Tag Archives: Vocational Education Teachers

Jackie Freitas named Hawaii’s 2024 State Teacher of the Year

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Jackie Freitas named 2024 State Teacher of the Year Photo Credit: CCSSO

There are many excellent educators deserving of recognition who work in public schools in the state of Hawaii. One of these is his school agriculture teacher Jackie Freitas. She has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Jackie teaches at Leilehua High School in Wahiawa, Hawaii. In a career that spans 13 years, she has worked nearly all of them at Leilehua. There she instructs courses in natural resources and serves as the advisor for her school’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) Club.

Jackie teaches her students to grow produce through coding and STEM research. She has introduced her students to lessons on hydroponics, bee apiaries, and more. She has also pioneered a new initiative at the high school which allows students to sell and donate produce to local families. She created a curriculum for animal husbandry in order to give students hands-on experience, and designed lessons in organic farming to train them to become certified organic inspectors for the state. She has also formed partnerships with the State Department of Education for certification in food handling and with the State Department of Land and Natural Resources for hunter education certification.

In addition to working with young people, Jackie also serves as a facilitator for providing professional development and hands-on training to teachers across the state. 

Her advice to colleagues? “Take the time to build a community within your classroom, get to know your students and what they can offer within your classroom, as well as allow students the opportunity to learn beyond your four walls of the classroom,” she says. “There are many ways to incorporate instruction other than just lecturing and worksheets, but rather come up with ways to incorporate labs, hands-on instruction, or different types of technology,” she continues.

Jackie earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education at the University of Hawaii at West Oahu in 2011. She also earned certification to teach Career and Technical Education in natural resources from Leeward Community College. She is currently pursuing her National Board Certification in natural resources.

CA Career Tech Ed teacher Lamar Hanger earns Construction Education Award

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Career Technical Education teacher Lamar Hanger has earned a Construction Education Friend Award from the Associated General Contractors of California. Photo Credit: Fontana Herald News

I am always eager to share news about an exceptional educator who has earned recognition for their work with young people. One of these is Lamar Hanger, a teacher from Fontana, California. He has earned a Construction Education Friend Award from the Associated General Contractors of California.

Lamar teaches courses in the Building and Construction Pathway at Fontana High School in Fontana. The program is part of the school’s Career Technical Education Department. He has worked at the school since 2021.

In the past three years, this amazing educator has nearly tripled the number of students enrolled in the General Construction program. The program provides students with a practical, real-world STEM education, supported by a curriculum approved by both the state and the district. This curriculum features projects and hands-on learning.

When Lamar started at the school, his first project was to remodel the old wood shop classroom into an updated training lab. To accomplish this, he sought donations of tools and materials from local contracting companies with which to equip the lab, and he enlisted the aid of students to help with the construction tasks.

In April, 2022, Lamar led a group of his students to the Construction Industry Education Foundation’s Design Build competition. The students, who had received only five months of instruction, placed second in the competition and garnered Rookie of the Year honors.

Before becoming a public school teacher, Lamar worked 32 years as a union carpenter. He has demonstrated considerable expertise in construction, welding, metal-stud framing, and lath. In fact, he has completed freeform lathing projects on several attractions at Disneyland theme park. Lamar also worked as an instructor for the Southwest Carpenters Training Fund, a program that trains apprentices for eight years before they serve as a special representative for Southwest Carpenters.

To read more about Lamar Hanger, click on this link to an article about him published by the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.

TN teacher Melissa Shirk teaches elem students about agriculture

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Elementary school teacher Melissa Shirk has been named the recipient of an Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture award. Photo credit: Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation

Those of us who live in an urban environment sometimes forget that many educators work in rural environments, and they are Chalkboard Champions deserving of recognition, too. One of these is Melissa Shirk, an elementary school teacher from Tennessee who has been named the recipient of an Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture award from the American Farm Bureau Foundation.

The award is given annual to an educator in grades K-12 who has demonstrated involvement in agricultural literacy. Each recipient receives a $1,500 scholarship to attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in June.

