School of Agriculture

Student Success in Agriculture Education

The Premier League

"I don’t have that traditional background in agriculture. And yet, I’d hazard to say that they have pushed my boundaries to all new horizons. I truly, truly believe that anyone who wants to put the time and effort into their future can be successful in our Ag Ed program. I believe deep in my bones that what we do in Knoblauch Hall is quality of the premier league. It’s part Dr. Baker’s style of education, the family like atmosphere, and general enthusiasm for a rewarding future in education."

Brandon Livingston- Senior, Bushnell

Endless Opportunities

"The hands-on experiences the WIU Ag Ed program offers their students is second-to-none. We get numerous opportunities to enter classrooms and develop our teaching skills. This truly has developed my confidence educating students. Dr. Baker goes above and beyond to ensure the future agriculture educators are equipped to enter the classroom with a full toolbox of resources. I would recommend the WIU Ag Ed program to a future student for the family atmosphere and hands-on experiences."

Sydney Riden- Senior, Good Hope

Prepared for the Classroom

"I was fortunate enough to complete both an internship and a student teaching experience through Western. Through both experiences, I felt WIU more than prepared me for my time in the classroom and provided me with the best options to handle a wide variety of situations. All of the experiences in the Ag Ed program provide you with real-life situations to learn from. Of course, you spend time in the classroom, but a majority of your time is spent applying real life to what you are learning. You have the chance to make choices that affect positive change, and that is what I truly enjoyed about my time at WIU. "

Riley Hintzsche '14- Agricultural Educator & FFA Advisor, Streator Township High School

Reputation for being the Best

"I chose to attend WIU for Ag Education because it had the reputation for being the best program in the state for Ag Education. I feel like WIU creates well rounded ag teachers who can excell in many different situations. They also provide many opportunities for students to learn about the specific areas of agriculture education that are unique to only agriculture education. WIU has experts come in to talk about topics that preservice teachers need to know about. I also feel that students in the program enter real classrooms a lot sooner than other universities so the student in the major know right away if this is what they want to do or not. "

Cynthia Feltmeyer- Agriculture Instructor & FFA Advisor, Eastland Community Unit School District

The Model for Professionalism

"Teaching ag isn’t only about the interaction between the student and the teacher on a daily basis. There are a lot of responsibilities that you need to handle professionally—interactions with co-workers, administration, parents, alumni, advisory council, etc. There is also a proper way to present yourself as a teacher- appropriate attire, attitude, language. The Ag Ed staff at WIU preaches this and models these correct behaviors—dress, demeanor, language, responsibility, accountability etc. These behaviors, taught and modeled by Dr. Baker, have translated to my current teaching position, where I am viewed as a professional by my administration, my colleagues at school, and my Ag Ed colleagues within my section."

Colton Downs '18- Agriculture Teacher & FFA Advisor, Canton High School