Building course calendars in vocational agriculture

In the past, teachers have followed prepared guides for course calendars or have borrowed course calendars from experienced teachers and have been encouraged to use these guides and tried calendars, but these practices can no longer be justified. Conscientious, progressive teachers welcome the opportunity to assume the major responsibility for planning course calendars based on the needs of their students. These teachers, however, encounter difficulties in reaching decisions on what jobs to teach, when to teach the jobs selected, how much time to schedule for each job, and other problems.

Beginning teachers are frequently pressed for time in developing course calendars and, as a result, resort to borrowing course calendars from neighboring teachers. Some teachers never plan course calendars, but teach jobs as they arise or plan from week to week. An analysis of many course calendars in use today indicates that these calendars are based on fact and sound judgment. Both beginning and experienced teachers have expressed a need for solutions to problems included in this study.

The teacher training staff has not provided adequate opportunity for experience in planning course calendars for students enrolled in the Agricultural Education Curriculum. One reason for this is the lack of sufficient information on course building to develop confidence and competence In trainees. This lack of training may be a factor in causing beginning teachers to turn to neighboring teachers and printed guides in developing their course calendars.

Some course calendars seem to be built around the subject matter available. Subject matter materials should not determine the content of course calendars since these materials are designed to be used as an aid in teaching the jobs found in the course calendars. Information collected and organized in this study should be helpful in planning future subject matter publications to meet more adequately instructional needs.

Supervisors have rendered limited service to teachers in developing course calendars. Perhaps one reason for this is that supervisors do not have adequate information to give the type of help they would like to give. This study should supply some of the needed information.