I don't know what kind of student you were. Me, I was always the know-it-all. Yes--I was that guy. Probably from about late middle school through my final, miserable political science class at MTSU, I was the guy who sat in the back, talked too much, and made sure everyone knew my opinions.
I begin with that confession because Wednesday night at the first Master Gardener class, I was the exact opposite. It was weird. I sat at the front. I was quiet and attentive. I didn't brag about what I know. I didn't crack wise. I must have had some kind of odd look on my face, because an older lady (who I later found out was one of the class mentors) asked me, "Ya scared???"
Model student Matthew has this to report from his first ever Master Gardener class: It was awesome. They had Chick-Fil-A! My mentor even gave me a plant!
So the first class was basically a big introduction-- introducing the class coordinators (who are both Auburn University graduates, lived there for a long time before moving to middle Tennessee, and even have a child who was born in the Loveliest Village), the interns (that's me and about 3 dozen other bright-eyed budding gardeners), the mentors, and the service projects. My mentor is the lady who publishes the WCGMA's quarterly newsletter, and I'm excited to lend my talents to that endeavor as well as volunteering at the service projects.
We went over the online portal to enter hours of volunteerism and continuing education. In your intern year, you have to log 40 hours of WCMGA-approved volunteering, and in subsequent years, you have to log 20 volunteer hours and 8 continuing education hours. It seems like a large number, and I guess it might deter some people from attempting the program, but it sounds like it should be easily achievable.
Notes from the class:
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| It's a big binder. |
I begin with that confession because Wednesday night at the first Master Gardener class, I was the exact opposite. It was weird. I sat at the front. I was quiet and attentive. I didn't brag about what I know. I didn't crack wise. I must have had some kind of odd look on my face, because an older lady (who I later found out was one of the class mentors) asked me, "Ya scared???"
Model student Matthew has this to report from his first ever Master Gardener class: It was awesome. They had Chick-Fil-A! My mentor even gave me a plant!
 |
| Spider plant! |
So the first class was basically a big introduction-- introducing the class coordinators (who are both Auburn University graduates, lived there for a long time before moving to middle Tennessee, and even have a child who was born in the Loveliest Village), the interns (that's me and about 3 dozen other bright-eyed budding gardeners), the mentors, and the service projects. My mentor is the lady who publishes the WCGMA's quarterly newsletter, and I'm excited to lend my talents to that endeavor as well as volunteering at the service projects.
We went over the online portal to enter hours of volunteerism and continuing education. In your intern year, you have to log 40 hours of WCMGA-approved volunteering, and in subsequent years, you have to log 20 volunteer hours and 8 continuing education hours. It seems like a large number, and I guess it might deter some people from attempting the program, but it sounds like it should be easily achievable.
Notes from the class:
- This is a foundational learning experience. Don't expect to be a master in anything after graduation. You gain enough knowledge to find a specialty, something in the greater gardening world that really gets you growing, and then you know how to pursue it and learn more.
- This is a program put on by the University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University as a part of their Land Grant mission. I've had a good amount of exposure (cough indoctrination cough) on the land grant model through my time with the Tennessee Government Executive Institute (a product of an arm of UTK), and I really appreciate what they do for the state. The idea is that a land grant institution repays the public investment by pursuing the mission of returning educational opportunities to the public. The model combines the best of education and public service. In a time when there's so little faith in institutions of various flavors, that personal outreach in communities across the state is so valuable.
- Environmental stewardship is a part of every lesson. I'm interested in that. I'm definitely no tree hugger, but I want to take care of what's around me.
- Davidson County was the first Master Gardener program in Tennessee -- started in 1986.
Next Wednesday's class is "Intro to Horticulture and Basic Botany". You know me, I'm all about some #BasicBotany.
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