Standing Up for a Cause: Stories of Experienced Teacher Working in Rural Communities

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: Recruitment, Development, and Retention of Rural Teachers

Abstract

As many rural teachers in the U.S. face major social and economic challenges it is important to learn more about their resilience. The data on which this paper is based draw on a larger qualitative study of teachers. Six teachers with extensive teaching experience responded to a series of interviews and questionnaires that focused on reasons they became teachers, factors that contribute to their commitment to teaching, their goals, social concerns, social activism, and advice for new teachers. Satisfaction from teaching and social activism were viewed as important factors in maintaining their motivation to teach and remain in the teaching profession. Finding have important implications for teacher education programs.

Author

• Ali Borjian, San Francisco State University