Classroom Management Tips To Save You Time and Sanity This School Year Part 2: FFA Style
Discover 3 agriculture classroom management strategies inspired by FFA traditions! From student-led roll call to class officers and opening ceremonies, learn practical routines that save time, reduce chaos, and boost student engagement.
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:
💬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:
Use visuals
Not a lot of words
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!
Classroom Improvement Secrets: What Your Agriculture Students Really Want You to Know
I can already envision the last days of the school year. Spring break is long gone, the plant sale was another success, the banquet ran on time, and the saying goodbye to the seniors never gets easier.
And as the last bell rings and the summer sunlight streams through the classroom windows, I often find myself surrounded by stacks of papers, forgotten markers, and the lingering echoes of another school year.
And I know how tempting it is to simply pack everything away, file the memories, and breathe a sigh of relief. But this moment right here, between the chaos of the school year and the promise of summer, is an essential piece to building a better school year for the impending fall.
This is where reflection happens. And that is where growth begins.
Professional development workshops and educational conferences like Germinate Conference are invaluable tools for growth, offering insights, strategies, and best practices. But the true magic of improvement happens when those external insights meet the unique day-to-day realities of your classroom.
While external training provides frameworks and techniques, the most precise roadmap for your personal growth comes from those who experience your teaching firsthand: your students.
Over the years, I've learned that meaningful improvement isn't about implementing a one-size-fits-all approach from an outside perspective. It's about understanding the unique ecosystem of your classroom including the specific dynamics, challenges, and opportunities that only you and your students truly comprehend.
External professional development can guide and inspire, but the most targeted, meaningful improvements emerge from listening to the voices that fill your classroom every single day. So before your students leave the classroom for good, it's time to ask for student feedback.
Why should you ask for student feedback?
Well, let’s be honest, students are the most honest critics but also can be the most insightful collaborators in the educational process. They experience our teaching firsthand, navigate the landscapes we create, and understand the real-world application of what we're trying to communicate. Their perspective is not just valuable, it's essential.
Asking for feedback doesn’t have to be a 1 on 1 conversation (although it totally could), it can be something that you integrate into your class assignments. We have three examples that we have used in our classrooms that have allowed us to make tweaks to enhance our skills.
3 Powerful Ways to Gather Meaningful Student Feedback
1️⃣ TOP 5 BOTTOM 5 Reflection Method
How It Works:
Students create two lists:
- Top 5 most impactful concepts or knowledge gained
- Bottom 5 areas where they struggled or felt least connected
Requirements:
- Each point must be documented with at least a full paragraph
- Students must explain:
- Why they found value in the learning
- How the concept will help them in the real world
Optional:
Have students provide a visual representation for each top 5 aspect. Maybe this is a picture of their assignment or from that lesson.
This isn't just a simple list-making exercise. It's a deep dive into the learning experience that challenges students to critically examine their educational journey. When I did this in the classroom I had multiple students HATE my environmental issues group project.
Essentially, I assigned them groups and they did a modified Ag Issues project about their chosen issue and created a skit. Multiple students said they hated the skit. So, the following year I added a few more presentation options so they weren’t forced to do a skit.
The Top 5 Bottom 5 method is a powerful reflective tool that goes far beyond surface-level feedback. By requiring students to provide detailed paragraphs explaining their choices, the exercise transforms from a simple list into a profound learning experience.
Students are challenged to think critically about their educational journey, articulating not just what they learned, but why and how those lessons matter. The visual component adds another layer of depth, encouraging students to represent their learning creatively and engage multiple forms of expression.
This method doesn't just provide feedback to the instructor it also helps students themselves process and internalize their learning, creating a moment of metacognitive reflection that can be transformative.
2️⃣Comprehensive Course Reflection
How It Works:
Allow students to answer a few questions that can help you address changes you would like to make to your teaching. Students can present this with a presentation or a written response.
