Contemporary Joads: Educating in a Rural Boom Town

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session Three
  In Roundtable Session: Representation and Resources in Rural Places (Table 8)

Abstract

The highway is alive tonight, the byways and the roadside motels and the faded old diners and taco places, all alive. This is a western boom town. Most in town pray for the boom, it means money flowing in. In our state, it means more students in seats, the way the state allocates funding for schools. What we have thus far failed to address, however, is the impact on teachers in overflowing classrooms, witnessing firsthand the challenges that come with the boom: a culture in constant flux. Two ECTs teaching in a boom town relate their experience through this narrative exploration of the challenges and triumphs of working in this context.

Authors

• Josh Montgomery, Northland College
  Presenting Author

• Karen Perez, Laramie County School District #1
  Presenting Author

• Payton Vigil
  Presenting Author