Standard 9 is a standard that I think is really important. This is basically where the teacher has to continually evaluate the effects his or her choices and actions actually do affect others, and are willing to make changes that will help them grow professionally. I think this is really vital because it takes a lot for a teacher to admit that they need to change one technique or another. I also think its important because you are always learning throughout your career as a teacher, and you need to make changes as they need to come along. Also, with technologies and different issues, you have to be willing to make changes.
I think this is really obvious with the agricultural education curriculums. I think that if I was just starting out as an instructor in this area four years ago, that the subject matter are totally different that what I think should be taught now. I think just because of this fact alone, a teacher always needs to change. It isn't going to do them or their students very good at all if they not the subject they are teaching in, its just going to hurt everyone in the process. I think a really good example of this is Tony Boehm, the agricultural instructor in Colfax. In an interview with him, he said that you are always going to have to change your teaching objectives because the area of agriculture is always changing. Plus, agricultural education is always look at as a slough-off class, and as you grow as a teacher, you need to change your objectives in which the students realize that this is a class in which I'm actually going to learn something, and if I don't do good in it, I could well flunk out of the class.
I think that with my major, Standard 10 is also very crucial. Like I said in my service learning paper , you're going to need to be in touch with the students in able to help them improve. Also, with agricultural education, you need to have good relations with the parents of your students because you are the one that is going to be in charge of those students when they are in class, and also if they are active in FFA. Without parents support, you will have no students that can participate in FFA related events. You also need a good base with the community because they are the ones that are paying for your school, and if you make a really bad example to them, they just going to think that the agriculture program isn't needed, and they could very well take away your funding.
You also need a good relationship with fellow colleagues as well. Not just in your school, but with other chapter advisors. I know from past experiences that once you get on the bad side of most of the FFA advisors in North Dakota, you are kind of looked down upon, and your chapter is considered a joke. And with fellow colleagues in you school, you are going have to be able to cooperate with them in many ways, whether it would be to class scheduling so students can take classes they want, and not have conflicts of classes they have to choose from. Also, like I said with your fellow advisors, you fellow teachers could loose respect for you, and you could well have a massive loss in students and support from the school overall.
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