We know you’re busy. But we also know you want to stay informed. With Rural Reads, we bring you a sampling of what’s going on in rural education. Hope you find some of these useful!
Increasing Teacher Retention: Hanover Research prepared a document, 4 Strategies to Increase Teacher Retention, in 2021. It focuses on supporting teacher well being, promoting teacher engagement, creating a supportive school climate, and monitoring teacher retention and attrition. https://wasa-oly.org/WASA/images/WASA/6.0%20Resources/Hanover/4%20STRATEGIES%20TO%20INCREASE%20TEACHER%20RETENTION.pdf
New Rural Teacher Retention Narrative: In the Journal of Research in Rural Education, authors from the University of Chicago and the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs highlight the positives rather than the negatives. They examine why teachers stay in rural schools, rather than why they leave. https://jrre.psu.edu/sites/default/files/2022-01/37-8.pdf
Highlighting Place-Based Projects in Rural Schools: Nate McClennen, with Teton Science Schools, discusses the power of innovation in rural schools–and making the most of learning in their communities. Nate is also on the Rural Schools Collaborative board of directors. https://ruralschoolscollaborative.org/stories/you-want-to-do-what-innovation-in-rural-schools
Students Helping Other Students: An article by the Statehouse News Bureau discusses how some Ohio schools are coping with the lack of mental health counselors by helping students be more aware of their peers’ struggles. https://www.statenews.org/news/2023-08-14/amid-counselor-shortage-rural-schools-are-training-students-to-help
I Am a Rural Teacher: I couldn’t choose one specific article on this site–too much good rural “stuff” to check out. Or maybe it’s just the former middle school/high school English teacher in me offering choice. https://iamaruralteacher.org
Rural Voices: This series of podcasts offers up-to-date information on a variety of rural-based topics. https://nrea.simplecast.com/
Robots and Rural Schools: Speaking of English teachers…The National Rural Education Association features this interview with an English teacher who is also the high school robotics instructor at a small Oregon school. As many of you have been receiving technology resources through the Rural Education Center’s projects, we thought you might be interested in this. https://www.nrea.net/from-rec-foundation-interview-with-a-rural-stem-teacher-from-oregon
Dr. Parton’s Literacy in Place: If you attended last spring’s Rural Education Summit sponsored by the Rural Education Center, then you know how passionate Dr. Chea Parton is about literacy in rural schools. Here’s a link to her website, with lots of resources for rural teachers: https://literacyinplace.com
But, we also wanted to highlight a new literacy contest on her site that’s all about rural. The Literacy In Place Rural TeenWriting Contest is a great opportunity for your students to share their stories! The theme for the inaugural contest is “Eat, Dance, and Be Rural: Celebrating Diverse Rural Cultures.” Deadline is December 1, 2023–still time to enter! https://literacyinplace.com/inaugural-literacy-in-place-writing-contest/