Here are some questions I have asked in the past:
(1) What did you learn about yourself throughout the semester?
(2) If you had it to do over again, what would you change?
(3) Consider the course as a whole: What was most beneficial to your development in agriculture?
(4) What would you have liked to learn more about?
Get a copy of both the Top 5 Bottom 5 and Course Reflection document HERE.
The comprehensive course reflection centers on four transformative questions designed to guide students through a deep exploration of their learning journey. These questions challenge students to reflect on personal growth, critically examine their experience, and understand the broader impact of their course.
By asking students to articulate their self-discovery, potential improvements, course benefits, and areas of curiosity, the reflection becomes more than an evaluation—it's a meaningful dialogue about learning, growth, and future potential.
The questions invite students to step back and consider their educational experience holistically, connecting classroom learning to real-world applications. This approach demonstrates that their intellectual curiosity is valued and that learning is an ongoing journey of discovery and improvement.
3️⃣Google Forms Course Evaluation
In the age of digital feedback, online surveys offer a structured yet flexible approach to gathering student insights. Now, multiple members of the G&G team use these simple surveys throughout the year. Back in the pandemic we did it weekly and now have scaled back to every grading period. Here is an example of one we have used for the end of year feedback: You can check it out here.
Recommended Approach:
- Create a template that balances structured questions with open-ended responses
- Ensure anonymity to encourage honest feedback
- Use a mix of rating scales and text response options
Digital course evaluations through Google Forms provide a comprehensive approach to gathering student feedback that addresses multiple learning and assessment needs. The combination of quantitative rating scales and qualitative open-ended questions allows for both statistical analysis and deep insight.
Anonymity becomes a crucial factor, empowering students to share honest, unfiltered perspectives they might hesitate to express face-to-face. While you will probably get some students that completely rag on your class, that is OK. It is a data point that you can gather insight from. Remember that the open ended responses will provide you with specific feedback that should give you a direction toward your growth areas for the following year.
Overall, gathering student feedback isn't about validation, it's about your potential transformation as a teacher. We are not saying that you aren’t already a fantastic teacher, we believe that you are.
What we also know (and believe deeply which is why it is our mission statement) that we should have an ALWAYS LEARNING mentality. Teaching isn’t a race with a finish line at the end of each year, it is a journey that requires reflection, feedback and growth.
Treat each piece of feedback you get as a gift, an opportunity to refine our craft, to connect more deeply, and to continuously improve your educational craft.
Looking for more resources to help you grow as a teacher? That’s what Green and Growing is ALL about and here’s how we can specifically help:
Binge the blog where you’ll find free takeaways and inspirational content that will help you feel supported and motivated in the classroom, all year long.
Browse the resource library to find various ag teacher resources you need when you’re in a time crunch!
Subscribe to The Gazette, the monthly newsletter filled with agriculture teacher announcements, resources, shout outs and opportunities for you across our industry.
Join the next (free and virtual) Marigold Meetup where you can connect, grow, and recharge with fellow educators who "get it."
4 Activities to Teach Employability Skills in Your Classrooms
You know one of the words I dislike the most as an educator?
SOFT SKILLS
Ugh, it makes my skin crawl. When did we decide that the skills that allow you to be productive citizens and highly employable people become less important than technical skills? I don’t know about you but I would much rather hire someone who was professional, timely, respectful and passionate that has developing technical skills over someone who is the smartest in their given area of expertise, but has worse work behavior than Michael Scott and George Constanza.
As a career technical subject matter, we as agriculture teachers are honored with the important task of providing instruction in employability skills. That means we get the best of both worlds; teaching the soft and technical skills.
One thing I do know is that we might not put much emphasis on these standards. Maybe even saying “well, they will get sprinkles of this throughout the curriculum so I am not going to teach it.”
And that is the WRONG answer my friend.
