The first #TeacherTuesday spotlight for November is Miss Lemle! She is a first year teacher at North Adams – Jerome where she teaches agriculture to both middle and high school.

Miss Lemle always knew she wanted to become a teacher but didn’t know what subject she wanted to teach, after working with her former ag teacher she found her passion to become an agriculture teacher. “I just love the content and the freedom I have to teach different subjects to my students. Agriculture is my favorite subject!” Miss Lemle hails from the Jonesville FFA chapter where she actively participated in her favorite FFA activity, the science fair! After graduating from Jonesville High school Mis Lemle attended Jackson College, earned a few transfer credits and transferred to Michigan State University where she got her agricultural education degree.

We asked Miss Lemle what advice she has for any members that want to become an ag teacher she replied with “Definitely be patient, it’s a long process but it’s so worth it in the end. Remember to keep your end goal in mind.” As Miss Lemle is building the North Adams – Jerome FFA Chapter up she is looking forward to getting animals on the school grounds, showing her students all the possibilities and opportunities through FFA, and helping each student find their individual passion. Miss Lemle keep up all the great work at North Adams – Jerome, we are excited to watch as your chapter grows!
-Olivia and Amara

Next, we will be spotlighting Mrs. Preston from the Branch Area Careers Center FFA Chapter for our #TeacherTuesday.

Mrs. Preston grew up in Saranac, Michigan and was very involved in 4-H. Even though she wasn’t a FFA member, she showed beef cattle and sheep through her 4-H program. Mrs. Preston continued her education after high school when attending Michigan State University. She received both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Agriculture and Extension Education. Mrs. Preston became very involved during college when joining the livestock judging team, and volunteered with Michigan FFA to coordinate the courtesy corp for state convention.

Mrs. Preston decided to become an agricultural educator for a multitude of reasons. The first reason being that she loves helping her students grow, and to push them outside their comfort zones. She is passionate about teaching her students how their food is produced. Mrs. Preston acknowledges that not all of her students will have careers in the agricultural industry, but by teaching them, about where their food comes from will give them a basic understanding of why agriculture is so important to the world.
After 20 years of teaching, Mrs. Preston’s favorite part about being an agricultural educator is when she is connecting with her students, and building relationships that last a lifetime. She truly enjoys seeing all of the great things her past students have accomplished outside of the classroom.

When we asked Mrs. Preston what advice she would give to new teachers, she responded with, “Do not try to tackle all that is offered through the FFA, choose the things that fit your strengths and your program and do those well. There are so many opportunities and there just isn’t any way to do it all so choose a few and invest your time there. Also make sure to take time for yourself and your family. Your career will fly by and you don’t want to look back with feelings that it overtook your life! Balance and boundaries are important!”

Thank you, Mrs. Preston, for being committed to teaching agriculture and for making an impact on your students!
-Leah and Haleigh

For our next feature, we talked to Mrs. Katie Wagar of the Calhoun Area Tech Center FFA chapter.

Since Mrs. Wagar’s first Agriculture class, she knew she wanted to be an Ag teacher. Mrs. Wagar joined FFA as a freshman at Ithaca High School, where she found inspiration from her advisor, Mr. Karl Merchant, and all the opportunities the organization has to offer. While in FFA, she loved participating in Horse Judging, Extemporaneous Public Speaking, the Washington Leadership Conference, and National Convention—which is still one of her favorite events.

After high school, Mrs. Wagar went on to receive her Bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University, where she majored in Agriscience and Extension Education. She then received her Master’s in 2006 from Western Michigan University in Career and Technical Education.

This year, Mrs. Wagar is looking forward to State Convention and the many hands-on learning opportunities she has with her students, like the Poultry Contest. Her advice to students is to “take full advantage of the opportunities provided through National FFA: trips, conferences, fruit sales, contests, proficiencies—they all can lead you to some wonderful experiences and opportunities.” Mrs. Wagar’s love for her profession shines through when she says, “I love my students. Old ones, and new—I love seeing them grow and become citizens in their community.

Thank you, Mrs. Wagar, for your dedication to your students and the continued growth of our organization!
-Sydney & Jacob

Our final feature will be spotlighting Mrs. Kimberly Salsbury from the Jonesville FFA Chapter!

Mrs. Salsbury graduated from Marysville High School and attended Adrian College to pursue a degree in Biology, Chemistry, and Secondary Education. Later, she received her Masters degree in Secondary Education and Human Resources from Siena Heights University. Not only did she receive her Masters, but also attended Michigan State University and the University of Cincinnati to work on her certification for Agriculture and STEM. After teaching biology, chemistry, and research for 10 years in Onsted, she moved into an administrative position at LISD.

During this time, Mrs. Salsbury worked with several students in the Ag program on their science fair projects. This is where her love for agriculture began! Mrs. Salsbury has been involved in the Ag program at Jonesville for 10 years. The best part about her job is being able to work with her students!

When we asked Mrs. Salsbury for one piece of advice she would give to new teachers, she responded with “Find your strengths and focus on that for the first couple of years, build as you go, add new competitions, activities, etc… however, know your limits, you are only ONE person.”

Mrs. Salsbury, thank you for being committed to teaching agriculture and for making an impact on your students!
-Leah & Haleigh