Collaboration of Aggies: Attending the PAAE Eastern Regional Meeting

PAAE stands for the Pennsylvania Association of Agriculture Educators and is an organization under the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE). In Pennsylvania, we have 4 regions that are broken up around the state. Where I am student teaching, Conrad Weiser, is part of the Eastern region. Tonight we had the regional meeting via Zoom due to the meeting restrictions of COVID-19.

 How does PAAE support agricultural teachers?

PAAE connects with several other groups in order to provide support to their members. They work closely with the Pa FFA Association, Pa FFA Foundation, Pa FFA Alumni PA Agriculture Commission and the Penn State Center for Professional Development. These groups all come together with PAAE to help stay on the same page when it comes to FFA events and offer professional development to teachers in Pennsylvania. They also assist and seeing what members need in terms of professional development and try their best to host some form of professional development or provide funds to attend out of state professional development.

#Psuaged20 at the PAAE Regional Conference

The organization itself is made up of several committees that help keep the organization running smoothly for members. Members of PAAE sit on the committees and connect across the state of Pennsylvania to help make PAAE run. For example, the convention planning committee will help plan their state convention each year. These committees are looking at some concerns and then able to bring the bigger concerns to the group as a whole if needed.

My role in PAAE

I am currently uncertain where I will start my teaching career seeing as I was attending a Pennsylvania conference from Connecticut. However, it is important to me that whatever state I am in has a great teacher organization such as PAAE. The role they will play in my professional development as a new and beginning teacher is crucial and I want to know that I will have a community of other in the profession to advise me when needed.