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.

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

Have you ever

...felt like you cannot get your students attention?

...noticed a time where your classroom seemed out of control?

...released your students to work, only for them to have a bunch of questions?

And all the teachers said…duh! It’s teaching in 2025. 

When we do surveys to see what teachers are wanting professional development on, it’s almost always classroom management. 

(That’s why at Germinate Conference we have two categories for classroom instruction for content and strategy)

A few years ago, Hannah taught a session on classroom management that lives rent free in our brains. Every single one of us uses at least one if not all of the strategies she taught. 

And in June, Sarah and Hannah traveled to teacher conferences to teach these strategies. And then we realized, we have never actually written a blog about them. Whoops. 

Here is our “we are SO SORRY for gatekeeping this” blog to remedy our wrongdoings just in time for the start of the new school year. 

So get out your paper and pencil, take some notes and get ready to save some time and sanity with these three classroom management tips.

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

One verbal and two non-verbal strategies to get (and keep) your student’s attention:

1. 💬Call & Response

Fill in the blank

“One, two, three all ______ on ______.”

You know it, you love it (or love to hate it). It’s a simple and common call and response. This is an attention getting strategy where the teacher makes a statement and the students respond in unison with the goal of them noticing that it's time to listen up. 

Some common calls and responses are…

• Hocus Pocus ➡️Everybody Focus

• All Set ➡️You bet

• Ready to Rock ➡️Ready to Roll

• Macaroni & Cheese ➡️Everybody Freeze

• Oh me ➡️Oh my

For upper levels, this might sound silly or elementary, but you don’t know it until you try it. And by trying it, I mean actually commit to doing it for a while before throwing in the towel. 

Some modified ideas would be just a statement that you say that alerts the kids to stop chatting like “Eyes and ears up here.” You could also use a noise like a portable doorbell to get their attention.

The kicker with this classroom management strategy is to teach it, practice it, and perfect it. This isn’t something that just works immediately and you don’t need to remind students what your expectations are when the call and response happens.

They need to know their expectations – are they supposed to just stop talking, are they supposed to be in their seats, are they supposed to look up front? Communicate those expectations to them and watch what happens!

2. ❄️ Freeze Body

I am notoriously a mover and a shaker when I’m talking. I will pace, wave my arms like I just don’t care, and basically create chaos anytime I am presenting. 

What I found out wayyyy too late in my teaching career is that all that movement is a distraction. And as a teacher I am usually trying to get students to pay attention to the words I am saying and I was working against myself by being so mobile. 

I realized I had to change the way I was presenting to kids to keep the distractions to a minimum. 

Hannah, our amazing Solutions Director, taught the G&G community some non-verbal strategies and this first one helped me solve my movement mayhem.

It’s called FREEZE BODY. 

Essentially, you choose a place in your classroom that you will stand to deliver your most important information. Maybe those are direction sets or announcements. You will stand there and STAY IN THAT SPOT until you release the kids to start working. 

Imagine yourself wearing concrete boots. Concrete boots would be hecka heavy and it would be really hard to move. So try everything in your power to stay in that one spot. 

Here is where the magic happens: the more consistent you are, the more pavlovian the kids get. They start seeing you walk toward or stand in that spot and guess what happens… they start to get quiet on their own. 🤫

No lie, I taught this in a workshop a few weeks ago and in 45 minutes by the end of the sessions the participants started to notice me in my freeze body spot and a hush flew over the crowd.

And you better believe once I did it in my classrooms, it worked. I would do this in conjunction with a call and response. 

So in a classroom, maybe the kids are working in groups and I need them to clean up supplies before the bell rings. I would walk to my freeze body spot, say my attention getter (Eyes and Ears Up Here) raising my right hand, I wait until everyone is quiet (and if some are not, I say their name to redirect) and then I move on with my announcement. 

Where do you think your freeze body location will be in the classroom?

