Agriculture teacher Jodi Koterba has been teaching at C. M. Russell HIgh School for 13 years, but her career choice was set when she was only about five years old.

“From the first day of kindergarten, I knew,” Koterba said.

Her subjects span from Consumers Mechanics to Intro to Metals, along with the agriculture classes and FFA organization.

She loves teaching high school students the most, Koterba said.

“They are real people,” she added. She has been teaching since 1995, and started at CMR in 2004.

“I love to see how they grow,” Koterba said. Teaching has always been her plan, even if the subjects changed along the way. Her classes in the Industrial Technology department span over the years, making it so the students become part of the family. With all three of her girls going through her classes, the rest of the class ends up at her house on the weekends anyway, she said.

Koterba’s students enjoy the freedom that have.

“You have free will to do what you want,” junior Mackenzie Benedict said. She has been in Koterba’s class since her freshman year, and is now taking Agriculture 3-4.

Everyone learns something new in her class, and Koterba’s favorite was when they did a quick fire drill simulation. The entire school had to be evacuated due to the microwave cooking hay for 3 minutes, instead of 30 seconds.

But even with the hilarious mishaps, the students make it all worth it, Koterba added.

“I love when the light bulbs come on.”