Darryl J. Matherly teaches agriculture at Meade County High School, located in Brandenburg, Kentucky. Part of being a successful agricultural teacher is having the ability, patience, and desire
to listen to the students’ needs and wants. Darryl Matherly has this skill. After arriving at Meade County High School in 1997, Matherly listened to the students’ needs and wants to determine the courses that would be offered and the facilities that would be needed. Due to his insightfulness, Matherly increased this school’s agricultural education program from a one-teacher program to a threeteacher program and enrollment is now 378, which is 25 percent of the student body.

Besides listening to the students, Matherly follows three basic philosophies very closely. They are: all students can learn at their own high level and it is the teacher’s job to find that high level; learning has to be relevant and applicable to a student’s future career or interest; and time is one of the most precious resources and should never be wasted. Abiding by these philosophies has allowed him to
have hands-on, auditory, and visual learning in his classroom. Furthermore, he has found that if activities are interesting and structured, the students can go through an entire semester and not realize they never had a free day!

These techniques and philosophies are what make Darryl Matherly an outstanding young NAAE member and have helped improve participation in the Meade County High School agricultural
education program.

Darryl J. Matherly, Brandenburg, Kentucky, was the 2002 NAAE Region IV Outstanding Young Member. The award is sponsored by John Deere. If you want to learn more about Darryl and
his program, call Meade County High School at (270) 422-2590.