\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Tis the eve before the beginning of the OYE.\u00a0 As an ag teacher, it is hard to be a fan of the OK Youth Expo.\u00a0 It is well ran and it is a premier show.\u00a0 I am not here to bash OYE tonight.\u00a0 I will wait until I’m wore out and pissed at the world to do that.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0However, on this eve of leaving to OYE with ag mechanics projects, I found myself reading a blog.\u00a0 It is a blog from a former student.\u00a0 Chancey wrote about writing things down.\u00a0 She’s smarter than I and a helluva lot better writer, so I thought, “Hey, I’m thinking about the ag mechanics show.\u00a0 Shattuck is taking several exhibits.\u00a0 Not as many as originally planned.\u00a0 But, I can see the end of the journey for this year.\u00a0 I don’t know nor care about the end as much as what I’ve learned in the middle.”\u00a0 I then thought, I need to write this down.\u00a0 So here goes.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 For starters, it hasn’t taken me long to realize that if it is just about “winning OYE” that an ag mechanics project can turn into a shit-show, much like a livestock project.\u00a0 All focus on one goal–finances and teaching be damned.\u00a0 Is it better to have 1 big project to gather a big banner.\u00a0 OR is it better to have a lot of high quality projects with more kids involved.\u00a0 Decisions.\u00a0 Now, we took a lot of projects to districts.\u00a0 But not every project (livestock or ag mech) needs to make the trip to OKC.\u00a0 Hard decisions need to be made.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
–Yeah, it’s close to being a really good project.\u00a0 The only way it’s going to get done properly is if those baseball games are missed.\u00a0 Make the decision.<\/p>\n
–So what if you’re a senior.\u00a0 The project is half-assed and it isn’t up to par.\u00a0 Stay home.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
–Welcome to the real world.\u00a0 Supply chain problems are a real deal.\u00a0 We should’ve ordered those parts before Halloween.\u00a0 4 months ahead is behind in today’s society.\u00a0 Who knew?<\/p>\n
I have not become some Ag Mech junkie ag teacher.\u00a0 I’ve always kind of been there.\u00a0 My students have built cool projects–large and small–for decades.\u00a0 Granted, we are more public with them the past couple of years.\u00a0 And yes, I am going to continue pushing for these ag mech shows.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 It makes sense.\u00a0 Common sense!<\/p>\n
Here’s why.<\/p>\n
1–Ag mechanics skills such as READING a tape measure, welding, cutting, safety, carpentry, CNC designs, electrical, etc. are NOT going to go out of style.\u00a0 Every student will use these skills.\u00a0 Every parent likes these skills taught and every other person in the school appreciates these skills being taught.\u00a0 There is NO drawback to these skills being taught properly.\u00a0 Ag Educators are supposed to be teaching these hands-on skills to some degree already.\u00a0 These skills are not racist, sexist or dependent on socio-economic standards.\u00a0 These skills are timeless.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Now, I am not against a livestock show….but let’s think about skills like wrapping legs, blow dryer operation and “fitting legs”.\u00a0 Not exactly skills that are easily relatable to the general public or for long-term success in 99.9% of all employment situations.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
2–Record keeping.\u00a0 Once again, a skill that we are supposed to be teaching.\u00a0 If a kid is putting together a portfolio of their ag mech project, they are keeping track of material costs and time invested.\u00a0 A student is most likely never going to get upside down in an ag mech project.\u00a0 Sometimes, it’s as simple as what are those horseshoes worth, how much time did it take you and what did the paint cost?<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Now, if you are an OK ag teacher helping a kid fill out their “F”AET record keeping system (does the F stand for Fake or F…?…. now children, consider the source)\u00a0 and they have show animals….well, most likely, there have been some numbers “fudged” to the keep them profitable.\u00a0 “Let’s not put the real purchase price of that animal in the books.”\u00a0 Or “You never showed that one, let’s not count it.”\u00a0 Maybe this happens.\u00a0 Just me?\u00a0 Hell no!\u00a0 98.2% of all show animals are not profitable. No doubt when you add in all the side costs–leg wraps, feed additives, needles, consultants, super glue, blade sharpening, bedding costs.\u00a0 My GOD!! Bedding costs.\u00a0 The best part of an ag mech project is when you budget a full piece of metal on THIS project but you only use 3\/4 of that stick.\u00a0 But that leftover 1\/4 stick is FREE for the next project that needed 5′ of 2″ square tubing.\u00a0 Win! Win!<\/p>\n
