not just talking about my other responsibilities in life like being a mom and wife. 

I figured out who Sarah was and then started to honor the things that made me feel like myself again. 

That led me to really examine what opportunities, events, I was saying “no” to when really all I wanted to do was say “yes.” 

What are those things that are non-negotiables for you? What are those things that light you up?

If you need some guidance figuring this out for yourself, the e “A Simple Exercise To Redefine Your Identity as a Teacher” blog post that walks you through identifying the Three Circles Model of your life. 

For me I realized that I needed the following things in my life. Not sparingly. But consistently.

1. Growth

2. Adventures

3. Relationships

Before I could ever entertain the idea of returning to the classroom, I needed to commit to honoring what makes me me. And not letting the craze of the school year impact that. 

What I realized is that the way we can become the best teacher for our students is to live our life to honor who we are outside the classroom.

And to be honest, it’s not the easiest thing to do. And that takes time, intentionally and focus.

What “Always Learning” Really Means

But, here at G&G we live by the mantra of “Always learning”

Always learning is a simple reminder to live. 

Always learning isn't about piling your desk with new ideas that most likely will never come to fruition. It's about always learning WHO YOU ARE and how you can better serve YOURSELF so you can serve others. 

So, if you have connected with your three circle model of your life and identified those three areas that are the core of you being you, it’s time to make that commitment to lean into them. 

And yes, we have a resource for that. 

At the end of 2024, I was in a place I needed to lean into my three circle model. I saw some buzz on the internet about yearly BINGO cards. Some people decided against a word a year or a vision board to make a little bucket list for the year in a BINGO format. 

So I did it. I made a BINGO board for 2024 that honored myself. Here are some of the items I have checked off this year so far

Growth

• Run a half marathon

• Join a club/community

• Make a reading nook in my office

Adventures

• Try a new Donut Shop

• New Tattoo

• See a favorite athlete play

Relationships

• Overnight trip with my husband 

• See a play with a friend

• See a favorite athlete play with my daughter

If you want to lean into who you are and challenge yourself to meet your needs this upcoming year, go ahead and grab the 2026 Bingo Board Template to make your own!

I am not saying that focusing on this three circle model and making a BINGO board is going to solve all of education’s issues. That is a much bigger problem that we need to be focusing on with our teacher’s unions, board of educations, and legislatures. 

What I am saying is that focusing on you and honoring who you are outside of the classroom could be something that allows you to feel more fulfilled everyday you walk into the classroom.

Engage Every Student with the National FFA Convention (Free Resources Inside!)

Indianapolis, the home of Caitlin Clark and the largest convention filled with blue corduroy jackets at the end of October every year.

This year, just like the past National FFA Conventions it crept up on me in no time. One second you are rearranging the classroom and doing Back to School night and the next you are hopping on a plane (or car or bus) to The Racing Capital of the World. 

If you are a Type B teacher (like I usually am) you might be so frantically making sure all the paperwork and travel arrangements are right that you don’t have a second to spare thinking about activities to do with your students once you get to Indy. 

Never fear, we took the time to look at resources that National FFA provides (and us here at G&G) and compiled the best of the best for you to grab and get on your way! 

Without further adieu (because I know you have no time to waste)

Here are your TIPS and TRICKS for Engaging with National FFA Convention (in person and virtually) 

1. National FFA Convention Implementation Guide

The National FFA Team did the heavy lifting for you with this year's National FFA Convention Implementation Guide. This 76 page document is a resource for advisors to pre-plan and engage all students and during the 98th National FFA Convention & Expo. That means EVERYONE including those who are staying home this year. 

Now, I know you are busy and might not have the time to read the entire 76 page document so I pulled out some highlights for you to focus on that I think are pretty neat!

Highlights:

• Choice Activity Board (can be used in-person at Convention or Virtually) Page 20

Choice is a regular option for students in agriculture classrooms. This choice board might be exactly what your students are looking for to engage with Convention. The guide has both an in-person and virtual option. The activities range from designing your own New Horizons magazine cover to virtually visiting the Expo. 

If you are taking this choice board to Indy, be prepared with extra copies as the choice board links to other documents!

• All About Service (Reading & Worksheet)

One of my favorite things about FFA is its commitment to service. This activity allows students to give this worksheet to your students to learn about past National FFA service projects/events. In this activity, students will research one of the past National FFA Service Projects and learn about FFA’s history of service.

