Interview with an Urban Agriculture Educator

Twelve years ago, as I graduated from college and searched for an agriculture teaching position, my mom was very skeptical of my desire to move to and teach in an urban area. I remember her comments when I mentioned Atlanta or Miami as possible cities to where I might move. "You'll deal with drug problems and you'll get shot!" she told me, and then asked, "Do they even teach agriculture in big cities?" Now, as the CTE Director for the Metropolitan Nashville Public School (MNPS) system, I can say, "Yes, mom, they do teach agriculture in big cities, as they should!"MNPS is the 41st largest system in the country and three of our high schools have an agriculture program. This article highlights the agriculture program at John Overton High School (JOHS) in Nashville, TN. JOHS is home to around 1,700 diverse students. In this one high school, student birth records represent 64 different countries and 39 different primary languages are spoken. The top five primary languages at JOHS are English, Spanish, Kurdish, Nepali, and Arabic. The program at JOHS has an Urban Agriculture pathway where students explore principles of agriculture applicable to urban settings including horticulture, gardening, hydroponics, and sustainable agriculture. Through an interview with the agriculture teacher at JOHS, Mrs. Kay Lawrence, we address challenges and opportunities associated with urban agriculture education.What do you enjoy most about teaching in an urban program?The best part of teaching in an urban program is that I can teach students skills in the outdoor setting and provide information that they can take home and use immediately - life application. Some students already have gardens and will ask questions regarding problems they had in the past. Some are thinking of expanding their growing areas and are curious as to what they can add to enhance their already existing garden. What I teach is immediately relevant to many students and they appreciate that.What are the biggest challenges you face with teaching a diverse student population?The biggest challenge I face is the language barrier. Thankfully I have many students that are fluent in their native tongue as well as English. Translators are invaluable in our culturally diverse classrooms. I set the tone of the classroom with an up beat positive attitude every day we are together and my attitude reflects the attitude of each class. Another challenge is helping students gain work-based experiences in agriculture. Problem solving skills are imperative, so I try to recreate business scenarios that will provide students with some degree of experience in related business practices.What are the biggest challenges associated with teaching a large population of English Language Learners (ELL)?Beyond the obvious communication barrier, ELL students are frequently not familiar with basic concepts used in class, so extra demonstration is required. This serves as a good opportunity to refresh the memory of other students. While translators provide a lot of assistance, most student projects are team based. Students learn extremely well from their peers, especially our ELL students. To better facilitate project-based learning, my classroom is organized to foster a collaborative environment. There are no straight rows or desks - all students sit in groups of four, which allows for intentional grouping of students.How does student culture impact what you do in the classroom?When sharing information in the classroom, I encourage anyone who feels comfortable speaking to share his or her thoughts. I try to keep an open mind and listen to the students when they speak. Ifl am not familiar with the information they are sharing I ask questions until I am clear on their views. …