This statistic from a recent Deloitte survey says that “92% of companies report that human capabilities or soft skills matter as much or more than hard skills in today’s business world.” This article even mentioned that people are starting to catch on to the significance of these skills, rebranding them as “durable” skills. I am here for that!
Companies are looking for employees with skills like empathy, collaboration and adaptability. With the emergence of artificial intelligence barring some of the technical skill load of many careers it is imperative that our students are well equipped in the skills computers/bots can’t replicate like empathy, collaboration, emotional intelligence, intuition and complex problem solving.
And that is why we at G&G believe that your employability unit should be of utmost importance in your classroom. I know for certain that my biggest wish as an educator is to make certain why kids could succeed in life as a good citizen and employee. And this is your chance to do this for your students too.
We have compiled some resources that you can grab-and edit to your liking that can help you focus on employability skills at a deeper level in your classroom this year.
3 ACTIVITIES TO TEACH EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS IN YOUR CLASSROOMS
In the newest G&G resource, students participate in a tournament-style career exploration where they compare agricultural careers head-to-head across three rounds. They start by reviewing career pathway information, then evaluate pairs of careers based on key factors such as job satisfaction, work environment, and growth potential. As they progress through the rounds, students select winners and provide three well-reasoned justifications for their choices. The activity concludes with a final matchup to determine the "ultimate" agricultural career. This engaging format encourages students to think critically about career paths in agriculture while refining their decision-making skills.
Durable (Soft) Skills this Battle of the Ag Careers lesson focuses on: Critical thinking, decision making, analytical skills and self-awareness.
Here is what is provided to teachers to help implement this activity into your classroom seamlessly:
Structured Lesson Plans: Detailed guides to navigate each phase from idea generation to final presentation.
Timelines: Suggested schedules to manage project milestones efficiently.
Assessment Rubrics: Clear criteria for evaluating student work and presentations.
Business Plan Templates: Pre-formatted documents for students to outline their business ideas.
Pitch Outlines: Templates to help students organize their presentations.
Panel Evaluation Criteria: Guidelines for "investors" to assess pitches and provide feedback.
Guidelines for Presentation: Tips and strategies to help students prepare for their pitch delivery.
2. Shark Tank Entrepreneurial Skills
Shark Tank Entrepreneurial Skills
Shark tank type lessons are a great way to get kids thinking outside the box. This lesson would be awesome not just for an employability skills unit, but also to be sprinkled throughout content units to encourage students to solve problems related to the content you are teaching.
In this activity, students begin by brainstorming and developing an innovative product or service idea. They then create a comprehensive business plan, detailing aspects such as target market, marketing strategies, financial projections, and operational plans.
Once their plan is formulated, students prepare a persuasive pitch to present to a panel of "investors," simulating the format of the "Shark Tank" television show. This presentation involves defending their business idea, answering questions, and potentially negotiating terms, providing a practical experience in entrepreneurship.
Durable (Soft) Skills this shark tank lesson focuses on: Innovation, presentation skills, critical thinking
Here is what is provided to teachers to help implement this activity into your classroom seamlessly:
Structured Lesson Plans: Detailed guides to navigate each phase from idea generation to final presentation.
Timelines: Suggested schedules to manage project milestones efficiently.
Assessment Rubrics: Clear criteria for evaluating student work and presentations.
Business Plan Templates: Pre-formatted documents for students to outline their business ideas.
Pitch Outlines: Templates to help students organize their presentations.
Panel Evaluation Criteria: Guidelines for "investors" to assess pitches and provide feedback.
Guidelines for Presentation: Tips and strategies to help students prepare for their pitch delivery.
3. Purple Plow
Engineering, Design Thinking and Agriculture are combined in this Purple Plow program. I’ve used a lot of the resources on this website to include their short puzzlers and semester long projects to teach important soft skills like critical thinking and collaboration.
