OPINION

responsible for The Paw Print, our student body newspaper, as well as the yearbook. The writing I did in Journalism my senior year was the first I had ever shared. Without that nudge, it never would have happened.

It’s nothing new, but still deserves to be said: quality teachers are so, so important. It’s imperative for kids to have space aside from the rest of their lives, have new opportunities presented, be allowed to tiptoe or plunge into real world scenarios, and to receive encouragement along the way.

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As time went on, the archaeology thing faded, and my handwritten stories about finding hidden treasure were replaced by teenage angst poetry and way too dramatic short stories, always tucked safely away.

It’s never just academics that’s going on in high school. It’s also dealing with friends, non-friends, once friends but no longer, relationships, break-ups, self-discovery. It can be a lot. I stayed in a dorm Sunday night through Friday afternoon, so the act of figuring life out often felt like a full-time spotlight situation. At my school, teachers could select from pre-written remarks to add to report cards. One of my more consistent comments received my freshman and sophomore years was something along the lines of “more interested in her social life than academic learning.” I failed, among other things, to see a problem.

At the time, Mrs. Jaeger was the junior and senior literature teacher. Once I became an upperclassmen, her classes quickly became my favorite. She was calm, steady, reliable — not too affected by teenage antics. Every once in a while she’d make a joke or laugh at one of ours. She had the gift of being able to establish and maintain order in a relaxed environment. Her husband was also a teacher at my school and had very similar traits. But he taught math, and so those 50 minutes just weren’t as close to my heart.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Jaeger played a part in me gaining an improved outlook on education as well as becoming a little more well-balanced of an individual. I’ve kept many of my papers from Mrs. Jaeger’s classes. One includes a note encouraging me to consider joining her Journalism class. That class was

A teacher’s approach will resonate differently with each student. No one’s a mind reader and no matter how hard a teacher tries, they might not be able to get the delivery right every time for every kid. But kindness, encouragement, positivity, and presence can fill the gaps. And when a connection is made, it has a lasting effect.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with the six Minnesota State FFA officers from 1997-98. Within this issue, you’ll be able to read about their FFA experiences and what they’re up to now.

My first conversation was with Jill Grams, who spoke so highly of her ag teacher/FFA advisor and the encouragement he gave her. It was amazing to hear. My next talk was with Natasha Mortenson, and she shared similar sentiments about her own ag teacher being encouraging and someone she looked up to. By the time I had finished the last interview, I was sincerely impressed to have heard such praise and admiration for the officers’ ag teachers and mentors. It’s clear these teachers both followed and taught the FFA motto of Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve.

FFA had not been offered at my high school and I didn’t grow up knowing much about the organization. Learning that FFA is not only about farming left me feeling a bit like the Grinch realizing that Christmas doesn’t just come from a store. Instilling values, life lessons, and trust — along with providing occasions to maybe flounder but also succeed — are all so vital for youth.

Special thanks to the ag teachers of this state officer team: Mr. Yusten, Mr. Erickson, Mr. Larson, Mr. Swanson, Mr. Hermanson, Mr. Rambow, and Mr. Rick.

To all of the teachers, mentors, and encouragers: your unending efforts are appreciated. Thank you!

Laura Cole is the staff writer of The Land. She may be reached at lcole@TheLandOnline.com. ❖