Why My Current Teaching Role Feels Different Than Past (and What I’d Pay Attention To Going Forward)

I kept on getting the same question over and over again at our holiday events this past year. 

“How is teaching?” Usually made with a slight crinkling of the face and timid nature to their tone. 

Thankfully, I am able to say “Things are going great. I know this was the right decision for me.”

And after all of these conversations, I wanted to figure out what the underlying reason is. What is the “thing” that is making teaching feel awesome when less than 4 years ago I thought I was leaving it behind forever? 

And to be honest, it isn’t just one thing. 

It is a combination of a variety of things that deeply matter to me. And yes that includes my compensation. It made me think that I wish I had a road map of how to make a decision about accepting a teaching position so I could have avoided some bad moves in the past. 

So here you have it.

Why My Current Teaching Role Feels Different Than Past (and What I’d Pay Attention To Going Forward) 

The Commute

If you have ever driven a commute more than 30 minutes you know. You know that taking an hour plus in the car is absolutely no fun. Now, don’t get me wrong I LOVE a decompressing moment. Those sacred moments when it is quick after a long day hearing your name a minimum of 187 times, where you get to choose if you want complete silence, an audiobook, a podcast or your favorite music. That time is awesome. But the car time gets excessive after 30 minutes. 

The Pay

(Caveat: I understand that some of you live in rural areas with limited education opportunities. Skip the first part of this and think about the second!)

Part 1: School Districts Pay Differently

As I was in the process of deciding if I wanted to go back to teaching I immediately pulled out the teaching salary schedules. I was really thinking about going back to my old district until I looked at that salary schedule. I would be taking a pay cut. Not worth it. My whole goal of changing my job was to find a better suited role and that ABSOLUTELY includes pay.

Now, I totally understand there isn’t much we can do with set salary schedules. But you CAN shop around if there are districts closer to you. I am in a more urban area and have 5 county/city districts within a decent commuting distance. 

So, I pulled them all up based on my experience and education and there was a CLEAR winner. I was able to get an immediate 17k pay raise just by taking a job at a district with higher pay.  

Now, pay is JUST PART OF THE PUZZLE! If you are commuting 2 hrs both ways to a higher paying district you might lose all the increase in pay with car depreciation, gas and maybe tolls (not mentioning your mental health from being in the car that much). 

Part 2: Other Paid Positions

If you don’t have the luxury to shop around districts (believe me I know it is a luxury), there are other ways to increase your pay. 

The obvious ones are getting a higher degree, taking a leadership position in your school, or even moving to an administration job. 

There are other ways to also increase your pay by coaching a team or advising a club (based on your system’s rules). I think it is important to know that you can increase your pay if you are willing (and able) to think outside the box. 

Content

If you have ever been out of your depth teaching a subject you better believe that content matters when choosing a teaching job. 

If you are applying for a horticulture heavy teaching position and you hate plants, that might not be the job for you. If you have to manage a show team and you have no livestock experience, that might not be the job for you. If you love middle school and you apply for a high school job, that might not be the job for you. 

Now, I get it that going out of your comfort zone is important for personal growth. But I also know that there is a sweet spot when learning something new. It’s called the Zone of Proximal Development. Where the learning isn’t too easy it is boring, and not too hard it is out of reach. 

As a teacher entering a new school/district you are ALREADY on a learning curve. You have to learn about the LMS, the student management system, grading policy, discipline policy, and not to mention the intricacies of the staff and admin relationships. 

Throwing yourself in the deep end with that heavy load on top of learning a new content (or multiple) might just be the perfect combination for burnout. 

Try to make sure you are applying for positions that align with your strengths and passions when it comes to content. Experienced teachers all know that it is much easier to teach the classes that you know and like. And anything to make the job a little easier is a win. 

The Duty Times

At the last school I taught at, I had to leave my house before 6 a.m. to arrive almost on two wheels before my duty time started. No buffer for picking up coffee or extra planning before 1st period busted through my classroom door. 

