For most classes, instruction time becomes quiet and structured, and for most students, weekends become a moment to relax and sleep in. However, this all seems to stop in the greenhouse filled with rows of sprouting seeds and bright flowers. Dutifully cared for by Kaitlyn Adams and the agriculture team, moments like this blossom towards learning and growing beyond the classroom.  

As a previous Lamar student, Ms. Adams gained her teaching position here only six months after graduating from college. She notes the central moment that allowed her to sweep towards a quick “yes” for the position. “I had great agriculture teachers when I went to Lamar, two of which I’m still very close with today. I wanted to guide my students in the same ways my agriculture teachers did for me.” She describes her previous mentors as having been an integral part of driving her evolving passions in agriculture and horticulture—both of which began long before her career as a teacher.  

Being more than just a teacher herself, Adams also balances an at-home garden and self-owned floral design business. Her business and hobby, alongside being a full-time teacher, though time consuming, is also described by Ms. Adams as largely rewarding. “The hard work feels worth it when I see my students happy. I also learn a lot from my business, and I get to bring it back and teach my students the stuff that I learned there.” Her multifaceted career, all surrounding her related passions, has paved the way for her beliefs as a teacher. This transitioned inside of her own classroom where a lesson in the garden or greenhouse is not uncommon, “Doing hands-on activities allows students to get real world experience. They enjoy it and I find a lot of joy in these moments, often hinting to them that they can go out and get paid to do what they enjoy” she explains. Within this, her residing principles of exploring boundless possibilities continue to stay true, “I have very high expectations for my students because I know they can do literally anything. I hope my students understand that they are not limited. The world has so much to offer, so don’t put yourself into a box.” Striving beyond boxed limits becomes fundamental to her approach to teaching. Whether it’s the classroom, barn, garden, or greenhouse, Ms. Adams reiterates that you can do anything you set your mind to. 

Because of this “push” given and emphasized in her classroom, she acknowledges her sometimes firm and strict teaching approach, “I teach 9th through 12th grade, and some of my younger students probably think I’m the strictest, but my seniors know it’s because I care,” she affirms. Her insistence on pushing her students through challenging assignments is deliberately implemented in providing students with opportunities towards achieving growth. In doing so, Adams clarifies the tension: “I want to emphasize they should never doubt themselves.” 

While noting the countless hours spent teaching by Ms. Adams, time after school and weekends are frequently occupied with other related endeavors. As an FFA advisor, Saturdays can be seen rolling by under the wooden beams of a barn or alongside the lines of cattle during a livestock show. But the most memorable part? “We have a lot of notable moments at our agriculture show: the livestock auction, barbeque cookoff, and Go Texan line dancing–that’s always a really fun time,” Adams fondly recites. So, whether it’s cultivating a garden of plants for Green Champion or grilling brisket during an FFA cookoff, boundless limits of fun, practical learning never ceases to exist. Where concepts taught in class translate to on the hay field or flower bed, keeping an open mind and working hard never seem to falter under the guise of Ms. Adams.