Ida Elementary School teacher Annalyse Auxter is Michigan Farm Bureau’s 2024 Educator of the Year. Annalyse has been a huge proponent for the FARM Science Lab and Crates and has also attended multiple National Ag in the Classroom Conferences as well as Michigan Ag in the Classroom conferences. She has implemented some amazing programming and has provided presentations for both Monroe and Wayne County Farm Bureaus about her programs. She is a very deserving recipient of the Educator of the Year Award.
Alongside the title of Educator of the Year, Auxter earned a grant to attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference as well as a $500 classroom grant from the Michigan Foundation for Agriculture, sponsored by AgroLiquid.
Auxter’s teaching practices go far beyond her classroom, with a passion for creating opportunities for students to explore the outdoors by integrating environmental learning with state academic standards. When her students are not outside studying cloud patterns, releasing their hatched Monarch butterflies, or touring local farms, they continue learning through agriculture.
“The most rewarding part about sharing agriculture with my students is teaching them more about the world around them,” Auxter said.
“So often what we teach is more abstract to students, but agriculture affects their everyday lives in clear ways. By teaching agriculture, I am taking them deeper in their understanding of their world and inspiring passions that can take them far into future opportunities. We are taking farming beyond the idea of a farmer standing in their field to a multitude of career-based paths.”
Driven to increase agriculture literacy, Auxter integrates agriculture into many of her lessons. A few key resources that she implements are lessons from the Michigan Agriculture in the Classroom Curriculum Matrix and FARM Crates. She’s also welcomed the FARM Science Lab to her school. With the support of Monroe and Wayne County Farm Bureaus, Auxter is better able to create these experiences for her students.
“To all educators K-12, I recommend using the Agriculture in the Classroom Curriculum Matrix and contacting your county Farm Bureau or local Farm Bureau agency,” Auxter said.
“The amazing staff at Monroe and Wayne County Farm Bureaus that I have had the privilege to work with have inspired and supported me in countless ways throughout our partnership. There are so many ways to integrate agriculture into every subject, including math, science, reading, and STEM. These resources are a wonderful strength to add to any classroom.”
Auxter’s “Famous Farmer Wax Museum” project implemented curriculum standards using an agricultural lens, with students researching famous agriculture leaders, connecting them to important social events, then sharing their information in a mock wax museum.
MFB’s Educator of the Year Award recognizes teachers who excel at integrating agriculture and natural resource concepts into school curricula and who challenge students to develop critical thinking skills through the analysis of agricultural issues and information. Teachers are nominated annually by county Farm Bureaus for this award.
Sponsorship for this award is provided by the Michigan Foundation for Agriculture, a 501(c)(3) governed by Michigan Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors, which positively contributes to the future of Michigan agriculture through leadership and educational programming.