It was ROUGH. I didn’t get to see my children or husband before school as they were peacefully sleeping as I tip-toed out the door. And that took a HUGE mental health hit for me. I felt like I was always rushing. And when you start your day before 6am feeling behind, it is really hard to turn that negative feeling around. 

Knowing those expected duty times for teachers is essential before signing your contract. In conjunction with your commute and your family/personal responsibilities that could really make or break your relationship with your job. 

Maybe you gotta get your kids to before care.

Maybe you have to walk your dog who is going to be alone all day.

Maybe you have to get to the gym for a workout in the a.m. 

Whatever it is, that needs to be part of your decision. 

When I took my current position, I knew I couldn’t get my son to his bus on time. So my husband had to take on that role. Thankfully we are still able to all enjoy the morning together, we just go separate ways as we walk out the door. And we will reevaluate every year as things change. 

The Staff/Admin

The people you work with matter. I have been at four different schools and two different companies outside of school. And let me tell you, when you have toxic people around you it makes the job more difficult. When you have great people working with you, it makes the job more fun. 

If you get a weird vibe from the admin in the interview, it might be a sign. If you realize 6 months in that the staff is caddy and drama filled, it might be time to brush up your resume. 

You are spending 8 hours a day with these people. It is an awesome feeling that I know when I walk into 1st period I will have a great interaction with my fellow teachers/paras. I know that 3rd period will include a fun discussion with the teacher down the hall. It makes the days more enjoyable. 

We know that humans are wired for community. Your work community matters. Now, some people live their lives as robots and could care less about the people they work with. I am not that person. The people matter and twice in my working career I KNEW I had to get out and I did. Even if I wasn’t sure what was next I took myself out of the situation. 

Protect your peace, your mental health, your sanity. 

Feeling Accomplished

When trying to grapple with my feelings about teaching now, I realized that accomplishment is part of my puzzle for feeling content in my job. 

I was talking to an old friend who was also a teacher and spent many years in education adjacent careers and she asked me how that classroom was. And it finally clicked. 

I told her that in other jobs outside of the classroom when I finished the work day I felt relieved. That was my dominant emotion. These days when I leave my school I feel accomplished. 

Every. Single. Day. 

And it isn’t from winning awards like Teacher of the Month or having my students all pass a quiz. It is from the little things. Having my class laugh with me as we do interpretive dance to model a complex concept. It is when students talk to me in Spanish so I can improve. It is when I have kids asking to have lunch with me. It is when I get a kid to laugh. It is when I get to be the person who makes that kid feel valued. 

Every day I get to feel accomplished. Regardless of how the day actually went. And that means something to me. Personally, I need to feel that. Maybe it’s the way I am wired. 

All of this to say, everyone's situation is different. I know that some of you reading this won’t connect with some of the points, and that is OK. 

The overarching point I want to make is that the decision you make when you sign your teaching contract isn’t one to be taken lightly. It is more than just picking the school with the best FFA chapter, best pay, closest to your home. It is finding the best combination that works for you in your current situation. 

That might change. I left a job I absolutely loved because my family situation changed and we needed to move. I wish I had a blog post like this to have helped me avoid a bad job situation when I moved. I am hopeful this is that thing for someone else.

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.

Worried Germinate Conference is Stuck in the Past?

Here’s How We’ve Evolved

Lately I have spent some time off Instagram (my social media app of choice). Mostly for creation but I still sneak on there to check out what my friends are up to. 

And if you are reading this and our team follows you/you follow us, there is a HIGH percentage that I am seeing what your chapter is doing and secretly fangirling.

I also see some familiar faces who have been around the G&G space since it began who have moved on from attending G&G events (no hard feelings, promise!). And I see you all getting married, growing your families, expanding your programs, excelling in your classrooms and chapters and I am HERE FOR IT. 

At G&G we understand and CELEBRATE that their are seasons of life (and careers). 