“Many of my students are surrounded by dairy farms, crop farms, and beef and pork producers,” explains Melissa. “I want to continue my knowledge of agriculture and provide my students with current resourceful information and activities to promote the science, engineering, technology, and mathematics of all agricultural areas through Ag in the Classroom,” she declares.

Melissa teaches at Loudon Elementary in the rural farming community of Philadelphia in east Tennessee.

Today’s Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation has a membership of more than 679,000 family members and is the largest state Farm Bureau in the nation.

 

Ohio’s Krysteena Lawrence named finalist for Golden Owl Award

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Agriculture teacher and FFA advisor Krysteena Lawrence of Ohio has been named one of ten finalists for a prestigious Golden Owl Award. Photo credit: Elmwood Public Schools

Today, the importance of vocational education programs is promoted by both professional educators and laypersons. So it is wonderful when teachers of voc ed classes earn accolades for their work. One of these is Krysteena Lawrence, an agriculture teacher from northwest Ohio. She has been recognized as one of ten finalists for a prestigious Golden Owl Award.

Krysteena teaches agriculture courses at Elmwood High School in Bloomdale, Ohio. She also serves as the school’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) advisor. She has taught at the school for the past seven years.

The honored educator has volunteered many hours outside of her classroom to manage FFA projects, including a fruit sale. But she declares that relationships are the most important aspect of her work. “I enjoy developing a good rapport with my students and making them feel welcomed in my classroom at all times,” she says. “And that is before school, after school, during lunch, even if they just want to come and talk about stuff that is going on in their personal life,” she continues. “I just want to be that person that’s there for them no matter what,” she concludes.

Krysteena is one of ten finalists for the honors of 2022-2023 Ag Educator of the Year and the Golden Owl Award. She is one 521 nominations that were received for 126 different teachers. As one of the ten finalists, she was presented with a plaque and a $500 donation to her school’s agriculture program to support future educational efforts. This year, the program honors outstanding agriculture educators in nine states: California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and South Dakota. To learn more about the program, click on this link to the Golden Owl Award.

 

PA teacher Allyson Balmer instructs agriculture courses

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Teacher Allyson Balmer of Manheim, Pennsylvania, instructs numerous courses in agricultural education. Photo credit: Pennsylvania State University

Become involved in a discussion about today’s educational opportunities, and before long the need for a variety of vocational training programs will come up right away. Teachers who instruct vocational courses are sorely needed and are in short supply. One who is already working in this area is Allyson Balmer, an award-winning agriculture teacher from Pennsylvania.

Since November of 2018, Allyson has instructed courses in horticulture, floriculture, large animal science, wildlife, and natural resources at Tulpehocken Junior/Senior High School in Manheim, located in eastern Pennsylvania. She also serves as the advisor for her school’s chapter of FFA (Future Farmers of America). Prior to her employment as a professional educator, Allyson worked as a long-term substitute, a research assistant, a crop technician, a farm hand, and a calf tender.

“I am a passionate advocate for agricultural education and the need for experiential and inquiry-based learning in the STEAM industries,” declares Allyson. “I believe in the 3-circle model of agricultural education—classroom/lab instruction, the FFA organization, and supervised agricultural experiences—and it’s place as the premier delivery system of learning in education,” she continues.

Allyson’s decision to become an Agricultural Educator was due to three influences, she reveals. “First, my love and learning of education. Second, my fierce passion for the agricultural industry. Third, my gratitude to the National FFA Organization,” she says.

For her work as an agriculture educator, Allyson has garnered several accolades, For example, she has been named a recipient of a 2023 Agricultural Educator of the Year Golden Owl Award given jointly by FFA, Nationwide, and the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. She was also honored by the Pennsylvania Association for Agricultural Educates (PAEE) with their Teacher Turn the Key Award in 2020.

Allyson earned her Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Education from Pennsylvania State University in 2018. She completed the requirements for her Master’s degree in STEM Education from Lebanon Valley College in 2021.