Teaching in Rural Areas
Teaching in Rural Areas
By: Shannon Miller
By: Shannon Miller
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Learning Targets:
Define two unique challenges or opportunities of rural education.
Identify one resource disparity that impact college attendance rates in rural areas
Give two examples of why teacher turnover rate is high in rural schools.
Have you ever visited or lived in a rural area?
What are some of your memories or impressions?
What do you think are the biggest differences between urban and rural life?
I Grew up in rural WV, below are some photos of my high school. I graduated in 2016, cell service was pretty spotty then, the only reception we could get was from AT&T. I rode the bus and would have to get on at 6:50am, then get dropped off to a separate bus, just to make it to school by 8:15am. Fun Fact: Monroe County, WV has more cows than people and not one stoplight!
Enjoy this short video about the joys of teaching in a rural area!
Conclusion
There are many things to enjoy about rural education and the importance of teaching in these schools and communities. However, with many unique challenges rural education has to offer, it is a complex decision that teachers should evaluate their own personal needs, aspirations, and the socio-economical challenges that come with the area. According to the National Council for Education Statistics, 9.3 million children are educated in rural schools (Tieken & Montgomery 2021). Despite these challenges, there are so many rural students that teachers could be a positive impact on their lives.
Multiple Choice:
1.) What is biggest reason teacher turnover is so high in rural education?
A. Poor Salary
B. No advancement opportunities
C. Administration dissatisfaction
D. The daily commute
2.) Rural teachers often need to:
A. Teach multiple subjects
B. Avoid being involved in the community
C. Focus solely on standardized testing
D. Specialize in one subject
Answers Key: Q1.) C Q2.) A
References
Ingersoll, R. M., & Tran, H. (2023). Teacher shortages and turnover in rural schools in the US: An organizational analysis. Educational Researcher, 52(3), 396–431. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X231159922
McArdle, E. (2019). The middle of somewhere. Harvard Graduate School of Education, HGSE Publishing. https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/ed-magazine/19/05/middle-somewhere
Mecom, K., & Bharadwaj, N. (2024). Rural teachers enjoy a better cost of living, less stress & more great benefits. Arizona Rural Schools Association. https://www.azruralschools.org/news/rural-teachers-benefits-study-com
Shikalepo, E. E. (2020). Challenges facing teaching at rural schools: A review of related literature. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 4(5), 211-218. https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/Digital-Library/volume-4-issue-5/211-218.pdf
Tieken, M. C., & Montgomery, M. (2021). Challenges facing schools in rural america. National Association of State Boards of Education. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1286832.pdf
How I used AI:
I used Canva to create the slide show, photo collage, and my three farm images above that are background images
I used Google Gemini to help make sure my references were written in correct format and help brainstorm ideas on what I should do for my anticipatory section.
I used Google Gemini to help brainstorm application questions
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