Seasons of abundance
Seasons of drought
Seasons of the status quo

With that, there’s a chance that Germinate Conference wasn’t what was right for you in the past. And if we’re being completely honest, Germinate 2019 or even 2022 wouldn’t fly for us in 2025 either. 

Which  is why I wanted to write a blog post all about how Germinate has changed and what you can expect when you register for the 2025 conference. 

Think of this as a little love letter back to our G&G OG’s. We have had you in our mind for the past 7 months as we have been working to update, revitalize, and curate the best experience for attendees in July.

4 Reasons You Might Be Hesitating To Join Germinate Conference

1. Hesitancy for Virtual PD

I hear it all the time that in our “post-COVID” days we are stepping away from virtual. Now, as someone who taught before, during, and after the pandemic I sing “hallelujah” from the rooftops about not forcing students into virtual learning. But, for professional development I say “why are you hating”

How much time do we spend on social media gathering new tips/tricks for the classroom (or even catching up with your fav creators)?

How much time do we spend watching reality TV?

How much time do we spend facetime our family members across the US/World?

How much time do you spend scrolling Facebook Groups, Pinterest or TPT for lesson ideas?

How many webinars or townhalls have you attended for ____?

Everything I listed above is virtual. 

And those avenues are valuable. 

Why would we treat professional development differently than the other ways we enrich our lives and careers? Especially when we know these cold hard facts about virtual learning (for ADULTS)

• Virtual Learning reduces training costs by 30 to 70% than in-person trainings

• Virtual Learning requires 40-60% less time our of your busy schedule than traditional classroom settings

• Virtual Learning can increase information retention by up to 80% 

Germinate was created to break down travel and financial barriers to connect incredible agriculture teachers and professionals together. 

No need to travel across the country for a couple day conference 

No need to argue with administration about dropping $1,000+ on conference registration, hotel, ubers and food. 

No need to sit in on sessions that aren’t relevant to your program

Germinate doesn’t replace your regional and national conferences for your teaching organizations. Those conferences have important legislative sessions and industry updates that are vital to the progress of agriculture education. And we support teachers attending them (we even offer a scholarship to help fund those trips for teachers once a year). 

But, we realize it is a reality of many teachers that they will not get the opportunity ever or very rarely in their career to do that kind of travel.

Hence, why we have hosted 11 agriculture teacher organized, presented, and attended Germinate Conferences since 2019.

2. Hesitancy for the same conference over and over again

Hey, if you have been to Germinate before, we are so happy you decided to come in the past! And we also understand that you might wonder why you should attend again…

It’s kind of like going to see the same artist in concert over and over – will the show be any different? You’ve seen it once, is it worth it again? (Tbh, the only person I’d go see and over and over is our girl Taylor 🤣).

With this in mind, we actually decided that we need to reach outside of our circles and hired two new team members to SHAKE UP GERMINATE this summer. Jacklyn and Jason have been working their tails off to push the team to step outside the Germinate norm. 

Case and point: At Germinate 2025 we have 23 new speakers AND 12 never before seen topics at Germinate!

There have been 296 professional development sessions hosted by G&G over the past 6 years. And we are jazzed to have some new ideas, new voices, and new takeaways that will help a teacher who is gearing up for a 2026 school year (and not re-teaching pre-pandemic content). 

So, if you have been to Germinate before I can attest to you that …

1. The format is similar to what you have seen in the past BUT…

2. You won’t be listening to the all the same speakers from the past

3. You won’t be hearing all the same topics from the past 

The content has been reviewed and edited by current ag teachers to be in the best format for you.

3. Hesitancy on investment

Y’all I think everyone can agree that money is tight. I’ll be the first to say that teachers are NOT compensated fairly and I will continue to advocate for increased teacher pay to my local representatives. 

While we at G&G cannot increase your local pay, we have created a few avenues to help lessen the financial barrier for you to attend Germinate.

1. Scholarships

• (SCHOLARSHIPS CLOSED)

• We love being able to connect with teachers who need support. Whether that is with finding the right lesson or getting assistance to attend Germinate. We offer scholarships every year prior to registration opening. Be on the lookout for applications at the beginning of the calendar year. 

