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Teacher Interviews

Part of my Clinical Professional Experience in Agricultural Science, and

part of becoming an agricultural science teacher myself, was to interview

three different teachers, that I also observed classes of theirs. The three

teachers I interviewed were all agricultural science teachers as high schools,

and were all very different, yet very similar, and all have intense passions for

agriculture and the FFA programs. I had the pleasure of interviewing Mrs.

Pieper, Mrs. Carnline, and Mr. Peak.

First, I interviewed Mrs. Lisa Pieper, from Caldwell High School, right

outside of College Station. Mrs. Pieper has been teaching agricultural science

for about 25 years. Mrs. Pieper graduated from Texas A&M University in 1993

with a Bachelors degree in Agricultural Science. Mrs. Pieper first student

taught in the Clear Creek Independent School District as a part of completing

her degree at Texas A&M, which we will all also do as students, and then

spent her first few years teaching agricultural science in the same district,

Clear Creek. After Clear Creek, Mrs. Pieper moved back to the College Station

area and began teaching at A&M Consolidated High School, where she

stayed for more than 10 years, before moving to Caldwell ISD and teaching

agriculture science along with two other teachers, as well as new student

teachers each semester. Mrs. Pieper teaches floral design, floral practicum,

horticulture, livestock, and small animal management, with the help of a

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student teacher. Mrs. Piepers main focus, and favorite topic is along the

lines of anything having to do with floral design and horticulture. Outside of

class, Mrs. Pieper makes floral arrangements for weddings and parties, and

enlists the help of her students occasionally for this. Mrs. Pieper is also in

charge of the floral CDEs and the horticulture projects that are entered into

contests. Mrs. Pieper has a family, which consists of a daughter that actually

is a student in two of her classes. Mrs. Pieper explained that she loves having

her daughter as a student, and that her daughter loves having her as a

teacher, but that they both have differing interests when it comes to

agriculture and FFA. Mrs. Piepers daughter, Lani, is more so interested in the

leadership and public speaking aspects of FFA, and wants to pursue some

type of degree in forensic science or entomology, while Mrs. Pieper is more

interested in floral design and horticulture, and wanted to be an agriculture

science teacher when she was in high school.

When I began the discussion of why Mrs. Pieper decided to teach

agriculture, and advise an FFA chapter, she began an interesting pattern that

I noticed all of the teachers that I interviewed aligned with. Mrs. Pieper

explained that she wanted to be an agriculture science teacher mainly

because she had some amazing agriculture teachers, who influenced and

persuaded her to follow in that same career path. In fact, Mrs. Pieper

attended Caldwell High School as a high school student, and took agricultural

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science classes and was an FFA member under the advising of Mr. Suehs and

Mr. Hancock, who are now actually Mrs. Piepers co-teachers. Mrs. Pieper

explained that one of her agricultural science students at A&M Consolidated

is now actually beginning to teach with them at Caldwell, which shows

exactly how complete this cycle is, and how enticing this career field can be

to certain people. It was absolutely awesome to hear about this connection,

and I was able to relate it to why I want to teach agricultural science. Mrs.

Pieper likes to teach in interactive ways, where she can get the students

interest and attention, and allow them to fully participate as much as

possible. Mrs. Pieper explained that her favorite parts of getting to teach is

when she is able to see the success of students, and see what they do in life,

as well as take part in changing a student and their perspective on

agriculture, and being a reason why they are interested and enjoy the topic

of agriculture. Mrs. Pieper told me that her least favorite part of teaching is

when students are uninterested in something she is really interested in, or

when she cannot fully gain their attention. Mrs. Pieper recommended that I

teach, as long as I keep the original passion I have for teaching agriculture

alive, and that I am able to adjust to anything that comes my way, and

realize that sometimes change is good. I enjoyed spending this time with

Mrs. Pieper and learning about her career and how she works as an

agricultural science teacher.

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Next, I was extremely lucky to interview Mrs. Kelly Carnline from

Richards ISD, which is right in between College Station and Huntsville, only

about 30 minutes away. Richards ISD is actually only one school, consisting

of about 140 students, and only 40-50 high school students, which was an

extreme difference from any other school I had been to or observed, and was

also very interesting to observe at. Mrs. Carnline attended Angeleton High

School, which is right outside of Houston, but in a large rural area. She was

heavily involved in FFA and raised cattle, as well as took part in the

leadership activities and was always on the officer team. Mrs. Carnline then

decided to attend Sam Houston State University to study agriculture, but

wasnt quite sure what she wanted to do with it. After graduating with a

degree in Animal Science, she decided a couple of years after that she may

actually want to be an agricultural science teacher, and an FFA advisor. Mrs.

Carnline began teaching and quickly started teaching at Richards ISD, where

she is on her second year of teaching at. Mrs. Carnline is the only teacher at

Richards and teaches animal science, livestock, 8th grade agriculture,

horticulture, and agriculture fabrication and mechanics. Mrs. Carnline has a

husband, and a new born daughter, and she enjoys teaching at Richards,

which has a relatively small and lightly active FFA program, because it allows

her to work a job she loves, but also have a family and a life outside of

school and teaching.

