New Teacher Survivor Series

Part #22 - What to do with Local Proficiency and Star Awards?

Introduction:  You have heard the saying, "You're not going to make everyone happy all the time".  Nothing could be more right when you are talking about FFA proficiency and chapter star awards.  Every former FFA members' parents see their child as a winner.  Therefore, you become the target for unnecessary persecution after the awards are given at the banquet.  How will you know when you have done the unbelievable and not awarded their child with their well deserved award?  First, they will immediately leave the banquet without saying a word.  You may not even know they are mad.  Next, your principal or superintendent will receive a phone call complaining about something you did six months ago.  Then after quite a bit of discussion, thought, and stress, it all comes out.  They are mad because their child didn't get Star Greenhand.

How do you avoid these situations?  Great Question!!!!  Below you will find a list of suggestions that might help eliminate the majority of these instances.  Now remember, in Ag Ed and the FFA there are no fix all answers.  However, these suggestions should alleviate most of them.

1.  Require students complete an application for all local proficiency awards. (You can use the national application, or create one of your own.  Below you will find a sample of a local application.  Modify it to fit your needs.)

2.  Require students complete an application for all Chapter Star awards.

3.  Recruit a fellow Ag teacher or two (your choice) to judge the applications.  Let your principal know who will be judging the applications and to keep the name of the teacher confidential if there are any questions as to who judged them.  This way, the principal knows you did not judge them and that someone qualified did.

4.  Keep the results secure until the banquet.

5.  Ask an administrator, board member, or important local supporter to present the awards. (Option 2:  Have the chapter secretary read the names of the winners and areas with a short bio from their application.  This of course requires more work for you.  However, it is pretty neat.  If you were even more constructive, you could put one picture from their application in a power point.)

6.  If there is a close placing for the Star Awards, there is nothing wrong with presenting two. 

7.  Always order your medals and plaques in a timely manner.  You must have them at the banquet.  Not having the proper awards to present at the banquet will also cause phone calls.

8.  Display the applications on a table at the banquet.

There are two things that people usually challenge when it comes to proficiency and star awards.  One is the criteria used to judge and two is who judged.  Subjective criteria used by the instructor who judges the applications is a recipe for disaster.  Sooner or later it will catch up with you.  Most people cannot argue with what the can see.  Applications and an outside judge tend to eliminate 90% of the problems.  Five more percent is eliminated when someone besides the Ag teacher presents the awards at the banquet.  The remaining five percent we will leave to those individuals that you couldn't please no matter what you did.

I know what you're thinking.  This takes all the decision making out of the hands of the Ag teacher.  Isn't that the point?  You want it to appear this way.  O.K. what happens if a really poor student, not active, but has a big project beats a great, active student with a smaller project?  I'm not saying that couldn't happen.  However, if the application process is set up the way it should be, a proficiency or star winner should be a well rounded individual.  The teacher may not judge the applications, but, he/she determines what goes into the application criteria.

Below is a sample of a local proficiency and star application.  Good luck!!!

Anywhere Oklahoma FFA Chapter

Entrepreneurship Proficiency and Star Application

Name ___________________________________    Proficiency/Star Award Area _____________________________

                                                                                                           (circle one)

Parents _________________________________    Year in school _____________    Years in Ag/FFA ____________

1.  Briefly describe your SAE as it relates to this proficiency area.  Give a detailed description.

2.  Describe how you got started in this proficiency area and what interested and motivated you to begin.

3.  List your short term and long term goals for your SAE.

4.  Explain how resources such as livestock, land, buildings, equipment, machinery, and supplies are obtained and utilized in this proficiency area.

5.  Describe your marketing techniques and plans for this area.

6.  Describe your short term and long term personal, educational and career goals.

7.  List 10 skills, tasks, or competencies you have learned through your SAE.

        1 -                                                                                                 6 - 

        2 -                                                                                                 7 - 

        3 -                                                                                                 8 - 

        4 -                                                                                                 9 - 

        5 -                                                                                                 10 - 

8.  List 3 ways you have improved your SAE from when you first began.

        1 - 

        2 - 

        3 - 

9.  Complete the following table from your SAE Record Book. (Use only those figures that are directly related to the proficiency for which you are applying.)

10.  FFA leadership activities participation (examples: FFA Alumni Camp, Career Development Events, MFE, ALD, WLC, Public Speaking, etc.)

_________________________________________        _________________________________________

_________________________________________        _________________________________________

_________________________________________        _________________________________________

_________________________________________        _________________________________________

_________________________________________        _________________________________________

11.  List participation in other activities such as Chapter functions, Livestock shows, or School activities.

_________________________________________        _________________________________________

_________________________________________        _________________________________________

_________________________________________        _________________________________________

_________________________________________        _________________________________________

_________________________________________        _________________________________________

* You may include, with this application, no more than two photos with captions of 50 words or less to showcase your Supervised Agricultural Experience project in this proficiency area.

_____________________________        _____________________________        ___________________________

    FFA Member Signature                                        Parent Signature                                            Instructor Signature

Placement Proficiency and Star Application

1.  Briefly describe your total SAE.  

2.  Briefly describe your placement in this proficiency area. (Include a description of the business/farm, working conditions, size, number of employees, type of facilities, equipment available, etc.)

3.  How has your position description and/or responsibilities changed during the time of your placement?

4.  What knowledge, skills, and/or experiences do you hope to gain from your current position?

5.  Describe your short term and long term personal, educational and career goals.

6.  List 10 skills, tasks, or competencies you have learned through your placement SAE.

7.  Complete the following table from your SAE Record Book. (Use only those figures that are directly related to the proficiency for which you are applying.)