2. Payment Plans

• I get it, dropping $100+ at a time can be a commitment. That is why payment plans are so prevalent in our lives from our mortgages, car payments or even using Klarna. Germinate also offers payment plans so you can break up the payments to your conference.  

3. School Supported Payments

• Yes, your school can pay for Germinate. Last year we had 13 attendees have their schools pay their way to Germinate with an invoice. If you are looking to do that, request an invoice using this Google Form. PLEASE be aware that Green & Growing Education can only accept payment for invoices using a credit card payment via QUICKBOOKS (No checks for Germinate).

4. Early Registration Discounts

• The early bird gets the worm in nature and at Germinate. We have multiple registration discounts available and here is how they play out for Germinate 2025:

1. Feb 10-Mar 15, 2025: $109

2. March 16-May 15: $149

3. May 16-June 28: $199

4. Hesitancy on the content being right for you

How many times have you been to a local professional development conference and you scan the agenda and mentally are saying to yourself…

“That’s a lot of content for core subjects?”

“Is there even anything for just CTE teachers?”

“Why am I even going if the content isn’t going to help me or my students?”

WE HAVE BEEN THERE. And TBH we end up there every year. That is why we all started attending Germinate. Because we know the content IS RELEVANT to agriculture teachers.

While we admit that you might not have sessions that fit your exact case load, FFA chapter needs, or SAE issues, we can commit that every session is created around the three circle model WITH AG TEACHERS needs at the forefront. 

So, while you might be HOPING for a Conduct of Chapter Meetings session, we can offer you a Parliamentary Procedure session from a 7th year ag teacher who has coached their teams to a GOLD ranking at nationals 4 times.

While you might be HOPING for some new ideas for field trips, we can offer you a strategic session that can help you stop sweating the small stuff in your trip planning. 

While you might be HOPING to get some new strategies for assisting your IEP students, we can offer you a session on engaging multi-language learners that might inform ideas to assist all of your students with IEPs. 

If you want to take a deeper dive on the sessions offered at Germinate this year, you can check them out here. 

I am hopeful this new information can help you see how Germinate has changed with you in mind. And if you still aren’t ready to join in this season of life, know that we are behind the scenes still cheering you on. Why? Because we don’t care about your registration fee. We care about YOU, the teacher, and more importantly, you the PERSON, choosing what is right for them. 

But if this version of Germinate IS what you are looking for, you can register HERE. 

If you are looking for some other ways to connect with the G&G community, join us at our next Marigold Meetup.

If you are looking for resources that you can download today to help you in your classroom, check out the resource library.

3 Practical Tips for Agriculture Teachers to Actually Rest Over Winter Break

Let us start off by saying, you did it. You are halfway through the school year (or almost halfway). That is a huge accomplishment.

You made it through the start of school, FFA recruitment, that pesky first field trip, your first competitions, probably a fruit fundraiser, and maybe even National Convention. Phew, that is a lot and I didn’t even mention your class load and teaching hundreds of students daily. 

You are doing it and it is almost time for a well-deserved break.

And when we say break, we mean it. Like actually shutting the work computer, locking the classroom door and saying goodbye until the new year. 

If you are shaking in your Hey Dudes just thinking about the prospect of leaving work behind for a week or more, this blog is FOR YOU. 

You, my friend, deserve a break. And to be honest, I think you know that. You know you work hard, you know you put your heart and soul into your job day in and day out. But, the thought of truly stepping away seems daunting, why?

• The never-ending to-do list

• The looooong list of activities that start up in early January

• The competition teams that need practicing

• The shop/greenhouse that needs cleaning

We get it. We have all been there or are staring at the same long list of to-do’s with you. 

What we have learned over the years is that taking a break doesn’t actually put you behind. A break gives you the fuel to move forward faster. 

