Teacher uses agriculture to build connections with students

Photo caption: Mother-daughter Ag in the Classroom teachers Jacey Duncan and Amber Bales, pose together at an AITC conference. (Courtesy Photo.)

For Amber Bales, a fourth-grade teacher at Will Rogers Elementary School in Stillwater, Oklahoma, teaching is not limited to math, science, reading and standardized tests. A career teacher with more than 27 years of experience, in 2015 Bales started incorporating Ag in the Classroom curriculum into her lessons.

AITC is a free ag literacy program that provides agriculture education in relation to science, social studies and nutrition education for K-12 students.

“When I’m on tours with fellow teachers or colleagues or giving workshops, it’s surprising how little we know as a society about where our food, fiber and fuel come from,” Bales said.

Since integrating AITC into her lessons, Bales has been selected as Oklahoma’s State Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year and the National Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award.

“We eat every day, we put on clothes, and students get to school somehow,” Bales said. “Every elementary student can recognize that.”

Students are not the only ones absorbing the information; Bales said she has learned a great deal through the program as well. Additionally, Bales said Will Rogers Elementary started an Ag Friday to set aside time for agricultural lessons for students.

“It’s so rewarding when I’m teaching, and I can look out on those Ag Fridays and I see the eyes widen, or I see that ‘aha’ moment,” she said.

According to Bales, many international students at Oklahoma State University send their children to Will Rogers, making it a diverse make up of students from across the world.

“What I really like about that is agriculture goes across cultures,” she said. “Some of the foods that we grow originated in the Middle East or other parts of the world. The students are able to make that connection. Also, with our international students, sometimes we’re giving them that first taste of something that they have never tasted. Agriculture, to me, bridges cultures.”

Bales said food is one of the easiest ways to hold a child’s attention, and she uses it often in her lessons. For example, she focused on potatoes for several weeks last year. Bales explained how potatoes are grown, and the students observed a potato plant and learned the function of its roots, as well as its nutritional value and the many ways they are used for food.

“I really think just giving them opportunities to explore, handle and see food is something they really enjoy,” Bales said. “I think you’re able to build relationships and connections with your students in a fun, but learning way. Then, when you’re teaching other lessons, you’ve already made that connection with them on a fun level.”

Bales has been part of three-year project with other Oklahoma AITC teachers to teach students about soybeans. They have worked alongside the Oklahoma Soybean Board throughout the endeavor, and in 2024, they achieved their goal of making the soybean the state legume of Oklahoma. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed the proclamation into law earlier this year, with Bales and her colleagues present.

Bales has presented AITC lessons at the local, state and national level. Through the program, she has inspired other teachers, such as her daughter, Jacey Duncan, a teacher at Oklahoma Union School. The mother-daughter pair have presented at the National Ag in the Classroom Conference. Bales said she would encourage anyone to pursue AITC lessons. The materials are free, accessible and perfect for children that crave knowledge.

“You’re able to build relationships and camaraderie with fellow teachers, and there’s a lot of opportunities to grow your passion,” she said.

To learn more about AITC, visit www.agclassroom.org.

Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or [email protected].