This is a great activity for those not attending Convention in person as you would need to access the internet for the readings. 

• Making Meaningful Connections (Worksheet) 

I know so many students LOVE the challenge of getting a signature from a member from every state. Or maybe even level up the challenge with grabbing a picture with them. This Making Meaningful Connections activity is just that. It also suggests for students at home to use the #SpeakAg State Showcase on the Convention Website.

But, this idea got me thinking… what if we took this a step further? What if we ACTUALLY connected with other chapters through the G&G community during convention?!

Maybe you call up a fellow ag teacher and have a video call with their class to share about agriculture in their state. 

Maybe you do a watch party with other chapters in your region for the election of National Officers at the final general session. 

The best thing about technology is our ability to connect with people EVERY where! I challenge you to try something like this!

1. Expo Scavenger Hunt (Free Resource from G&G)

Raise your hand if you are headed to Indy for the Convention this year 🙋

Raise your hand if you are a little nervy about letting teenagers loose for hours in the Expo (raises hand with sweaty palms). 

We get it. That’s why we created a simple Convention Scavenger Hunt for you to print and use with your kiddos this year! This super simple one page worksheet can be used to get those kiddos to test our new expo booths (not just the free Culvers). Allow them a little time away from you but still with a purpose to learn and connect. 

1. Retiring Address Reflection Sheet (Free on TPT)

For many (many) years I wasn’t able to attend National Convention with my students. We would watch from afar with major FOMO. Even before the awesome resources (like the implementation guide) I would have my students at least watch a retiring address during convention. The 6 National Officers pour so much of themselves and their learnings from their year of service into those short 15-20 minute addresses. 

Use this simple worksheet for any retiring address. Maybe you decide to catch a live one this year or dive into the archives. Allow your students to be inspired!

At the end of the day, the National FFA Convention is all about creating experiences that stick with your students long after the trip (or livestream) ends. 

Whether you’re running around Indy in blue corduroy or streaming from your classroom, these resources will help you make it meaningful, manageable, and memorable. And don’t forget that G&G has resources for you all throughout the year (not just during convention). You can check those out here. 

A Simple Exercise To Redefine Your Identity as a Teacher

How many of you have answered the question “what do you do?” and answered with “I am just a teacher” or “I’m only a teacher.”

Cringe, right?

I’ve done it too. And to be honest as someone who left teaching and is now back I feel the tug to justify why leaving the corporate scene and moving back to education was the best move.

Regardless, you gotta believe in 2025 that teachers aren’t “just” teachers. They are so much more than that. I mean if you are just talking about what is done in the classroom you could make a laundry list of the skills teachers use on a daily basis that would blow a non-teachers mind…

Data analyst

Content creator

Marketing and communications

Emotional support

Technical support and maintenance

And the list goes on.

But, today I really want to focus on the statement “I am only a teacher”.

I have been caught in the trap that I made teaching my whole identity. It was what defined me as a person. I was THE agriculture teacher. And if we are being honest I bought into the whole song and dance that the best ag teachers were the ones who sacrificed their personal lives to win those banners, belt buckles and plaques.

Believe me, I am competitive. I like winning. But, I am not here to make teaching my identity.

Being a teacher is great. It is an honorable career path that allows many people to live out their passions daily.

But, you aren’t ONLY a teacher.

You are so much more. You are multifaceted, which means having a variety of different and important features.

There are so many things that make you YOU!

You might be a parent, a dog lover, a romance book enthusiast, a pickle baller, a craft beer maker, a bartender on the weekends, a Hockey coach, a freelance designer, an author, an instagrammer, a workout instructor, a farmer and the list goes on.

You are you. Being a teacher is a PART of your identity. Not the whole thing.

Being a teacher is something you can love and cherish and still close the door to your classroom and be excited to rush home to whatever is awaiting you.

Being a teacher is something that can make you want to go crazy but you can’t imagine doing anything else.

Being a teacher doesn’t have to be all consuming.

While we admit that being an agriculture teacher is a full job, at the end of the day it’s still just that: a job.

It pays the bills, it helps toward your retirement. And one day you will walk away from the classroom to live a life without education being the main attraction in your life.

We at G&G don’t want you to fall into the trap that makes new and experienced teachers feel like they need to be the first in the door, last to leave, work every weekend, win every award to be a great teacher.

