Iowa ag teacher celebrates students in his 40-year career

Tom Boeck is in his 40th and final year as an agriculture instructor and FFA advisor at Central Lee Community Schools in southeast Iowa. Boeck is also a concurrent enrollment/adjunct instructor for Southeastern Community College. He lives on an acreage north of Keokuk, Iowa.

He earned his bachelor's degree in agricultural education at Iowa State University in Ames. He also earned a master’s degree in education at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois.

Boeck’s parents, Violet and Virgil, raised him and eight siblings in Denison, Iowa.

IFT: Why are you an ag teacher and what were your main influences?

BOECK: Growing up on a diversified crop and livestock farm in rural Denison, Iowa, I had a passion instilled in me at a young age about the importance and preservation of agriculture.

My father was my 4-H leader and major influence. I saw him lead by example in so many ways. As a young man, my dad took time to explain farm decisions. Although he did not know it, he was the best teacher I had.

I also had a high school ag instructor and FFA advisor, Randall Kuhlmann, who influenced my career. I observed him having fun every day, helping students achieve at a high level. Additionally, two older brothers who were agriculture teachers affected me positively.

IFT: What are the best traits for kids to become good ag students?

BOECK: A passion for wanting to be a well-rounded individual. Someone who can work productively within a team environment. An individual who has a positive attitude, an ability to venture out and create a network of helpful individuals and a desire to solve problems.

IFT: How do you steer students who may be lacking confidence or self-esteem to discover what they learn increases their knowledge and at the same time boosts overall self-worth?

BOECK: With scores of successful former students, I utilize them as shining examples to my current students as the potential that can be reached. I have students in every facet of agriculture and at all levels of agriculture. We cultivate their experiences through guest speakers, work-based learning stations and tour sites to expose students to experiential learning activities.

IFT: Do you like to get in the mix of all areas of teaching ag? Or for example, do you like studying crops more than livestock?

BOECK: I very much enjoy the diversity of agricultural education and FFA. I appreciate the variety of the curriculum.

The classroom is an extremely important aspect. However, I am excited to see students excel and find passion when they put classroom knowledge to use in a lab.

In a typical lesson, students might start with a classroom discussion on soil horizons or cover crop strategies or digestion in livestock. However, real learning sparks when they head outside to apply these concepts.