Michael Powell teaches middle school students about agriculture.
“Sometimes agriculture teachers fire the spark that resides in all of us,” says Farmville Central High School FFA Chapter President Michael Powell from North Carolina. “Danielle Riggs was the one who fired the spark inside of me.”
Powell, currently a senior, expressed an interest in agricultural education to Riggs, his FFA advisor, during his sophomore year of high school. Powell said that because of this, she gave him the opportunity to teach both middle school and high school students, which became his Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE).
“This opportunity allows me to experience the field of agricultural education firsthand,” he says, adding that it has helped solidify his decision to pursue a career in agricultural education.
Currently, Powell has invested more than 165 hours into his SAE. This is an accumulation of his time to research, write lessons and teach in the classroom.
“I spend a lot of my time studying the material so that I can properly educate students and answer any questions they may have,” Powell said. “I enjoy creating my own lesson plans, worksheets, slideshows and grading the work.”
When asked how his confidence in teaching has changed since the start of his SAE, Powell said, “I’m not as nervous now, and I feel more confident in my knowledge of the material.” He adds that, at times, he compares teaching to giving oral reasons in the livestock evaluation career development event (CDE) and to “talk about it like you know it.”
This year, Powell plans to apply for an agricultural education proficiency award.
Powell teaches students how to insert a vaccine properly.
Outside of His SAE
Powell is passionate about agricultural education and has taken opportunities outside of his SAE to explore the field.
“Last year, I competed in the agricultural education career development event offered by the North Carolina FFA Association,” he said. The agricultural education CDE is designed to prepare students to understand what a career as an agriculture educator is like. In this event, FFA members write a lesson plan and record themselves teaching a lesson. Students must also prepare to answer questions regarding their lesson and teaching philosophy.
When he competed, Powell placed in the top 12 in the state. He intends to compete again this year, further applying the skills and knowledge he has gained through his SAE.
Powell has also completed an internship that allows him to teach at Farmville Central Middle School as well as all the high schools in Pitt County, N.C., that offer agricultural education courses. This allows him to spend more time teaching in the classroom.
“Now more than ever, education needs passionate, dedicated young teachers to join the workforce,” Riggs said. “I’m proud that Michael wants to become an agriculture teacher, and I’m confident he will continue to grow as an educator.”
