Lindsey Davie

Henry County
Henry County High School

I became an ag teacher because of the opportunities that FFA and my ag teachers provided me. I was a high achiever and it gave me a place to go beyond the classroom and excel. Also, I love agriculture! It creates something important and vital from, not nothing, but dirt, hard work, and some sunshine and rain.

I tell my kids I teach every subject- math, science, English, history- just applied! They get to apply what classroom learning in real life situations. We have recently created a school farm, we have a long-time successful greenhouse, and a shop where we can create things. I am also very involved in the community and provide my students with many opportunities to engage with others, often teaching others. In my experience, the best way to give kids confidence in public speaking is to give them a younger and even more inexperienced audience. One of the my students favorite events is Animals for Learning. They get to bring in animals and present about them to other classes. It started as an event for 6th grade but has expanded to every grade 6-12 and preschool classes! We’ve had upwards of 40 animals at the event, from farm animals to pets to bees and alpacas.

FFA is a great place to build community. We have lots of opportunities to chat while transplanting in the greenhouse, cleaning welds, doing activities, and in the school van driving to events. By giving students opportunities for success, working with them to achieve goals, and then celebrating successes, I can continue that community. To blend the creation of opportunities with something I am so passionate about is pretty perfect!