Farm and Home Management Educators

Also called : 4-H Youth Development Specialist, Agricultural Extension Educator, Extension Agent, Extension Educator, Extension Specialist, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent, Family Development Extensio

What they do

Instruct and advise individuals and families engaged in agriculture, agricultural-related processes, or home management activities. Demonstrate procedures and apply research findings to advance agricultural and home management activities. May develop educational outreach programs. May instruct on either agricultural issues such as agricultural processes and techniques, pest management, and food safety, or on home management issues such as budgeting, nutrition, and child development.

On the job, one would

Collect and evaluate data to determine community program needs.

Prepare and distribute leaflets, pamphlets, and visual aids for educational and informational purposes.

Conduct classes or deliver lectures on subjects such as nutrition, home management, and farming techniques.

Research information requested by farmers.

Collaborate with producers to diagnose and prevent management and production problems.

KNOWLEDGE

Education and Training
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Biology
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

SKILLS

Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

ABILITIES

Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Speech Clarity
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Written Comprehension
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

PERSONALITY

People interested in this work, will do well at jobs that need;

Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.

Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Independence
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Initiative
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Leadership
Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

Achievement/Effort
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Persistence
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Related Occupations

Conservation Scientists

Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary

Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Instructional Coordinators

Clergy

Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary

TECHNOLOGY

Electronic mail software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Geographic information system

Graphics or photo imaging software

Internet browser software

Multi-media educational software

Office suite software

Presentation software

Spreadsheet software

Word processing software

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Preparation
Extensive Preparation Needed
Education
Graduate Degree or higher.
Experience
Extensive skills, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations.
Jobtraining
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.