LANCASTER — Milan Pozderac is supplementing his classroom education in agriscience at The Ohio State University with some real-world experience — ironically, by heading back to the classroom.
The Fredericktown High School alum is pursuing a bachelor’s degree through the College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) at Ohio State.
As part of that program, Pozderac will complete a 12-week student teaching assignment at Fairfield Union High School. There, he’ll be mentored by agriculture teacher and FFA advisor Judd Baker, according to a press release from Ohio State.
The student-teaching program represents an alignment of Ohio State’s program with the values of the Future Farmers of America (FFA), according to Dr. Shannon Washburn, professor of agriscience education and chair of the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education and Leadership (ACEL).
"Student-teaching prepares our students for their future roles in the classroom by allowing them to lead an agriscience education program with the aid of experienced agriscience teachers,” Washburn said in the release. “Aside from carrying out lesson plans in a classroom, agriculture teachers serve as FFA advisors where they host chapter meetings, help students with career development events and coach competition teams. This experience allows them to see into their future and get excited for the next step in their career."
Completing the student-teaching gig will help propel Pozderac across the finish line for his Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture. He is minoring in production agriculture with a major in agriscience education.
The agriscience education major is a launching pad for earning a license to teach agricultural science in secondary schools. The degree emphasizes agriculture science, educational psychology, instructional methods and youth development. Visit acel.osu.edu to learn more.