In Purple Plow challenges, students engage in a variety of activities designed to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills. They begin by researching complex agricultural issues, such as food security and sustainability, to understand the challenges at hand. Using the engineering design process, students design and develop prototypes that address these challenges, followed by testing and refining their solutions through iteration. The process culminates in presentations where students articulate their design journey and the effectiveness of their solutions, promoting strong communication skills and collaborative learning.
Soft Skills this lesson focuses on: creativity, problem solving, teamwork, communication
Here is what is provided to teachers to help implement this activity into your classroom seamlessly:
Educator and Volunteer Guide: Offers detailed information to help teachers understand and facilitate the challenges, including guidance on the engineering design process.
Engineering Design Process Guide: Introduces students to the systematic approach used by engineers and scientists to solve challenges, which they can apply during the activities.
Engineering Design Rubric: Provides criteria to evaluate student projects, aiding in assessment and feedback.
Supply List and Budget Sheet: Assists teachers in planning and organizing materials needed for the activities, ensuring efficient preparation.
Task Cards: Help students stay organized and on track throughout the challenge, outlining specific tasks and objectives.
Why not blend your FFA and employability skills units together? I specifically did this activity with my second, third of fourth year students so they didn’t have to do that whole FFA Unit song and dance since they already knew the basics. This allowed them to dive deeper into the meaning FFA had in real people who went through the program before them.
In the FFA Interview Project, students are assigned to interview a former FFA member or educator to explore the long-term benefits of involvement in FFA and agricultural education.
They connect with their interviewee via phone, video call, or in-person meeting, asking prepared questions to gather insights about the subject's experiences and professional growth. After conducting the interview, students synthesize their findings by creating either a written report or presentation that captures key responses and reflections.
The project includes class time for preparation, but students may also work independently. To conclude, students craft and send a formal thank-you note to their interview subject.
Soft Skills this lesson focuses on: communication skills, interpersonal skills, active listening, organization, time management, reflection
Here is what is provided to teachers to help implement this activity into your classroom seamlessly:
Contact Information Template: Fields to document interviewee details.
Resource Links: Tips for interviewing, starting conversations, email etiquette, and thank-you notes.
Interview Question Section: Space to list at least 10 thoughtful interview questions.
Rubric: Clear criteria for evaluating student work, including components for introduction, body content, conclusion, organization, and thank-you card submission.
Assessment Examples: Guidance on how to effectively quote or paraphrase interview content in reports or presentations.
Overall, soft skills are DURABLE skills that are equally important for your students to learn in your classroom and there are lots of fun ways to help you incorporate this type of skill building into your lesson plans.
If you are someone who loves teaching soft skills in your classroom we would love to hear about it! Send an email to greenandgrowingedu@gmail.com to share your idea.
A Roundup of (Free + Paid) Agriculture Resources From Green and Growing
You might have noticed that back in July the G&G team took some time away from our Zoom Squares and traveled to the Bayou for our yearly retreat.
We did our normal routine of fun including some color analysis with our good friend Bri, some much-needed thrifting, and learning Wingspan. And then we got down to BUSINESS.
This included going through EVERY OFFER we have in the G&G world and deciding if we continue offering it, if it needs a revamp, or to take it off the table.
We don’t just willy-nilly decide these things, don’t worry. We take your feedback into account, survey responses, and conversations we have on socials and in person with you! One of the things we decided was time for a MAJOR revamp was the resources we offer for agriculture teachers.
If you have been around for awhileeee, you might have purchased some resources on Teachers Pay Teachers and a couple of years ago we took all those down to focus more on Germinate Conference and resources.
And let’s be honest, we went hard on Germinate and it is the shining star of the G&G world. We love her, you love her, and she is here to stay with even some new team members at the helm stewarding her toward the next conference in July 2025.
But, those resources had a moment and then we kind of treated them like the dust bunnies behind the couch. They are there just waiting to be noticed.
