The title of this Footnote “Ag Students Up in the Air” could have several meanings. What do you think this Footnote is about? Here are four clues
- The setting is Montana
- The time period is the 1960s
- Ag Teachers are involved
- The study of soils and soil conservation is enhanced
Have you figured it out? Originally, I had thought about titling this Footnote “The Classroom in the Sky.” In the 1960s several ag teachers in Montana took their students on airplane flights to observe soils and soil conservation practices. So let’s see what we can learn about this educational practice.
The First Flying Classroom in Montana
In the spring of 1962 a number of people collaborated to have the first flying ag classroom in the state. Max Amberson, state supervisor of agricultural education and Mary Jo Janey, aviation education supervisor in the Department of Public Instruction collaborated on this idea.
Amberson stated “We in agricultural education are interested in using all available teaching devices in our educational efforts to train young men for farming and related agricultural occupations.” So, it appears the airplane was a teaching device. Mrs. Janey was interested in spreading information about aviation to Montana High School students.
After coming up with the idea of a flying classroom, Mrs. Janey contacted the Montana Aeronautics Commission to secure airplanes for the endeavor. Homer Loucks, the elementary supervisor in the DPI and former superintendent of the Malta schools recommended that Dean Robertson, the agriculture teacher at Malta be selected to have the first flying classroom.
I guess you could call it lesson planning, in April of 1962 Amberson, Janey and Robertson flew over the Malta area to identify the soil and soil conservation practices that were readily visible from the air and to plan out the route.
Junior and senior vo ag students from Malta High School who had completed extensive studies of soils and the wise use of farm and rangeland were the participants in the flying classroom. Before the flight Mrs. Janey met with the students to discuss the place of aviation in modern agriculture.
Figure 1. Malta students getting ready for the flight. From the Great Falls Tribune, May 27, 1962.
On a clear day in May the students took to the air in four planes. One plane was supplied by the Aeronautics Commission, and the other three planes were supplied by local flying services. Students observed strip cropping, stubble mulching, and hedge strips to conserve soil from wind erosion. Gene Mendel, a Malta school board member and pilot of one of the planes, used his radio to point out to the students in all planes, range land that which had been reseeded and fertilized by plane.
The students could also observe how the proper spacing of water ponds and dams could help utilize rangeland. They also observed contour water spreading dikes, shelterbelts, and irrigation systems.
The flying classroom was a great success. Mr. Robertson, the ag teacher, stated “We accomplished more in two hours in the air than we could have during a day-long field trip by car or bus.”
Figure 2. Malta students who participated in the flying classroom in 1962. Image from the Phillips County News. May 17, 1962.
The Idea Catches On
It was not long before other Montana agriculture teachers were teaching via the flying classrooms. In 1963 the Fort Benton vo ag students took to the air to see both “good and bad’ soil conservation practices. In 1964 the Fergus County High School agricultural students took to the air.
Figure 3. Left – The River Press (Fort Benton, MT), April 17, 1963. Right – The Billings Gazette, April 25, 1964
Over the next several years the schools mentioned previously along with the Huntley Project High School, Chinook High School, Flathead High School, Bainville High School, Baker High School and others conducted flying classrooms for vocational agriculture students.
In 1966 the Montana Aeronautics Commission requested funding from the state to support the flying classroom and other aero-space education activities. The request totaling $14,800 was approved.
In addition to teaching high school students via the classroom in the sky, the agriculture teachers started using this practice with their adult farmer classes. In May of 1965 Gail Stensland, the agricultural teacher at Fort Benton, took a group of adult farmers up in the flying classroom to observe conservation practices. The fact that Gail had served as an officer in the United States Air Force during the Korean conflict might have played a role in his use of the flying classroom.
One of the old Purina motivational signs said “A Good Idea Doesn’t Care Who Has It.” This proved to be true in Montana. After the agriculture teachers implemented the flying classroom idea, several schools in Montana started using the idea with the ninth grade earth science classes and geography classes.
Conclusion
One of the presentations I make to teacher groups is called “Going the Second Mile.” It is easy doing the minimum as a teacher. During my teaching career I have seen teachers who leave school shortly after the bell rings, rely on books to do their teaching, don’t have functional student organizations, and the list goes on. I call them the one mile teachers.
However, the teachers that students remember fondly are what I call “Second Mile” teachers. They go above and beyond. The agriculture teachers in Montana who implemented the flying classrooms could be considered second mile teachers. It took time and effort to implement a flying classroom program.
Most agriculture teachers are second mile teachers. The fact that you are reading this Footnote indicates you may be a second mile teacher. In case you aren’t, I would encourage you to up you game and become a second mile teacher. Your students will benefit and you will feel better about your teaching.
Chick-fil-a uses a 6 minute video about going the second mile for use in training their employees. The video is on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8DGOcxXA34. It is worth watching.