We went to visit one of my students in the Intro to AFNR class, Berklee. She is a freshman and is already an active FFA member. She has two SAE projects: a entrepreneurship sheep project at her home, and a placement project at her Grandfather's poultry farm. Prior to our visit, I reviewed Berklee's AET records to see how she is working to grow her projects.
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| Berklee's sheep |
First we went to her home and she showed us her sheep project. Berklee has been showing sheep since she was in 4th grade and will be showing 4 sheep this year at the local fairs. I asked her to explain how she cares for her sheep as well as how she prepares them for the shows. Berklee was very knowledgeable and discussed how she monitors their health, rate of gain, and gets them used to being walked/handled. I was impressed. I also asked her what her favorite part of raising sheep was, to which she replied learning about showmanship and competing with her siblings.
Next we walked over to her grandfather's poultry farm, where Berklee works part time. She helps sort the eggs that are collected and prepares them for shipment. Berklee is currently preparing to compete in the Poultry Evaluation CDE - so she has the perfect place to practice egg grading!
Berklee is in the class I've taught all semester, so it was neat to conduct an SAE visit with a student I've been teaching for a while because you already have that rapport built. It was a great afternoon and I learned a lot - thanks Berklee!
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| Berklee and her grandfather's Dorper sheep |
Rose, I like how you incorporate questioning into your SAE visits. Do you require students to complete any paperwork on AET before and after visits?
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