National FFA Week as an Advisor
This year I celebrated National FFA Week in my new capacity as an FFA Advisor and Student Teacher. Although the week was limited due to yet another snow storm I learned many things.
Having a spirit week is a great way to identify supporters and members of the FFA in your school. Dover had Blue Tuesday, Flannel Wednesday, Gold Thursday, and Official Dress Friday. On social media I noticed other chapters have an FFA Tee Shirt Day, Camo Day, or Agriculture Businesses and Supporters Day which participants wore logos of their favorites.
Supporters Luncheon
Dover FFA hosted a faculty luncheon on Friday, where they enlisted the help of an OAC member to roast a pig, as well as frying catfish in the ag shop. FFA Members volunteered to bring in the other foods, and volunteered to cook, greet, and serve faculty during their lunch periods.
This is a perfect way to reward people who support you year round as well as gain supporters by inviting them into your program.
Recruitment Activities
Although the snow foiled our plans, we had the intent to visit all 6th graders in their science class and the officers would teach an agriculture lab in honor of FFA Week. By displaying agriculture as a science, the opportunities available in Ag and the FFA, and networking underclassmen to upperclassmen making joining agriculture classes and the FFA a lot less scary.
Lisa, 3 things. 1.) Sounds like a great way to celebrate FFA week. 2.) Love the idea of getting high school students working with the younger grades, great recruitment into the program and industry, and 3.) Is that Britney Marsh? Did you both wear official dress to school or is that an old picture?
ReplyDeleteThat is Ms. Marsh! She and I wore official dress Friday for FFA Spirit Week.
DeleteI would be curious to hear what you took away about the planning side of things for this week. Early planning for FFA Week is so important to make sure the students are included and to be prepared, even when Mother Nature gets in the way. I know you saw some examples of plans that went well and plans that did not because of these components for us this week. File them away to help you in the future with your own Chapter. One of my summer goals, every summer, is to make an FFA Planning Calendar to help stay ahead of these things by reminding me what to work on each month. One of these years, I will actually get it done since I NEED it.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely planning is key, I noticed the successes an struggles this week as a result of how things are planned. I also noticed when planning FFA Week, its okay not get overload yourself with crazy busy schedules and events. One major event for each one of the teachers was enough to make the National FFA Week presence known! Sometimes less events make the whole thing a bigger success because you can focus in on them more for fine tuned efforts.
DeleteDo you think that National FFA Week positively contributes to student learning and development?
ReplyDeleteGreat week and it is awesome when our students can learn and have fun at the same time!
ReplyDeleteLisa, good capture of the week but how did the advisor perspective go for you? This was my first National FFA Week celebration and I felt that I overworked myself due to a lack of participation in my students planning. I will be sure to comb through the details next year so I am not adapting and running around all week.
ReplyDelete