You’ve probably heard an example like this before. You are like a car, the more you drive the car the less the fuel you have and the more wear and tear on the engine. To keep the car moving you have to frequently add gas and periodically take it in for servicing like a oil change, tire rotation or balance. You cannot just drive the car over and over and over again without frequent and periodic maintenance. 

The same is true for you. You must provide yourself with frequent maintenance, that is like getting good sleep, eating enough, and doing daily/weekly activities that you enjoy (that aren’t work related). And then periodically, you gotta stop moving, stop that forward progress, and take a little bit to get re-energized. 

You taking this break and deciding to put the work down and do things you love and enjoy with your family and friends is well deserved and NEEDED so you can continue to thrive (and survive) in the new year. 

Now, this wouldn’t be a helpful blog if it was just motivational and gave you no tips to actually achieve this. So here are our 3 Tips to ACTUALLY Rest this Winter Break 

3 Ways to ACTUALLY Rest this Winter Break

1. Don’t Reinvent The Wheel Before Break

Holiday break is right around the corner. Now is not the time to shake things up and rewrite your curriculum, try too many new activities and put a lot more on your already full plate. Some of you may be winding down the semester and some of you will be in January. There is no need to pull out so many bells and whistles just because break is around the corner.

That doesn’t mean we suggest watching Elf on repeat citing that it is an agriculture movie just because of Mr. Narwhal. 

We mean that you can just stay the course. Keep teaching what your curriculum plan has scheduled up until the final bell. You don’t have to make your curriculum cutest just because of the holidays. 

We also think this is a great time to use your resources. There is a plethora of free resources out on the internet that could provide some spice to your lessons if you so choose.

At G&G we are happy to provide you with free resources for the three-circle model of agriculture education. Here are some that might be helpful as you wind down 2024 and step into 2025:

• Classroom Instruction

Holiday Hazards – I recently got a new kitten and navigating the holiday decorations this year is quite a challenge. We want to keep her safe! If you have a small animal or veterinary science class it might be fun to let your students explore the hazards of the holidays. Use this simple resource to get your kids going. 

One Word – The start of the new year is a great opportunity to set some goals. With this One Word resource, students create pennants with their chosen words for the year (or semester). This activity doubles as classroom decor. Win-win!

• SAE 

Teacher Conference – You are about halfway through the school year. Have you checked in on those Supervised Agricultural Experiences you assigned the kids back in September? Now is a great time! Set aside a day to have a 1 on 1 meeting with each student using the Teacher Conference resource. 

• FFA

It’s ALWAYS a good time to open up the FFA New Horizon magazine and teacher guide for some activities. The Fall/Winter 2024 edition has SIX different activities including downloadable Google Docs. 

2. Don’t Bring Work Home

I vividly remember my Walmart Pink milk crate that I lugged interactive science notebooks home over breaks. She went into my trunk and most of the time never saw the light of day until I went back to school. 

Now you might be thinking, well you didn’t actually do work!

While that is right, do you know what is in the back of my mind the entire break?

• I should go get those notebooks and grade instead of watching football with my husband

• I should go do some work instead of watching the kids play in the backyard

• I should probably try and get ahead before this break is over

And that overthinking and worrying is WORSE in my opinion than just setting aside work for a few weeks and being fully present during the break. 

I know some of you reading this are ADAMANTLY opposed to this opinion, and I get it. As you can tell I was there with you too. And you have the autonomy to do exactly what you want.

From our daily interactions with teachers, we have found that overwhelm, burnout and not enoughness are three of the biggest pain points for teachers in the classroom. And I bet we believe that working over break to get “caught up” is all a good intention.

But, what is the purpose of the break if you aren’t actually breaking from work?!

One thing we know that is absolutely true is that your to-do list will NEVER be done. There is no way to be “all caught up.” That is a myth. To decide that working will get that to-do list done before the new year instead of taking a breath and enjoying time off could be counter productive in exacerbating those feelings of overwhelm and burn out because you are continuing to work non-stop. 