Being multifaceted means you HAVE to honor all the parts that make you, you.

And if you don’t know what all of those parts are? Well then it’s time to intentionally figure those out and make a commitment to yourself to make sure you are honoring those sometimes neglected parts even throughout the busy school year.

We aren’t waiting until winter break or summer break to feel like ourselves again.

The good news is, we already have an awesome model in the AgEd world that can help us figure out what drives us and what we need to turn our focus on to honor ourselves.

It’s the THREE CIRCLE MODEL.

How To Apply The Three Circle Model To Your Life

In AgEd we base our programs on the three circle model and we try our darndest to make those circles even so all students get the best out of our day to day.

You can take that concept and apply it to your life.

What are three areas of your life that make you, you?

I’m not talking about your job titles or responsibilities at home. I really mean, who are you at your core and what makes you feel alive?

Too often, when we start this reflection, we go straight to titles: teacher, parent, coach, volunteer. But those are roles, not themes. They describe what you do, not why you do it.

The goal here is to uncover the underlying threads that give those roles meaning. Try thinking of the things that light you up, fill your cup, or keep you grounded no matter what hat you’re wearing.

Instead of asking, “What am I responsible for?” try asking:

What brings me energy, even on the hard days?

What do I find myself coming back to, no matter the season of life?

What values or passions drive the choices I make?

For example:

• If you love being a mom because you’re deeply invested in nurturing others… you might name that circle relationships or connection.

• If teaching fuels your passion for helping others grow, maybe one of your circles is mentorship or developing potential.

• If you get your spark from creating new ideas, leading teams, or solving tough problems, maybe your circle is creativity, leadership, or problem-solving.

The goal is to name the theme behind the title, the heartbeat behind the role.

Here are some examples from the G&G Team

• Play, Exploration, Community

• Service, Movement, Faith

• Health, Adventure, Motivator

• Growth, Relationships, Adventures

• Family, Adventure, Presence

Take a moment to sketch out your three circle model and if you want a handout to write on, grab our template here.

Once you land on your three it’s time to ask some hard questions about how you are fairing at this time in your life toward those circles.

Ask yourself:

• Are these circles getting equal attention right now?

• Which one has been neglected?

• Which one needs more boundaries or more time?

That’s where the real insight starts. We can have all the intention in the world to be better about focusing on what makes us who we are at our core. But, if we don’t take action nothing will change.

If you love travel and haven’t been on a trip in years, it might be neglected.

If you are passionate about relationships, but have not been focusing on certain important ones, it might be time to reevaluate.

If you value growth in your life, but have been just doing everything you can to just maintain the status quo, it might be time to challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone.

This process is not simple or singular. You can’t just do this once and then call it a day. It is something that requires continual reflection.

Just like you update your gradebook consistently or communicate with student families regularly the same determination should be brought to honoring who you are.

If you want to talk through this our team would be honored to have a discussion with you. Send us an email with the subject: Three Circle Model to sarah@greenandgrowingedu.com and we will set up some time to chat!

In the meantime, if you are realizing you need to lighten your load in the classroom to provide yourself margin in your life check out the resources that G&G provides like the resource library and the upcoming Germinate Conference.

Classroom Management Tips To Save You Time and Sanity This School Year Part 2: FFA Style

So apparently y’all loved our first  classroom management blog we decided to come back with a part 2. 

These strategies are more catered to an agriculture classroom because we have brought in ideas from FFA into the classroom. Turns out, things that we do normally in our chapters can actually be implemented into our classrooms seamlessly. 

We love the idea of adding routines into a classroom because chaos does not have to be the default setting for a classroom. You don’t have to lean into that narrative that kids are crazy, classrooms are chaotic, and flying by the seat of your pants is required. 

While we admit that some days will be crazier than others, that doesn’t mean you can’t have routines that ease the stress for you and the students to set up the class for what it is meant for, LEARNING. 

3 MORE Classroom Management Tips To Save You Time and Sanity This School Year

1. Roll Call

Giving credit where credit is due, the amazing Breanna Berry and Abbey Brown from Georgia were the first to share this idea to the G&G community at a previous Germinate Conference. And many of us STILL to this day use this strategy to take attendance in our classes.

Can I get a little roll call, please. 

