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Agriculture teachers are some of the busiest teachers in a school. Their days are filled with lessons, laboratory activities, parent meetings, and FFA career development event practice. It was during a lull in the daily battle to stamp out ignorance that I would occasionally look up from my work as an agriculture teacher, look around at the students working, and wonder, "Am I being effective?" A teacher can deal with short budgets and short tempers, long meetings and loads of paperwork as they strive to position students in the teachable moment. All of the negative things about teaching are bearable provided that the students are learning something worthwhile.
The one thing that no good teacher can abide is being ineffective. But how do we know we are being effective? What about all those FFA activities? Are they effectively helping teachers prepare students about the food and fiber industry? Do FFA programs actually make a profound difference in the lives of students? For many years, it has been assumed that the answer to these questions is "yes." But where is the evidence that the FFA is actually serving a useful purpose? The critical element in determining the effectiveness of the FFA is the FFA Mission.
"FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education." (National FFA Organization, 2002, p. 4)
The FFA Mission statement is the benchmark by which all FFA programming is measured. If a specific FFA program adequately meets the criteria for premier leadership, personal growth or career success, then it is deemed to be a worthy endeavor. However, there are many differing opinions as to what constitutes premier leadership, personal growth and career success. Until the FFA has defined in measurable terms the mission of the FFA, then all of our attempts to determine our success in accomplishing that mission are likely to resemble chasing kites.
The FFA began to evaluate its mission in 1999. The National FFA Board...