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Just like Mrs. Pieper, as well as the third teacher that I interviewed, Mrs.

Carnline teaches agriculture, because she had agricultural science teachers

in high schools that really sparked a passion for the career. She loved their

enthusiasm, and how much they cared about their students success and

wanted to do the same. In my observation and interviewing, I truly saw this

exact characteristic in Mrs. Carnline, because she cares about each and

every one of her students, has something good to say about each one, and

something she hoped out of them as well. Mrs. Carnline enjoys teaching her

students topics and ideas that they can apply to their real-life situations, as

well as topics that they are interested in, such as Temple Grandin, which was

being taught the day I observed. Mrs. Carnline also truly wants to persuade

her students to choose a career in agriculture, because all around her room

she posts information and diagrams and website links to find information

about pursuing agriculture at colleges like Texas A&M, Sam Houston, and

Prairie View, which was extremely interesting to me. Mrs. Carnlines favorite

parts of teaching are the ability to see passion in her students, as well as

educating students who may not already know how important agriculture is.

Mrs. Carnlines least favorite part about teaching, is not seeing involvement

and participation from students in the FFA chapter, or that the students have

more important priorities that take precedence over FFA. When I asked Mrs.

Carnline if I should teach, and if so, what suggestions she may have I was

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completely blown away by the answers. Mrs. Carnline said that she saw

exactly all the characteristics of a teacher in my, especially an agricultural

science teacher. Mrs. Carnline suggested that I always be open to change,

willing to ask for help, from anyone, and to really determine where I want to

teach, how I want to teach, and who I want to teach with, that way I am in

the best possible situation. Interviewing Mrs. Carnline was extremely

enjoyable, and she gave me so many words of wisdom and I will absolutely

be keeping in touch with Mrs. Carnline in the future for her advice and

knowledge.

Lastly, I was able to interview my high school agricultural science

teacher, Mr. Mark Peak. Mr. Peak graduated from Sam Houston State

University with his degree to teach agricultural science. Mr. Peak has taught

at a number of schools including, but not limited to, Katy Taylor, Alief Taylor,

Alief, Clear Springs, as well as Bellaire High School, where I was one of Mr.

Peaks agricultural science students. Mr. Peak is now teaching and began an

agricultural science program at Cypress-Park High School in Cy-Fair ISD. Mr.

Peak attended Mayde Creek High School in Katy ISD, where he quickly

became involved and fell in love with the FFA program and agriculture. Mr.

Peak has taught all sorts of agricultural classes including principles of AFNR,

animal science, livestock production, agriculture mechanics courses, as well

as wildlife courses. I had the pleasure of having Mr. Peak for all the above

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classes, and was also extremely helpful in every SAE project that I raised, as

well as encouraged me to compete in so many LDEs, CDEs and speaking

events that I never considered competing in, as well as helped me and two

partners create an award winning agricultural mechanics trailer in high

school.

Its easy to say someone is the reason you want to teach, but I truly

mean it when I say Mr. Peak inspired me to become an agricultural science

teacher. Mr. Peak sparked a passion that I hadnt even recognized was in me

before he came to Bellaire to advise and run our eventual successful FFA

chapter. Mr. Peak encouraged me to step outside of my box in so many

different ways, encouraged me to pursue my dreams, and still is the reason I

want to teach agriculture so much. Like myself, Mrs. Pieper, and Mrs.

Carnline, Mr. Peak also decided to teach agriculture because he was also

influenced and encouraged by his agriculture science teachers to turn that

passion for the FFA organization and agriculture into a life-long love and

career. Its truly amazing to see how this process works, and I firmly believe

that the majority of prospective agricultural teachers want to teach

agriculture because someone influenced them to do so, and to exert and use

their passion for FFA to inspire other young generations, as had been done

onto them. Mr. Peak truly loves teaching and advising, and this shows

through his relationships with students, parents, other advisors, and

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community members. Mr. Peaks favorite parts of teaching include having the

ability to educate students about agriculture, helping students win or helping

them even when they lose, and developing life-long friendships. Mr. Peaks

least favorite parts of teaching, and what lead to frustration, are when

parents do not understand what the teachers incentives or reasonings for

doing things are, and not being able to capture the attention of students.

When asking Mr. Peak if I should teach agriculture he said of course! Mr. Peak

knew that this was what I wanted to do ever since he began to be my

agriculture science teacher, because I loved the passion he had for his

career, and I wanted to have that same passion for students that I teach. Mr.

Peak told me to never let others get in the way of my decisions, and to

always do what is best for the kids and no one else. I am extremely blessed,

and thankful that Mr. Peak was my agricultural science teacher because I

truly dont know where Id be right now without it!

Collectively, interviewing these three influential agricultural science

teachers in one of the best things that I have been able to do so far in my

career path. These teachers all share the same extreme passion for

agriculture and FFA, but have so many distinct interests, likes, and dislikes

about their careers. I hope to follow in all three of these agricultural science

teachers footsteps, and want to possess the qualities that these teachers

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have that make them amazing; understanding, passion, desire for

achievement, and awareness.