NEWS A Texas Team Ag Ed Publication
March 2015
The Way I See It Jack Winterrowd, Cedar Park
We recently lost a great man whose life changed many people. Terry Wick was a good friend and colleague of mine for many years. He served on the VATAT Board of Directors for many years, and was always a person we could count on for advice and counsel. The lives of his students were greatly impacted by his efforts to teach them about agriculture and his influence to mold them into outstanding young men and women. His long and successful teaching career is an inspiration to me and many others. His passing leaves a hole in the hearts of everyone whom he had influenced. “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.” ― Abraham Lincoln March is the month that many ag teachers dread. We are still in the midst of stock shows and CDE season is in full swing. This can be overwhelming and I find myself in fullout life preservation mode. It is one day at a time and almost constant prayers to help me get through the next big thing on my list. I am a list maker and a sticky note poster. In retrospect, I should have invested in 3M when sticky notes were first invented since my desk and the cabinet above it are covered in sticky notes. In the Gallop Strengths Finder Assessment, I am an Arranger in the first degree. Because of my tendency to arrange things, I usually manage to keep everything going in the forward direction that it has to go.
Sometimes I do not succeed in those efforts but I do my best to live up to the expectations placed upon me by my family, my employer and myself. Sometimes I catch myself saying “I am bound and determined” to get things done. Sometimes, they get done by sheer determination alone. “In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility” ― Eleanor Roosevelt I was reading some of the Facebook comments about Terry. Many of which were from his former students. They wrote of the ways that he had shaped their lives and their futures. This is something that all teachers do and especially ag teachers because of the deep
commitment we have to our jobs and our students’ success. Much of their success is based on the professional development we receive at our summer conference. We have the privilege to make choices and a duty to take responsibility for the results of our choices. March is also the time when we begin to think about our summer activities and begin to plan ahead. The registration and housing information for the 2015 Conference will soon be available for teachers to view. The VATAT staff is fully engaged in the plans and preparations for the conference to be held in Waco on July 27-31, 2015. A full course of professional improvement opportunities will be laid out before us and in fine fashion.
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