Your Fundraising Specialist Teacher
We can all agree on one thing.
There never is enough funds to do everything you wish you could do for your chapter.
And because of this problem, we must add something else to our to do list.
What we do know is there can be a way to have awesome fundraisers that are fully integrated into your program of activities and the three circle model. Whether you’re looking to improve upon your existing fundraisers, or start over from scratch with a new one.
And you have access to the G&G Fundraising Specialist Teacher, Abbey Brown. She is excited to help you raise money to support the awesome things you do as an ag program!
Here is what she can support you with:
-Planning a Successful Fundraiser
-Innovative Fundraising Ideas
-Boston Butt Sales
-Hosting Field-Trips
-Fun Farmer’s Academy (Day camp for kids)
-School Based Enterprises
Here is what you should do next!
Head over to Abbey’s Specialist Roster Page
Watch her introduction video
Download her takeaway
Connect with her via Instagram or Email for you specific fundraising needs
Need other specialized support, check out the other G&G specialist teachers!
How to Get Rid of Sucky Meetings
For over three years, Monday nights have meant G&G meeting nights.
If you’ve been around G&G for a while you know that the entire team works full-time in OTHER jobs. G&G is something we do on the side. So time is of the essence for our meetings.
We also have been exposed to meeting that have made up want to ripe our hair out.
Have you even been in a meeting (or lead a meeting *no judgement*) that
🤦🏿♀️Could have been an email
🤦🏽♂️Nothing got accomplished
🤦♀️Went longer than they told you
🤦🏻♂️You just got talked to the entire time
What kind of emotions does that spark for you?
Maybe you feel like it was a waste of time. Maybe you feel like your presence there wasn’t needed (and you could have used your time better elsewhere. Maybe you feel like those meetings are more like lectures of “do this” or “don’t do that”. Maybe you feel like the meetings aren’t actually deciding anything at all.
Well friends, there is a better way!
You can take charge of the meetings you lead with this simple meeting template.
Here is how to use it so you can have a smooth and effective meeting...
1️⃣ Consistency
Use the SAME template, SAME flow, SAME time, SAME length, every time. Consistency in meetings allows you to show respect to your team members and the real value is they will come ready and prepared for what will come during the meeting!
2️⃣ Decide
Have a section of the meeting to JUST DECIDE (preferably at the beginning). Making decisions takes energy and when you focus in on those decisions you will make them quicker and make sure you get the MOST important things done first.
3️⃣ Tackles
Take time to review every member of the teams tackles. Tackles are something that one team members has ownership over (ex. FFA Secretary's tackle are Meeting Minutes). Give them space to rank themselves and tell the group why. This allows you to see where they need support and you can cheer them on as they complete their tackles.
Take a chance and try it out. Serve your team members with consistency this week.
You have power in the very thing you are resisting
I can remember my first time welding. It was at the Georgia FFA/FCCLA center my Junior Year of College. My awesome instructor Mr. Von Peavy could smell my fear. And of course, like any good teacher he got me to be the first to try and strike an arc. Shaking in my oversize green fire retardant jacket, my welding helmet and oversized leather gloves I took hold of the electrode and tried multiple times to get an arc going. With encouragement from Mr. Von Peavy I got it going after a few tries. And you know what, throughout the intensive week of welding 101 I got more and more confident with my skills each time I stepped into the welding booth.
Fast forward 3 years later and I am teaching metal fabrication to my students in my first teaching job. And I admit, I was not an expert in welding. But, what I do know is each time I was in the booth I got just a little bit more proficient and a little bit more confident.
What skills do you have that you could improve on? What skills do you feel proficient at but want to become an expert at?
How do you get that? By showing up and continually pursuing that skill.
You can expedite that growth by teaching others. I can imagine there is a certain topic that you have felt less than confident about teaching. Maybe it is something that you never learned in high school or college and you face teaching it to squirelly middle schoolers and apathetic high schoolers. What should you do? DOUBLE DOWN on that topic. Go all in. Study it, reach out to other experts, watch professional development sessions on it, purchase curriculum in that topic area, and your skills and confidence will increase.
Have you ever heard of the power formula. Yes, the person who almost failed high school physics is telling you about physics.
The power formula is POWER=Resistance X Effort squared.
What does that mean? It means that you can find power in the very thing that you are resisting but putting more effort into it.
Let me tell you a story.
My first year teaching I asked selfishly the state staff what the least participated CDE was in the state. They said Ag Communications. I said “Great, something that I can learn about and maybe just maybe my kiddos will be able to succeed in.”
Three years in a row we got THIRD place in the state. Now, that sounds impressive right? Well the first year there was just three chapters competing and the next two years it was five. Progress right? Not really. We just did the minimum to get there. We didn’t go all in. I didn’t go all in. I just put minimal effort into that CDE and we got minimal results.
Well, I moved to a different state and said I need to double down. Remember the power formula is DOUBLING your effort in the thing that you resist.
So I started studying the Ag Communications rubrics and contest information. I started taking the quizzes with my students. I started asking for help from state staff, we started practicing way earlier than we really needed to, I even taught a professional development session to other teachers about Ag Comm. And you know what, I learned a ton. My students learned a ton. That fourth year coaching a team in Agriculture Communications was a year of doubling down. And they won the area contest, they won the state contest and they won the national contest.