And that just wasn’t good enough for us anymore. So we committed to adding MORE resources to the library for you this school year. And since we are shedding light on these resources, might as well give you a deep dive so you know what is waiting for you to download and utilize.
Resources for Agriculture Teachers
Free Resources
Downloadable Resources
Need a quick resource? We have you covered. Frequently requested resources live on the G&G takeaway library for you to use, edit, and change to your liking. These resources are designed for you to grab and go! Here are some examples you will see when you venture over to the digital stacks of the library.
Examples:
Holiday: Veterans Day is right around the corner. Did you know FFA has had connections to veterans in the past? Students can complete this web search to learn more about Veterans Day.
FFA: Raise your hand if you are headed to Indy for the Convention this year (raises hand). 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!
Classroom: Need a new way for students to communicate their gained knowledge in a unit? Are you just OVER multiple-choice tests? The kids probably are too! Hannah created an awesome resource with everything you need to take those summative assignments from pencil tip breaking scantrons to hearing your students voice their learnings with a podcast.
SAE: We loveee when we can maximize our time with our students. One way we have done this is with Teacher SAE Conferences. This resource is a simple 3 touch base throughout the year/semester with your student to be done in class. We love the combination of this with the SAE Folder routine we learned from Jacklyn Bond.
Other Resources
Blog
If you are reading this, you have already found the crown jewel of the past few months. So happy you found this little corner of the internet. We decided last year to double down on blogging so the valuable ideas, inspiration, and content we share on socials are immortalized in a searchable format for you.
So the next time you think “Man I thought I saw an idea about how to start delegating tasks” you can find it easily on the blog. Feel free to binge-read during your 21-minute lunch breaks or the next time you have hall duty during state testing.
Podcast
The G&G podcast provided weekly episodes to connect, educate, and encourage Agriculture teachers across the country for over 3 years. While we are not updating the podcast regularly now, we have TONS of valuable content for you to binge. We also suggest checking out the Here by the Owl Podcast for awesome agriculture teacher content!
Gazette
On the first of every month imagine the G&G team pedaling down your street and slinging the newest, freshest agriculture teacher-only newspaper to your doorstep.
From our latest obsessions to news from nationals, we gather up all the ideas, resources, and more via the monthly Gazette. Join the newsletter here and don’t miss another month of fun sent straight to your inbox!
Social Media
We highlight awesome ideas from teachers on Instagram! If you are known to scroll, make sure you follow Green & Growing so you can get something out of that scroll! You will see inspiration as well as classroom resource highlights from ag teachers across the nation weekly.
Paid Resources
Germinate Conference is Green & Growing Education’s signature professional development conference. It’s designed as a virtual conference so you can connect teachers from across the country without worrying about time or money. Since 2019 Germinate has brought together over 3,500+ teachers for a one-of-a-kind experience. Germinate is coming back July 1-3 2025 and we cannot wait to welcome you! If you are wanting to step out behind the screen and serve as a speaker this year, applications are OPEN.
Starter Packs
Looking for some more immediate help in one of the 3-circle model categories? We’ve gathered some of the most impactful sessions from past Germinate conferences to create a pack of 5-6 sessions to help you in your area of choosing. Check out an SAE, FFA, or Intro to Ag starter pack here!
Germinate Hall of Fame Sessions
Maybe you’ve heard of some of the rockstar sessions from past years of the Germinate Virtual Conference. Well now you can access those sessions and their awesome takeaways by purchasing single-sessions at the Germinate Hall of Fame. Sessions like Review Activities for ANY class, Parliamentary Procedure Deep Dive and how to finally manage your Greenhouse like a pro in 2025!
One thing we are committed to is providing you more value this school year through easily accessible resources. The one thing we KNOW to be true is we cannot create things you want unless we know what you want. Here is where you can ask us to create something for YOU!
That is right, something that works for YOU is exactly what we want to create. Send us an email to greenandgrowingedu@gmail.com and we will put your idea into a cue for the next set of resources!