If you feel so moved to work over break, one way to step into this gently is to create strict boundaries with yourself. Maybe you only work in the mornings of break or only 2 days during break. And then leave it alone. 

Challenge yourself this break to limit the amount of work you bring home or don’t bring it at all. Then when you step into school on January 2nd see how you feel. We hope you feel refreshed, reinvigorated, and ready for the next year. 

3. Don’t Schedule School Events/Practices Over the Break

Hate to break it to you friend, but it isn’t just you who needs a break. Those hard working kiddos do too.

Don’t you remember the joy you felt back when you were a student before break? The anticipation waiting for that final bell to ring so you could confidently lock your locker, grab your keys and high tail it out of the student parking lot?

Your kids should be able to feel that too. 

• Yes, even those who are preparing for a competition in the new year. 

• Yes, even those who are behind on school work. 

• Yes, even those who have scholarship dues dates looming around the corner. 

• Yes, even those student leaders who are motivated to get work done over the break

Allow those students to rest and relax. Not just because they should, but because it will start teaching them a habit I barelyyyyyy feel like I have grasped as a fully functioning adult… the habit of resting. 

If you are a high achieving person, you might have trouble resting too. Your brain is hardwired to be moving at all times. Sitting down, taking a load off, doing some things just for funsies makes guilt creep in.

And let’s be honest, that is NOT a healthy way to live. We want to be good role models for our students and this is one space where you can tell those students “no worries, we will pick this up in two weeks.” 

Now, if you are reading this and want to implement it but feel like this isn’t the “norm” around you because maybe it wasn’t how your ag teachers operated, how your college professors taught you to treat breaks or the ag teachers around you preach a 24/7/365 career…

We want you to know there ARE agriculture teachers who believe in resting, believe in taking breaks, and indulging in their passions outside of teaching.

And you can easily connect with them regularly through Green & Growing Education events. Find out more on our instagram.

4 Practical Things to do During Teacher Work Days

The Walmart Back to School shelves are becoming bare. 

The good erasers have been gobbled up.

The class lists have been made.

School is back in session already, very shortly or in just a few weeks. 

I’m going to be honest, I LOVE BACK TO SCHOOL. I absolutely love getting brand spanking new class supplies, having time in my classroom to organize, and getting to reconnect with my coworkers.

You just can’t bottle up that type of excitement and anticipation of what the new year will bring. 

Sometimes, I have to admit that this can be a downfall for me. I get so jazzed on all the exciting, sparkly, fun things and forget about the practical, required things. 

This year I am committing to setting myself up for success in the planning of Back to School and not just the fun things like decorating my classroom and relabeling the chromebooks. 

I am committing to the practical tasks of prepping for the school year. 

These tasks are things that will not only be good for the beginning of the school year but will help me out throughout the entire school year. Why?

September show season

National Convention in October

CDE season begins in November (if not earlier) 

Community Service in December and the list goes on.

Don’t even get me started on the Janfebrumarch Month of the year!

If there are a few tasks I can front load that help lift the burden of those busy times throughout the year I am going to tackle them now! I asked the G&G team to collaborate on this topic so you get to hear from singleton teachers and multi-teacher departments as well as small and large chapters!

And if you haven’t heard us say this before, know that NOT ALL ADVICE will be beneficial for you. Our goal of this list is to give you some ideas to get you started and you can make your own customized Practical Tasks of Teacher Work Days that fit your classroom, chapter and career!

4 Practical Things to Do During Teacher Work Days

REQUESTS

What is the one thing we wish we had more of? TIME. There are only so many days where you get uninterrupted hours of work and most of those days are at the beginning of the year. Those glorious Teacher Work Days (that are hopefully not too marred with meetings). Here are some tasks that might save you time (and sanity) during the school year! ⬇️

Get things done early that can be done. Now, we get it. Not everything can be done early. We also know you might have some competition dates, convention dates and recurring chapter events that you need to get planned and administration approval. We are thinking of those pesky field trip requests, bus requests, sub requests and fundraising requests. 

