Shane Robinson, associate professor of agricultural education at Oklahoma State University, recently was recognized with the Distinguished Teaching Award at the Southern Region conference of the American Association for Agricultural Education. The conference was held in conjunction with the annual Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Robinson said receiving this award was a wonderful surprise and an unforgettable experience.

“Being recognized for my work in a room full of agricultural education faculty members throughout the region was extremely humbling because I hold many of those people in high regard,” Robinson said.

The Distinguished Teaching Award recognizes and encourages individual Southern Region AAAE members who are superior teachers in the field of agricultural education. Criteria evaluated for this award included: teaching methodologies, communication skills, commitment to the learning process, enthusiasm for teaching, inspiration, sense of humor, creating an interesting and enjoyable environment, student evaluations of teaching and others.

Robinson comes from a long line of teachers. He said he followed in his parent’s footsteps, as his father was a secondary agricultural education instructor and his mother a remedial reading teacher. Growing up in Hollis, a small town in southwestern Oklahoma, Robinson said he was surrounded by agriculture and developed a love for it at a young age. He said he also was drawn to teaching because he truly enjoys being around people and helping them solve meaningful and relevant problems.

“For me, teaching agriculture is the best of both worlds,” Robinson said. “I have the opportunity to work with students and to teach them about the subject of agriculture.”

In addition to his role in the department of agricultural education, communications and leadership, Robinson also serves as the associate director of the Institute for Teaching and Leaning Excellence, where he and his department provide professional development to help faculty instructors across OSU improve their teaching effectiveness.

According to Rob Terry, AECL department head, Robinson is a true scholar of teaching. Terry said Robinson has researched teachers, students, instructional technology and teaching methods – all of which improves his practice as a teacher.

“His work in these two areas equips him to be a teacher of teachers,” Terry said. “He is able to share with our students the latest techniques and most trusted theories about effective teaching.”

When working with students, Robinson said it is important to make connections with students that will extend over the course of not only their academic career, but also their lives.

He said his favorite part of his job is the opportunity to collaborate with others.

“Collaboration is a lot of fun for me, and I like the synergy that comes from it,” Robinson said. “I like to think through ideas, to dream, to be futuristic, to work ahead and solve problems.”

Robinson said this award and his success would not be possible without the department faculty and graduate students he has had the pleasure to work with during his tenure at OSU. He said good teaching is something the agricultural education program takes seriously and they are constantly working toward serving students better as a unit.

“There’s an old adage, ‘you stand on the shoulders of giants,’ and that saying is very true,” Robinson said. “There are a lot of people who have helped me along the way.”

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Story by Jacy Bradford

Oklahoma State University, U. S. Department of Agriculture, State and Local governments cooperating: Oklahoma State University in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal and state laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices, or procedures, and is an equal opportunity employer.