This past year, I taught two Introduction to Horticulture classes at a local community college. As a result, I was recently asked to give a talk to agricultural education students at UC Davis regarding how I returned to teaching agriculture after starting a career and why I chose to teach. I thought it would be good to share on my blog for you to get a better understanding of the experience, in case there are any readers considering entering the space.
Why Teach Now?
Why not? I did an agricultural education major for my undergraduate degree, and changed paths because I realized that teaching high school students was not for me. However, I never fully closed the door on teaching in general. So, after working in the “real world” for a few years after college and moving to a new area, I decided it was time to give it a try. I submitted a resume and got a call back a few weeks later, and the rest is history!
Community College Student Demographic
At the community college level, you never know what you are going to get! Among the sixty students in my two classes, I had a variety of students ranging from fresh out of high school to in their sixties. I thought the benefit of teaching at the community college level would be to have more students that had specifically chosen to study the subject as their major. I was wrong. There were only three students that were studying Horticulture as their major.
Nonetheless, I had students who had been growing home gardens for years, those that were really interested in specific plants (e.g., that was right around the time when the marijuana laws were changing in California), those that just wanted to learn how to grow a house plant, and those that were hoping for an easy A! So, not only was I there to teach them, but also to learn from them.
Workload Teaching Agriculture at a Community College
No matter how much you think you know, there is always more to learn, especially when dealing with specific books for teaching. You have to really put in the work to focus on what the students are reading and garner the lectures towards them. You also have to take into consideration that students do not all learn in the same way. For example, some students are visual learners, some learn by doing, some prefer taking notes to lecture slides, etc. When putting lectures together, you are essentially reading the chapters, finding pictures and videos that demonstrate the topic and finding multiple ways to demonstrate the same thing to ingrain understanding for all students.
Would I Teach Again?
I would. However, I think it is something that I would return to later in life. Doing it as an extracurricular activity to my regular job was difficult because of the amount of time it takes and the fact that it limited my ability to travel for work. Once you create the lessons the first semester, the workload should decrease the following semesters. Nonetheless, you still have to prepare, and you still have a set schedule.
Why You Should Consider Teaching Agriculture
Your career in Agriculture or some other area has most likely made you an expert in a specific field. Students are craving that real-world knowledge as they prepare to pursue their own careers. Students will soak up your knowledge, while challenging you in a rewarding way! And it is something that you can do in addition to your “day job.”
I will add a disclaimer, though, because teaching is not for everyone! If you are not able to invest in it and be patient with your students, then it is not worth it.
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