Teacher Feature December 2024: Tony Baughman

Each month, we spotlight and celebrate a teacher in our community.

Tony Baughman is the public information officer and archivist at the South Carolina Governor’s School for Agriculture at John de la Howe, the nation’s only public residential high school devoted to agricultural education. He also is the faculty advisor to the John de la Howe Student Media Team. Before his segue into education, Tony worked in the private sector as a newspaper publisher and editor, magazine editor, sportswriter and radio broadcaster. His interest in visual storytelling began in 2010 when he served as associate producer for two independent films shot in his hometown of Aiken, South Carolina. 

Learn about Tony’s favorite StoryMaker lessons, pro tips, and the discography he’s currently spinning  in our Q&A below. 

How long have you been using StoryMaker or SRL resources in your classroom? This is my first year.

What’s your favorite StoryMaker lesson?  My students currently are working on pitches for the America’s Hidden Histories prompt. There are so many untold stories in rural America, particularly agricultural stories because the national media tends to focus its energy on large metropolitan areas. I’m excited for my students to explore those compelling stories not on the radar of most larger media outlets.

What’s a media-making tool or resource you can’t live without? I love our Canon video cameras; we have three in our toolkit. But our new PTXOPtics cameras recently installed in our studio are new favorite gadgets.

Links to your students’ work: SC Governors School for Agriculture YouTube channel, John de la Howe High School Facebook Page 

What’s a dream story you’d like to report on or a person you’d like to interview? For me, my dream is to create opportunities for my students to tap into their curiosity and interview the people who are in a position to have a real impact on agriculture in America: the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, the CEOs of major agribusiness companies, etc.

What’s your advice for teachers and educators just getting started on StoryMaker? Experiment and improvise. Live in the moment, capture the moment, and get your students inspired to chase the stories no one else seems interested in telling. 

What are you currently listening to? Various selections in Quincy Jones’ discography

You can reach out to Tony directly to learn more about how he’s adapting StoryMaker into his classroom. Email him at: Tony.Baughman@delahowe.sc.gov