3–Marketing.\u00a0 Like that great Whitesnake song “Here I go again”.\u00a0 We are supposed to be teaching this skill.\u00a0 Once a kid builds something, they take ownership and pride in it.\u00a0 They WANT to know what it’s worth.\u00a0 And a lot of those “1st’ projects get paid for by family members.\u00a0 They are now family heirlooms.\u00a0 Turn the kids loose to take pics and make their own marketing fliers and watch out.\u00a0 They will make videos, slide shows, tik toks, etc.\u00a0 Odds are that they have been snapping pics as they built it.\u00a0 Today’s kids love marketing stuff.<\/p>\n
4– Public Speaking.\u00a0 This is no secret that I love public speaking contests.\u00a0 Now, I’m not saying that the ag mecher kid will be a national qualifying prepared public speaker.\u00a0 But, watch a kid take pride in their workmanship and sit back and watch the passion come out when they talk about THEIR project.\u00a0 They built it.\u00a0 They learned it.\u00a0 They OWN it!\u00a0 They CAN and WILL talk it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
So wait a minute.\u00a0 You are saying that there is an event, in FFA, that students can learn skills, keep records, market it and learn to talk about it?\u00a0 Yep.\u00a0 And they can possibly make money while winning awards\/tools\/scholarships?\u00a0 \u00a0You betcha!\u00a0 Sometimes….just sometimes, it all comes together.\u00a0 And it all actually makes sense.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
What about ethics?\u00a0 Alright.\u00a0 Did the kid do the work?\u00a0 Yep.\u00a0 If it’s done at school, the other kids ALL know who did what and who is getting good with the tools.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I’ve been a part of grand champion animals in all species and at all levels.\u00a0 That isn’t a brag.\u00a0 Just a fact which allows me to say that most (people, parents, administrators, etc) truly do not care who wins a stock show.\u00a0 But let a kid build something and watch the support and money start to flow.\u00a0 I’m right.\u00a0<\/p>\n
None of this blog post is designed to encourage other ag teachers.\u00a0 I will, however, strongly encourage ag teachers in the Woodward and Enid districts that are not already helping students with ag mech projects to get their shit together.\u00a0 I have seen what is coming.\u00a0 You might want to grab a hold.\u00a0 But as a whole, I truly do not care if you want to continue the lazy, short sighted pursuits of chasing a hamster wheel banner that will require a jock and force you to make ethical decisions to help u obtain that win.\u00a0 Do whatever fancies you.\u00a0 Any of you can come look at my trophies.\u00a0 I only have 3 and they are named Tammy, Kela and Duke.\u00a0 I damn sure don’t have any for Mr. Congeniality, Rays of Sunshine or giving a rat’s ass what you think of me.\u00a0 However, I am right.\u00a0 At this game of being an ag teacher, I’m better than most, not as good as some…. yet, I do know the best.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Looking back, I shouldn’t have wrote that last paragraph or two.\u00a0 Chancey said “to write it down”.\u00a0 And I am genetically predisposed to not being able to stop my thoughts.\u00a0 Some blogs are well written and are un-offensive.\u00a0 And then there is this one.\u00a0 Not so much.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0People, have a good one and a better tomorrow.\u00a0 I’ve got to watch it all come together.\u00a0 Might take a year or 3 but together it will all come.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Tis the eve before the beginning of the OYE.\u00a0 As an ag teacher, it is hard to be a fan of the OK Youth Expo.\u00a0 It is well ran and it is a premier show.\u00a0 I am not here to bash OYE tonight.\u00a0 I will wait […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4715"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4715"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4715\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4718,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4715\/revisions\/4718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}