Take the time NOW to do those types of things so you aren’t rushing the week before to get all your ducks in a row. 

SYSTEMS

We are firm believers that you are the captain of your culture (shout out to Germinate 2023 Keynote Speaker Ann Vote for teaching us this). But, to be a captain you must first chart your course. You need to know what the destination is and map how you wish to get there. This starts by determining your classroom systems, routines and expectations. 
-Rules/Expectations

If you don’t have them, the kids won’t know how to follow you. I had a teacher once say that this creates “free and feral” classrooms. And, I’m going to bet you don’t want that. Now, we don’t have the exact formula that is going to work for you because the best rules and expectations are going to be unique to your kids. But, don’t fall into the trap of something you don’t need to prioritize. 

-Computer Clean up

This truly is something I need a good kick in the butt to do. If you have a thousand screenshots, more takeaway downloads than you can count, and folders in disarray it is time to get those cleaned up. When you take time now to create some systems and organization your future self will be thanking you later this year!

-AET Clean up/out 

AET is one of my favorite resources we have as ag teachers. I also know if you use it for the classroom and SAEs with your hundreds of kiddos, it can be messy fast. Take a moment to clean out old practice applications, chapter pictures and set up for 2024-25 resources. .

RELATIONSHIPS

Que that go to teacher quote from President Roosevelt,  “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

You might think it’s cliche or overused but it’s truly just human nature. And if we can harness some skills that allow us to connect and care for those kids in our classroom seats, we say go for it! 

Here are some of our favorite ways to start building a classroom culture focused on relationships before the school year starts! ⬇️

Send cards home

An oldie but a goodie. If you have access to student addresses, sending some snail mail might be the ticket to help ease some nerves for that first day of school. 

Classroom Vibe Curation

Ambiance is a thing. Providing a space that evokes feelings of calm and relaxation can help students feel safe and ready to learn. Now, I’m not saying your classroom needs to look like a yoga studio or spa. I am saying you can take some time before kids rush in on day one to have some vibes ready.

This can look like decluttering, adding some fluorescent light covers, getting some lamps, incorporating some plants, making a spotify playlist, maybe some twinkle lights, a candle warmer (if allowed), and anything else you think will add a calming environment to your little educational sanctuary. 

Time with Co-workers (retreat/mini retreat) 

Your co-workers are your support staff IMHO. While they might not be your secretary they can save the day on many occasions. From the “can you watch my class while I pee?” to “how are you managing those ninth graders this year?” Start the year off with some time to rekindle those co-worker relationships.

Something simple our department did in the past was go out to our favorite local restaurant the first day of teacher work days to debrief from our summer vacations. I was lucky enough to have a teaching partner and we also started “Food Fridays” where we got takeout (usually Chick-fil-A) on Fridays and reconnected after the craziness of the week.

Whatever you do, try not to take on this job alone. There are people who would love to help you and sometimes they are just a walk down the hall!

FUN

If you came to this blog just for fun activities for the first week of school, well we have some with a caveat. We know that fun is great on the first few days/week of school, but we also know that setting your kids up to be “entertained” every class period because of how you set up the first few days MIGHT be setting yourself up for failure.

Our best word of advice is to make sure that you are running your class during those first days and weeks very similarly to how you expect it to run in October and May. Which absolutely can include fun but will most likely also include your routines, habits and expectations. 

The Numbers Game

Put numbers that mean something to you on the board (ex. Your age, the year you graduated from college etc.) on the board and have students guess the meaning. 

CDE Stations

Give your students a preview of what career development events they can participate in by creating stations for them to test their skills!
Emoji Tattoos

Students choose emojis tattoos that represent them and put them on so they can show their personality to everyone. 

Regardless of how you want to focus your time those first few days know that we have a team at G&G cheering you on. If you are looking for more specific help when it comes to starting the school year, even if it is more FFA related contact us and we will do our best to get you the resources you need to make this school year the best yet!