#RuralEdChat is a chat that focuses on the needs of the rural educator. This chat has been revised by Tammy Neil (@MathNeil), John Martin (@edventures) and Natalee Stotz (@nataleestotz).
Also, my #RuralEdChat peeps... I'm finding the responses of some of my class parents to my 2nd grade MLK Jr curriculum content interesting. Couple were in the "I'm not touching that" vein when I suggested families continue the conversation at home. Your thoughts?
Good evening, #RuralEdChat Tuning into the chat while finishing up watching our new governor deliver his first State of the State Address. He's a former educator, principal, and state superintendent. My heart is full at having an educator in office.
In all honesty, I think if more (potential) educators experienced first-hand the warm supportive collaboration of this #RuralEdChat & that conference, we'd have a recruitment tool right there. I think a big rural selling point is our #ruraled community.
In reply to
@try_rebooting, @AnnKSchulte1, @Rural_Schools
To get started tonight, given our topic is recruiting rural educators, I'd love to hear about your path into rural edu. Did you grow up in a rural setting, and never planned it any other way? Are you a city slicker like me who stumbled your way in? What's your story? #RuralEdChat
The other component of my program that I am a HUGE proponent of is that we did a full-year apprenticeship residency in a rural school instead of the traditional move-around student-teacher model. #RuralEdChat
In reply to
@try_rebooting, @AnnKSchulte1, @Rural_Schools
I’m from the Seattle area originally. City girl through and through. My 2nd year I was hired in a rural system in Alabama. And I the tech equity issue became my “thing” #RuralEdChat
There R many benies 2 the res model, but I wld argue that sense of mastery & familiarity from res lends itself 2 recruiting & retaining. I mean, 1 issue is rural-recruitment, but the other is profession-wide retainment. What's the standard? Loss in 5 yrs or less? #RuralEdChat
In reply to
@try_rebooting, @AnnKSchulte1, @Rural_Schools
I was a hybrid kid, raised part time in Illinois outside Chicago and the other part in rural Wisco on the farm. First part of edu career in CPS; majority in rural. Left the profession a few years ago but connected through my kiddo and volunteering. #ruraledchat
This is a huge point: "about 90 percent of annual teacher demand is associated with teachers leaving the profession" #RuralEdChathttps://t.co/cZFz3XI7oD
In reply to
@SHuggins67, @AnnKSchulte1, @Rural_Schools
We were living in PDX. Dh couldn’t find a teaching job. He got an offer in AL, so we moved about 15 yrs ago. COL is crazy low here. With MA you can afford to live #RuralEdChat
Yes, safe learning & sense of the family's values & don't even get me started on the whole 'Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.' thing. And definitely don't get me started on the whole "current political climate" thing. #RuralEdChat
#RuralEdChat - normally, we guide a conversation with planned questions, but we hardly seem to need them tonight! I'll throw out an occasional question, but certainly stay with whatever conversation is most meaningful to you tonight!
Probably a silly question, but do most kids get breakfast from school? I know ours do, and I wish we had a little more time planned for it #RuralEdChat
People are really looking for ways out of hard conversations. That they can get out of them and control when to have them is pwer and privilege. #ruraledchat
We have free breakfast and lunch for all students. Most of my class doesn’t take it, but I have to bring them to the caf anyway. Eat in classroom #RuralEdChat
So NOT a crazy Q. It was an unpaid apprenticeship. We were considered student residents, similar 2 med residents. But, the program was supported by a fed grant, kinda like Northern Exposure. If U agreed to do 3 yrs post-grad in a rural school, you got to keep $11k. #ruraledchat
In reply to
@robinhosemann, @try_rebooting, @AnnKSchulte1, @Rural_Schools
We have breakfast, second-chance breakfast/morning snack, lunch, & then there is supper in the after-school prog. Some families pay on account, others R on free & reduced programs. It is possible for a student to eat every meal at school. We also have summer meals #RuralEdChat
Sounds a bit burdensome in the practical-and-effective time-management area, which is a holy grail-or-hell spot for teachers. I'm moving from cool to dubious now. #RuralEdChat
A1: Directly, I talk up volunteering through the program I'm a part of and try to recruit others to specifically for the remote part of the program, which is growing it's rural and distance learning presence a ton #RuralEdChat
Yeah, it was great 4 the rural schools who received us 2. I did my residency at a K-2 in Butte County with a bunch of people from my cohort. Almost every teacher had a resident, which meant the staff doubled for only the cost of the mentorship of the staff teachers. #RuralEdChat
In reply to
@robinhosemann, @try_rebooting, @AnnKSchulte1, @Rural_Schools
Q2: It's come up a few times tonight already, but retention (and lack of it) is a big part of why staff shortages happen. Why do people leave? What could your district due to increase retention? #RuralEdChat
#CityGirl w/ major #CultureShock recruited by #CSUChico#RTR program for the good of rural comms. My master's program was hardcore rural-focused. Lots of reading & writing & researching & living & working rural in one relatively short period of time. #RuralEdChat
I was drawn to what I perceived to be the challenge + the community service. I knew it would be both engaging & rewarding & that it would push me, make me grow, & expand my horizons & understanding while also allowing me to contribute to an important part of America #RuralEdChat
Also, as you know, I'm super into tech and I saw tech as a big solution resource for ruraled & I wanted to be a part of that. I love #EdTech+innovation for #RuralEd#RuralEdChat
A2: It's really hard to be away from your core group, i.e., family and friends from your home town. It's hard to be in the middle of nowhere far from normal amenities. Our closest Walmart is 30 miles away with nothing in between. #RuralEdChat
Q2: It's come up a few times tonight already, but retention (and lack of it) is a big part of why staff shortages happen. Why do people leave? What could your district due to increase retention? #RuralEdChat
Examples:
1. One Teach, One Observe.
2. One Teach, One Assist.
3. Parallel Teaching.
4. Station Teaching.
5. Alternative Teaching
6. Team Teaching
#RuralEdChat
In reply to
@robinhosemann, @try_rebooting, @AnnKSchulte1, @Rural_Schools
The program I'm a part of (@tealsk12org) is focused on teaching teachers CS via co-teaching. Two teachers feels like way more than 2x one teacher #RuralEdChat
In reply to
@SHuggins67, @robinhosemann, @AnnKSchulte1, @Rural_Schools, @tealsk12org
I lived in the Seattle area for a while. I LOVE that area. Love. Seattle to Alabama is a big move. Culture shock much?!? I think it is ubercool the tech equity issue became your thing. Sounds like the topic for another #RuralEdChat
A couple years really feels like it would line up with the breaking point of rural being "what you do" vs "who you are". I wonder how much can be done about that mental shift #RuralEdChat
& Matt, I would add that in a Title I low socioeconomic elem school like mine, not only do some kids have the opp to eat all meals here, but they get dental & hearing screenings, psych counseling services, & Healthy Start will clothe them & take them to dental appts. #RuralEdChat
In the mean time, always feel free to tag #RuralEdChat any of your rural conversations, and shout out any topics on your mind that you'd like to discuss! The chat really and truly belong to all of us, tonight being a prime example.