3. 🚶Exit Directions

I’m saving the best (IMHO) for last. The day I was taught this strategy, it changed my teaching career forever. 

Exit directions are for WHEN YOU EXIT THE TEACHING. 

Think about it, you are standing in front of the class giving detailed instructions about the next activity, let's just say it’s butt welds (hehe). 

You have to make sure to remind kids about safety procedures, what weld bays they will be using, what electrode, where to find their metal, how to turn it in, and what to do when they are finished.

That is a lot of information for students to digest, especially if it’s only spoken. I know when I get verbal directions it’s in one ear and out the other.

Exit directions don’t take away those verbal directions, but rather they add a visual element to help the students once you release them to do their work. 

Why does this work? A few reasons:

• Allows students to have a visual reminder of their job

• Provides icons/images to support ELL students or student who have trouble with literacy

• Allows an anchor for the activity to be present at all times

• Drastically reduces the amount of times you hear “what are we doing?”

LITERALLLLLLY as I was teaching this to a group of ag teachers, I sent them off to make their own exit directions and someone walked in late. He just looks at me like “what are we doing here?” And I realize OH NO, I DON’T EVEN HAVE EXIT DIRECTIONS FOR AN EXIT DIRECTION ACTIVITY. So I needed to sit down with him for a few minutes to explain what we were doing to get him caught up. 

Holy freaking airball, amiright?

Here are some examples from our ag classrooms:

(INSERT SCREENSHOTS)

Just remember the three golden rules of exit directions:

1. Use visuals

2. Not a lot of words

3. Make sure they know WHAT they are doing, HOW they do it, and WHAT’S NEXT!

Are these three strategies going to magically fix all your classroom management issues? No, we cannot promise that. What we do know from research is it can save a teacher UP TO an hour and a half every WEEK from redirecting and reexplaining themselves. Anything to get me to stop spinning my wheels and having to say “I just said that, weren't you listening?!”

Try it out, and be ready because we are going to drop 2 more bonus strategies on the next blog!

🌿 Officer Training Retreat: Building Strong Teams with Purpose

Planning an officer retreat that balances leadership development, team bonding, and strategic planning is essential for setting the tone for a successful year. By integrating the Three Circle Model of Agricultural Education—Classroom Instruction, Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), and FFA—into your retreat, you can create a comprehensive experience that fosters growth in all areas.

🧭 Aligning with the Three Circle Model

Incorporate activities that touch on each component of the Three Circle Model to ensure a well-rounded retreat:

Classroom Instruction: Engage in workshops that enhance teaching and communication skills.

SAE: Discuss and plan for student projects, emphasizing real-world applications.

FFA: Focus on leadership development and chapter growth strategies.

By addressing all three areas, you provide officers with a holistic understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

🎯 Fun Activities to Strengthen Bonds

Incorporate engaging activities that promote teamwork and trust:

Escape Room Challenge: Foster problem-solving and collaboration under pressure.

Baking Challenge: Encourage creativity and teamwork in a relaxed setting.

Outdoor Adventures: Activities like hiking or obstacle courses can build resilience and camaraderie.

These activities not only build trust but also create lasting memories that strengthen team dynamics.

⏱️ Time Fillers and Relationship Builders

Utilize short, impactful activities to fill gaps and deepen connections:

"Two Truths and a Lie": A fun icebreaker that encourages personal sharing.

Group Discussions: Topics like "What does leadership mean to you?" can provoke thoughtful conversations.

Reflection Sessions: Allow officers to share their experiences and insights from the retreat.

These activities help officers connect on a personal level, fostering a supportive and cohesive team environment.

💡 Final Thoughts

A well-planned officer training retreat that integrates the Three Circle Model and includes a mix of structured and informal activities can set your team up for a successful year. Remember, the goal is to build a foundation of trust, communication, and shared purpose that will carry through the entire year.

For more resources and ideas, visit our blog and explore our comprehensive guides on planning effective FFA events and activities.