What better way to remember to take attendance everyday then have the students help you out?! Here are four simple steps to make this happen…

• Post the class roster on the board

I have this as my second slide (after my start-up daily) and just flip to it after we review the start up. (Yes, attendance doesn’t have to be the absolute first thing you do). Here is an example:

1st Period Veterinary Science

Laura

Cassidy

Jason

Hannah

Jacklyn

• Students day “Good morning _________” to the person after their name

The first student on the list will say Good morning or HI or whatever greeting they would like (that is appropriate) to the person next on the list. 

Laura: Morning Cassidiy

Cassidy: Hi Jason

Jason: Hey Hannah

Hannah: Hi Jacklyn

Here is a little instagram reel tutorial I made a while back, and I’ll admit it is kinda corny. 

• 3-You check attendance as they say hello to their classmates

As the students are going through the roll call, you have your attendance website up and click as you go. Pretty soon the students will catch onto who is before and after them and they will say “Oh Sarah’s out today” instead of waiting in silence for the next person. 

• 4-The last student says hello to YOU

You might be thinking “what does the last person do?” Great question, we have a solution for that! The last person on the list would wrap it up by saying hello to you! It would sound like this. 

Jacklyn: Hi Mrs. Nerswick! 

And you are done in about a minute! Not only did you get attendance done but you also gave an opportunity for every student to say something out loud in class at a low risk situation AND they are greeted warmly by a classmate. It’s a win-win-win in my eyes.

2. Opening Ceremonies

You are agriculture teachers and FFA advisors right? Why not use some FFA traditions in your classroom?! Yup that's right, time for some OPENING CEREMONIES.

“In class?? Everyday?!”

You better believe it. 

It’s pretty simple (and you can combine it with roll call). Here’s how:

• Print out 6 copies of opening ceremonies 

• Highlight the parts for each of the officer roles (Ex. President, VP, Sentinel etc.)

• Put the copies in a document protector (like these) or laminate

• Place command hooks throughout the room where you would like the officers to stand during OC

• Hook the OC scripts on the hooks

• Assign class officers

• As soon as the bell rings the president starts the class with a TAP, TAP, TAP and the officers complete opening ceremonies

• When the president says “The secretary will call the roll of members.” your class can do roll call as outlined in the first section.

Now, does this magically happen and is beautiful the first day? Heck no. Maybe not even in the first week. It takes time and energy to get this routine in place. But, it you commit to it, it will work in your favor!

3. Class Officers

Anyone remember having classroom jobs in elementary school? And what was it about being a line leader that made you feel like the coolest kid in school? 

Adding class officers to your classroom can bring back that feeling of responsibility to your students and lighten your load a bit. 

In our classes we have done the election two different ways:

• Popular Vote: Take those nominations position by position and then do a blind vote. 

• Assigned Positions: Teacher randomly chooses the officers and makes sure each student has a chance to be an officer. 

You can choose what works for your class. You can also tie FFA points, leadership standards or extra credit to the roles – whatever aligns with your grading!

The next section will talk you through how to use officers to complete opening ceremonies to start off class. But, there are also plenty of other reasons to have class officers. 

• Assign them REAL relevant jobs

• You can absolutely provide those class officers with special jobs. For example, when my class would leave the classroom to go to the greenhouse the sentinel would have to be the last to leave the classroom and make sure it was locked. I also had the secretary help with attendance. 

• Provides leadership opportunities for students (who might not ever have one)

• There are only so many leadership positions in FFA or in all the clubs in a school. This provides students a simple way to be a leader in the classroom. And yes I have had students put it on their resumes. 

• Eliminate the “Can I do that?” question

• We would be pretty rich if we got a dollar each time a student asked if they could do something for you. Take something to the front office, get paper from the copy room, grab mail from the mail room and the list goes on. When you have class officers they are in charge of those errands. 

And remember: leaning into routines doesn’t just help you as the teacher. Research has shown that having routines particularly in high school classrooms can provide structure, predictability, and a sense of security, which can reduce anxiety and improve focus. And that is EXACTLY what I am looking for to help my classroom run smoothly. 

If you are looking for more sanity saving classroom tips check out the CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION strategy Hall of Fame Sessions. HoF sessions are a curated selection of crowd-favorite single Germinate sessions available for purchase. These sessions can totally quench your thirst for some new strategies to try out in your classroom this school year.