Continuing the tradition: Fifth-generation teacher wears many hats

ROACHDALE, Ind.— Janna Morgan is the fifth generation of teachers in her family.

It runs in her blood, and she loves continuing the tradition at North Putnam High School— where she teaches principles of agriculture, agribusiness management and animal science.

“My mom was an educator for 39 years and I got to see the impact she made with her students in the classroom,” Morgan said. “I could often be found playing school when I would get home from school in elementary school, even giving my babysitter spelling tests.

“Being involved in 4-H and then later being involved in FFA, I was excited to learn that I could combine my passion for agriculture with the idea of being an educator.

“In high school, I had six different ag teachers and FFA advisers that all shared their unique styles of teaching and their mentoring qualities with me as a student.”

Morgan shared her story with AgriNews.

Q: How did your involvement with FFA shape your career path?

A: There are so many opportunities that I was involved with that made me want to be an ag teacher.

Some of my favorite contests included livestock judging, soils judging, parliamentary procedure and prepared public speaking. I love that I can see students gain the confidence and skills I did through these contests and discover their potential.

I served as a chapter officer, district officer and eventually a state officer. I had a few different proficiencies in the areas of sheep production, ag sales entrepreneurship and ag education. I won State Star in Agribusiness, as well.

While I had many successes throughout my FFA career, I also had lots of setbacks. Not placing well, missing out on national contests and not being elected to state office the first time I ran were just a few of those setbacks.

All of these opportunities gave me a wealth of knowledge and experience that I am able to share with my students today.

Q: What’s your favorite part about being an FFA adviser?

A: Being an agriculture teacher, we have many hats we wear. I think those different hats come with their challenges and joys.

Sometimes we serve as a teacher, counselor, a coach, a mentor, event coordinator, mechanic, handyman, leader and so much more.

First and foremost, our responsibility is being a teacher in the classroom. I enjoy seeing students have the “ah-ha” moment when they grasp a concept, think outside the box, or get to do the fun labs and hands-on projects.

With the FFA adviser hat, it is difficult to narrow it down to just a favorite part. A few include building relationships with the FFA members, watching them grow and thrive throughout their FFA career and preparing them for life’s next adventures after school with practical skills that they have learned through FFA, even if that means pushing them outside of their comfort zone.

Those skills could be simple financial skills, how to run a meeting efficiently through the use of parliamentary procedure, how to speak confidently in front of an audience, or even how to perform simple mechanical tasks.

Q: What’s one thing you wish more people knew about agricultural education?

A: The idea that agriculture is so much more than farming. People get fixated on the idea of farming and think that is all we are teaching students, when in reality we dig deeper into agriculture with a focus on science and the “why” behind things.

We are teaching them so much more than just farming. We teach classes centered around mechanics and fabricating equipment in a shop-type class and agribusiness management where students learn sound business practices so that they could open their own business one day.

We teach classes centered around animal science and food science. Imagine if one of your students some day develops a new food product or preservation technique, or helps create a new feed for animals that enhances their health or makes them more efficient? Those ideas could start in our classrooms.

We teach veterinary practices for those students wanting to go into that field. Students get hands-on practice in the greenhouse with plants or learning about different landscaping techniques.

These are just a few of the examples of what the amazing agriculture education programs are doing for students.

Something even better is that a lot of schools are partnering with Ivy Tech where students can earn dual credit by being enrolled in these classes.

The three-circle model of agriculture education encompasses FFA, SAE and classroom. We teach them in the classroom and then students can apply what they learn through competing in Career Development Events and Leadership Development Events through FFA or even starting to raise animals or start a business to earn money through a Supervised Agricultural Experience.

We are teaching the next generation of landscape architects, welders, food scientists, soil scientists, business owners, mechanics, animal nutritionists, engineers, horticulturalists and so much more.

Hands-on learning, project-based learning, practical skills and career readiness — that is what agricultural education is.

Q: What do you hope students take away from your classes and FFA experience?

A: I hope students take away simple agricultural facts and can realize misconceptions about agriculture. I hope they learn practical skills that help to make them a marketable candidate for a job, an internship or a prospective college student. I hope they understand that agriculture is more than farming.

On the FFA side, I hope they have tried their best and learned from their success and their failures. I hope they know they have a supporter of their educational and career journeys.

I hope they know the tough love in the classroom as a teacher and at practices as an FFA adviser is setting them up for success.

Q: How has teaching changed you as a person?

A: Just as students change over time, so do teachers. The students teach me just as much as I teach them.

I have been driven to do more for my students whether that is attending professional development, new project ideas and even pushing myself outside of my comfort zone for my students.

I have spent more time with students who have special needs or require extra help and building those relationships with those students so I can learn to help them better.

Throughout the years of teaching I have seen more situations that students are going through and have learned how to help these students.

Q: What’s a piece of advice you often find yourself giving your students?

A: Students will typically hear me say to treat school like their job. So many students have said they would do better if they were getting paid to work in school.

They want to hurry up and get to the workforce to make money, but they don’t realize that we are teaching them the skills they need in order to be successful, whether they see it now or not.

I explain to them that they are getting “paid” with their grades and potentially when we teachers get asked if we have students that can work for someone, I could serve as a potential reference that could help to land them a job.