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!
🌿 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.
End-of-Year Ag Teacher Awards: Superlatives That Say ‘We See You’
I was just watching (I mean re-watching for the fourth time) Ted Lasso. His charisma, positivity and down right hilarious quips keep me coming back for more.
One of my favorite moments in the seasons is when he sees that one of his players isn’t performing the best and finds out that he has really been missing his home and has a birthday coming up.
He works with the other coaches and team to surprise him with presents from home and a cake. It reminds me that celebration is an underused strategy to encourage and support others.
We don’t need to wait for a certain moment or day in the year to celebrate.
So, today we are celebrating you. If you’re reading this in real time, we are entering into the end of the school year (and yes teacher appreciation week) and it is time to celebrate.
Why don’t we do a little superlatives to celebrate! As you read I have a feeling some of you will be saying “wow, that is me!” And we know because we are right there with you. To be honest I am feeling very 1, 7 and 11 this year.
Most Likely to Hit a Curb in the Mini Bus
It may not have been a smooth ride, but you got everyone there in one piece (and probably had snacks, music, and a pep talk along the way). You’re the kind of leader who keeps it moving, curbs and all.
Most Likely to Have a Greenhouse That Feels Like a Second Home
Your students know it, your coworkers know it, your community knows it and the plants definitely know it. You’ve created a space where growth is more than just botanical—it's personal, too.
Most Likely to Know Everyone's Favorite Snack at CDE Practice
You’ve memorized the snack orders, pep talk routines, and who needs a joke before reasons. It’s not just food, it’s how you fuel your teams for connection.
Most Likely to Make the Shop Smell Like Sawdust and Success
Every project starts with chaos and ends with “Whoa, we built that?” You're showing students what it means to create something real with their own two hands.
Most Likely to Be a Legend at the County Fair
You can find the duct tape, wrangle three kids, fix a display, and still manage to smile for the group photo. Fair season would fall apart without you.
Most Likely to Have the Best Animal Selfies on Their Camera Roll
Goats, pigs, chickens—and somehow they’re all smiling. You bring the barn to life and capture the joy along the way.
Most Likely to Turn Any Moment into a Teachable One
Rain delays, broken tools, CDE team chaos and last-minute schedule changes don’t stop the learning. You see every moment as an opportunity to help kids grow.
Most Likely to Keep it Real with a Side of Sass
You say what needs to be said, with a smirk and a spark. You bring honesty, humor, and high expectations and we know your students are better for it.
Most Likely to Inspire the Next Generation of Ag Teachers
You’re the reason a student looked up and said, “I want to do this someday.” That’s impact, and it lasts longer than any lesson plan.
Most Likely to Cry at Graduation (and That’s Okay)
You’ve been in the trenches with these students, watched them grow, fail, and find their way for four years. When they walk across that stage, your heart walks right with them.
Most Likely to Take a Real Break This Summer
This year asked a lot, and you showed up anyway. Now it’s your turn to rest, recharge, and remember that doing nothing is doing something.
Most Likely to Grow Their Teaching Skills This Summer
You’re the kind of educator who’s always learning, always leveling up. Whether it’s your first Germinate Conference or your fifth, you show up ready to grow—and we’re cheering you on.
No matter which superlative made you smile (or made you say, “Yep, that’s me”), we hope you feel seen, valued, and celebrated.
Whether this year was your best yet or one you’re just proud to have survived, we’re so dang proud of you. You’ve made a difference, even on the hard days actually, especially on the hard days.
To keep that momentum going, we’ve pulled together some free resources to help you wrap up the year with intention, ease, and maybe even a little joy. Because you deserve support just as much as you give it.
Let’s finish strong—and then take that well-earned break.
Got a day to fill? Why not try a Wonder Day. Inspired by John Spencer’s Wonder Week. This resource gives you a Google Slide template for your students to dive deep into a topic of your choosing for the day.
Just last month we dropped a mega end of the year blog to help you get the most out of your students when they are still there! Check out the various free resources to gather feedback from your students to make next year the best yet.
The end of the year usually means it is time to see what those students have done on their SAEs this semester. Check out this short blog and accompany podcast on how to spice it up this year with an SAE Expo.
Paper plate awards are a fun, low prep way to recognize students in your classes or chapter members. This blog gives you a few suggestions and reasons why celebrating your students might be fun at the end of the year.
At the end of the year, the last things kids want is another Kahoot or Quizlet Live. Lori Sanderson (a Germinate Speaker LEGEND) gave you the Holy Grail of Review Activities in this Hall of Fame Germinate Session. With a TON of ready to use ideas and google drive resources to help you out before those final exams.
If you are loving the resources you are seeing here or the ag teacher focused content make sure you are subscribed to the monthly Gazette. The best place to get everything you need to know as an ag teacher in one place including new resources, teacher shout out and opportunities you don’t want to miss. You can join the fun here.
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."