You might be thinking, ok you made it to the top. Good for you. While that is true, the learning didn’t stop there. I decided to continue to double down on this CDE with my next group of eager kiddos. I refined the way I coached certain parts of the content. I knew where you win and lose competitions based on the rubric. I flew out to California to teach other agriculture teachers how to coach this content. Year after year I recommitted to my growth in that area. I kept on leaning into that resistance and doubled my effort to get to unshakeble belief in my content knowledge and coaching technique.
Am I saying that if you double down on anything you are going to be on stage at nationals, no.
Am I saying that if you want a chance to be standing behind your students beaming with pride as they get recognized for their hard work at the local, regional, state of national conference you need to put more effort into it, yes I am.
And the impact you have with your power is not just impacting you, but those around you.
What if you took this idea into other areas of your life?
Resisting cooking homemade meals? Double Down?/ Who gets the impact? Not just you, but your whole family!
Resisting getting planning done during planning? Double Down? Who gets the impact? Not just you, but your students!
Resisting learning about that new prep topic? Double Down? Who gets the impact? Not just you, but your students/school!
What is that area of life that you are resisting? What do you need to double down on?
3 Ways to Manage Student Meltdowns
It's been a rough few days (or years).
Every year seems to be navigating the unknowns of what education will be like today. Because we are pretty sure it isn’t the same as yesterday and tomorrow will be different as well.
It's been less than pretty.
And for your students and possibly you from time to time you might have flipped your lid.
And after attending Bri Guillory's Keynote at Germinate conference in Summer 2022, I can't unsee the visual that reminds you what is really going on when you flip your lid.
It's this hand.
I can't get it out of my brain. Funny, as it represents the brain.
The hand on the RIGHT represents when all the parts of the brain are working in harmony. The "higher level" thinking of the cerebral cortex and the emotional part of the prefrontal cortex.
The hand on the LEFT represents "flipping your lid." Get it?! It's like the brain is disconnected and the emotional center of the brain (that's where FLIGHT, FIGHT or FREEZE takes over) is now driving the car.
Logic can no longer influence behaviors.
I can hear myself saying things like, "let's be quiet other students are still working" or "I understand it’s hard to sit still but you need to while I am talking." All of which were lost as the logic parts of the brain are shut down.
So, why is this all important to teachers?
Well, we've seen this happen. Probably more than once. And maybe it wasn't just with a student, maybe with another adult or even yourself.
We have seen students who have experienced trauma in the past few years (maybe even more incidents than ever).
We will continue to have moments as educators where we have someone flip their lid and we are there to help them find safety again.
I am 100 percent not an expert, but want to pass along some resources to help you the next time you are presented with a situation like this.
1. Specialist Teacher for Classroom Management
Customized support from teachers who want to help! The Specialist Roster is your gateway to advice and resources that suit your specific needs. It’s a support system that will allow you to continue pursuing your career with vitality. And, yes there is someone who specializes in classroom management. Get in contact with Katie Green for help to handle a flipped lid!
2. Katie’s Takeaway Document
Need a quick resource? Katie has you covered. Specifically check out her resources for a trauma informed and mindfulness classroom.
3. Podcast
The G&G podcast provides weekly episodes to connect, educate and encourage Agriculture teachers across the country. We also suggest checking out the following podcast episode about classroom management strategies.
Episode 129: Non-Verbal Classroom Management
Episode 60: Surviving to Thriving in 3 Simple Steps with Briana Guillory
Dealing with all the world has thrown at us (and continues to) is a full-time job own its own. Adding in the complexities of a room full of teenagers and that volume of weight exponentially increases. When you find the time to lean into your learning about how to handle these flip your lid type scenarios you will feel more peaceful then next time they come around.
Do you have any other resources that you would recommend?
FREE Valentine's Day Class Activity: Downloadable Inside
Roses are red, violets are blue… but do you know WHY that is exactly? 🤔
Holidays always allow for fun classroom activities and give your students the chance to do something that matches their energy versus forcing them to sit and listen to a 30 minute lesson when they’re hyped up on chocolate.
I mean let’s face it - holidays as teachers can be challenging, but we must remember that it isn't our students' fault!
Kids are naturally excited about holidays (regardless of their age and regardless if it’s Valentine’s Day, Christmas or Groundhogs Day 😂), so instead of wasting your time and energy on trying to correct their behavior, you can lean into it by planning for fun activities that relate to the holiday at hand!
Valentine’s Day is always a fun one and no matter the age of kids, it always seems like everyone is celebrating.
Younger aged kids typically still trade Valentine cards, while older aged kids have true crushes and some schools allow them to send carnations.
This activity goes hand in hand with flowers, so it creates the perfect opportunity for you to still teach something on this day while relating it back to what’s actually going on in their life!
For this Valentine’s Day activity, your students will research the phrases given and match the flower color to the meaning.
For example, red means “I love you” and signifies courage, passion and respect. 🌹
To add an extra layer to this activity, you can have them work in groups, present their findings to the whole class and could even have real or fake flowers that they can leave with and give to someone.
It’s an easy activity that will keep them occupied despite their distractions on the holiday!
You can grab this activity for FREE by clicking HERE.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
The Green & Growing Fam 💚