1. Class Content
1
Jan - Course Introduction
Jan – Know Thy Classmates
Feb – Leadership Theories Overview
Feb – Leadership Theories Overview
Feb – 5 Paragraph Order
Mar –Non-leadership Agriculture Course Requirements
Mar – Group Discussion: Share Your Story
Mar – Guest Speaker
Spring Break – No Class
Apr – Check-in/Student Reflection
Apr – Report to the Student
Apr – Flex Week
Apr – Course Evaluation
May - Reading Week – No Class
May - Finals Week
Course Introduction:
Rather standard fare here: “Hi, My Name Is” and “This is who I am and where I come
from” Additionally, this is traditionally the time to put forth the ground rules and deliver
expectations to the students.
Know Thy Classmates
As mentioned in the course syllabus one component of this course is to develop
networking skills amongst this peer group of students. This can only be accomplished if time is

2. Class Content
2
deliberately taken to meet and greet those around you. To ask the students to do this outside of
class seems counter-productive and is either least likely to occur or de-evolve into an undesired
event. Taking the time to perform this activity in class allows for the instructor to maintain some
oversight on the students.
Leadership Theories Overview
As this course is designed to be an introduction course, it seems only appropriate that we
have some material/lecture present that pertains to the academics of the major. As military
veterans, the class is likely going to have strong opinions of good, bad, moral, and ethical
leadership; they lived it and they know a lot.
This lecture series is intended to provide a brief preview of the leadership theories that
will be discussed in future ALED courses. Additionally, antecedents might be added to the
theories to assist them with the future digestion of these theories. For example, transactional
leadership might be described an authoritative leadership style where the leader has an over
emphasis/reliance of their legitimate power base. A minor distinction on the surface at this
particular point in time, but a potential critical clue in later coursework come exam time and the
answer choices for question two looks like A and B are both right. These lecture days will have a
corresponding assignment issued.
5 Paragraph Order
The 5 paragraph order is the organizational structure of a military operations order. This
is a foundational aspect of military culture that nearly all members receive instruction on. As
Non-Commissioned Officers (probably the status of most of the student veteran population) they

3. Class Content
3
are likely to have received additional training/exposure to these orders in either a formal or
informal setting.
While this course is intended to assist with the transition out of the military, it is
important to treat this process similar to a tobacco cessation program; quitting cold-turkey is not
likely to result in success. This lecture will include an assignment that is specifically designed to
take advantage of some of the skills and knowledge that the veteran student possesses while
simultaneously setting them up for academic success.
Non-Leadership Agriculture Course Requirements
We took a short break from discussing academics, but the discussion isn’t finished. The
idea for this topic is the result of my personal experiences/reflection while an ALED student.
This topic might also serve to satisfy some of the requirements of the andragogy theory and to
address some of these issues upfront before they become issues later on in future semesters.
The specific principle of andragogy that I feel requires addressing is: orientation to
learning, although any principle might be equally valid. Animal Science and Horticulture classes
are the easiest to pick on, so I’ll start there. Those courses, while packed with good information,
do not seem to relate to the overall theme of the degree: leading human beings.
A failure, on my part, to understand why I’m taking a specific course (and I don’t mean
not being able to understand that course syllabus) I mean making that bigger picture connection
of relevancy; quickly gets turned into frustration and anger that adds up and spills over pretty
quick. A fun little factoid and aspect of my personality that few people outside of the military get
to see of me is that I’m an extremely patient and understanding person that does not lose their
temper.

4. Class Content
4
As veterans, I certainly feel this way, leaving a career for college is kind of like having a
vision of what that vacation in Cancun looks like at that 4-star hotel only to get there and find out
that the picture you were looking as is not the same as reality. The difference is; that in this
analogy, I’m stuck in Cancun and I can’t go back. I feel like I am owed a reasonable explanation
for this and I’m sure future veteran students would appreciate one too.
Group Discussion: Share Your Story
After spending a significant amount of time discussing academics, the class is likely to
feel a little drained. After all, the lectures were probably based on technical terms and models.
Additionally, the students have other courses going on so I want to give them a little bit of a
break. This seems like an opportunity to reinforce the concept of getting the class to network and
gel with one another.
Guest Speaker
Spring Break is right around the corner, so there isn’t much point to starting anything
new. Additionally, the previous class was concerned with unit-cohesion techniques, so this is yet
another opportunity to promote gelling of the class. Bringing in a guest speaker is a way of
employing a passive technique, as the students themselves aren’t engaged in any sort of activity
(beyond listening), as opposed to the previous week’s activity of being actively engaged with
one another.
Spring Break
The semester has a holiday somewhere, I insert it here as a placeholder.

5. Class Content
5
Check-in/Student Reflection
The students are back from Spring Break and probably have still have a couple of exams
still to take for other, less considerate facility members. Instead of waiting until the very end of a
course to attempt to elicit feedback responses from the students, I want to take the time to do so
now. Additionally their first semester of college is nearing completion; as this course is about
assisting in the transition process, I’m the person that gets to take the class temperature on how
the rest of their college experience is treating them. Finally, this particular class period is to be
used to setup the next class meeting.
Report to the Student
This and the previous class meeting are to serve as an extended Q&A session. I should
have been receiving questions or sensing issues from the students in the previous class meeting
and this class meeting is about answering those questions or addressing those issues. I’m not
only a course instructor, but I’m a mentor to these people too. These lecture days will have a
corresponding assignment issued.
Flex Week
I ran out of ideas on topics and came up with three assignment ideas, so an operational
pause seemed like the proper course of action to take. Additionally, it is possible that because
this is a new course and will require additional development itself it seemed appropriate to factor
in some time that could be used for makeup/catchup purposes. As the course continues to
become refined, this is an excellent opportunity for allow for growth and change.

6. Class Content
6
Course Evaluations
This is that special time of the year where surveys are handed out and bubbled in. This is
to serve as a placeholder for that required activity. This is likely to be the last day of the class.
Reading Week
Another campus tradition/placeholder.
Finals Week
The course already has three assignments built into it. Therefore, as a one semester hour
course I find it unlikely that a final exam will be issued. I see this course as being based upon
attendance, participation, and project completion.